What exactly is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy is a holistic approach to mental health and emotional experiencing that integrates the mind and body in the healing process. It recognises that emotions are often stored in the body, leading to physical sensations and symptoms that can affect your overall wellbeing.
Read on to find out more, including practices you can easily do at home to support emotional regulation.
I try to go for a walk in nature most days, and really listen to the sounds and feel the sensations in my body.
Connect With Your Body
In my experience, a lot of people are very detached from their bodies. Many people actively send hateful messages to themselves about their bodies, particularly as we are constantly bombarded with images, advice, and impossible to meet standards.
While this is usually related to what your body looks like, that detachment can lead to not feeling your feelings, or avoiding certain sensations. Because some emotions are just really difficult to sit with.
Through a variety of techniques, somatic therapy encourages you to reconnect with your body, explore sensations, and release stored trauma and tension. Ultimately, the aim of somatic therapy is to help you sit with difficult feelings, allowing them to be witnessed so they can flow through you instead of getting stuck.
In somatic therapy, you are typically guided toward mindful movement, breathwork, and body awareness exercises alongside talking therapy. While you explore your thoughts, experiences, values, and concerns with words, the body will be sending signals of your emotional state through your body.
By tuning in to observe your bodily sensations and emotions, you can gain a deeper understanding of your experiences. When this is done in an environment of safety and acceptance by working with the nervous system, a profound shift can occur. This process can lead to greater self-awareness, improved emotional regulation, and a deeper understanding of the interplay between your mind and body.
Why It Works
Somatic therapy is particularly effective if you are dealing with trauma, chronic anxiety, and stress-related issues. By addressing the nervous system and its role in physical and emotional responses, you can achieve a sense of balance and healing that transcends traditional talk therapies.
This is because somatic therapy aims to promote deeper healing by empowering you to listen to your body and trust your own instincts. When we forget the body in therapy, we are actually cutting out a huge part of who we truly are. And a massive aspect of our social and emotional experiencing.
Try It At Home
Somatic approaches to support your nervous system and wellness can be effectively and safely practised at home. They are a valuable tool in supporting self-healing and greater awareness of the mind-body connection.
Here are a few lovely methods you can incorporate into your routine:
1. Breathwork
Focus on the natural rhythm of your breath. Take a deep diaphragmatic breath, inhaling deeply through your nose for 3 counts, allowing your abdomen to expand. Then making an O shape with your mouth, exhale slowly for 6 counts. This practice of longer exhales calms your nervous system and reduces feelings of anxiety or stress.
When to do it: to make this a beautiful ritual, use this calming practice before bed. Or at any time during the day when you feel anxious or stressed.
2. Body Scan Meditation
Lie down in a comfortable position and gradually shift your attention from your head to your toes, noticing sensations in each body part. If you notice any tension, relax and soften that body part. This practice allows for a greater awareness of physical tension and promotes relaxation.
When to do it: I like to do this when I’m feeling tired or in the afternoon if I’ve done a lot of desk work.
3. Movement and Stretching
Engage in gentle movement or yoga. Choose a few favourite postures, such cat cow stretch, downward facing dog, and the warrior variations. Or move and stretch intuitively to movement. As you move, pay close attention to how your body feels with each movement. Stretching mindfully releases physical tension and enhances connectivity between your mind and body.
When to do it: mornings are a great time to stretch and move your body. Do this before your morning shower to gently awaken the body and mind from sleep.
4. Somatic Experiencing
When you experience stress or discomfort, consciously bring your awareness to the sensations in your body. Allow yourself to feel these sensations without judgement. Notice where they are in the body, perhaps placing a hand there. This helps to process and integrate difficult emotions.
When to do it: you can do this any time you are feeling heavy or jingly emotions.
5. Expressive Arts
Use creative outlets like drawing, dancing, or writing to express feelings that may be difficult to verbalise. Focus on how your body feels during these activities, allowing for emotional release. I love to whack on some music as I find this helps me access my emotions more fully.
When to do it: to make this a healing ritual, promoting creative expression, put some time aside in an evening or weekend to immerse yourself fully.
6. Grounding Techniques
Practice grounding exercises by feeling your feet on the floor or squatting and placing your hands on the floor or ground. Doing this outside can be particularly powerful. Stand, sit, or squat quietly, and take a moment to notice how the earth supports you. This practice can help bring a sense of safety when you are feeling stressed, and allow you to become more present.
When to do it: This can be done anytime you’re feeling anxious or stressed.
7. Journaling
Keep a somatic journal where you record physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts. Reflecting on your experiences can deepen your understanding of how your body and mind interact. You can write in a book, on your phone, or record voice notes. Part of the practice is to look back at your notes now and then to see how you have moved forwards.
When to do it: to make this a beautiful ritual, this is best done at the same time each day. Take time to reflect on your day before you go to bed, which has the double impact of letting your mind release stress from the day. I recommend journalling first, then doing some somatic movement to shift emotions from the body before you go to sleep.
8. Tactile Awareness
Explore different textures through objects around your home. Engaging your sense of touch can enhance your awareness of the present moment and help you connect with your bodily experiences.
When to do it: this can be done at anytime when you’re feeling disconnected from yourself.
Incorporating these somatic practices into your home life can enhance your overall wellbeing. This promotes healing and resilience within your mind and body. The best approach is to see what works for you. Try something, see how you get on with it for a few days, and if it doesn’t become something you enjoy or are at ease with, then change it or try something else.
If you are struggling with emotional dysregulation and you need more support, check out my psychotherapy pages to see how I can help you. Then get in touch and let’s set up a free consultation to discuss your concerns.
