Sensory Awareness supporting Mental Health
Recently, I had the honour of guiding a somatic grounding meditation at Chewin’ the Fat Festival in Melbourne. We gathered by the Birrarung River, fostering collective rhythm, energy, and connection. We came together not just to dance and celebrate, but to also pause—to reconnect with our breath, our bodies, and our surroundings.
Chewin the Fat is a community-driven festival with a powerful purpose: to raise awareness and support around mental health. It’s a space where open conversations, creative expression, and embodied practices come together to break stigma and create genuine connection—reminding us that we’re not alone in our experience.
Somatic movement holds essence in connection. Through sensory awareness and other body-based techniques, exploring somatic tools helps regulate the nervous system by allowing the body to move in a way that feels safe, expressive, and healing. It invites a felt sense of presence and grounding, fostering a deep connection to self and those around us.
Sensory awareness plays a big part in this. By tuning into our senses, we anchor ourselves in the here and now—we notice the warmth of the sun, the breeze across our skin, the sound of music or the wind in the trees. This sensory presence helps us move out of spirals of overthinking and into a more embodied way of being.
The somatic grounding meditation invited participants to gently explore the five senses—tuning into sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. We closed with soft, invitational movement, offering a gentle reminder that the body doesn't need to be pushed into presence; it can be welcomed there with care and curiosity.
The beauty of this practice lies in the awareness you carry within your Soma. At any moment, you can choose to tune into one sense or all five, gently titrating your attention from the outermost layers of perception inward—reconnecting with yourself, one sensation at a time.
This practice may seem simple, but it’s profoundly important. In a world that constantly pulls our attention outward, somatic movement and sensory awareness offer a way back in—to our bodies, to the present moment, and to a deeper sense of inner safety.
When we create moments like this—especially in community—they become powerful acts of co-regulation, resilience, and reconnection. And when mental health is approached through the body, we move beyond the cognitive and are no longer trying to overthink our way out of distress. Instead, we’re offering the body the chance to feel, express and be heard in it’s authenticity.
It was truly a privilege to be part of such a meaningful event, with proceeds going to The Butterfly Foundation and Palestine Red Crescent. Chewin’ the Fat Festival takes place each January at the beautiful Fairfield Amphitheatre. Follow their Instagram page to stay up to date with all the latest news and announcements for the upcoming festival.
