Somatic Practices to Support our Hormones and Nervous Systems
Calling all women of a certain age! (That would be over 40 for most of us).
Somatic healing and therapy doesn’t only regulate our nervous system and help us with healing our wounds, they are also amazing for supporting our hormonal health.
I’ve curated a few of my favourite below…
Mindful breathing - the nervous system directly controls our heart rate which is linked to our breathing rate. While this is usually an unconscious process, we can influence how our body is functioning by slowing down our breath. A slow outward exhale slows the heart rate, releasing feel good hormones and supporting progesterone to do its calming job.
Grounding exercises - bring a sense of safety and embodiment which is calming and restorative for our mind and body. And a calm body can function optimally, ensuring our hormones are working effectively.
Gentle exercise - lowers cortisol and helps us feel more physically aligned. This can help reduce tension which can reduce pain during our period. Exercise also stimulates the production of endorphins which stop pain.
Gamut spot - massaging the gamut spot (the little dent between the baby and ring finger metacarpals) eases pain and discomfort which is so so helpful if you’re experiencing painful periods.
Body scanning - another beautifully grounding exercise that helps us feel more connected and appreciative towards our body and how it lovingly supports us month after month.
Visualisation - research has shown that visualisation is extremely powerful in regulating our emotions and processing difficult experiences. This helps decrease the risk of emotional upheavals related to hormone changes.
Journalling - keeping track of our cycle so we can engage with what we need throughout the month is a powerful way of taking control of our environment and life values to support us holistically.
Walk in nature - this has all kinds of benefits for us. The walking releases calming hormones, reduces anxiety, and helps us process difficult emotions.
Yin yoga - the slow pace and long slow holds of each posture can be an ideal way to support the body and mind when we are working through the uppers and downers of our monthly cycle.
Mushrooms - I’ve recently started using reishi and turkey tail mushroom tinctures. They are both good for preventing oxidative stress, boosting the immune system, balancing hormones and aiding sleep.
Sleep - getting enough shut eye is so important to our overall health. Unfortunately, when we are going through perimenopause and menopause our sleep can be seriously affected. However, picking one or two of the suggestions above can improve our sleep quality. My personal sleep routine for optimal rest is:
Gentle exercise and a 478 breathwork (in for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, out for 8 counts) right before bed.
Working with my parts in meditation before I go to sleep.
Taking my mushroom tinctures daily.
No caffeine past 4pm.
When we care for our bodies and well as our minds, we signal to ourselves that we are safe, cared for, and that we are our own priority. This goes a long way to supporting us if we’ve experienced emotional or relational trauma in our past. And helps us feel more whole.
