Building Hope Counseling Services

Hello! It’s been a while since my last post. In an effort to take my own advice, I’ve taken some time off from weekly blogging to focus on myself and my family. I’ve noticed in my own practice that I’ve been using more and more of the suggestions I have for you in this post, so it only felt natural to write it down and share it with you all.

Somatic therapy is a way of involving the body in the process of healing. After all, it’s usually your body that is feeling dysregulated, so why not include it in the process?

So often, therapy focuses on changing your mind. Your mind and body are connected, and I think it’s time to start using both in mental health treatment.

Here are some suggestions on how you can use your body to help heal your body. Many of these skills were taught to me by the incomparable Bethany Matheson at the Cultivate Institute.

Somatic Breathwork:

Breathwork is the process of conscious and controlled breathing for the purposes of relaxation or regulation. You can learn more about the importance of breathing correctly in this blog post. A quick summary: Breathing deeply and intentionally often results in the ability to think more clearly and act more effectively.

There are so many different breathing and breathwork exercises. This is one of my favorites:

Notice where in your body you are experiencing an emotion or thought as sensation. Take a deep breath while you imagine this sensation filling your body. This may feel intense and uncomfortable at first! When you exhale, imagine the sensation leaving your body with your breath. Repeat this as many times as needed until you feel regulated, as if you can manage your emotions without feeling overwhelmed by them.

Somatic Shaking:

Taylor Swift tried to tell us – Shake it off! Sometimes this phrase is used to tell us to, more or less, rub some dirt on it and move on. However, physically shaking is an effective tool that many in the animal kingdom use to release stress and trauma. Check out this video to see a polar bear use this skill to relax when getting tagged by researchers!

When we go through stressful or traumatic experiences, our bodies only have a few options, usually known as fight or flight. When we don’t have the opportunity to release these physical reactions, the trauma can get stuck in our nervous system and result in a host of physical and mental health issues later in life.

The next time you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, try gently shaking. You can shake your hands, arms, shoulders… Any part of your body that feels good to you! Use this as an opportunity to learn how your body wants to move and honor that desire. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but the more you practice the more effective this skill will become.

Somatic Movement:

Your body will let you know what it needs if you learn to listen. For those who have experienced trauma, we’ve learned that our bodies are not always a safe place to be, so we shut off our communication with this piece of ourselves. Learning to move in accordance with your body’s desires is a great way to release stress, regulate your nervous system, and get to know yourself better.

This may include a yoga flow, dancing, stretching, or simply laying in a position that feels good to your body. There are no rules – You decide how your body moves.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to incorporate somatic therapies into your everyday life, including breathwork, shaking, and movement. Your body craves movement and this movement helps your nervous system to regulate, which in terms helps you to think more clearly and effectively.

Have you tried somatic therapy before? What did you like or not like about it?

If you haven’t tried any of these exercises, are you willing to try something new today? Take five minutes to explore your body using the suggestions above and comment on your experience by replying to this email or heading to the comment section below!

I can’t wait to hear from you!

Happy Healing!!