Is your body trying to tell you something? Understanding somatic signals
David Genecand 
Learning to notice these sensations is the first step toward understanding what your body is asking for.
Your body is constantly communicating with you. Through tension, fatigue, restlessness, pain, or sudden waves of emotion, it offers feedback long before the mind catches up. In emotional root work, these sensations aren’t random or inconvenient — they are messages. When we learn to listen, the body becomes one of our most honest guides.
Somatic signals are the body’s language
Somatic signals are the physical sensations that arise in response to emotional or environmental cues. Tight shoulders, shallow breath, a heavy chest, a clenched jaw — these are not just physical habits. They are expressions of the nervous system responding to perceived safety or threat.
In many cases, somatic signals will manifest long before there is an opportunity for verbal expression. The body is the first to have contact with and respond to its environment, processing tone, energy, and subtle shifts in environmental conditions.
If somatic signals are ignored, subsequently overridden, or otherwise invalidated, the body will respond by increasing the "volume" of the signals, ultimately turning whispers into aches, fatigue, and/or an emotional flood.
Learning to notice these sensations is the first step toward understanding what your body is asking for. Book a consultation to start.
Why we learn to ignore the body
A lot of us were conditioned by society to prioritize our rational mind, our output, and our ability to suppress our emotions above our physical awareness (bodily experience).
We learned to "tough" our way through discomfort, deny our feelings, and ignore what we needed for our bodies. Over time, we've formed a habit of creating distance from those feelings and/or bodily signals until they force themselves back into our consciousness.
You'll often notice somatic (physical) signals when we're feeling disconnected or misaligned: boundaries have been crossed; we've needed rest; we've held back an emotion. The discomfort shouldn't be seen as a punishment; rather, it provides information.
The somatic (physical) self is attempting to pull you back into a state of balance, comfort, and/or authenticity. Emotional root work rebuilds the trust between the emotional (mental) and physical (somatic) self to receive somatic (physical) signals with the intention of curiosity rather than fear.
You might be interested in: What your triggers are trying to tell You: a guide to emotional root work
Listening as a path to healing
To begin listening, slow down. Notice what sensations are present without trying to change them. Ask gently: Where do I feel this in my body? What happens if I stay with it for a few breaths?
Often, awareness alone brings relief. As the body feels acknowledged, tension softens and clarity emerges. You may discover a need for movement, rest, expression, or reassurance.
Your body isn’t working against you. It’s working for you — guiding you toward greater self-understanding and wholeness. When you learn to listen to somatic signals, healing becomes less about fixing and more about remembering how to be in a relationship with yourself.
If this resonates with you, don’t hesitate to book a free consultation today.
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