Somatic coaching is coaching that includes the body. It is for people who already understand their patterns, have read the books and done the reflecting, and still find themselves running the same stress response. Makayla Maniscalco, a transformational coach in Westminster, Colorado, uses somatic practice alongside subconscious work with clients in Westminster, Denver and virtually.
Why include the body at all?
Stress is not only a thought. The body has a stress response and an opposite relaxation response, which the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes as slower breathing, lower blood pressure and a reduced heart rate (NCCIH). Somatic work uses breath, movement and attention to sensation to help the body shift states directly, rather than only talking about the state.
Somatic coaching compared with talk based coaching
| Talk based coaching | Somatic coaching | |
|---|---|---|
| Main tool | Conversation, insight, planning | Conversation plus breath, movement and body awareness |
| Best when | You need clarity or a plan | You know the pattern and it still runs |
| What changes | Understanding and decisions | Understanding plus the state your body defaults to |
How Makayla uses somatic practice
Somatic practice is one part of her work, not the whole of it. She is a Certified Integrative Coach and a 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher, certified in neuro linguistic programming, Mental and Emotional Release and hypnosis. In practice that means:
- Working in the body. Breathwork, somatic practice and movement change the state directly.
- Reaching the driver. Subconscious work addresses the belief or stored charge keeping the system on alert.
- Tools you keep. You leave with practices you can use without her.
This is the core of nervous system regulation coaching, and the body side can go deeper through private yoga and breathwork.
Who is somatic coaching a fit for?
- Leaders and founders whose bodies stay in overdrive after the working day ends
- People recovering from burnout who find rest does not restore them
- Anyone who has done the thinking and wants the body included
If you are not sure whether your stress response is stuck, start with Is Your Nervous System Stuck in Survival Mode? 7 Signs and What Helps.
Frequently asked questions
What is somatic coaching?
Somatic coaching includes the body in the work. Instead of only talking about a pattern, it uses breath, movement and attention to physical sensation to change the state that the pattern lives in. It suits people who already understand why they react the way they do but find that understanding alone has not changed the reaction.
How is somatic coaching different from talk based coaching?
Talk based coaching works mainly through conversation, insight and planning. Somatic coaching keeps the conversation and adds the body, using breath, movement and body awareness. That difference matters most when you already understand a pattern intellectually and it still runs every time you are under pressure.
Is somatic coaching the same as somatic therapy?
No. Somatic coaching is coaching, not therapy. It does not diagnose or treat any condition, including trauma, and it is not a substitute for clinical care. If you need treatment, a licensed professional is the right starting point. Somatic coaching is for people who are functioning and want their default stress response to change.
Can somatic coaching be done online?
Yes. Breath and movement practices translate well over video, and many of Makayla’s clients work with her virtually from outside Colorado. Sessions follow the same approach as in person work in Westminster and Denver, and you leave each one with practices you can keep using on your own between sessions.
Where can I find somatic coaching near Westminster or Denver?
Makayla Maniscalco is a transformational coach who works in person in Westminster at 2921 W 120th Ave and across Denver and the Front Range, and virtually with clients worldwide. She is a Certified Integrative Coach and 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher, and every engagement starts with a free connection call.
Keep reading
- Executive Burnout Coaching in Westminster and Denver
- Breathwork for Stress and Burnout
- Burnout recovery coaching
- Transformational Coaching vs Therapy vs Life Coaching
- About Makayla Maniscalco
Makayla Maniscalco is a transformational coach based at 2921 W 120th Ave in Westminster, Colorado. She works one to one in person in Westminster and across Denver and the Front Range, and virtually with clients anywhere in the world. Every engagement starts with a free connection call, a focused, pressure free conversation with no obligation to continue.
Coaching is not therapy or medical care and does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or go to your nearest emergency room.
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