Jennifer’s appreciation for our mind-body connection has played itself out in our coaching sessions in the form of her seemingly simple questions: “How did you feel just before that happened?” “What sensation did you feel inSomatic Awareness: Leading with Body Intelligence in your body?” 

Over time, she named for me what it was her questions were leading me to understand: Somatic Awareness. Based in physical and social science, Somatic Awareness provides a framework and set of tools to bolster our emotional intelligence, decision-making, and communication skills.

For me, noticing my body’s cues helps me to slow down, re-assess situations and make more measured responses that encourage collaborative problem-solving rather than similar Fight, Flight, or Freeze reactions on the other end. As an added bonus, I just feel better. It’s hard to carry the weight of those physical sensations that arise in stressful situations;Somatic Awareness helps us avoid their unhealthy accumulation over time.

Perhaps most important for me as a healthcare leader, Somatic Awareness is part of what helps me to maintain a healthy team dynamic, where leaders and team members alike feel they are respected and heard. By being fully present, aware, and curious rather than in a struggle to manage my own emotions, I can help our leaders and team members be their best selves as they care for our patients and communities.

I hope that Somatic Awareness: Leading with Body Intelligence is exactly the right book for you at exactly the right time. Thank you, Jennifer, for bringing this blend of science and life practice into being.