What Does Somatics Have to Do With It?

Who needs a body when we can just live from the neck up?

False.

The body is just as crucial to recovery as the mind. If not, honestly, even more important.

Often in treatment, the spotlight is on challenging cognitive distortions (aka: our crappy thoughts). Don’t get me wrong, this is super important. Without behavioural changes, nothing moves forward. But once you make that initial change, something needs to actually maintain it. Because let me tell you, in ED recovery, the motivation to stay changed can be an uphill battle.

That’s usually where we see the slip-ups, setbacks, and full-blown relapses. Old behaviours love to stage a comeback and reclaim their position as “safety” mechanisms. Our brains are hardwired for safety, and they will resort to toxic nostalgia just to find a sense of comfort. Luckily, the brain is neuroplastic, meaning it can build new neural pathways and adapt to change. If we actually let it.

The piece that is constantly overlooked in lasting recovery is the body

In our society, many people live entirely from the neck up. I’ll be honest: more often than not, I’ve found myself reacting purely based on my thoughts, only to look back in total regret. We think our way through life, creating and entertaining elaborate fictional stories about the world and who we are. You’re probably familiar with the internal dialogue: “I can’t get out of my head,” or the infamous, “The ED thoughts are so loud!” We listen to these thoughts as if they are absolute truth and act on them without a second thought (no pun intended).

What if there’s a better way to approach recovery? One that bridges the gap between mind and body, because in reality, there is no mind-body divide. We are one whole being.

Your body is always talking

If we listen closely, our bodies are always communicating, sending us constant feedback. When was the last time you stopped to notice your bottom resting on a chair or your feet planted on the floor? Have you noticed the specific sensations your body gives when you feel sad versus happy? Energetic versus depleted? Hungry versus full?

Interoception, the ability to sense and understand our internal bodily cues, allows us to build a relationship with ourselves based on truth, freedom, and respect. We build this interoceptive awareness by practising small somatic exercises throughout the day, bringing our attention inward when our minds are stuck out.

Living from the body doesn’t just create empowerment; it creates embodiment: the lived experience of fully inhabiting your physical self. Eating disorders completely weaponise disembodiment, but the truth is, we came into this world fully embodied. As we get older, we are conditioned to separate from our internal wisdom. Sure, this disconnect can stem from personal trauma or childhood, but let’s look at the bigger picture: society actively profits off of our disembodied states.

Tuning in is an act of rebellion

Think about it. A multi-billion-dollar diet culture relies entirely on you ignoring your hunger cues. The beauty industry folds if you actually feel secure in your own skin. Capitalism requires us to view our bodies as machines to be optimised and exploited rather than homes to be lived in, while the patriarchy thrives when we are too busy managing body dissatisfaction to dismantle the systems keeping us small. Society doesn’t want you to know your body, because a deeply embodied person who trusts their internal signals cannot be easily marketed to, manipulated, or controlled. In a world that profits off your self-doubt, tuning in is an act of absolute rebellion.

When we bring the body into recovery, we bridge the mind-body divide and build a relationship with the very thing we’ve been trying to avoid. In ED recovery, the body becomes your anchor, a source of inherent wisdom and strength. When you learn how to simply be with your body, you naturally learn how to respect it. And when that happens? The ED voice doesn’t stand a chance.

Below is a quick, three-minute somatic practice you can do anywhere, at any time, to bridge that divide.

The Three-Minute Soma Scan

This foundational exercise trains your brain to notice internal physical signals and rebuild your interoceptive awareness.

• Get comfortable. Lie on your back or sit in a supported chair. Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
• Start at the feet. Bring your full attention to the soles of your feet. Notice any sensation (warmth, coolness, tingling) or even “nothing at all.” (Nothing still counts as valid data.)
• Move upward slowly. Let your focus travel step by step through your ankles, calves, knees, thighs, pelvis, belly, chest, hands, arms, shoulders, throat, face, and the top of your head.
• Observe without fixing. Do not try to change, relax, or judge any tension you find. Just notice each sensation with gentle curiosity before moving on.

The next time the ED voice comes online, bring your body online instead. Shift your focus to your physical sensations, even if it’s just for sixty seconds. Over time, you will strengthen this connection, rewire your brain to find safety within, and live your life fully embodied.

It is the most rebellious, empowering thing you can do for your recovery.