About
“Because Humaning is harder than adulting”
The Center for Somatic Leadership & Communication empowers individuals, leaders, and groups by using somatic play resources to expand emotional, interpersonal, leadership and communication skills for fuller, authentic expression and human harmony.
Built on the premise that all humans make better choices when they feel emotionally and interpersonally resourced, we envision a world where people live and lead from their unique vital center and co-create an equal playing field for all. In our work, we help you explore:
How do I live and lead from my heart?
How do I come into harmony with others while expanding myself?
We are proud to be a 2024 WEGO Grant recipient!
What is Somatic Play:
Somatic means relating to the body. All of the Center’s services utilize a distinctive blend of Somatic experiencing and Play, inspired by the InterPlay system. This approach combines the proven value of improvisation as a growth tool set with the power of somatic intelligence for communication. Whether in a workshop, class or 1-on-1 coaching, you will be supported by our process of Expressing, Experiencing and Expanding your authenticity.
This approach is based on the InterPlay system, a system of improvisational movement, storytelling and vocalization.
InterPlay is proven to make people feel significantly more connected, energized, and body-aware in groups and have more ease even after only one experience.
Watch the video to get more familiar with this approach.
Core Values
Depth
We fearlessly dive into the human experience to provide simple, direct guidance.
Playful
We trust the path of creative, wise, lighthearted play for wayfinding.
Honest
We listen honestly, compassionately and respectfully to every Body.
Quirky
We affirm each unique human expression and our collective diversity.
Somatic
We follow the leadership of the body to discover accelerated pathways for ease and abundance.
Monisha Mittal
CEO, Chief Embodiment Officer
Hi! I’m Monisha. Welcome to my slice of the Internet.
I am a Somatic Coach & Play Architect. I founded the Center because I believe every human deserves to connect with the innate power, truth, and wisdom within their own skin. Instead of chasing external resources that reinforce lack, I want you to operate from your internal power source and compass. Stepping into your center, you never lose sight of who you are, who you came here to be, and how to make your way as the Real You.
Throughout my career, I have been guided by the questions:
How do systems encourage each individual’s vital expression?
How do systems improve as individual’s realize their fuller potential?
Chief Embodiment Officer
Examining systems such as villages, organizations and economies, I drew on skill sets from the fields of economics, public policy, psychology, communications, and facilitation. Working in low-income neighborhoods in norther Philadelphia and rural India, I honed my listening skills across gender and cultural divides. Learning from exceptional community organizers who cultivated indigenous leadership, I learned to foster people’s voices so they could express and represent themselves to inform decisions and agreements. At the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, I advocated for strategies to increase wealth building such as affordable housing financing and micro-lending. As a management consultant to senior federal leaders, I bridged diverse perspectives and built agreements to improve service delivery.
As I delved further into improving leadership and communication in organizations, I had a number of “body-awakening” experiences in improvisational, creative and other settings. Pre-pandemic, I tried something radically different. I took a sabbatical to follow a whisper in my heart and joined a program teaching an improvisational approach to the performing arts using a system named InterPlay Here, I noticed people being, connecting and communicating as their authentic self.
Here I discovered my native intelligences were somatic. Something Big came alive.
Prior to this, it wasn’t easy being me. I was aware I processed information differently but tried to hide it. I was scared of being different, which made me feel anxious and fill with self-doubt. As I became certified as an InterPlay leader, I began expressing and experiencing my true essence and vibe. I learned to embrace my true operating system—picking up heart, soul, and other frequencies below the level of words with my whole body. Now, I love the way I roll.
I merge the wise physical play of InterPlay with deep dive somatic communication techniques so you can embrace your own unique wiring and shine as yourself in the spaces you occupy.
Formal Education and Training
Monisha completed a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. She completed a fellowship from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2016.
My coaching accreditation is from the Applied Depth Institute (2018); in 2020, I became a Certified InterPlay Leader (CL) and in 2023, a Certified Life Practice Program Leader (LPL). These InterPlay certifications required 100 hours of training, with built-in mentorship for leading groups and one-on-one transformation sessions. I continue to learn from pioneers such as Trish Watts, Lee Edwards and Lisa Laing who are adapting InterPlay for therapeutic and non-therapeutic benefits.
