WHAT ARE SOMATIC FACIALS - INCLUDING EXCERPTS FROM MY SOMATIC TEACHER OF 20+ YEARS
My facials have had a somatic foundation for over 20 years now. As the word ‘somatic’ has become more trendy - and incredibly overused (and incorrectly used - most people really mean ‘embodied’) - I felt it was important to clarify the meaning as I was taught it.
As I reflect on nearly two decades of receiving treatments and training with my somatic teacher, the word has taken on a deeply personal meaning. According to my somatic training, somatics is about the connection between two or more people. Within that connected space, it’s about reconnecting with the body, understanding the language it speaks, allowing what is, and honoring the wisdom it holds. It’s a journey of awareness that goes beyond the surface, tapping into the deep well of experience our bodies carry—especially the stagnant emotional energies that remain unprocessed or unacknowledged in our tissues. This stagnation is what ages us, and not just physically.
In the facial sessions I offer, this understanding is at the heart of my practice. Each session is more than a treatment; it’s a space where we can listen to, acknowledge, and allow what the body is truly saying. Through gentle, attentive touch, we explore not just the physical, but also the emotional and energetic layers that contribute to our overall well-being.
My teacher has always emphasized the importance of presence—being fully in tune with each moment and each individual. This presence allows us to move beyond mechanical techniques and into a realm where healing and transformation are possible by creating space for this to occur.
I’m grateful for the wisdom I’ve gained through these years of training and practice. It’s this wisdom that I bring into each session, creating a unique experience that is not just about beauty, but about a profound connection to oneself.
From my teacher:
“Oftentimes we look at our issues and ask ourselves yang (action) questions, ‘What can I do? What do I need? What can I add?’
But we also need to ask the yin questions, like, ‘What can I stop doing? What can I let go? What do I not need? Where can I allow?’”
In Chinese Medicine, blockages in our system are actually caused by a build up of “too much.” A place that has a concentration of energy that is not flowing due to our own holding onto that which we do not need.
When we allow space. When we allow the flow, our system can once again find it’s balance.