Somatic therapy exercises are a fantastic way to reconnect with your body and reduce stress, and the best part is that you can easily do them at home. These gentle, mindful movements help release tension, improve body awareness, and enhance overall well-being. They can support those with chronic pain, a dysregulated nervous system, or PTSD. Incorporating somatic therapy exercises into your daily routine can make it easier to manage stress, stay connected, and increase your flexibility. Whether it’s a series of simple stretches, breathing exercises, or guided movements, taking a few minutes each day to focus on your body can significantly affect how you feel, physically and mentally. Making this a regular practice can also foster a deeper mind-body connection, promoting a more balanced and centered lifestyle.
As a licensed therapist and somatic experiencing (SE) practitioner, I’ve worked with numerous clients over the years, who’ve used somatic exercises as a powerful tool for their healing. SE has also been an important part of my own healing journey, helping me connect, listen to, and understand my body and what she needs. Seeing and experiencing the reconnection, centering, and strength that comes from these exercises, encourages me to continue sharing and teaching about SE. I want others to have the tools they need to build their connection with themselves and heal.
7 somatic exercises for trauma, stress, and more
Somatic therapy exercises are techniques designed to help you tune into your body’s sensations and responses, fostering greater self-awareness and healing. These exercises often involve gentle movements, breathwork, and mindfulness practices that encourage you to notice how your body feels in the moment. By paying close attention to physical sensations, you can uncover and release stored tension, trauma, or emotional stress. Somatic therapy exercises aim to create a safe space for you to explore and process your feelings, leading to improved emotional and physical well-being. Whether it’s through simple stretches, guided visualizations, or specific touch techniques, these exercises can be a powerful tool in your journey toward greater self-discovery and overall health.
Below you’ll find various somatic therapy exercises at different experience levels that you can use at home. These can help you tolerate stress, connect to your body for guidance on your needs, and ground yourself in the present moment. Try out different ones until you find the ones that work for you. It’s important to note that these exercises do not replace therapy or other forms of treatment. These are simply an additional tool to have in your tool belt.
Somatic exercises for beginners
Beginner-level somatic therapy exercises make SE accessible for those wanting to build this into their daily lives. The activities below will help you begin listening to your body.
1. Body Scan
- Example: This is a great exercise to help you increase awareness of your physical body.
- How to do it: Sit or lie down in a comfortable, quiet place. Take several deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Focus on the top of your head and any sensations you feel there. This might be tingling, warmth, or even no sensation at all. Next, slowly shift your focus down to your forehead, eyes, cheeks, and jaw. Notice any tension or relaxation. Allow any tightness to release as you breathe. Then move your awareness to your neck and shoulders. Pay attention to any stiffness or discomfort. Imagine the tension melting away as you continue deep breathing. Shift your attention down your arms, through your elbows, and wrists, and then into your hands and fingers. Observe sensations, letting go of any tightness you find. Turn your awareness to your chest and upper back and notice your breath moving in and out. Observe feelings of tightness or ease. Slowly scan down to your abdomen and lower back and pay attention to any areas of discomfort or relaxation. Breathe into tight areas, imagining them softening.Next, focus on your hips and pelvis and observe any sensations, releasing tension with your breath. Slowly turn your attention to your thighs, knees, calves, ankles, and into your feet and toes. Notice any sensations and allow your legs to relax completely. Finally, pause to notice your whole body. Lean into the feeling of connection from your head to your toes, and appreciate the sense of relaxation and awareness you’ve cultivated. When you’re ready, slowly bring your attention back to the room. Open your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Notice how your body feels now compared to when you started.
2. Soothing Touch
- Example: You can use this technique to practice grounding and help you learn to calm and soothe yourself.
- How to do it: Find a quiet space to sit or lie down. Put one hand below your opposite armpit. Then place the other hand on top of this arm between your shoulder and elbow like you are hugging yourself. Notice the feeling of being held, and pay attention to the physical sensations of where your hands and arms are touching. Notice the sensations of your hand under your armpit, such as the pressure. Notice how your body feels being held by your hand on the other side (e.g., how your muscles and skin feel). Pay attention to how your arms feel across your chest. Notice the emotions you feel being hugged by yourself. You might feel calm, peaceful, or contained. Rest in this feeling for as long as you’d like.
Intermediate somatic experiencing exercises
Remember that building somatic therapy exercises into your daily routines takes practice. There is no perfect way to do it. Determine what works best for you and remember that it can change over time as your needs and commitments change.
3. Opening the Body
- Example: This activity prompts you to open up your body through somatic stretching.
- How to do it: Stand with your feet a bit wider than your hips. Put your hands on the small of your back. Looking down, slightly bend your knees and push your hips forward, stretching your back. Slowly move your hips to one side and stay there while you take three deep breaths. Return to the starting position and then slowly move your hips to the opposite side, taking three deep breaths. You can repeat these steps as needed.
4. Felt Sense
- Example: This exercise prompts you to tune in to your body’s sensations.
- How to do it: Find a quiet space to sit or lie down. Close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. Turn your focus toward your body and notice the sensations you feel. This might look like places of tension, warmth, coolness, heaviness, or anything else you feel in your body. Select one sensation to pay attention to and try to describe how it feels without judgment. Observe it with curiosity and notice if it changes during this time. Ask yourself what this sensation needs or what it’s trying to tell you. Give yourself time to listen for any response that comes. When you’re ready, slowly bring your attention back to the room you’re in and pause to reflect on the experience.5. Return to Safety
- Example: This activity helps strengthen your ability to return to a feeling of safety within your body when you’re stress or anxiety is triggered.
- How to do it: For this exercise, you can sit or lie down. Begin breathing in and out and turn your attention to your body. As you continue inhaling and exhaling, notice what sensations you feel in, around, and on your body. This might be how fast or slow your breathing, your heart rate, air blowing on your skin, etc. Simply notice what’s going on in your body without judgment. Next, think back to a recent time when you felt the most safe, at peace, and like your true self. Explore what was going on in your environment and in your body at that moment. Notice how that sense of safety feels in your body. Try to describe where and how you feel it. Sit with his feeling of safety or calmness as you continue breathing. You can rest in this feeling as long as you need or like.
Advanced somatic therapy exercises
As you grow in your ability to recognize your body’s sensations, you can strengthen your ability to return to states of calm, peace, and stillness when you need them.
6. Pendulation
- Example: This exercise helps you release tension and trauma by shifting your attention between areas of comfort and discomfort in your body.
- How to do it: Choose a calm and quiet space to sit or lie down. Take a couple of deep breaths and draw your attention to your breaths. Identify an area of your body that feels tense or uncomfortable. Notice the sensations there without trying to change them. Stay here for a moment, then turn your attention to an area of your body that feels calm or neutral. Notice the sensations in this area. Allow yourself to relax into this feeling of calm, pleasantness, or comfort. Gently shift your attention back and forth between the area of discomfort and the area of comfort. Spend a few moments with each area and notice any changes in sensation or emotion. When you’re ready to end the exercise, take several deep breaths before continuing with your day.
7. Returning to Yourself
- Example: This technique helps center and ground you in the present.
- How to do it: Select a quiet space to sit or lie down. Think back to a recent time when you felt completely like yourself. A time when you felt comfortable in your own skin and like your true self. As you remember this memory, explore it in detail, noticing what was going on at the time in your environment, as well as around, on, and in your body. Focus on your five senses and what you felt at that time. What did you smell, hear, see, taste, or feel in your body, when you felt most like yourself? Sit with this sensation and notice how it feels now. Pay attention to your emotions and how they feel physically. Continue deep breathing and then go about your day knowing that you can return to these pleasant feelings and sensations whenever you need them.
In my experience
Cheyenne, a 34-year-old marketing executive, came to therapy struggling with chronic anxiety and physical tension. Despite various treatments, she continued to experience frequent panic attacks and muscle tightness, particularly in her shoulders and neck. I introduced her to somatic exercises as a complementary approach to our existing individual therapy. Cheyenne started with simple body scans and progressive muscle relaxation techniques at home.
Over a few weeks, Cheyenne began to notice significant improvements. The body scans helped her identify and release tension she hadn’t been consciously aware of, while progressive muscle relaxation reduced her overall physical discomfort. By practicing these exercises daily, Cheyenne developed a better understanding of the connection between her emotional state and physical sensations. Her panic attacks became less frequent, and she reported feeling more grounded and in control. The integration of somatic exercises into her routine not only provided some relief from symptoms but also enhanced her emotional resilience, leading to a more balanced and fulfilling life.
Experience the holistic healing power of somatic therapy.
In my therapy practice, I use somatic experiencing (SE) to help clients release trauma and restore balance to their nervous systems. By guiding clients to focus on their internal sensations, we can safely explore and process traumatic memories. This method helps clients develop greater body awareness, reduce physical and emotional tension, and build resilience, leading to profound healing and improved overall well-being. If you don’t want to feel disconnected anymore or you’re interested in somatic therapy at Spiral and Bloom, please reach out today for a free consultation.
Sources
Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel-Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K., Ross G. “Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study.” Journal of Traumatic Stress, June 30, 2017. Accessed July 22, 2024.
Meehan, E. & Carter, B. “Moving With Pain: What Principles From Somatic Practices Can Offer to People Living With Chronic Pain.” Frontiers in Psychology, January 25, 2021. Accessed July 22, 2024.
