Try Somatic Healing: 3 Simple Moves to Release Stress and Reconnect with Your Body

Let’s face it: many of us are stressed out. We live in an over-stimulated and fast-paced world, so it’s no wonder. Not to mention, most of us have dealt with some level of trauma in our lives, whether it be physical (like that car wreck in your 20’s or your chronic low back pain) or emotional (for example the death of a parent or even a pet). 

These memories can trigger a cascade of physical responses, and as a result, many of us carry tension in our bodies. Somatic healing offers a mind-body approach to releasing that tension and reconnecting with a sense of calm, grounded presence.

What is Somatic Healing?

Somatic healing is a therapeutic approach based on the understanding that the brain and body are connected, and that emotions and psychological experiences such as stress or trauma can manifest and be expressed as sensations in the body. 

It’s rooted in the understanding that the body remembers experiences and by tuning into physical sensations that may be related to them, we can begin to heal from the inside out. 

To help release stored stress and trauma, somatic healing uses physical movement, breath, and body awareness, both inside and out. This is known as interoception and proprioception.

Interoception and Proprioception

Somatic healing focuses on interoception, or the awareness of sensations within the body, which plays a critical role in emotional regulation and well-being. This internal sensing ability allows people to detect and interpret signals from within their bodies, allowing them to process and release the tension being held there.

Equally as important is proprioception, which is the body’s ability to know where it is in space. Key elements of LYT yoga involve proprioceptive activities such as postural awareness and mindful movement. By improving proprioception, people can achieve a greater sense of bodily autonomy and control, crucial components in recovering from both physical and psychological trauma, as well as stress. 

Somatic healing leverages the wisdom of the body to help address and heal pain.

Three Simple Somatic Moves

Here are three simple somatic moves you can try at home to soothe your system and build body awareness.

1.  Body Scan

Purpose: Finding present awareness within the body by attending to physical sensations and needs
Good for: Calming stress or simply taking a time out

How to do it:

1. Sit or lie comfortably. Close the eyes.
2. Allow the body weight to sink into the surface you’re standing or lying upon and become aware of your weightedness.
3. Begin to take notice of sensations in the body and allow yourself to shift and readjust as needed to find comfort until you’re able to become quiet in your movement.
4. Allow your thoughts to float from one to another, trying not to get stuck on any one thing. Give each thought an acknowledgement, give it the consideration it needs, and then move on to the next one.
5. Begin to take notice of sensations in the body, including your breath and areas that are holding tension.  Similar to what you did with the thoughts, acknowledge the sensation. If you’re feeling tension, allow yourself to stretch it for a moment and then move on.
6. Start from the top of the body and acknowledge every place from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet.

2. The Seated Pelvic Shift

Purpose: Reestablish a sense of safety and connection with the earth, while restoring motion we may have lost in our body
Good for: Anxiety, overthinking, feeling ungrounded

How to do it:

1. Sit comfortably on the floor or a firm chair with your feet flat on the ground, your hands on your thighs.  Keep the bowl of the pelvis upright and the spine stacked.
2. Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath.
3. Begin to gently tip your pelvis forward and back. Notice the contact points between your body and the ground. Feel the support underneath you.
4. You can gradually increase the speed and depth of the movement, allowing it to ripple up the spine. Continue for 1–2 minutes, allowing your nervous system to settle.
5. Repeat shifting the pelvis from side to side, performing for 1-2 minutes.

3. Tactile Activation

Purpose: Reinvigorating and grounding in the body through self-to-self physical contact
Good for: Adrenal fatigue or feeling lethargic

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Rapidly pat yourself gently with both hands rhythmically, all over your body. You can optionally hum an ‘ah’ or ‘oh’ sound while doing this, allowing a vibrational resonance to move through the torso.
3. Give the body a firm squeeze with the hands, moving throughout the trunk and limbs, or all the parts you can reach.
4. Now softly brush the body with the hands. You can optionally make a ‘whoosh’ sound while doing this as well, but only if it feels comfortable.
5. Take a moment to pause in stand and then begin to quickly inhale the arms up overhead and exhale them down to your sides.  Perform 8-10 times.
6. Take a moment to pause in stand. Make fists and gently beat or tap the area of the lower midback for 15-20 seconds.

Final Thoughts

Somatic healing is about listening to your body with curiosity and compassion. These small, intentional movements can have a profound effect on your well-being over time. The more you practice, the more your body begins to feel safe, present, and whole.

You don’t need special tools or a perfect technique—just a willingness to pause, move, and feel.

Ready to reconnect with your body? Try my upcoming Somatic Healing Workshop, available only on LYT Daily.