a new way of human being

a return to "nature" through somatic networking

Welcome to your body.

Have you ever wondered about how organisms communicate with each other? Take trees for example…they get impulses from other trees through mycelium called mycorrhizal networks. Each tree is connected with others through this network.

Now why should we care?

There are multiple ways of truly understanding what is going on in our natural world. I propose that we not only understand what is going on with intellectual understanding, but also supplement it with an embodied understanding (“In-bodied,” meaning being aware of the body in its natural state, attuned to sensations and presence). By opening the channels between mind and body, we allow them to share and exchange knowledge.

In my years of practicing contact improvisation¹ in dance, I’ve noticed how the mind instinctively clings to knowledge and tries to apply it immediately. Yet, for me, that was never possible. Growing up with a learning disability—that was later identified as neurodivergence and ADD—made it challenging for me to learn, especially in traditional settings like sitting in a classroom and staring at a whiteboard. No matter how many support classes I took, I lacked the capacity to fully absorb what was being taught to me.

This learning style also left me feeling "othered" by my peers. I was separated from the group, and all I wanted was to belong—a fundamental human need.

Without delving too deeply into my upbringing, I want to emphasize the transformative role dance has played in my life. The moment I realized I could learn a technique, embody it, and practice it until my joints ached was the same moment I understood that I could also forget it entirely. And not intentionally—it was simply too much for my brain to process.

But then something profound happened. During “jam sessions” (gatherings where dancers practice contact improvisation), I noticed that I entered a state of flow when my mind stopped thinking and my body started moving. The mind and body became one, with the mind acting as a quiet witness to the body’s actions. I discovered that the real technique wasn’t physical—it was about practicing the muscle of attention.

This brings me back to nature, or as we in the eco-somatic community call it, the “more-than-human”.² How do our bodies know that we are nature, simply by being embodied? How does the mycorrhizal network beneath our feet function so effortlessly? How can we “read the room,” sense when something is off, or kinetically empathize³ with our environment by tuning into our natural sensitivities?

As creatures of nature, how do we communicate with one another simply by being present in our bodies? How do we learn about our movements and states of being through embodied understanding?

Our somatic experience reminds us to be fully embodied interconnected creatures, collectively creating networks to connect and help each other survive. What if we could learn from the network beneath our feet and recognize that our bodies, too, create a similar kind of interconnected system? What if we cultivated a new understanding within our bodies and began to trust their innate wisdom and movement?

So I welcome you to this journey…where together we remember that we are interwoven “be-ings” intertwined with each other and the world beneath our feet. Will you join me?

*Disclaimer*

I am not a doctor, therapist, or certified medical professional. The information and practices I share are based on personal research, experience, and exploration. They are intended purely for educational and exploratory purposes and should not be considered medical advice or a substitute for professional guidance. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider for any medical or mental health concerns.

1. contact improvisation is a dance practiced developed by contemporary dancer, Steve Paxton in the 70s that involves dancing with one or more people.

2. according to David Abram who coined the phrase in 1990, “more-than-human” refers to the broad spectrum of earthly life that includes human culture and exceeds it.

3. kinesthetic empathy is the ability to experience empathy by observing another person's movements. It is an interdisciplinary concept used to describe social interactions and cultural and creative practices.