At every moment in time your subconscious mind speaks to you through your body, in a language that is as refined, systematic, and complete as your verbal language. This "somatic" language that your body communicates in forms the basis of the non-cognitive wisdom known as sixth sense, intuition, or "somatic intelligence." Becoming fluent in somatic language can help you to think less, yet know more. It is like having your own personal consultant, who you can ask for additional insight. Understanding the subtle yet systematic communication of the body can help you achieve breakthroughs in your personal health and well-being, as well as adding significant value to the existing abilities and skills you already manifest in your life.

Once we understand that the body has the ability to act intelligently then it doesn't take long to consider that the body requires a coherent form of communication in order to successfully perform all of its various life sustaining activities. We call this coherent communication "somatic language" or "the language of the somatic self." We organize and make sense out of our rational experience by using a verbal language and a corresponding verbal grammar. We organize and make sense out of our somatic experience by using somatic language and a corresponding somatic grammar. Your verbal grammar is the set of rules your cognitive self follows in order to make sense out of the verbal experience it generates and receives. Your somatic grammar is the set of rules your somatic self follows in order to make sense out of the non-verbal experience that it generates and receives. Make an extremely loud noise and a person or animal tends to immediately stop moving, and the blood leaves the extremities and travels to the vital organs.

Your somatic intelligence does not act in a random fashion. All of the various reactions that occur in your body are systematic in nature and when taken as a whole such reactions make up the language of the somatic self. This language is wired into your system at birth and forms the foundation of your memories, verbal communication, learned responses, and your ability to live and sustain your self. This somatic language is at least as sophisticated, systematic, and complete as your native tongue, and it does not use or require verbal language in order for your somatic self to completely understand what is being communicated. This is a concept that is central to Seishindo.

You don't need to tell yourself to sweat or get a temperature when you have an infection. You don't need to tell yourself to take your hand off of a hot stove. You don't need to tell yourself that it is time to digest what you have eaten. Your somatic self will react to the communication it receives chemically, and electrically, and it will do what it deems to be necessary, "all on its own." This language of the somatic self that we begin to understand while still being in our mother's womb, is what allows us to make meaning out of our experience prior to learning our native tongue, and it remains our primary meaning making language throughout the course of our lives.

1) The pace, rhythm, volume, and location of one's breathing and
the overall flow of "ki" or vital energy
2) Posture and balance
3) Movement, and flexibility, of the entire physical structure
4) The pace, rhythm, volume, and pressure of the blood supply
5) The pulsing of the dural membrane, the expansion and contraction
of the skull, and of all of the joints of the body
6) Eye movement patterns
7) Mood: The electro-chemical and muscular processes taking place
throughout our system.

©Anupam V Kapil