Presence - The Nectar of Life

What does ‘Soma’ mean?

Soma is most commonly known as the latin translation of the word ‘body’; more of our culture is becoming aware of the word Soma and Somatic work. However, fewer folks know that the word Soma in Vedic philosophy refers to a substance known as “the nectar of immortality”. Vedic philosophy believes that Soma is cultivated through practices of deep meditation and yoga, which offer the practitioner rejuvenation, higher states of consciousness, and even levels of immortality.

When I learned about the Vedic interpretation of Soma, I sat and contemplated this definition alongside the Latin translation. Was there any similarity? I began to unravel this contemplation into a realization that perhaps there is more common ground in the Vedic and Latin translation of Soma… 

As American Tibetain - Buddhist Pema Chodron once said, “we’re able to find eternity when we’re able to dwell in the present moment.” Meditation and yoga are awareness based practices that draw us to the present moment. Somatic work is also an awareness practice; observing what’s present in the body and working with those findings and messages. Somatic work at its core, is presence awareness practice much like meditation and yoga.

Let’s sit with that.

If Somatic practices are essentially an awareness practice of fine tuning the senses to commune with our body… is there not the possibility that the nectar of Soma might also be found in this practice?

To clarify more on what somatic practices are: they’re body centered awareness practices often used in a therapeutic setting to bring agency and relief to clients by them learning to observe and work with the language of their body. I often work with individuals through somatic practices for self-inquiry & discovery. To connect with what they’re experiencing in the body, and notice the layers of self (physical, energetic, mental, etc.) This work takes awareness and presence of our current bodily experience.

Now, if you don’t have a meditation practice, or you’ve never really heard about somatics… this all might be a  hard concept to grasp. We live in a day of age where busyness and disconnection are the norm, and practicing the art of slowing down and being with ourselves isn’t known, practiced, or seen as necessary, important, or productive.

However, in yogic and buddhist philosophy, this is where the nectar of life is: in slowing down into the present moment; harvesting pauses in our day for deep fulfillment. Fine tuning our senses so we may notice the small things within our environment and within ourselves - that’s what gives life its richness. The practice or presence offers us not only a deeper connection to the world, but to ourselves. It brings clarity to who we truly are and what our current needs are, in this moment in life, and can direct us on how we might grow.

By developing somatic practices, we develop the language of the body and our relationship to it. We're able to observe how subtle internal experiences ripple outward and even crystallize into how we move, think, and experience the external.

Meaning, if we start a short subtle practice of body scanning every morning, we might find within this practice the root to, let’s say physical tension, an emotional hurt, misplaced anxiety, or even a narrative of feeling unworthy...

Through the devotion of communing with self, we find those ‘ahas’ and threads of connection that can guide us toward effective change and allow us to live in a more authentic and aligned way.

If you don’t already have a body (somatic) practice, take this as an invitation to find one. It could be mindful walks, body scanning, yoga, dance, seated meditation, breath awareness, walks in nature (no headphones or devices :) Or ask your therapist about somatic practices for support.

Anything that involves body movement and awareness and is devoted to a conscious curiosity about what’s present now in this moment within my being - can be life changing. By weaving these beautiful awareness practices into our day to day lives, we find deeper connection and presence. Perhaps through communing with our wise body, we commune with glorious presence, and receive a small taste of that nectar, of Soma.