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Soma Selva
Coaching & Somatics
New to Somatics? Start here 👇🏼
0:00: Why might you be interested?
0:25: What is Somatics?
0:50: Three Elements of a Somatic Session
1:31: What Makes a Session Highly Individual
2:17: The Power of Somatics
2:51: The Clarity from Our Body Wisdom and How to Regain Personal Agency
3:55: Book a Session Online or In Person in Hobart, Tasmania.
Is your body telling you something you're not aware of?
Fatigue
Health issues
Rapid heartbeat
Hypervigilance
Freeze
Emotional distress
Poor sleep
Muscle tension
Irritability
Restlessness
Collapse
Rumination
Gut issues
Panic attacks
Anxiety
Teeth grinding
Social withdrawal
Over-reacting
These are all signs of chronic stress.
If you're experiencing these now, or have been for a while, not dealing with it will lead to long term immunological issues. If you've tried to deal with it with a holiday, massage, meditation, venting, repressing or other band-aid solutions, your stressors will continue to impact your life.
Your body is sending you lots of signals as a cry for help - it's time to listen and take action.
Restore your body's ability to heal and regulate itself.
As stress is something experienced through the body, it can only truly be metabolized through the body. We can't think our way out of stress.
We help you connect with the sensations of your body, learn the signals of your emotions and follow natural impulses to process and release stress held in the body. This practice helps you uncover tools that personally work for you in overcoming challenges, regulate your nervous system and shift your relationships with stress and stressors.
We call this process 'completing the stress response cycle.'
Completing the stress response cycle means letting your body fully go through and finish its natural reaction to stress so you don’t stay stuck feeling tense or anxious.
Imagine you're a zebra running away from a lion. Once you escape, your body needs to shake off all that energy so it can feel safe again. Humans are the same. When we feel scared or stressed, our bodies prepare us to fight, run, or freeze. If we don’t let that energy out, our bodies continue to sense danger.
So, completing the stress cycle means doing something that tells your body, “It’s okay, you’re safe now.”
How modern life situations make us feel stuck
It sounds simple, but there are many life situations that disrupt our ability to complete the stress cycle. The coping mechanisms we developed to help us survive (thank you, body), or the mindset that calls us to 'just get on with it' may be factors that keep us stuck with unprocessed stress.
For example:
📉 Work Stress Without Release – You have a tense meeting or get a stressful email, but instead of moving or shaking it off, you force yourself to stay in problem solving mode or be productive.
🥺 Holding Back Tears – You feel overwhelmed but swallow your emotions because crying at work, school, in front of others or even to yourself is seen as "unprofessional" or "weak."
🚘 Road Rage With No Outlet – You get stuck in traffic, heart pounding with frustration, but without a way of physically discharging the energy, you just sit gripping the wheel.
🫥 Trauma Making Sensations Feel Unsafe – If you've experienced trauma, even noticing your body can feel threatening, so what feels safest is to disconnect, ignore or suppress what comes up.
🧨 Avoiding Emotions Because They Feel Too Big – If past experiences taught you that emotions were dangerous or unwelcome, you might freeze or numb out instead of expressing them, leaving unprocessed emotions stuck in your body.
🤳🏽 Scrolling Instead of Moving – After a stressful day, you flop on the couch and scroll social media, keeping your body still instead of shaking, stretching, or moving to release the stress.
🙃 Suppressing Laughter or Playfulness – You feel like dancing, laughing, or being silly, but you hold back because it "isn't the right time" or feels embarrassing.
☕️ Pushing through exhaustion – You feel drained but drink coffee instead of resting, forcing your body to override its need to complete the cycle and recover.
🏃🏽♂️➡️ Not knowing your body's limits – You sense you need a release so you push yourself to do rigorous physical activity, but it results in complete exhaustion, collapse or panic attacks.
In situations like the above, our body senses threat and produces stress hormones to help us overcome challenges. This physiological stress response happens throughout every system of the body, impacting every cell and is interwoven with our emotions, immune function, thoughts, breath, and movements.
Without a way to mobilise this energy and signal to the body that we're now safe, and that the event has passed, stress hormones continue to flood our body like taps that can't turn off.
We form compensational patterns over time that wear down on our nervous system. We lose our ability to adapt to challenges. This is what leads to chronic stress. It shows up as challenges to our health, focus, behaviour, and relationships.
Given the way our autonomic nervous system works, rational thinking and willpower alone aren't enough to make the problem go away. We need to work directly with the body, using an approach known as somatics.
What happens in a session?
Few places allow you the time and space to feel and make sense of your experiences. A session gives you that opportunity to tend to your inner world - with tools, education and guidance.
Body-based techniques help you enhance body awareness and identify your window of tolerance (optimal zone of regulation). Together we explore pathways to help you process and release stress, relieve stagnated energy while restoring resilience. You will learn how to interpret your body's signals, gain tools to regulate your nervous system, expand your resilience, and shift your relationships with stress and stressors.
To do this, we draw from a variety of body-based techniques, as detailed below. This serves as a guideline, not all techniques will be used in a single session - we will cover this further below.
Our approach works directly with the body -
you do not need to retell painful stories to move forward.
This reduces the risk of re-traumatisation.
We prioritise establishing a sense of safety in the body.
We work with you to process stress in small chunks, so that you are always in control, within your window of tolerance, and are able to self-regulate.
Embodied mindfulness
We build capacity to tune into present moment experience. This trains the brain and body towards non-judgemental observation and helps to grow emotional capacity in sensing and feeling without being overwhelmed.
Presence, perception and sensations
These are critical tools to understand the non-verbal realm of our experiences. We get curious about "how" we perceive, which removes self-judgement and trains us to see without bias. Sensations are important cues of deep emotional beliefs and patterns.
Breath
Breath is a powerful somatic tool. We help you track your breath and may suggest breathing techniques to regulate your nervous system. The intention isn't to induce catharsis or altered states, but to develop awareness of your breath and what works in helping you self-regulate.
Movement
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Gestures and non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication includes tone of voice, facial expressions, speed of communication, eye movement, use of space, gestures, body movement, energy levels and more. We sense into your body cues and notice what shifts when we use non-verbal communication with intention.
Emotions and self-regulation
Emotions offer important cues of our needs and values. Learn to interpret your emotions as signals of unmet needs, and know what to do when stressors get high. The more we learn how to enhance self-regulating capacity, the more resourcefully and creatively we can deal with life's challenges.
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Movement
Movement is how our body expresses itself before we developed verbal language. Movement takes all forms, from internal body functions, micro-movements of your eyes, hands, and body, to larger movements of free expression. We meet you where you're at to find movements that are accessible, and take small steps to restore your body's natural implulses and movement patterns.
Movement
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Therapeautic Touch
Touch is an essential human need and can be a source of comfort. Therapeutic touch may be offered to soothe and support strong feelings, contain and ground when working with fear, anxiety and depression, and in facilitating movement re-patterning. We follow the ethical guidelines of the Australian Somatic Psychotherapy Association.
Sound and voice
Sound and voice have tremendous healing capacity as they act as the storytellers of our body. The pitch, tone and subtleties of sound can relax the nervous system or excite it. We play with sounding to work with inner states and explore using voice as access to the body.
Grounding and resourcing
Not all stress responses need to be released like a ball of fire. When we feel depleted, there is no energy to process anything. We track how you're feeling and offer techniques to promote grounding and connection. We help you draw on your strengths and resources to increase capacity and build a sense of safety in your body.
Develop body awareness and name your experiences
We offer exercises to help you develop foundational body awareness. This gives us a baseline to track what changes. Naming experiences helps you map your body and "see" patterns, offer compassion and have a language to decode distinct emotions and sensations.
Movement
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Boundaries
Being in relation with others often bring unique stressors. Experience what it feels like in your body to develop a sense of personal safety and space, and have your boundaries respected.
Posture
Posture reflects the inner climate of a person. Reflexes and strong feelings that are unresolved affect the mechanical structure of our body. Posture offers direct ways of working with mood and feelings.
Movement
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Restoration
A completed stress response cycle results in increased energy - you expand your capacity to face challenges, instead of feeling worn down. This is known as resilience, and we can help you expand it. Leave every session feeling restored, ease and a sense of agency.
The above demonstrates the many ways we can support you in this work. Different techniques work for different people, and each session is unique even for the same person, personalised to your needs and energy levels on the day.
Each session is a co-creation process between you and me (as your facilitator). I will offer prompts to guide your explorations, and follow your feedback and intuition to land on what feels right for you.
A gentle note 🌿
The way our body processes experiences is very different from our mind. In this practice, we honor the body's pace, not the mind's urgency.
Every session is unique. Sometimes, profound release occurs swiftly, while other times, it takes multiple sessions to cultivate body awareness, establish trust, and create a sense of safety within oneself. This gradual process is natural and valuable.
What will you gain from this practice?
In one session, you may:
✅ feel a release of emotional or physical tension in your body
✅ be able to identify signs of physical or emotional distress
✅ become aware of your sources of stress
✅ gain some tools to help you regulate your nervous system
✅ feel a sense of restoration and ease
How each session is structured
We refer to this as a practice because it's not a one-time quick fix. If you stick with it, the benefits compound. You start to feel an increased sense of personal agency, expansion of choice and overall wellbeing.
Examples of what may become second nature if you commit to this practice:
💭 You acutely sense that you are not your thoughts and emotions. What feels terrible in the moment is not permanent. You are not stuck and there is a way to shift your state.
😌 You choose to respond differently in stressful situations. You feel the expansion of space between feeling what's arising, making sense of it and choosing how to respond. This is the process of re-patterning our responses to stress and stressors.
🛠️ You have a diversity of tools for the right situation. Life has a way of throwing amazingly diverse curveballs (ahem, shitballs) but you're not afraid because you know exactly how to help yourself before overwhelm takes over.
🙅🏻♀️ You get real good at your "yeses" and "no's". You develop an acute sense of your window of tolerance on any given day, and adapt what you take on, or not.
✨ You have clarity in your thoughts and decisions, even in high pressure situations.
🧭 You have an inner compass to help you navigate uncertainty and transitions in your life. Instead of being afraid of your emotions and sensations, they now serve as your trusty guide in murky waters. You're able to draw wisdom from your lived experiences, and continue to deepen the understanding of yourself and your values as you evolve as a person.
😎 You're a real good friend, family member and leader to have around. Your enhanced self-understanding has translated to increased social and emotional intelligence - you're able to sense the needs of others and help them bring the best out of themselves.
🥰 You feel like you're living a good life. You feel a sense of peace and safety in your body. You enhanced your capacity to feel joy, pleasure and fulfilment in your life.
Testimonials
The somatic stress release session I had with Rach was an immersive and transformative experience. Her grounding presence and supportive approach guided me to a space of authenticity and receptivity.
Rach skilfully facilitated my connection to self, helping me to navigate and heal aspects of deeply painful experiences that had previously felt overwhelming. The process was incredibly healing. At the end of the session, I felt a sense of release and clarity that has since integrated into my general wellbeing and empowered me in broader aspects of my life.
I highly recommend working with Rach to anyone seeking a commpassionate and effective approach to somatic healing. Her ability to hold space with skill and care made for a very healing experience.
Kylin
Many times it is very complicated to open the drawer of my pains because it makes me feel vulnerable and confronts myself with a cascade of emotions. When I feel supported, when there is a professional on the other side who validates me, holds me, listens to me actively, and accompanies me in a loving process of care, the fear of letting go of my tensions diminishes. And not only does it diminish, but it also gives me the courage to let go, to surrender to the process, and to trust.
Thank you, Rachel. Cheers to more loving and transformative support.
Helen
Emme M
Rach is a kind, compassionate, joyous and very thoughtful coach. Through coaching with Rach I developed a deeper understanding of self and how the body responds to our environments. I developed a series of techniques that I now use regularly to manage stress.
Lily C
Rach is phenomenal. She helped me with my goal of pursuing medical school, and handled my difficulties with ease.
The best thing about working with Rach is her ability to create a custom-tailored solution that fits my needs at the moment, a "Lily's version".
Rach knows how to ask the right questions, gets me to challenge my negative thinking, helping me to better understand myself. Her movement approach taught me how to listen to my body. The somatic stress release relaxed my neck & jaw tension, and reduced my career-related anxiety.
All I can say is, I wouldn't have gotten through such a lofty journey, without Rach as my coach.
Rachel supported me to gain clarity about the direction I wanted to take in some areas of my life, and develop a plan to work towards what truly matters to me.
Rachel’s approach is holistic and compassionate; she listened attentively to what I shared and helped me navigate challenges with a great deal of kindness. Through Rachel’s coaching support, I gained practical tools to develop a vision and to navigate difficult times. The use of her Somatic Stress Release technique helped me find a new way to relate to some of the stressors in my life, whilst releasing tension in my physical body and mind.
I highly recommend connecting with Rachel if you are seeking to develop a deeper connection with your body and how it relates to all aspects of your life (work, studies, relationships, play-time, finances, etc.!). Rachel will support you to then take all that learning to the next stage in your life!
Silvia A
Lai W
A few weeks ago, I was on the verge of an emotional breakdown after some comments from people at work. In that moment of crisis, I knew exactly who to call: Rach. She picked up immediately, her calm presence cutting through my chaotic rambling. She asked the kind of thoughtful, perspective-shifting questions that only she can, helping me see the situation in a completely new light.
Rach didn’t just listen—she encouraged me to confront my fear rather than avoid it, as I tend to do when faced with a cockroach. Over the phone, she guided me through a meditation, her soothing voice leading me to breathe, relax, and find clarity. By the end of our conversation, I felt like I’d just come back from a retreat, fully recharged and ready to take on the world again.
Rach is one of the most incredible people I know—brilliant, patient, empathetic, and endlessly supportive. Whether it’s through her work, her studies, or the way she shows up for others, she has a remarkable ability to uplift those around her. I have no doubt she’ll thrive in her new career and make a meaningful difference in the lives of everyone she helps.
Your facilitator
Hi, I’m Rach :) It’s great to have you here. Thanks for checking out what I offer.
I bring a lot of compassion and care into this work as it is what I've experienced in my life.
A significant aspect of my life experience is being a migrant with lived experience of childhood trauma, navigating the lack of safety in my body, cultural shame and a conservative upbringing rooted in chasing excellence. Decades of suppressing and overachieving led to burnout and health issues that no experts could diagnose or help with.
I've tried many ways to address this, including 4-5 different therapists, doctors, coaches, mentors, sports, meditation, mindfulness... you get the idea. What I found most transformative was practices that involve the body - establishing a sense of safety and connection with what I actively sought to disconnect from - like making friends with a terribly scared cat. This was my starting point. This process was difficult and scary, but the work is so transformative.
So if this is what you're feeling, I understand.
I’m here to say that there’s hope. There’s a way to feel differently. To find that little glow of light in you, hold it gently, and with some nurturing, have it shine so bright that it fills you with the warm fuzzies, reminding you of your strength, the feeling of joy, and the confidence to keep marching on.
If that sparked anything in you, please reach out.
I created Soma Selva to bring the practice of integrating body awareness into our lives, as I’ve learnt that it is through connecting with our bodies and learning its language that we can truly start to feel safety within us. And with that, our judgement, doubts and all the thoughts that bring us down start to fade away, giving way to clarity, ease and a lightness in our hearts.
Our body heals and learns to regulate itself again.
I am a certified Somatic Stress Release Practitioner and a Trauma-Informed Certified Coach, accredited by the International Coaching Federation.
I’ve learnt from some of the pioneers and experts of somatic psychotherapy, applying these practices within the coaching container, and continue to receive professional mentorship in this field.
I bring many years of experience working in the corporate industry, having spearheaded the People and Culture function for a multi-award winning tech company, and supported many executives in building and scaling high performing teams. What underlies this is the ability to sense the needs of every person and organisation I work with, and bring out the best in people they perhaps didn’t know existed.
I am also a climber, a mover, a lover of the outdoors. I have experienced the power of somatic work not only in coming home to myself, but a practice that has enabled me to perform and survive in demanding, self-reliant environments.
If you’re curious about how coaching and somatics can support you, I’d love to chat. It would be an honour to walk the journey with you.
Qualifications
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Certified Trauma-Informed Coach, Moving the Human Spirit
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Certified Somatic Stress Release Practitioner, Dr Scott Lyons
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Certification in Traumatic Stress Studies, Trauma Research Foundation (current study)
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Bachelor of Applied Science
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Master’s of Business Administration
Professional Roles
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Head of People, Procreate
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Principal Consultant, MitchelLake
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Member of International Coaching Federation
Who is this for?
✅ You live or work in stressful environments, feel exhausted or fatigue, and sense your capacity to handle stressful situations dwindling
✅ You feel easily agitated, hypervigilant, or readily enter into fight or flight states - often being told “you’re overreacting”
✅ You’re frequently restless, can’t switch off from high achieving mode, or feel like you’re never doing enough
✅ Collapse is a familiar feeling and you regularly feel the lack of energy and motivation, even for the things you love
✅ You are deeply challenged by certain relationships, at work or in life, and have trouble setting healthy boundaries for yourself
✅ Stress is impacting your life and you want to address stress and stressors at its root, not just looking for a “quick-fix”
✅ You're looking for additional sources of support beyond talking therapy
✅ You want to increase your resilience, emotional agility or performance at work, home and life
✅ You are interested in holistic ways to improve your wellbeing, deepen connection with yourself and others in your life
If you resonated with what I've shared so far and feel that you can benefit, I'd love to hear from you. Additionally, if you feel like the following describes your situation, perhaps it's another signal to take action.
Please note:
I currently support adults age 18+.
Somatic Stress Release is not psychotherapy, medical treatment, or crisis support. I do not diagnose, treat, or cure any mental health illness, medical condition, or psychological disorder. If you are experiencing severe mental health challenges, need crisis support or mental health treatment, please seek appropriate professional help.
Frequently Asked Questions
To be “well” is not to live in a state of perpetual safety and calm, but to move fluidly from a state of adversity, risk, adventure, or excitement, back to safety and calm, and out again. Stress is not bad for you; being stuck is bad for you.”
― Emily Nagoski, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Let's Stay Connected.
Subscribe for free resources and updates about our offerings.
Our work draws from the latest neuroscience research and experts in the field of stress, trauma and somatics. If you are interested in further resources, here are some recommendations.
[1] Maté, Gabor, When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress (Toronto: A.A. Knopf., 2003) ISBN 9781785042225
[2] Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (New York: Penguin Books, 2015), ISBN 9780143127741.
[3] Peter A. Levine, Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body (Boulder: Sounds True, 2008), ISBN 9781591796589
Legal Disclaimer: Our coaching and somatic services are not a substitute for psychotherapy or mental health treatment. We do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. All advice is general and educational. If you are experiencing psychological crisis, please seek help from a licensed mental health professional. By using our services, you acknowledge responsibility for your own well-being and decisions. We disclaim all liability for any outcomes resulting from the use or non-use of the information provided. If you are under the care of a healthcare provider, consult them before making any changes to your treatment plan.