Empowering Women to Reconnect with Their Bodies through Somatic Practices – An Interview with Jenna Ellis
Jenna Ellis, a high-performance somatic coach and founder of Soma Soul Journeys, shares her transformative approach to reclaiming coherence in the body while living with autoimmune conditions. Drawing from 17 years of personal experience, Jenna helps women with autoimmune conditions regain vitality and confidence by addressing nervous system dysregulation and fostering deeper body awareness. This holistic approach goes beyond symptom management, empowering clients to reclaim self-leadership and live life on their own terms.
Jenna Ellis, High Performance Somatic Coach
Who is Jenna Ellis? Please introduce yourself.
I’m Jenna Ellis, a High-Performance Somatic Coach and founder of Soma Soul Journeys. I help women with autoimmune conditions regulate their nervous systems so they can move beyond symptom management, regain vitality, and experience greater ease and resilience.
I have 17 years of experience with rheumatoid arthritis and a background in evidence-based somatic and mind-body practices. By bridging medical care and nervous system-informed work, I help women reduce pain, increase resilience, and regain confidence in their bodies so they can lead from an embodied sense of self-authority.
What is Soma Soul Journeys, and what inspired you to create it?
Soma Soul Journeys came from my own 17-year journey with rheumatoid arthritis. At 21, doctors said I would likely never run again. My joints stayed locked for months, and many mornings I needed hours to open my hands.
There came a point when I realized I couldn’t accept that this would be my life forever.
I searched for ways beyond symptom management to truly understand my body and nervous system. I realized my body wasn’t against me. It was communicating with me. I just needed to learn how to listen.
I explored medical treatment, nervous system regulation, and somatic practices. I learned autoimmune conditions do not mean the body attacks itself; instead, they are the body’s intelligent attempt to protect and survive.
Today, I am stronger and move better than before my diagnosis. I created Soma Soul Journeys because I am proof that transformation is possible. Women with autoimmune conditions and those stuck in chronic stress or nervous system dysregulation do not have to settle for “this is just how it is.” They deserve more than symptom management. They deserve to rebuild trust in their bodies and discover their full potential.
What specific problems or challenges do you help your clients overcome?
I work with women who won’t accept that symptom management is their only option. They experience nervous system dysregulation, chronic stress, and feel disconnected from their bodies. Many have tried medication, therapy, and wellness, but still feel like they just survive. I help by building nervous system capacity and rebuilding trust in their bodies. Clients move from patient identity to embodied self-leadership. The main issue is the disconnect between mind and body that traps them in a state of survival.
How would you describe somatic healing to someone who's never heard of it?
I use the term "somatic practices" instead of "somatic healing." The body is whole, even when it protects itself. Somatic practices help you reconnect, regulate, build emotional resilience, reduce stress, and deepen self-awareness. We are not fixing something broken. "Soma" means body in Greek. These practices focus on how you sense, perceive, and connect with yourself from within. We work directly with your nervous system using breathwork, felt-sense awareness, and gentle movement. The body holds intelligence that the mind cannot access on its own. Somatic work helps you use that wisdom to create sustainable change at the cellular and emotional level, not just the mental level.
What makes your approach unique compared to other healing or coaching modalities?
Three things set my work apart. First, I have 17 years of lived autoimmune experience – I don’t just theorize about nervous system dysregulation; I’ve lived it. This unique perspective helps clients feel deeply understood and supported. Second, I bring a strong analytical and evidence-informed lens. I prioritize nervous system science and clinically grounded somatic practices over spiritual bypass, ensuring clients receive practices that are grounded and effective. I care about understanding how and why something works, not just that it feels good. Third, my framework moves beyond symptom management to identity-level change. We don’t just regulate your nervous system. We rebuild your relationship with your body and help you reclaim your authentic leadership. As a result, clients gain confidence, resilience, and a renewed sense of self. Most approaches stop at feeling better. I guide women to create lives that align with who they’re becoming, not just cope with who they think they have to be.
Can you share a transformation you are especially proud of and why it mattered?
I’m working with a woman who has mast cell disorder and PTSD. She started with constant nervous system responses and felt her body was unpredictable. Now, her nervous system feels more resourced. She has deep awareness of her patterns. She makes choices from coherence, not fear. She’s rebuilding trust with her body and making meaningful life changes. That’s the difference between coping and transformation: meeting life from an embodied, resourced place.
What are the most common signs that someone could benefit from your work?
Women often come to me stuck between knowing what they “should” do and not being able to do it. Many have tried therapy, meditation, and wellness, but nothing works. Signs include chronic anxiety that does not respond to stress management, unexplained physical symptoms, disconnection from body signals, or always being in survival mode. Women with autoimmune conditions get frustrated when treated as a collection of symptoms rather than whole people who want to thrive.
How does your own healing journey influence the way you support your clients?
My journey taught me the body isn’t fighting you – it is working for you. This changed how I see nervous system dysregulation. I know the fear of feeling betrayed by your body and the grief of losing who you thought you would be. I also know the frustration of only having symptoms addressed. I have seen what’s possible when you bring harmony to mind and body. I can hold space for chronic conditions and transformation. I never ask clients to do anything I have not done myself.
What can a new client expect in their first session with you?
We start with the body. I guide clients to notice sensation, tension, and ease without judgment. We use breathwork to watch the nervous system, or clench-and-release, to spot bracing and relaxation. The goal in the first session is to build safety and a relationship with the body, not to fix anything. Many clients discover new things when they slow down and feel their system. This foundation supports all that follows.
What type of person is the best fit for your coaching and programs?
The best fit is a woman ready to take responsibility for her own coherence. She does not want to be fixed or rescued. Benefits include finding sustainable strategies beyond pushing through, reconnecting with her body, and learning to slow down and self-regulate. She is willing to explore her nervous system and rebuild self-trust, guided toward rediscovering her own authority rather than quick fixes or answers from others.
What is one piece of wisdom you wish more people understood about healing and self-connection?
The body is not broken. Coherence moves only as fast as the nervous system feels safe. Our culture treats slowness as failure, but biological safety requires sacred pacing. Change happens when you follow your body’s timeline, not society’s schedule. The nervous system protects you and needs to feel safe before it can expand. True coherence comes from listening to your body’s wisdom, not forcing progress with willpower.
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