Somatic Coaching: Self-Inquiry. A Somatic Healing Practice for Inner Wisdom (Not Therapy)
Have you ever noticed how your body “speaks” before your mind catches up?
A tight chest before a hard conversation.
Butterflies in your stomach when something feels exciting.
A heavy weight in your shoulders when life feels overwhelming.
These sensations aren’t random — they’re the body’s way of holding memory, emotion, and truth. The challenge is that most of us are taught to ignore these signals, to live from the neck up and rely only on thoughts to guide us.
Self-inquiry is the practice of turning toward these signals with curiosity instead of pushing them away. It’s not about analyzing or fixing — it’s about slowing down enough to listen, ask gentle questions, and discover what your body is really trying to tell you.
When practiced somatically — through the body — self-inquiry becomes a powerful form of somatic healing. It helps us reconnect with the wisdom beneath our stories, embody our experiences, and create space for deep transformation.
And while it can be profoundly healing, it’s important to name this clearly: self-inquiry and somatic healing are not therapy. They don’t replace psychotherapy or medical treatment. Instead, they offer a complementary way of coming home to yourself, one breath, one sensation, one question at a time.
What is Self-Inquiry?
Self-inquiry is the practice of turning inward with gentle curiosity. Instead of analyzing or judging our experiences, we learn to observe them as they arise in the present moment. This can mean noticing emotions, body sensations, patterns of thought, or even subtle shifts in energy.
At its core, self-inquiry is not about why something is happening but about what is happening right now. For example, instead of asking, “Why do I always feel anxious before meetings?” a self-inquiry approach might be, “Where do I feel this anxiety in my body? What happens if I breathe into that place? Does it change when I give it space?”
This shift may seem small, but it changes the entire process. By moving away from problem-solving and into presence, self-inquiry creates space for the body and mind to reveal insights on their own. It is a process of listening rather than forcing, allowing the body to be a guide rather than an obstacle.
Why Somatic Healing (Not Therapy)?
I use the term somatic healing to describe practices like self-inquiry because they support awareness, embodiment, and personal growth. However, it’s important to be clear: this is not therapy.
Therapy — whether psychotherapy, counseling, or another licensed modality — is a clinical process provided by trained professionals. It often involves diagnosis, treatment planning, and therapeutic interventions for mental health conditions or trauma.
Somatic healing practices, by contrast, are not about diagnosing or treating. They are about cultivating presence in the body, exploring sensations and patterns with curiosity, and learning how to integrate those insights into daily life. They can be deeply supportive, but they are not a substitute for therapy.
For many people, self-inquiry and somatic healing complement therapy beautifully. While therapy may help address clinical concerns or provide structured psychological support, self-inquiry offers another way of listening to the body’s wisdom and engaging in personal exploration. Together, these approaches can create a holistic foundation for healing and growth.
Self-Inquiry as a Somatic Practice
The word somatic simply means “of the body.” When we bring self-inquiry into the body, it shifts from being a purely reflective exercise into a lived, embodied practice. Instead of just thinking about our experiences, we feel them directly, in real time.
Somatic self-inquiry begins with awareness of physical sensations — tightness in the chest, warmth in the belly, tingling in the hands, heaviness in the shoulders. From there, gentle questions open a doorway:
Can I stay present with this sensation without trying to change it?
If this part of my body could speak, what would it say?
What happens if I breathe into this place or give it space?
Rather than analyzing or explaining, the focus is on listening — allowing the body’s intelligence to reveal meaning in its own way. This is the essence of somatic healing: treating the body not as a passive container but as an active guide.
By weaving self-inquiry with embodied awareness, we create a practice that helps us reconnect to parts of ourselves we may have ignored, suppressed, or overlooked. This process can be deeply grounding, compassionate, and transformative.
Areas That Can Be Explored Through Self-Inquiry
One of the unique strengths of self-inquiry as a somatic healing practice is its flexibility. Because it begins with the body, it can open the door to many different layers of experience — from the physical and emotional to the symbolic and even transpersonal. Some of the areas that can be explored include:
Body Mapping – noticing where sensations, emotions, or energy patterns live in the body, and how they shift with attention.
Inner Child – connecting with younger parts of ourselves that may still carry unmet needs, fears, or longings.
Fears and Resistances – meeting the protective responses of the body with curiosity instead of judgment, allowing us to understand rather than fight them.
Archetypes – exploring universal inner roles such as the nurturer, the warrior, the healer, or the seeker, and how these live within us.
Past Lives (for those open to it) – exploring impressions, images, or stories that feel older than this lifetime, which can arise spontaneously in somatic work.
Cultural Myths and Collective Beliefs – noticing how family systems, cultural narratives, or societal pressures are carried in the body and shape how we experience ourselves.
These explorations are not about “getting it right” or proving anything. Instead, they provide a creative, embodied way of accessing deeper truths. By following the body’s cues and staying curious, self-inquiry allows us to uncover layers of meaning that ordinary thinking often cannot reach.
Why This Matters
Self-inquiry as a somatic healing practice matters because it helps us reconnect with parts of ourselves that often remain hidden beneath daily routines, stress, and mental chatter. When we learn to listen to the body with curiosity, several important shifts can happen:
Greater Self-Awareness – By noticing where emotions and patterns live in the body, we become more attuned to how our inner world shapes our outer behavior.
Emotional Resilience – Meeting sensations and feelings with presence (instead of avoidance) strengthens our capacity to stay grounded during challenges.
Release of Old Patterns – Bringing awareness to stored tensions, fears, or beliefs can gently loosen their grip, allowing new choices to emerge.
Integration of Mind and Body – Instead of being split between “thinking” and “feeling,” we begin to experience ourselves as whole, embodied beings.
Compassion Toward Self – By staying curious rather than judgmental, we create more kindness and acceptance toward our inner experience.
These benefits don’t appear overnight. They grow gradually, through consistent practice. Over time, self-inquiry becomes not just something we “do” but a way of being — approaching life with openness, awareness, and embodied presence.
How to Begin Practicing Self-Inquiry as Somatic Healing
The heart of this modality is simple but profound: you are learning how to heal yourself. Through self-inquiry, you begin to recognize your patterns, notice how emotions and stories live in your body, and develop trust in your own inner wisdom. Over time, this practice helps you see that the body is not just a vessel — it is a guide, a teacher, and a source of healing.
Somatic healing, in this form, is a self-healing modality. The goal is not to make you dependent on a practitioner, but to empower you with the skills to listen inwardly. That said, self-healing does not mean only healing alone. Like many practices, it works best in balance.
I’ll share from my own experience: much of my somatic healing I do on my own — noticing sensations, breathing into areas of tension, and asking my body gentle questions. But there are times when I feel stuck, when I can’t quite access what’s underneath, or when I sense a larger pattern emerging that feels bigger than what I can hold alone. For me, that’s the signal to reach out to a somatic practitioner who is deeply trained in this work. Their presence and guidance help me go further than I could on my own.
It’s also important to understand that somatic healing is more spiritual and energetic than it is clinical or therapeutic.While therapy often works with the mind and behavior, somatic healing in this form works with energy, sensation, archetypes, and the deeper layers of experience that live in the body. It can feel symbolic, even sacred at times — a process of reconnecting with the whole self, not just solving a problem.
Beginning your practice can be as simple as setting aside a quiet space, placing a hand on your heart or belly, and asking:
What is here right now?
Where do I feel this in my body?
Can I stay present with it without rushing to fix it?
Little by little, this becomes a way of relating to yourself that is spacious, compassionate, and deeply healing.
A Note on Training and Lineage
My approach to somatic healing is deeply rooted in Mary Shutan’s Body Deva work, and I’ve had the privilege of training with and working alongside Mary for almost a decade. Over these years, I’ve not only learned the techniques and principles of Body Deva work but have also applied them in my own practice and in teaching others.
In addition, I bring more than 15 years of experience teaching trauma-informed, therapeutic yoga, which has allowed me to witness firsthand how the body holds both tension and wisdom, and how mindful movement and awareness can support profound healing. I also hold a degree in psychology, which provides a strong foundation for understanding human behavior, mental health, and trauma. My ongoing studies in a Master’s program in Social Work have further deepened my understanding of how systems, trauma, and societal pressures impact the body, mind, and spirit.
This combination of practical experience, formal training, and educational background informs every session I offer. It ensures that the work I do is grounded, safe, and effective, while also honoring the depth and lineage of the modalities I teach. When we work together, you’re not just receiving guidance—you’re entering a space shaped by decades of hands-on experience, formal education, and personal practice.
Closing Thoughts
Self-inquiry as somatic healing is ultimately about learning to listen inwardly — to your body, to your patterns, and to the deeper wisdom that lives within you. It is a practice of presence, curiosity, and trust in your own inner guidance. Over time, this practice can become a way of living: more grounded, more embodied, and more connected to yourself.
It’s important to note that while I use the word somatic to describe these practices, I am not a licensed therapist, and this work is not psychotherapy or medical treatment. Somatic healing in this form is a self-healing and spiritual practice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace therapy. Instead, it can complement therapeutic work or be used alongside other forms of support.
I share from both my training and my personal experience. I practice much of my body based healing on my own, and I encourage others to cultivate this skill for themselves. At the same time, I recognize that sometimes we need guidance — when patterns feel too big, or when we can’t quite access what lies beneath. In those moments, reaching out to a trained somatic practitioner can provide depth and safety for going further.
Somatic healing is not about doing it “right.” It is about meeting yourself where you are, gently and consistently, and allowing your body to be your teacher. If you feel called to begin, know that you already carry the wisdom you need inside you. This practice is simply a way of remembering how to listen.
Disclaimer: The information shared in this post is for educational and informational purposes only. Somatic healing, as described here, is a self-healing and spiritual practice and is not psychotherapy, counseling, or medical treatment. I am not a licensed therapist, and this content is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace professional care. If you are experiencing significant distress, trauma, or a mental health condition, please seek support from a licensed healthcare provider.
