The Disconnection Epidemic: Why We’ve Lost Touch with Our Bodies
In today’s hyper-connected yet paradoxically disconnected world, many people in Ireland and beyond are experiencing what I’ve come to recognize as a profound form of disconnection—not just from others or nature, but from their own bodies.
As a holistic therapist practicing somatic healing techniques across Dublin, Naas, and Newbridge, I’ve witnessed this disconnection manifesting in countless ways: chronic tension, unexplained fatigue, persistent anxiety, emotional numbness, decision-making difficulties, and a general sense of feeling “not quite at home” in one’s life.
This disconnection isn’t surprising. From early childhood, many of us learn to prioritize mental activity over physical sensations, achievements over experiences, and others’ expectations over our internal sense of rightness. Our education systems, work environments, and even social media reinforce this disembodied way of living—rewarding us for ignoring body signals like hunger, fatigue, or emotional discomfort in service of productivity and conformity.
The consequences of this disconnection can be far-reaching. When we lose touch with our body’s innate wisdom, we lose access to:
- Our built-in guidance system for making aligned decisions
- Our natural ability to process and release emotions
- Our capacity to feel genuine pleasure and joy
- Our intuitive sense of boundaries and needs
- Our connection to purpose and meaning beyond intellectual understanding
The good news? Somatic healing practices offer a gentle yet powerful path back to embodied wisdom—a way to “come home” to the intelligence that has been within you all along.
Understanding Somatic Healing: More Than Just Body Awareness
While the term “somatic” (derived from the Greek word “soma” meaning “body”) has gained popularity in recent years across Ireland’s wellness communities, there’s often confusion about what somatic healing actually encompasses.
Somatic healing isn’t simply about paying attention to your body or releasing physical tension, though these are important components. At its core, somatic healing recognizes that:
- The body and mind are inseparable aspects of one integrated system. In somatic practice, we move beyond the Cartesian split that has dominated Western thinking for centuries and recognize that thoughts, emotions, sensations, and even beliefs are embodied experiences.
- The body holds wisdom that the conscious mind cannot access through thinking alone. This body-based knowing often communicates through sensation, impulse, emotion, and energy that can be felt but not always easily verbalized.
- Healing happens through embodied awareness, not just intellectual understanding. While insights can be valuable, somatic healing emphasizes the transformative power of conscious, felt experience in the present moment.
- The body naturally moves toward wholeness when given the right conditions. Rather than forcing change, somatic healing creates the conditions for the body’s own intelligence to guide the healing process.
In my practice serving clients throughout Dublin and the surrounding areas, I’ve found that this approach creates more sustainable transformation than approaches that work solely with the thinking mind.
The Science Behind Coming Home to Your Body
While somatic healing draws on ancient wisdom traditions, modern research increasingly validates the power of embodied awareness for wellbeing.
Studies in neuroscience have revealed fascinating insights about the bidirectional relationship between body and brain:
- Research on the “gut-brain axis” shows how our digestive system contains millions of neurons that communicate directly with our brain, influencing mood, cognition, and even behavior
- Studies on “embodied cognition” demonstrate how our physical states shape our thoughts and perceptions
- Research on “interoception” (our ability to sense internal bodily states) shows its crucial role in emotional regulation and decision-making
- Polyvagal theory illuminates how our autonomic nervous system states impact everything from our sense of safety to our capacity for connection
These scientific findings align with what somatic practitioners in Ireland and worldwide have long observed: that the path to healing often begins with coming home to the body’s wisdom.
Five Signs You May Be Disconnected From Your Body
How do you know if you’re experiencing disconnection from your body? Here are some common signs I’ve observed in my somatic healing practice in Dublin:
- You often don’t notice hunger, fullness, or need for the bathroom until they’re urgent signals
- You frequently “power through” fatigue, pain, or discomfort to meet external expectations
- You find it difficult to identify what you’re feeling emotionally, especially in the moment
- You make decisions primarily through logical analysis, often second-guessing your initial sense of what feels right
- You feel more comfortable living in your thoughts than being present with physical sensations
If you recognize yourself in these descriptions, you’re not alone. Many clients come to my practice in Dublin, Naas, and Newbridge sharing similar experiences—often not realizing that reconnecting with their body’s wisdom can address seemingly unrelated challenges in their lives.
The Body as Ally: Transforming Your Relationship with Your Physical Self
One of the most profound shifts that happens through somatic healing is a fundamental change in how we relate to our bodies. Many people in our culture have been taught to view the body as:
- An object to be controlled or perfected
- A machine that should function without needs or limitations
- A problem to be fixed when symptoms arise
- A separate entity from the “real me” that lives in the mind
Somatic healing invites a radically different relationship—one where the body is recognized as:
- A wise ally with its own intelligence
- A source of nuanced information about what’s truly right for you
- A partner in navigating life’s challenges
- An essential aspect of your complete self
This shift from viewing the body as object to experiencing it as ally creates ripple effects through all areas of life. Clients throughout Dublin and Kildare often report not just relief from their presenting concerns but a newfound sense of trust in themselves, more satisfying relationships, and greater clarity about their path forward.
Somatic Healing in Practice: The Coming Home Meditation
One accessible way to begin reconnecting with your body’s wisdom is through guided somatic healing meditations. These practices create a structured space to rebuild the bridge between conscious awareness and embodied knowing.
I’ve created a meditation specifically for this purpose—”Coming Home to Your Body”—that guides you through a gentle process of reconnection. Unlike meditations that focus primarily on the mind, this somatic practice helps you:
- Notice physical sensations with curiosity rather than judgment
- Recognize how emotions manifest in your body
- Discern between different qualities of body-based information
- Experience the subtle sense of “rightness” that comes with embodied presence
Experience the Coming Home to Your Body meditation: [MEDITATION LINK PLACEHOLDER]
This practice can be particularly valuable for those in high-stress environments across Dublin’s business districts, for caregivers throughout Ireland who give so much to others that they lose connection with themselves, and for anyone who senses there’s a deeper wisdom within that they’ve lost touch with.
Beyond Meditation: Somatic Healing in Everyday Life
While dedicated practices like meditation create a foundation for embodied awareness, the true power of somatic healing emerges when we begin integrating this awareness into daily life.
Here are some simple ways to bring somatic awareness into your day, no matter where you are in Dublin or beyond:
1. Body Check-Ins
Several times throughout your day, take a moment to ask:
- What sensations am I feeling right now?
- Where is there tension or holding in my body?
- What is my breath doing?
- What might my body be trying to tell me?
These brief check-ins, taking just 30 seconds, can begin rebuilding your awareness of body signals before they become urgent.
2. Decision-Making from the Body
When facing choices, try this somatic approach:
- Bring to mind one option and notice how your body responds (expansion? contraction? heaviness? lightness?)
- Do the same with other options
- Notice which option creates a sense of opening or “rightness” in your body
This doesn’t replace logical analysis but adds valuable body-based information to the process.
3. Emotional Processing Through the Body
When emotions arise:
- Notice where and how you feel them physically
- Allow these sensations to be present without rushing to fix or change them
- If comfortable, place a hand on this area with gentle acknowledgment
- Notice how emotions naturally shift when given embodied attention
This simple practice helps emotions complete their natural cycle rather than becoming stuck in the body.
4. Mindful Movement
Incorporate forms of movement that invite presence and awareness:
- Walking mindfully through Dublin’s beautiful parks
- Gentle stretching with attention to sensation
- Dancing to express and release emotion
- Yoga or tai chi classes available throughout Kildare
The specific form matters less than the quality of embodied attention you bring to it.
Somatic Healing for Specific Challenges
The return to embodied wisdom through somatic healing can address a wide range of challenges I commonly see in my practice throughout Dublin, Naas, and Newbridge:
Anxiety and Stress
Somatic approaches to anxiety focus on:
- Recognizing the physical early-warning signs of anxiety
- Learning to regulate the nervous system through body-based techniques
- Building capacity to stay present with difficult sensations
- Discovering the wisdom beneath anxiety’s physical manifestations
Trauma Recovery
Somatic healing is particularly valuable for trauma, addressing:
- How traumatic experiences are stored in the body
- Gently processing trauma through titrated body awareness
- Restoring a sense of safety and agency in the body
- Building new, embodied experiences to counterbalance traumatic ones
Relationship Challenges
Embodied awareness transforms relationships by:
- Helping you sense your authentic yes and no
- Increasing your capacity to stay present during difficult interactions
- Allowing you to recognize when you’re taking on others’ emotions
- Enhancing your ability to sense subtle connections between people
Life Transitions
During major changes, somatic healing supports:
- Navigating uncertainty through body-based grounding
- Recognizing when fear versus wisdom is guiding decisions
- Processing grief and loss at the physical level
- Finding embodied connection to your deeper purpose
Finding Somatic Healing Support in Ireland
If you’re interested in exploring somatic healing more deeply, several options are available throughout Ireland:
Individual Sessions
One-on-one somatic healing sessions provide personalized guidance for your specific needs and experiences. These sessions create a safe container to explore embodied awareness with the support of a trained practitioner.
I offer individual somatic healing sessions in Dublin, Naas, and Newbridge, combining various embodiment approaches tailored to your unique needs.
Group Workshops
Group settings can provide powerful experiences of collective embodied awareness. Throughout Ireland, various workshops focus on specific aspects of somatic healing, from nervous system regulation to embodied boundary work.
I regularly host somatic healing workshops in Dublin and surrounding areas, providing accessible entry points to embodiment practices in a supportive community setting.
Ongoing Practices
Consistent practice deepens embodied awareness over time. Consider:
- Regular meditation with a somatic focus
- Movement practices that emphasize internal awareness
- Journaling that includes attention to body sensations
- Working with a somatic practitioner for guided exploration
Conclusion: The Ongoing Journey Home
Coming home to your body isn’t a destination but a continual journey of remembering, returning, and deepening. In our culture that so often pulls us away from embodied wisdom, this journey requires intention and practice—but the rewards are profound.
When we reconnect with our body’s innate wisdom, we gain access to a guidance system far more sophisticated than intellect alone. We begin to live from a place of deeper authenticity, making choices that truly align with our whole being rather than just our thinking mind.
As a holistic therapist practicing throughout Dublin and Kildare, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing countless people transform through this remembering of embodied wisdom. From busy professionals in Dublin’s corporate world to parents juggling family demands in suburban Newbridge to elders in Naas reconnecting with their bodies after decades of disconnection—the journey home to the body brings gifts as unique as each person who undertakes it.
Wherever you are in your relationship with your body right now—whether feeling profoundly disconnected or simply curious about deepening your embodied awareness—know that the wisdom within you has been waiting patiently. It remains accessible, ready to guide you whenever you’re ready to listen.
I invite you to begin or continue this journey of coming home to your body, discovering the intelligence that has been within you all along.
Connect with Abi Beri
For individual somatic healing sessions, workshops, or to learn more about embodiment practices:
- Website: www.blissfulevolution.com
- Somatic Healing: www.somatictherapyireland.com
- Family Constellations: www.familyconstellationseurope.com
- Locations: Serving Dublin, Naas, Newbridge, and surrounding areas in Ireland
- Experience: Coming Home to Your Body meditation
May your journey back to embodied wisdom bring the clarity, authenticity, and wholeness that is your birthright.
