For a long time, I thought I could out-think my way through healing. I had the therapy sessions, the "positive vibes only" sticky notes, and a brain that was constantly running marathons trying to figure out why I felt so disconnected. But here’s the thing: my mind was talking, but my body was holding the receipt for every storm I’d ever walked through.
I’d sit down to journal about my day, and my brain would give me a list. “I did this, I felt that, I should do better tomorrow.” It was cognitive, it was tidy, and it was completely missing the point.
Because while my mind was busy telling a story, my shoulders were hiked up to my ears like they were trying to protect me from a ghost. My stomach was in a knot that no amount of "logical thinking" could untie. I realized that if I wanted to actually heal, to really rise with intention, I had to stop journaling about my life and start journaling from my body.
This is what we call Somatic Journaling.
Somatic journaling isn’t just about what you think; it’s about what you feel, literally. The word "somatic" comes from the Greek word soma, meaning "body." In the world of healing, it’s the understanding that our trauma, stress, and unexpressed emotions don’t just vanish; they take up residence in our muscles, our breath, and our nervous systems.
Think of your body as a noisy neighbor. You can try to ignore the pounding on the wall by turning up the TV (your thoughts), but the neighbor is still there, and they’re still upset. Somatic journaling is the act of finally opening the door and saying, "I hear you. What are you trying to tell me?"
It’s a body-first approach to healing and self-discovery. Instead of asking "Why am I sad?", we ask "Where is this sadness sitting in my chest, and what does it feel like?"
I love a good brain dump as much as anyone, but when you’re navigating a heavy season, what I call "life's storms", your thinking brain (the prefrontal cortex) can actually get overwhelmed. It shuts down. You find yourself staring at a blank page, feeling "stuck" or "numb."
By shifting the focus to your physical sensations, you bypass the "noisy neighbor" of the mind. You give your nervous system a chance to regulate. When you name a sensation, “there is a cold, sharp tightness in my solar plexus”, you are actually telling your brain that you are safe enough to observe it. That is where the transformation begins.
Before we get to the prompts, here is the "vibe check" for your practice:
If you’re feeling disconnected from your purpose or your spirit, use these prompts to bridge the gap. I’ve broken them down into three phases: Listening, Processing, and Rising.
I’ve spent years navigating my own journey: from the dual heritage of my Zimbabwean British roots to the physical realities of life in a wheelchair. I’ve learned that healing isn’t a destination you arrive at through logic. It’s a return to yourself.
When I created Still Rising: my guided journal for women navigating life's storms: I did it because I knew we needed more than blank pages. We needed a map back to our own bodies. We needed prompts that didn't just ask us what we did today, but asked us who we are becoming in the quiet spaces.
If you’re feeling that "spirit-body" disconnect, don't rush to fix it. Just start by noticing. Whether you’re using one of our premium blank journals or a simple PDF download, the goal is the same: Reclaim your authentic identity, one sensation at a time.
Your body has been waiting for you to listen. It’s time to pick up the pen and hear what it has to say.
Ready to start your own somatic journey? Explore our collection of guided journals and resources designed to help you pause, reflect, and rise with intention.
