There are times when language just isn’t enough. When your chest is tight, your stomach’s in knots, and the thoughts looping in your head are too big—or too buried—to say out loud. You try journaling, venting, reframing, and still… something sticks.
This is where somatic work steps in.
Unlike talk therapy, which focuses on cognitive processing, somatic techniques work with the body’s physical experience. They’re not about "solving" your feelings—but about giving them a physical space to move through.
And that matters. Because unresolved stress, trauma, and emotional suppression don’t just disappear when you ignore them—they often show up as tension, restlessness, fatigue, or even chronic pain.
These five practices are grounded in body-based research, nervous system awareness, and mind-body integration. They don’t require a diagnosis, a yoga mat, or a complete lifestyle overhaul. Just curiosity, consistency, and a little trust in your body’s wisdom.
1. Pendulation: Learning to Move Between Tension and Safety
When you’re stuck in a state of stress—fight, flight, or freeze—your body needs a way out that doesn’t involve retraumatizing yourself or pretending you’re fine.
Pendulation is a technique developed by trauma expert Dr. Peter Levine (founder of Somatic Experiencing) that gently helps your nervous system shift between states of discomfort and calm—without forcing resolution.
How it works: Bring your attention to a physical sensation that feels mildly uncomfortable—maybe a tightness in your jaw or a pit in your stomach. Stay with it just long enough to notice what it feels like. Then, shift your focus to something in your body that feels neutral or safe. That might be the sensation of your feet on the floor or the way your hands feel resting in your lap.
Go back and forth slowly, like a pendulum swinging.
Why it matters: This back-and-forth helps re-regulate your nervous system by teaching it that it’s safe to feel hard things—and that those feelings are not permanent. It builds emotional tolerance without overwhelming you.
2. Vocalizing With Sound, Not Words
We stifle sighs, choke back cries, mute ourselves in meetings. But sound is one of the body’s fastest ways to release stuck energy—especially in the vagus nerve, the main communicator between brain and gut, which runs right past the vocal cords.
Try this:
- Take a deep inhale.
- On the exhale, hum. Not to a tune—just a single note. Feel the vibration in your chest or throat.
- Try sighing audibly. Then experiment with long “mmm” or “ahhh” sounds.
- Do this for 2–3 minutes.
What’s happening: You’re stimulating the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in calming the parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest and digest" side of your body). It’s not about “sounding good.” It’s about letting vibration help shake out what language can’t.
Studies in Behavioral Medicine have shown that humming and chanting can significantly lower cortisol levels and improve mood regulation by stimulating parasympathetic activity.
3. Orienting: Letting Your Eyes Lead You to Safety
This is one of the simplest somatic tools, and it's especially helpful if your body feels hypervigilant or frozen. Orienting is about using your eyes to show your body that it’s safe. It's commonly used in trauma-informed practices as a first step toward grounding.
Here’s how: Sit or stand somewhere quiet. Let your eyes move slowly around the room—side to side, up and down. You’re not looking for anything; you’re just noticing.
Maybe you pause on the curve of a chair or the color of the curtains. Let your body respond naturally. You might notice a subtle sigh or shift in breath.
Why this works: Hypervigilance often narrows your focus and locks your muscles. Letting your gaze roam widens your perspective and activates the optic nerve, which tells your body: “I’m not in immediate danger.”
This can be particularly helpful for those recovering from trauma or experiencing panic.
4. Push Against Something—Gently
Sometimes, stress needs an outlet. Your body wants to do something with the energy that’s building up. That’s where applied pressure comes in.
Here’s a gentle version:
- Stand facing a wall.
- Place your palms flat against it.
- Push—not aggressively, just firmly—as you exhale.
- Let your whole body lean in. Then release.
You can also try pressing your feet into the floor or your hands into your thighs while seated.
Why it’s helpful: This activates your proprioceptive system—the body’s sense of position and pressure. It helps anchor your awareness in the present moment and gives your muscles something constructive to do. Many somatic therapists use this technique to help clients release fight-or-flight energy in a safe, contained way.
5. Intuitive Movement (That Doesn’t Look Like “Exercise”)
This is not about doing a perfect flow or tracking your steps. Intuitive movement is about giving your body permission to move in the way it wants—not the way you think it should.
When we’re anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally blocked, the body often wants to sway, rock, curl, or shake. But we resist that. We sit still. We clench.
Try this:
- Set a timer for five minutes.
- Put on music (or silence).
- Ask your body: “How do you want to move right now?”
- Then follow that impulse—however small. Maybe it's a shoulder roll. A foot tap. A sway.
There’s no wrong answer.
Freeform movement can help regulate nervous system function, reduce dissociation, and enhance interoceptive awareness (your ability to sense internal bodily signals).
Wellness You Can Use
- You don’t need words to heal. Your body knows how to process—sometimes better than your mind does. Trust that.
- Vibration matters. Humming, sighing, or vocalizing isn’t weird—it’s a built-in release valve your body’s waiting for you to use.
- Movement can be micro. You don’t need to dance wildly or work out to release stress. One stretch, one push, or one breath counts.
- Safety isn’t a thought—it’s a feeling. Grounding practices like orienting and pendulation help your body learn what safety feels like.
- Start where your body already is. Don’t force stillness if you’re agitated—or movement if you’re frozen. Meet yourself with permission, not pressure.
Relearning Safety: One Gentle Practice at a Time
When emotions don’t translate easily into words—or when they’re too big to say out loud—it’s not a failure. It’s biology. It’s wiring. It’s your body doing what it was designed to do: protect you.
But protection doesn’t have to mean shutdown. With somatic techniques, we give the body new options—ways to express, process, and soften into its own wisdom. There’s no rush. No right pace. Just the quiet practice of listening, honoring, and slowly moving what’s stuck.
Sometimes, the deepest healing doesn’t come from “figuring it out.” It comes from letting your body show you the way forward.
