“If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing.” - Pygmy saying

We participate in our own evolution by cultivating body wisdom, nurturing our nature and exploring new ways of being.

"What we plant in the soil of contemplation we shall reap in the harvest of action." - Meister Eckhart

“A body at home in itself is a gift to the world.”

Somatic Expression®
BODY WISDOM FOR MODERN minds

Somatic Expression® is a body-based practice developed by Jamie McHugh over four decades of lived research and compassionate witnessing.

The work weaves together the five universal somatic technologies of breath, vocalization, contact, movement and stillness with individual subjective expression for both art and insight.

This approach offers a return to the primal, ecological body and the living intelligence already present within you. Rather than imposing a technique, it supports you in resourcing your body from the inside out and inhabiting yourself with more ease, clarity, and connection.

The Five Technologies

These are not set techniques to master, but fluid invitations for collaborative participation with your nature:

BREATH – Cultivating the frequency of aliveness and integration

VOCALIZATION – Enlivening the interior with vibration to find your song

SELF-CONTACT – Reweaving your internal relationship through tactile presence

MOVEMENT – Responding freely and mindfully to life within and without

STILLNESS – Settling into non-action and contentment

Somatic Expression draws from the embodied traditions of Body-Mind Centering®, Continuum Movement®, and the Tamalpa Life/Art Process®, along with a constellation of other human and ecological influences. Jamie McHugh has taught this work in universities, clinics, and studios worldwide, meeting people of all ages and backgrounds with respect, curiosity, and care.

Current applications

Embodied Mindfulness - a sitting practice

Unplug to Connect - a lying down practice

Embodying Nature - an Ecosomatic relational practice

Watch - a video introduction to the Five Technologies

Explore - group classes and individual sessions

Read + listen - articles, interviews and videos

Contact Jamie McHugh

Somatic Expression® is a registered service mark of Jamie McHugh

Photos of Jamie: Gregory Bartning Dancing Over 50 Project and Dale Schweppe