somatiikka
Somatiikka is a multidisciplinary field of study and practice focusing on the relationship between the body's physiological processes and mental phenomena. The term, derived from the Finnish soma meaning body and the -tiikka suffix used for disciplines, frames the body not as a mere object but as an active director of perception, emotion and action. Core ideas include embodiment, interoception (the sensing of internal bodily states), and proprioception (sense of body position), as well as the integration of sensorimotor and cognitive processes.
Historically, somatiikka emerged from developments in embodied cognition, somatic therapies, and body-centered education, gaining formal attention
Practice in somatiikka spans clinical, educational and artistic settings. It informs approaches such as body-aware psychotherapy,
Critics caution against overextending claims about body-mind causality and emphasize methodological challenges in isolating somatic variables.
See also: embodied cognition, interoception, proprioception, somatic therapy, embodied mind.