3 Somatic Exercises to Get You Out of Your Head Into Your Body – The Movement Paradigm (2024)

Discover a transformative journey as we guide you through three powerful somatic exercises designed to help you break free from mental chatter and reconnect with your body’s wisdom. Whether you’re seeking stress relief, mindfulness, or simply a deeper sense of presence, these exercises are your gateway.

Join us as we explore gentle movements, breath awareness, and mindful stretches that will anchor you to the present moment.

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What You Need To Know About Somatic Experiencing

As you may have observed in some of my other videos, when we talk about somatic experiencing or somatic therapy, we’re considering a bodily approach to emotional and mental health. In the realm of mental health, we often tend to think of a top-down approach, such as cognitive-based methods that involve trying to rationalize or talk ourselves out of our emotions. However, what our bodies are very accustomed to evolutionarily is non-verbal communication – about 93% of our communication is non-verbal. Therefore, using movement to address mental health can be incredibly potent. Today, I want to discuss three of my personal favorites.

3 Somatic Exercises

1. Butterfly Hug

If you’re experiencing sadness or feeling down and you’re seeking comfort or soothing, this technique is perfect for you. Begin by interlacing your thumbs, then bring your hands across your chest and let your fingers reach toward your shoulders. Remember, there’s no definitive right or wrong way to do this. Start by allowing yourself to settle in, feeling the comfort and soothing sensation in your arms. When you’re prepared, gently alternate tapping your hands in a rhythmic motion that feels comfortable for you. Do this for as long as you desire.

It’s important to note that this practice can lead to a significant emotional release. If you find yourself becoming emotional or on the verge of tears, that’s perfectly okay and welcome. Allow yourself to embrace those feelings and offer yourself some grace. On the other hand, if the technique simply feels soothing without evoking strong emotions, continue for as long as you find it beneficial.

2. Wipe Away

If you’re feeling a little frustrated and annoyed and just need to vent some emotions, there are a couple of options to consider. One option is to find a comfortable position that suits your body and then imagine wiping away the frustrations. Bend over and ensure your posture is comfortable. As you wipe away, allow any frustrations you’re experiencing to flow through your body. You can increase the intensity of this movement as you become more at ease.

Shaking

Simultaneously, another technique you can try is a simple activity called “shaking.” This idea is reminiscent of how animals in the wild deal with fight-or-flight responses. They literally shake off the stress and return to a state of homeostasis swiftly.

So, if you’re feeling frustrated and want to release some pent-up energy, try shaking your body. Shake as needed, and then give yourself a moment to settle down. Take a moment to connect with yourself and observe the sensations in your body.

3. Goddess

The third one, which is one of my favorites, is the goddess. If you’re male, you can refer to this as something different, but it can be very empowering. Turn your feet out and bring your hands – let’s say, to heart center if you’re into yoga. Inhale as you come down, letting your knees go out, and then exhale, letting your arms go up to the ceiling. Do this at a pace that feels good for you. This is a great technique if you feel like you want to evoke a sense of happiness and empowerment.

We hope you can appreciate these three simple strategies. They show how we can shift our emotions and thoughts by moving and getting into our body physically, feeling our body.

These are just a few examples out of many of how to do that. If you’d like to learn more, please make sure to reach out to us. We would love to help, and as always, thank you so much for joining. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, The Movement Paradigm, for weekly tips on mindset, nutrition, and movement.

Check out our app, the Movement Paradigm app, for lots of programs and really creating a community of people that want to enhance their lives in all ways and make it accessible to you.

Other things that might interest you:

  • 3 self-somatic release practices
  • The Body’s Emotional Landscape: Exploring Fascia, Interoception, and Trauma
  • How is your gut and brain connected?
3 Somatic Exercises to Get You Out of Your Head Into Your Body – The Movement Paradigm (2024)

FAQs

What is somatic movement method? ›

All yoga is a form of somatic movement,” Choi says, explaining that this is because the mind-body connection is integral to what yoga is. Other forms of exercise that focus on moving the body intentionally can also be a form of somatic movement. This includes martial arts, tai chi, Pilates, and dance.

What are somatic exercises? ›

What are somatic exercises? Somatic exercises involve performing movement for the sake of movement. Throughout the exercise, you focus on your inner experience as you move and expand your internal awareness. Many types of somatic exercises exist.

What are the 4 sets of somatic mindfulness exercises for people who have experienced trauma? ›

Four sets of Somatic Exercises that could be useful for trauma survivors are grounding; quieting and flow; mindful breathing and progressive relaxation in the body. Each exercise focuses on moving your body mindfully, all the while observing the physical sensations and how they develop.

Do somatic exercises really release trauma? ›

Somatic experiencing was designed to help release trauma that's “trapped” in the body. During therapy, you'll work with your therapist to safely release pent-up energy to overcome your triggers.

What are some somatic techniques? ›

Somatic therapy also involves learning how to calm or discharge that stress, tension and trauma. These techniques can include breathing exercises, dance, mindfulness and other body movement techniques. Somatic therapy techniques are body-focused to help us calm our nervous systems that have been overloaded by stress.

Can you lose weight with somatic exercises? ›

Although by itself, somatic movement will likely not result in weight loss, it can be a great addition to your usual fitness routine, because of all the benefits we listed above. The truth is that losing weight is a mental game just as much as it is physical.

Do somatic workouts actually work? ›

People who regularly practice somatic movements might see improvements in posture, flexibility, range of motion, and balance. Somatic stretching can also strengthen your mind-body connection, which can help you better manage overall health.

How can I do somatic therapy by myself? ›

Here are a few grounding techniques to try at home:
  1. Run water over your hands. ...
  2. Move your body in ways that feel most comfortable to you. ...
  3. Focus on your breathing while you control how you inhale and exhale. ...
  4. Tense and relax different parts of your body. ...
  5. Play a “categories” game with yourself.
Jul 21, 2021

What are body based somatic practices? ›

Somatic Full Practice-Calming Sessions
  • Body Scan. ...
  • Conscious Breathing. ...
  • Releasing Weight through Ideokinesis. ...
  • Trigger Point Release with Props. ...
  • Freeing the Spine. ...
  • Grounding Your Weight. ...
  • Moving Our Weight. ...
  • Moving Conversations – Partner or Group Exercise.

What exercises release trauma from the body? ›

One of the most common types of Trauma Release Exercises is stretching, which can relieve muscle tension. These stretches might include sitting in a hip squat to release chronic stress or doing wall sits to lessen deep tension. The Spiral Technique is another common Trauma Release Exercise.

What does somatic release feel like? ›

You may take a deep sigh and notice an ability to breath easily, or you may feel like you've dropped a huge brick from your heart. Clients often express a lighter feeling after their body has properly sequenced through an event or emotional experience.

How to release trauma from the body? ›

Here are ten ways to release trauma from the body:
  1. Acknowledge Your Feelings. It is human nature to avoid feeling difficult emotions. ...
  2. Practice Yoga. ...
  3. Shadow Work Exercises. ...
  4. Practice Stillness. ...
  5. Meditation. ...
  6. Self Care. ...
  7. Journaling. ...
  8. Massage.
Dec 1, 2023

How is somatic movement different from yoga? ›

Somatic yoga is an offshoot of these therapies. A somatic yoga practice is more intuitive than a standard yoga class, which often asks you to move mechanically—flex this way, extend that way, stretch, hold, push. Somatics is about becoming more of an expert in yourself.

What is the meaning of somatic motion? ›

A somatic movement is made with focus on the internal movement instead of on the external movement. You may already realize, internal movement is very different from most physical or exercise training. And, because this internal way of moving builds your interoception (self sensing) it helps you feel good.

What is the somatic methodology? ›

Somatic approaches are used to engage the relationship between mind, body, brain, and behavior. Somatically trained therapists use interventions to help calm their clients' nervous system, and create more ease in the healing process. Curious to know more? Here are some key concepts used in somatic psychotherapy.

What is the somatic experience method? ›

Somatic Experiencing (SE™) aims to resolve symptoms of stress, shock, and trauma that accumulate in our bodies and nervous systems. Trauma, from an SE lens, is focused on how it shows up in the nervous system and how that dysregulation impacts life.

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