Boddy Somatics

Somatic Therapy & Yoga

Space to feel

Slow down, reconnect, and feel at home in yourself again

I'm Isabel Boddy, a Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner. I offer 1-on-1 Somatic Therapy sessions, helping you to feel safe in your body. I work in person in the region of Castelo Branco, Portugal and offer online sessions worldwide.

It would be an understatement to say that I feel grateful to have found the somatic approach. More truthfully, it completely changed my life; reconnecting me with my body, my nervous system and my purpose through sensation and emotion, allowing me to experience life to its fullest. It is my guide through the beautiful, messy, unpredictable experience of being human and it never fails me. I feel deeply grateful to be able to share this with you. To be able to offer a safe space and guidance so that you too can experience the magic of what your body and nervous system is communicating to you and start to live a more embodied, authentic and deeply connected life.

What is Somatic Experiencing®?

You spend most of your life in survival mode.
Holding tension, staying alert, managing, pushing through.

 

This is a space to slow down and come back to your body.

These sessions help you to release stored tension, reconnect with your true needs and build a sense of internal safety.

Many life challenges are shaped by stressful memories stored in the nervous system. Talking can help, but deeper change comes from learning to listen to the body and be present with sensations and emotions so that we can release this stress and move towards a fuller, more vibrant life.

I support people in feeling safe and at home in their bodies. If you struggle with anxiety or feel like you’ve tried everything and something is still missing, this work might be for you.

 

No pressure. No performance. Just space to feel.

Participating in Isabel Boddy’s somatic yoga workshop was a deeply healing experience. From the
very beginning, I felt held in a safe space, supported by her loving and grounding presence. Her
voice, the slow rhythm, the carefully thought-out invitations… everything was gently crafted to
honor the body and the nervous system’s timing. For me, it was a true gift. It really helped me to
self-regulate, to inhabit myself with more gentleness, and to reconnect with a sense of presence
that I really needed in order to process all the emotions I’d been carrying in recent days. It’s
hard to put into words how valuable it was, but without a doubt, it’s an experience I
wholeheartedly recommend and one I will definitely return to. Thank you for creating these
spaces.

BEA

I want to share how much I love Isabel's somatic yoga classes. From the
very first session, she created a deeply safe, supportive and caring space that invites you to
slow down, become more present, and truly listen to your body. The yoga practice helps me
reconnect with my body and recognise my needs. The somatic approach allows me to notice
what my body is asking for in each moment and to follow those sensations with respect and
kindness. At the end of each practice, I feel more grounded, more spacious, and calmer within
myself. The sense of safety they create allows emotions to emerge and gives me the space to
be with them without judgement. Thank you.

MARIA ELENA

I don't fully understand how something seemingly so simple can have such a profound effect.

The magic of life seems to open and flow again after each session, I've accessed deeper trust in myself, connected with my body in a way I don't think I've ever managed to do before and I feel parts of myself returning that I feared trauma had permanently erased.

Izzy is so supportive and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to be able to work with her.

Highly recommended!

ALEXANDRA

You are hands down great for this - you are so engaged, sympathetic, make me feel heard, never wrong and you accept all types of people. I feel like my self-healing is directly related to you - I feel I need to go deeper in this. I was telling my other half how incredible you are - I was trying to describe how incredibly present you are - I was trying to imitate you as I needed to share how amazing you are. Thanks for being so amazing. I’m hugely appreciative to have been put in touch with you

ZOE

Izzy conducts the space with deep calm compassion and understanding, allowing the feeling of safety to open and experience flow. I have been unlocking and releasing trauma I knew was there but didn’t know how to heal and learning of other traumas hidden in my body. I am so grateful for the synchronicity of finding this at a time I have been doing a lot of internal work. It is comforting to have a guide and safe space to share in the process and learn from it. Eternally grateful and keen to keep delving further. Since starting the classes I have been feeling more integrated with my body and finding more self compassion when I slip out of balance, which helps me re-regulate easier. Thank you Izzy!

LUCY

I had a beautiful experience with Izzy’s work in a small somatic circle by the river. The setting was intimate and very carefully held, and what stayed with me the most was her way of gently bringing everything back to the body - through noticing, slowing down, and listening more deeply to what is present. Izzy guides with a very calm, grounded and reassuring presence. She doesn’t force anything; she creates the conditions for people to feel at ease and to connect with themselves at their own pace. I also collaborated with her in organising a workshop, and I really appreciated her as a person and practitioner: kind, flexible, collaborative, and clearly devoted to her work. She brings a lot of care into what she does, and you can feel her genuine wish to support others. I would warmly recommend working with her to anyone looking for a gentle, embodied and supportive space for reconnection and self-awareness

MATTEO

I recently attended a group sesion with Izzy, and I can't recommend her enough. She is incredibly warm, open-hearted, and genuinely devoted to helping others heal. What stood out most was her gift for grounding and guiding you back into your body - out of your head and into the present moment. Rather than avoiding difficult feelings, she gently teaches you to locate where sesations live in your body, helping you feel safer and more at home in yourself. She encourages curiosity and comfort in the process, making what could feel overwhelming feel manageable and even loving. The session was lovely, and her presence is truy special. If you're looking for someone who leads with compassion and skill, she's the one. 

ELY

I joined one of Izzy's small-group sessions in nature, and it was a truly beautiful experience. Somatic Experiencing in a group setting is a powerful way to reconnect with yourself, the natural world, and a deeper sense of awareness. 
During the session, my heart opened to the beauty around me - to love, the earth beneath my feet, the sky above, and the gentle breeze moving through the treetops. It felt as though the wind itself was softly massaging my heart. There is something deeply healing about sharing this experience with others: tuning into our bodies, noticing the environment, and discovering the connections between the two. 
Izzy is an experienced, warm, and compassionate facilitator. She creates a safe, supportive, and beautifully held space for self-exploration and healing. I highly recommend this experience to anyone wanting to deepen their connection with themselves, others, and nature. 

HENRIETTE

I really enjoy the way that you hold the space, it allows me to feel deep relaxation. What I notice the most is that I feel fully present and even if I’m not fully present, you have a way of re-inviting me to get into my body, re-inviting me to re-join the space and be fully present. This is a big part of what creates that relaxed state for me. If I ever need to de-trigger, or get into what I’m feeling, you are the person for it as you really help to focus and be attentive to the body and be present with that

ASIA

Izzy tunes into each individual according to their unique somatic nature and inner experience, making the sessions very wholesome and personal. She makes you feel really held and supported. I highly recommend her. Thank you Izzy!

GIGI

I had a session with Izzy completely by chance when I was going through a tough time and had things coming up, I was quite triggered at the time and I was surprised at how much one session regulated me not just on the day but gave me a tool to help come back to the present and ground myself for the following week or so. I will definitely contact Izzy again in the future, it helped me to regulate and come back to my body, I highly recommend seeing Izzy if you are experiencing anything emotional or would just like to be more present. Thanks Izzy I look forward to having another session soon

DAN

Highly recommended, both for the atmosphere and the guidance. There is support from the very beginning, throughout the whole process, and right through to the end. Izzy has a very warm, genuine and welcoming presence from the very first minute. She knows how to adapt to each person’s needs, making you feel comfortable at all times. You can feel her joyful intention and her authentic desire to share what she carries within throughout the whole experience. I will come back. Thank you!

ANNA

Izzy's presence brings me into a safe space. I feel calm, seen and heard. She gives me tools for grounding and self soothing. Izzy is wise and intuitive and I feel loved and held everytime I see her. 

CHARLEY

I'm taking advantage of a moment of relaxation to write about your somatic workshop, and it feels perfect because it was a way of experiencing what it means to simply be, to slow down. Looking back after some time, I realise how important it is to experiment, in safe contexts, with what we truly want, and to learn how to make simple but felt decisions (like I stand up, I lie down, I speak, etc). 

My difficulty in making decisions, because of the fear of hurting others or simply because of confusion about what I want, found in your workshop a space for guided experimentation - always slow, taking small steps - so that I could truly move from my centre, from my truth, which is ever-changing but still clear. 

Your voice, your smile, and your presence - clear yet gentle - created a safe path for me to return to, and for that reason I would love to do many more workshops with you, to feel more and more like a friend to myself. Thank you

REBECCA R

I went to Izzy’s class for a chill Yoga. Guys, It was a beautiful inner journey! Her sweet presence and joy brings you to release any kind of tension and to reconnect with your beautiful self. Thanks for your peaceful soul, this world definitely needs to slow down sometimes. All the best on your journey sister <3

NIRANJAN

Izzy's group session was a very enriching experience. The pace and her voice created the ideal environment for me to listen to my body and stay focused throughout. I left feeling relaxed and receptive. Thank you, Izzy, I'll be back

REBECCA

Izzy transmits very good energy, she is sweet and makes sessions enjoyable and relaxing

MARIA

Working with Izzy has been a delight. Her group sessions are slow and mindful, allowing you to delve deeper into the movements and listen to your body more closely. The feeling afterwards is always wonderful. I would attend her sessions again and again. Thank you, Izzy!

EMMA

Izzy, you are a super nice and very sweet person. As a professional, you have helped me a lot; I was feeling very low both physically and emotionally. I'm delighted with your group sessions and hope to see you again. You will always be in my thoughts.

ABILIA

What is Somatic Yoga?

I am also a certified yoga teacher and my purpose with Somatic Yoga is to combine SE® and yoga. These two powerful techniques changed my life and have helped me to feel more relaxed, present, empowered, and secure - the intention of these classes is to support others to feel the same.

Somatic yoga is about listening to your own body and what it needs in each moment rather than following a routine or any specific pose. The classes are extremely open - I sometimes propose options that people can feel into and decide if they would like to try - but it's mainly about offering support and guidance for you to learn to listen to your own body and your own needs and see where that takes you.

 

We slow everything down, taking our time to notice what each movement feels like and what happens in our nervous system when we allow ourselves to soften the pace and feel the sensations in our bodies. We learn how to feel into the yes/no signals of the body by giving ourselves time to imagine different options and notice if we feel curious or an urge to try, or if we feel tension and what we really need is to stay still for a moment, change position or complete a different movement. This helps us train this felt sense in a safe, guided setting, making it easier to feel into the yes/no signals of the body in the outside world and in the complexity of our lives.

These classes feel much more like a Somatic Experiencing® group session rather than anything like a classic yoga class that you might have been to. No prior yoga experience is required. 

I offer weekly group sessions in person in the area of Castelo Branco/Covilhã (Portugal), as well as online. Contact me for more info.