Sensation Before Story: A Simple Way to Stay Present
So often, when something feels uncomfortable or intense, we jump straight to emotions and story: I’m anxious. I’m overwhelmed. I’m stressed.
Those words make sense — and they’re familiar. But they also tend to pull us quickly into interpretation, meaning-making, and looping thoughts about why we feel the way we do or what it says about us.
In somatic work, we often begin somewhere simpler: with sensation.
Sensation is what’s happening in the body right now, before we explain it. It’s the raw, present-moment experience of the body — without analysis or judgment.
Some examples of sensation language might sound like:
tight or spacious
warm or cool
heavy or light
buzzing, fluttery, still
pressure, openness, movement
Unlike emotions or stories, sensations don’t ask us to fix anything. They invite us into awareness.
When we stay close to sensation, we’re often less likely to spiral. The nervous system has something concrete to orient to, and there can be more space to respond rather than react. This is one of the reasons body-based practices — including massage, touch, and somatic coaching — can feel so grounding.
A simple body-based check-in
If you’re curious to explore this for yourself, here’s a gentle check-in you can try anytime:
Pause for a moment and ask yourself:
What do I notice in my body right now?
You might also try getting more specific:
Can you identify the spot in your body that feels the warmest?
Can you identify the spot that feels the coolest?
See if you can notice where those sensations are and what they feel like, without needing to change anything or decide what it means.
That’s it.
This practice isn’t about bypassing emotions or ignoring story — it’s about starting with awareness. From there, understanding can emerge more organically, with less effort and less force.
This way of listening is foundational to how I work in somatic coaching sessions as well: slowing down, orienting to the body, and letting insight arise from what’s already present. If you’re interested in exploring this more, you can schedule a call 👉 here
