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Somatofulness: Return to an Awakened Body
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“Somatofulness connects us directly to the earth and nature, thus preserving them both.”
What Is Somatofulness?
“Somatofulness is the direct sensory experience of the body and the world around us, without the interference of the thoughts and emotions, leading to the awakening of the body and its full functioning.”
The term Somatofulness is a newly coined word by Jivasu for the Naturality teachings to emphasize the primacy of the body in daily life and how the body can be awakened fully.
The word Somatic comes from the Greek word soma which means body. Somatic means anything pertaining to the body. Fulness means attention to. Somatofulness is to become attentive to the body.
Soma is also a Sanskrit word for nectar which can give the experience of bliss and immortality to a person. Some think that the Soma is a juice from a plant and others say that it is formed within the body. The body and brain secrete a wide variety of neuro-hormones and transmitters, which can give us the experience of bliss and glimpses of immortality. From a Naturality point of view, Soma is contained in the body and brain but is not accessible fully to most people unless a person becomes Somatoful.
Why Somatofulness?
Directly or indirectly people in most cultures deny the body. Denial of the body means that we can’t accept the natural body as it is. Either we neglect it, torment it, mutilate it or modify it according to the ideas of our mind which are conditioned by culture. The result is life-long anxiety and suffering about the body.
Why do we deny the body? The body is ever-changing—sickness, disability, or the process of aging can all result in changes which can be distressing. Our minds can’t accept these facts. The mind is a relentless dreamer trying to create a perfect and eternal world through thoughts and imagination. But the body constantly reminds us of the transitoriness and fragility of life. Unable to accept the fact of the body’s mortality, we deny the body as it is. We try to transform the body so it can live forever in beauty and power. But this inevitably ends in failure, and only leads to the brutal suppression of the body and ultimately a half-lived life. The source of life-energy is not in our emotions or thoughts. It is in the body. Without the full functioning of the body, full life energy is not accessible and thus a full life is not possible.
Also, if we are not intimately connected and grounded in our body we may suffer from a wide variety of emotional and mental health problems. All emotional and mental health problems ranging from psychosis to anxiety are the problems of poor connection of the mind with the body, in one way or another.
And lastly, the body is the part of the earth and nature. If we are not intimately connected with our bodies, we won’t be able to connect to the earth and nature.
Somatofulness is the process of becoming aware of these facts of the body and the mind. Then based on those facts we can take action to release the body from the mind’s suppression. Only through such freedom of the body, the full life energy innate to the body can be released, which will allow us to live fully with passion.
Somatofulness can help us in dealing with emotional and mental health problems.
Somatofulness connects us directly to the earth and nature, thus preserving them both.
How Does Somatofulness Differ From Mindfulness and Heartfulness?
Mindfulness – Mindfulness is moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness of the emotions, thoughts, body, and the world around us. A calm awareness of body, mind, and the world around us is maintained. Mindfulness is primarily a mental process.
Heartfulness – In heartfulness the mind, body, and the world around us is perceived through feelings, bringing a state of absorption and rapture.
Somatofulness – In Somatofulness the mind, body, and the world around us are experienced through sensations in the body. Everything vibrates with energy, leading to fullness and bliss.
Mindfulness is like watching the ocean waves while standing on the shore. Heartfulness is diving into the sea and floating with the waves. Somatofulness is like diving into the sea where there are no waves, but only water, elemental and primal.
Sponsored by: Jivasu MD (Founder of The Naturality Movement)
As a physician and spiritual teacher, Jivasu has spent his life building an extensive understanding of intersections of biomedicine, acupuncture, neuroscience, meditation, and ancient wisdom traditions.
While working as a medical doctor, serving some of the poorest in the foothills of the Himalayas in India, he had a profound transformative experience which led to the formation of his own teachings called Naturality or Natural Spirituality.
Jivasu says that “On the Naturality path, we learn to listen to and follow the natural rhythms of our body, brain and mind. By aligning ourselves with what is natural to us, we can expand our awareness and experience integration and joy.”
Jivasu runs workshops and courses that incorporate movement, discussion, breathwork and more. Visit jivasu.org to learn more about the Naturality movement.
About the Author
As a physician and spiritual teacher, Jivasu has spent his life building an extensive understanding of intersections of biomedicine, acupuncture, neuroscience, meditation, and ancient wisdom traditions. While working as a...
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