Somatic science2 min read · Sep 12, 2024
Living Practice Off the Mat: Non-Violent Communication Through Somatic Listening
Before conflict becomes words, it tightens the jaw, the diaphragm and the psoas. How to read those signals before you react.
Elena Vance
Somatic movement director & lineage guide
The body always speaks first. Long before a sharp reply leaves your mouth, the breath has shortened and the shoulders have lifted. Somatic listening is the practice of catching that moment.
Next time a conversation heats up, lengthen one exhale before you answer. Feel your feet. Name one sensation silently — “tight jaw”, “hot face”. That single breath is the mat, carried into the room.
— Elena Vance
