Wellness Expert Series

The Future of Wellness is Somatic: Why the Body Must Be at the Center of Transformation
by Marta Gomes Saúde

Marta Gomes Saúde is an integrative physiotherapist  in women’s health, embodiment, and therapeutic experiences in wellness environments. She is also the creator of regenerative programs in spas, hotels, and retreats, focused on the relationship between body, mind, and environment.

In this month’s Wellness Expert series, Marta shares with us her reflection on why the body should no longer be seen as just “a vehicle” or “a support system” in the healing journey, but rather as the living center of the therapeutic experience. And why she believes that the future of wellness — whether in clinics, spas, or health programs — will inevitably be somatic.

GOCO Hospitality Wellness Expert Series - Marta Gomes Saude

                        Marta Gomes Saúde

“Over the past few years, my clinical practice and direct contact with hundreds of women have revealed something undeniable: there is no true transformation without the body.

No matter how much we work on beliefs, emotions, or mental patterns, it is through somatic awareness and physical presence that deep change occurs.

The Future of Wellness is Somatic: Why the Body Must Be at the Center of Transformation

For decades, the conversation around wellness has focused mainly on the mind — what we think, feel, and visualize. But there is a growing and deeply necessary movement that is bringing the body back to the center of the healing process. It’s called the somatic approach, and it’s emerging as one of the most powerful revolutions in health and personal transformation.

As Harvard Health Publishing explains, somatic therapy integrates body awareness into psychotherapy, using techniques like breathwork, touch, and mindful movement to help regulate the nervous system and resolve trauma stored in the body (Harvard Health, 2023).

We live in a hyper-intellectualized society, where control, productivity, and performance are highly valued. In this context, we often forget that the body feels before the mind understands — a concept also supported by trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk in The Body Keeps the Score, where he demonstrates how trauma becomes imprinted in the body and requires physical as well as psychological release.

The body holds memories, traumas, repressed emotions — and at the same time, it holds the keys to healing. According to the Trauma Research Foundation, somatic approaches are among the most effective tools for helping individuals reconnect with their bodies and regain a sense of safety and self-regulation.

Practices such as embodiment, conscious breathing, therapeutic touch, and mindful sensory awareness are no longer simply “alternative”: they are essential. These tools activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reduce cortisol levels, and enhance vagal tone, as shown in studies on polyvagal theory by Dr. Stephen Porges (Polyvagal Institute).

GOCO Hospitality Wellness Expert Series Marta Gomes Saude

In spaces dedicated to health and wellness — clinics, spas, retreats, or wellness hotels — placing the body at the heart of care is more than a trend: it is a return to what truly matters. As featured in Well+Good and Global Wellness Institute trend reports, guests are increasingly seeking experiences that integrate physical, emotional, and energetic healing, not just traditional relaxation or beauty-focused services.

Creating experiences that involve movement, breath, sound, and touch is not a sensory indulgence, but a highly effective therapeutic strategy. Modalities such as somatic yoga, fascial release, craniosacral therapy and guided breathing are being embraced across luxury wellness destinations for their deeply restorative impact (Spa Business Magazine, 2022).

The future of wellness is somatic — or it will remain fragmented. We must bring the body back as a source of wisdom. Because it is in the body that everything begins. And through the body, everything can finally heal.”

To learn more about Marta Gomes Saúde, please visit her website, or follow her Instagram and Facebook.

 

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