Somatic Memory

The science of somatics is the science of the body; phrases like somatic memory or somatic intelligence mean the body’s intelligence. It is now understood that people can hold embedded memories of traumatic events in the body as well as the brain. Somatic practitioners believe in the body’s innate intelligence, and facilitate individual awareness of this through bodywork and other various means. Integration of the mind, body, and feelings to allow the body’s non-verbal communication system to respond in a healthy way is key to healthy living. Somatic healing is about getting in touch with the “sixth sense” (intuitive response) to facilitate a breakthrough in personal health and wellness. It is about listening to a language of immediate experiences, not planned intentions or verbal messages. This is not easy to do in today’s society.

How does all this include the psoas? Looking back at Part I, one can see how the deep location and connection of the psoas affects the central and peripheral nervous systems. Having a fundamental role in behavioral patterns, the memory of traumatic stress can be held in the psoas major as an organ of perception. Its involvement can cause tightness, unresponsiveness, and pain. Its release can begin a healing process.

The “fight or flight” reaction is a response of the sympathetic nervous system; the relaxation response for rest and recovery is through the parasympathetic nervous system. When one experiences overpowering stress, this healthy process may be subdued. Pent-up energy is held in the body as memory and can appear as physical symptoms. With repeated or unresolved trauma, sickness can develop.

A list of possible emotional disorders include:

These are disorders of the mind and need to be evaluated to differentiate between brain dysfunction and other sources of emotional problems. Either way, they can be held in the body. Much has been written about the psoas and its connection to our innate responses to emotions. I defer to the experts but believe that:

If working with a muscle can ease these problems, it could alleviate drug use for the trauma caused.

The Gut/Brain Connection

Suffice it to say that everything is connected to everything else. The “gut” area houses the enteric nervous system that functions, in a way, as a brain within the gut (intestines). The gut/brain connection is a phrase attracting attention as research continues to look for answers to depression, autism, and other major illnesses. The complex array of bacteria within our gastrointestinal tract and how it relates to health is still in question, but many people are beginning to believe that these bacterial organisms are capable of sending out signals, communicating with other cells and able to interpret and change environmental cues.

The enteric system receives input from the parasympathetic and sympathetic systems – all three are part of the autonomic nervous system that controls organs and muscles in the body involuntarily. There is also a somatic nervous system that voluntarily affects skeletal muscle. Both systems make up the peripheral nerve complex and can affect the psoas as part of the reflex of “fight or flight” in emergencies, and “rest and digest” in non-emergencies.

Impulses from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) can be called emotional responses, or “feelings.” These may create muscle tension, which affects the psoas because of its centrality discussed before. Therefore, when the psoas is released, emotions such as fear, anxiety, and other disturbances housed in the body can surface. Once they surface and can be “let go,” the entire area can become balanced and work in harmony.

Guide to the Nervous System

The human nervous system controls, by means of neurons, the functions of all the different systems of the body. It has two parts:

1)Central nervous system (CNS): encompasses the brain and the spinal cord. This system enables us to think, learn, reason, and maintain balance.

2)Peripheral nervous system (PNS): located outside the brain and spinal cord, in the outer parts of the body. This system helps us to carry out voluntary and involuntary actions, and feel through the senses. The PNS comprises:

a)Autonomic nervous system (ANS): responsible for regulation of internal organs and glands; it controls involuntary actions. The ANS consists of three subsystems:

i)Sympathetic nervous system: activates what is commonly known as the “fight or flight” response. The psoas is considered the fight/flight muscle.

ii)Parasympathetic nervous system: stimulates the “rest and digest” activities.

iii)Enteric nervous system: controls the gastrointestinal system in vertebrates.

b)Somatic nervous system (SNS): carries information from nerves to the CNS, and from the CNS to the muscles and sensory fibers; it is associated with voluntary muscle control.

Figure 5.1: The nervous system.

Nurturing the Psoas for Emotional Release

Imagine being kind to a muscle; do we ever do this? Society dictates that we work a muscle to exhaustion, whether in work or play. This is also the main principle in strength training. Let’s take a different approach with the psoas, since it is probably already tired. Freeing it from so many chores may help to relieve emotional tension, and even trauma held deep in the core of the body.

Learning how to release it is a main focus in Chapters 2 and 6. When muscles are relaxed, they begin to affect the rest of the body and the mind. This is felt during a massage and other gentle bodywork modalities and somatics, such as Bartenieff Fundamentals. It is also experienced when one begins to fall asleep. Singling out the psoas requires openness and perception. Try the following techniques.

Fetal Position

  1. Curl onto one side and close the eyes.
  2. Envision the psoas major deep within the center of the body, supple and soft. In this position, it is really not doing any work. Instead of being in contraction, it is at rest.
  3. Think of the psoas as a living, breathing organism, circulating fluid and messages in an involuntary way. It is a deep, central part of the body’s universe and deserves respect and kindness.

The Psoas “Rock”

  1. Begin a gentle rock of the pelvis, either in the fetal position or when lying on the stomach – imagine rocking a baby. Slow down to a stop when it feels right.
  2. Visualize the pathways of the muscle connections – fascia, tendons, and nerve innervations – down the legs and up the spine.
  3. Allow the mind to receive the subtle, calming messages of nurturing and caring from the very core. Take your time.

The Beginner’s Mind

  1. Remember how you looked and felt about things as a child: curious, unafraid, honest, free. Think of a particular situation that may help.
  2. Children live in the present, from moment to moment. See and feel things as they do, not yet knowing or judging.
  3. Imagine the psoas as if for the very first time – maybe it is your first time. Be open to new possibilities. This may take a while, since we tend to remain stuck in old habits. Muscles do the same thing. Use the wisdom of the body.

The beginner’s mind approach is part of the famous stress-reduction techniques of Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of the original facilitators of mind-body medicine. Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School has become world renowned, helping millions to manage pain, tension, and disease. Among his publications are Coming to Our Senses and Wherever You Go, There You Are.

The above is all part of the practice of mindfulness: paying attention, not trying to control or judge things, and having patience and acceptance. It is a practice, which, if incorporated into one’s daily life, can have a life-changing effect. Emotional and painful release may take place; if this is experienced, let it happen. Some people choose to do this with a qualified professional, others on their own. Either way, it can be liberating.

Learning to relax is a lifelong process; it is growth.