Bodyful Episode #17: Ben J. Munday on Breaking Through Barriers via the Body
By Valerie Martin
The word “somatic” is very on-trend right now (…unless you’re the APA and you’ve surreptitiously withdrawn continuing education credits for all somatic-focused trainings because you’re a bunch of rigid, evidence-based-yet-evidence-denying buttheads)… oh, did I say that?
I digress. The science** is clear that somatic (AKA body-focused) approaches are effective for treating trauma, anxiety, depression, and more— and, outside of mental health issues, that working directly with the body (as opposed to just the mind) is beneficial for increasing a sense of confidence/self-efficacy and decreasing the buildup of daily stress that can lead to burnout. Among other benefits too abundant to list in this one paragraph!
The guest for this episode is Ben Munday, who went from growing up in a very masculine environment to being surrounded by powerful women in the fashion industry. When he decided he wanted to make a career shift to focus on coaching women in business, he experienced in his coach training how powerful working directly with the body could be, and knew he wanted to make somatic work core to both his own lifestyle and his approach with clients.
As you’ll hear quickly in our conversation, Ben is a smart, kind, and grounded person— and it was a pleasure talking with him about topics we’re both passionate about.
To listen to the episode, stream from the podcast player below, or search & subscribe to Bodyful on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
If you love the episode and decide to schedule a free consultation call with Ben, make sure to tell him Bodyful podcast sent you and he will give you a discount if you decide to book!
**It’s hard to point to just one research study or even literature review on this, because there are many different somatic modalities that all have to be studied independently; however, Bessel van der Kolk did an excellent job synthesizing a lot of the research (and decades of clinical work) in his continuously chart-topping book, The Body Keeps the Score.
About Ben J. Munday
Ben is a body-oriented coach supporting women in conscious impact businesses. He guides his clients to reconnect with the wisdom of the body to build confidence and trust, increase career fulfillment, tackle bold transitions and a variety of leadership and team challenges.
Heralding originally from the English countryside in a physical world of boys and men, through a career in the fashion industry Ben saw first-hand the experience of women working in corporate environments and the very real struggle within the masculine structures of hierarchy. He is passionate about raising up the empowerment of women and believes that many of the challenges we face as a global community need a new introduction of the feminine energy to rebalance our society for future prosperity for all.
His work is rooted in body-oriented approaches blending movement, postural alignment and inner somatic exercises to bring ‘ah-ha’ moments through the body during sessions. Ben brings his personal interests of yoga, bodywork, running, travel, public speaking, conscious dance and meditation into his offerings to enrich his work.
Links + Additional Resources:
Ben’s website - make sure to pick up his lovely free guide, just put your email in at the bottom of the site or in the pop-up!
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Burnout by Emily & Amelia Nagoski
