Reclaiming Calm: A Practical Guide to Somatic Practices for Releasing Trauma
The body remembers what the mind tries to forget. When we experience trauma, whether it's a single overwhelming event or ongoing stress, our bodies often store these experiences as tension, physical discomfort, or patterns of reactivity. Somatic practices—gentle, body-based approaches to healing—offer powerful pathways to release this stored trauma and reclaim a sense of safety and peace within ourselves.
Understanding Trauma in the Body
Autonomic Nervous System
Your autonomic nervous system can become stuck in "fight, flight, or freeze" responses
Muscle Tension
Muscles may hold chronic tension, particularly in the shoulders, jaw, hips, and diaphragm
Breathing Patterns
Breathing often becomes shallow and constricted
Bodily Sensations
You might experience disconnection from bodily sensations (numbness) or heightened sensitivity
Stress Triggers
Everyday stress triggers can cause disproportionate physical reactions
Creating Safety First
Work at Your Own Pace
If any exercise causes distress, please stop and return to a practice that helps you feel grounded.
Consider Professional Support
Consider working with a trauma-informed therapist, especially if you've experienced significant trauma.
Important note: Work at your own pace. If any exercise causes distress, please stop and return to a practice that helps you feel grounded. Consider working with a trauma-informed therapist, especially if you've experienced significant trauma.
Foundational Practice: Orienting to Safety
Find a Comfortable Position
Find a comfortable position, either seated or standing.
Look Around the Room
Gently allow your eyes to look around the room, noticing what you see.
Observe Your Surroundings
Take your time to observe colors, textures, familiar objects—anything that feels neutral or pleasant.
Affirm Your Presence
As you look around, whisper to yourself: "I am here, now, in this space."
Notice Bodily Shifts
Notice any slight shifts in your body—perhaps your breathing slows or your shoulders relax.
Continue Observation
Continue for 2-3 minutes, giving yourself permission to simply observe your surroundings.
Purpose: To help your nervous system recognize that you are safe in the present moment.
Practice this exercise daily, especially when you wake up or before challenging situations.
Gentle Breath Work for Regulation
Find a Comfortable Position
Find a comfortable seated position with your feet on the floor.
Place Your Hands
Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
Notice Your Breath
Take a regular breath and notice which hand moves more.
Guide Your Breath
Gently guide your breath toward your lower hand while allowing your belly to expand on the inhale.
Breathe with Counts
On the next inhale, breathe slowly through your nose for a count of 4. Hold briefly for a count of 1-2 (if comfortable). Exhale through slightly pursed lips for a count of 6-8, extending the exhale longer than the inhale.
Continue and Notice
Continue for 5-10 breaths, noticing any shifts in your body sensations.
Purpose: To soothe the nervous system through conscious breathing patterns.
If counting feels stressful, simply focus on making your exhale longer than your inhale.
Grounding Through the Feet
Stand Barefoot
Stand barefoot if possible, or in socks if preferred.
Position Your Feet
Place your feet hip-width apart.
Find Your Balance
Gently rock forward and backward, finding the center of your balance.
Feel All Corners
Feel all four corners of each foot (big toe, little toe, inner and outer heel).
Visualize Roots
Imagine there are roots growing from your feet deep into the earth.
Bend Your Knees
Slightly bend your knees and feel how this changes your connection to the ground.
Breathe and Notice
Take 5-10 breaths while maintaining awareness of this contact. Notice how stability in your feet influences your entire body.
Purpose: To establish physical connection with the ground, promoting safety and present-moment awareness.
This practice can be done briefly throughout the day, especially when feeling anxious or ungrounded.
Gentle Self-Holding
Find Comfort
Find a comfortable position, either seated or lying down.
Place Your Hands
Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.
Feel the Warmth
Feel the warmth of your hands on your body.
Notice Your Breath
Notice your breath moving beneath your hands.
Apply Gentle Pressure
Apply gentle, steady pressure that feels supportive, not constraining.
Offer Reassurance
If comfortable, you might softly say: "I am here with you" or "You are safe now."
Hold and Notice
Stay with this hold for 1-3 minutes. Before releasing, notice any shifts in your breathing, muscle tension, or emotional state.
Purpose: To provide comforting touch that signals safety to your nervous system.
Variations include crossing your arms to hold opposite shoulders, placing hands on thighs, or whatever configuration feels most supportive to you.
Tension and Release Progressive Relaxation
Begin with Your Feet
Lie down or sit comfortably with your back supported. Begin with your feet, gently tensing the muscles for 5 seconds.
Release Completely
Release completely, noticing the sensation of relaxation for 10-15 seconds.
Move Upward
Move up to your calves, repeating the tension and release. Continue upward through each major muscle group: thighs, buttocks, abdomen, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and face.
Visualize Release
With each release, visualize tension melting away like snow in sunshine.
Notice Overall Feeling
Once you've completed the sequence, take a minute to notice how your body feels as a whole.
Purpose: To increase awareness of muscle tension and promote conscious relaxation.
Start with just 2-3 muscle groups if the full practice feels overwhelming.
Pendulation: Moving Between Comfort and Discomfort
Identify a Sensation
Identify a mildly uncomfortable sensation in your body
Notice Without Judgment
Notice its location, quality, and intensity
Shift to Comfort
Shift attention to a part that feels neutral or pleasant
Alternate Attention
Move between these areas several times
End with Comfort
End by resting attention on the comfortable sensation
Purpose: To build capacity to process difficult sensations by moving between activation and regulation.
This practice helps teach your nervous system that it can experience discomfort and return to regulation.
Slow, Mindful Movement
1
Stand with Awareness
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent
2
Raise Arms Slowly
Raise your arms very slowly in front of you, paying attention to every sensation
3
Notice Sensations
Observe the weight, effort, resistance or ease
4
Move with Attention
Lower arms just as slowly, then roll shoulders and tilt head with full awareness
Purpose: To reconnect with your body through gentle, intentional movement.
The key is extreme slowness—moving so deliberately that you notice subtleties you'd otherwise miss. Throughout the sequence, notice where you hold tension and where movement flows easily.
Practicing Boundaries Through Movement
Purpose: To physically experience setting and honoring your boundaries.
Establishing Your Boundary
Stand in an open space. Slowly extend your arms forward with palms facing outward, saying (aloud or silently): "This is my boundary."
Feel the strength in your arms and the clear signal they send.
Honoring Your Right to Boundaries
Bring your hands to your heart, acknowledging your right to have boundaries.
Take a moment to connect with your sense of personal agency.
Expressing Your Boundary
Extend your arms again, this time saying: "No" or "Stop" or whatever phrase feels empowering.
Notice how this physical expression affects your emotional state.
Integrating the Practice
Repeat the sequence 3-5 times, alternating between extended arms and heart center.
This practice helps reconnect with personal agency and the right to define your space.
Gentle Self-Rocking
Find a Comfortable Seat
Sit comfortably on the edge of a chair or bed.
Ground Your Feet
Place your feet firmly on the ground.
Begin Gentle Rocking
Begin gently rocking forward and backward.
Find Your Rhythm
Find a rhythm that feels naturally soothing.
Add Soothing Sounds
You might add a soft humming or gentle sound if this enhances the comfort.
Continue and Slow
Continue for 1-3 minutes, then gradually slow the rocking until you come to stillness.
Observe Effects
Observe how your body feels after this rhythmic movement.
Purpose: To soothe the nervous system through rhythmic movement that mimics early comforting experiences.
This can be particularly helpful before bed or during high-stress periods.
Integrating Practices Into Daily Life
The power of somatic work lies not just in dedicated practice sessions, but in bringing these awareness techniques into everyday moments:
- Set reminders to check in with your body throughout the day
- Practice a 30-second grounding exercise before important meetings or conversations
- Use transitional moments (before meals, entering/leaving your home) as cues for brief somatic check-ins
- Notice which practices feel most supportive and make these your "go-to" resources during challenging times
Creating a Personalized Practice
Listen to Your Body's Wisdom
As you explore these techniques, notice which ones provide the greatest sense of relief, safety, or pleasure. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to somatic healing. Your body has its own wisdom about what it needs to heal.
Journal Your Experience
Consider keeping a simple journal noting:
- Which practices you tried
- How your body responded
- Any emotions that surfaced
- Adjustments that made the practice more effective for you
When to Seek Additional Support
You feel overwhelmed by body sensations or emotions
When somatic practices bring up intense feelings or sensations that feel too difficult to manage on your own, this is a sign that professional support could be beneficial. A trained therapist can help you navigate these experiences safely.
Trauma responses significantly impact your daily functioning
If trauma responses are interfering with your ability to work, maintain relationships, or engage in daily activities, professional support can provide more structured and intensive approaches to healing.
You experience flashbacks or dissociation
Flashbacks and dissociation are significant trauma responses that benefit from specialized therapeutic approaches. A trauma-informed therapist can help you develop specific skills to manage these experiences.
Progress feels difficult to maintain on your own
If you find yourself making some progress but then slipping back into old patterns, a therapist can provide consistency, accountability, and new perspectives to help you continue moving forward.
These practices can be powerful complements to professional support, but they are not replacements for therapy when needed. Consider working with a trauma-informed therapist, especially a somatic experiencing practitioner, if you're experiencing any of these situations.
A Compassionate Approach
Healing Is Not Linear
As you engage with these practices, remember that healing is rarely linear. There may be days when tension feels more prominent or regulation seems more difficult. This doesn't indicate failure—it's simply information about what your nervous system needs in that moment.
Self-Compassion Is Essential
The most important element in this work is a compassionate approach toward yourself and your experiences. Your body has done its best to protect you through difficult experiences, and these patterns took time to develop. Be patient as you offer your system new possibilities for safety and calm.
Transformation Is Possible
With consistent, gentle practice, many people find that their relationship with their body transforms from one of fear or disconnection to one of greater trust, presence, and ease. This journey of reclaiming calm through somatic awareness is one of the most profound gifts you can give yourself.
Remember: You already have everything you need within you. These practices simply help you access the natural wisdom and healing capacity of your remarkable body.
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