As somatic practitioners, we recognize that there is a vitality in all of life, a force that compels our survival. The human body, including the autonomic nervous system, evolved both long term survival skills and short term. Long term, or sustainable, physiology includes digestion, respiration, relational human connection, sleep, play, sexuality, and spiritual/creative practices, for example. Short term survival skills are those we need in crises or in life threatening situations. Under threat, massive amounts of energy are mobilized in readiness for self-defense via the fight, flight, and freeze responses. We work to support clients in integrating these short-term survival responses to come back into the sustainable physiology.
