Somatic Experiencing
Note: This topic was mentioned during the call but not discussed in depth.
Eve Blossom introduced the embodied dimension of curiosity through somatic experiencing.
Eve's Core Insight
"Somatic experiencing can deepen curiosity by helping the body feel safe to explore rather than be passive, be reactive, turning tension and overwhelm into spaciousness for new perceptions."
Key Elements
Safety in the Body
Curiosity requires feeling safe to explore. When the body is in:
- Fight/flight/freeze mode
- Tension and overwhelm
- Reactive state
...curiosity is difficult or impossible.
Passive vs Active
The body can be:
- Passive - receiving without engaging
- Reactive - responding from survival mode
- Actively exploring - curious and engaged
Somatic experiencing helps shift from the first two to the third.
Tension to Spaciousness
Eve described transformation:
From: Tension and overwhelm To: Spaciousness for new perceptions
This bodily spaciousness creates room for curiosity to emerge naturally.
Mind vs Body
"When we tune into the subtle signals of the body, curiosity becomes less an effort of the mind and more a natural opening to what is present, possible, and previously unseen."
Key shift:
- Not forcing curiosity mentally
- Allowing it to emerge bodily
- Trusting somatic wisdom
What We Can Notice
Eve's framework suggests curiosity enables perception of:
- What is present - currently here
- What is possible - potential futures
- What is previously unseen - newly available
Connection to Other Themes
Sense of Place
Jerry Michalski captured:
"Eve: curiosity + sense of place, to keep it alive"
Our bodily relationship to place sustains curiosity. See Sense of Place.
Safety and Fear
Connects to discussions of Fear and Self-Preservation - when we don't feel safe, we can't be curious.
Genuine Curiosity
Somatic experiencing may explain why Genuine vs Performative Curiosity feels so different - one comes from bodily openness, the other doesn't.
Implications for Practice
If curiosity requires bodily safety and spaciousness:
- How do we create safe containers for inquiry?
- What somatic practices support curiosity?
- How does Education and Curiosity need to address the body?
- Can we teach somatic curiosity practices?