What is “Somatic” Breathing?

The word somatic comes from the Greek word soma, meaning “body.”¹ In the context of retirement, somatic breathwork is the practice of using conscious breathing to scan for, identify, and release physical manifestations of stress—such as a tight chest, a “knot” in the stomach, or clenched jaws.

As we age, our breathing patterns often become shallow and “vertical” (shoulders moving up and down) rather than “horizontal” (the ribcage expanding outward). This shallow breathing keeps the sympathetic nervous system in a state of low-grade “fight or flight.”² Somatic breathwork retrains the diaphragm to facilitate a deeper, more therapeutic exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

The Three Pillars of Somatic Practice for Seniors

1. Interoception: Developing the ability to feel what is happening inside your body. Instead of saying “I am stressed,” a somatic breather might say, “I feel a heavy warmth in my solar plexus.”