Somatic therapy aims to help you recognize and regulate your body’s responses to stress and trauma. It teaches awareness of bodily sensations and offers techniques to manage them effectively. Through somatic therapy, you can develop a healthier relationship with your body, leading to greater resilience and emotional well-being.
Understanding the Healing Power of Movement
Movement has been utilized for centuries by various indigenous cultures for its profound healing impact on the human psyche. Somatic therapies draw upon this ancient wisdom to aid individuals in managing and healing past traumas that often linger throughout their lives. By addressing both the body and the mind, somatic therapy facilitates healing from, or management of, past traumas and overwhelming emotional experiences. This body-mind approach fosters a sense of safety within the body, enabling effective processing of adverse past experiences (Levine & Fredrick, 2023).
Embracing the Body’s Innate Wisdom
The body serves as a remarkable resource with inherent healing capabilities. Somatic therapy encourages individuals to heed the messages conveyed by the body. Through bottom-up approaches, individuals can effectively navigate intense emotional experiences without succumbing to overwhelm (Ogden et al., 2014). These approaches are vital, as individuals risk re-traumatization when they do not feel present and secure in their bodies while recounting trauma on a cognitive level (Herman, 2005; Van der Kolk, 2015).
Reactivating Healing through Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy proves effective in addressing past adverse experiences because “trauma does not come back as a memory, it comes back as a reaction” (Van der Kolk, 2015). These reactions vary from person to person, manifesting in diverse ways such as a sudden urge to flee during a disagreement or heightened physiological responses triggered by specific stimuli. These automatic responses stem from painful past learning experiences and operate at a physiological level, influencing bodily functions and survival instincts (Peca, 2021; Gentry, 2021). Somatic interventions work to release this trapped tension, fostering a sense of safety within the body and facilitating the processing of negative experiences, ultimately enhancing quality of life and relationships.
Exploring Effective Somatic Modalities
Various somatic modalities prove effective in managing overwhelming emotions and processing traumatic experiences. Somatic Experiencing (SE), inspired by Peter Levine’s observations of wild animals, focuses on discharging stored energy and trauma from the body through deliberate movements (Levine, 2012).
Polyvagal theory was founded by Steven Porges (2011) that examines how the vagus nerve controls the body’s flight, fight, freeze, and fawn systems. Porges likens this to a ladder in which each rung represents a different response system. This polyvagal ladder helps you to identify which “state” you are currently in so that you can the steps needed to regulate the body.
Deb Dana (2018), added to this theory by developing specific exercises that stimulate the vagus nerve allowing it to send safety messages to the brain; helping the body to find more balance.
Sensorimotor psychotherapy, founded by Pat Odgen (2014), taps into the body’s innate intelligence to treat somatic symptoms of unresolved trauma.
Discover How These Somatic Exercises Can Help You
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Somatic Exercise
This somatic exercise involves tensing and releasing different muscle groups throughout the body, one at a time. This can help to reduce muscle tension and promote relaxation.
Diaphragmatic Breathing Somatic Exercise
This somatic exercise involves breathing deeply into the belly, allowing the diaphragm to expand and contract with each breath. This type of breathing helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces stress.
Mindfulness Somatic Exercise
This somatic exercise focuses on the present moment and the client’s experience in the moment.
Trauma Informed Yoga
Yoga is a somatic practice that involves connecting the body, breath, and mind through various poses and movements. It can help to reduce stress, increase body awareness, and promote relaxation and well-being.
Please note: These somatic exercises alone will NOT heal or process trauma. Contact a certified trauma specialist to learn more.
The Vagus Nerve and Somatic Therapy
The vagus nerve plays an important role in the mind-body connection and is closely related to somatic therapy. The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body, and it is responsible for regulating many bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion, and breathing. It is also involved in the body’s stress response and helps to regulate the autonomic nervous system.
Somatic therapy aims to help individuals regulate their bodily sensations and responses to stress, trauma, and other emotional experiences. The vagus nerve is involved in this process, as it helps to regulate the body’s stress response and plays a role in emotional regulation. By regulating the vagus nerve, somatic therapy can help individuals reduce stress, manage emotions, and improve overall well-being.
Vagus Nerve Exercises
Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Helps Release Anxiety, Somatic Exercises for Stress
Self-Havening: A Somatic Exercise that uses self-touch to release Oxytocin.
Release Jaw Tension by stimulating the Vagus Nerve
Overall, the vagus nerve is an important part of the mind-body connection, and somatic therapy can help individuals regulate this nerve to improve emotional and physical well-being.
Please note: These somatic exercises alone will NOT heal or process trauma. Contact a certified trauma specialist to learn more.
Meet Our Somatic Therapy Team
Interested in Somatic Therapy?
Explore the transformative journey of Somatic Therapy and discover the power of somatic exercises by reaching out to us today. Whether you’re seeking relief from past traumas or aiming to enhance your overall well-being, our dedicated Somatic Therapy team is here to support you every step of the way.
Fill out the form below or call us at 412-856-WELL to take the first step towards a healthier, more embodied life.
References
Dana, D., & Porges, S. W. (2018). The polyvagal theory in therapy: Engaging the rhythm of regulation. W.W. Norton et Company.
Gentry, E. (2021). Certified trauma specialist training. Arizona Trauma Institute Accredited Programs.
Herman, J. L. (2005). Trauma and recovery. W. Ross MacDonald School, Resource Services Library.
Levine, P. A., & Phillips, M. (2012). Freedom from pain: Discover your body’s power to overcome physical pain. Sounds True.
Levine, P. A., & Frederick, A. (2023). Waking the tiger: Healing trauma: The innate capacity to transform overwhelming experiences. North Atlantic Books.
Ogden, P., Pain, C., & Minton, K. (2014). Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor approach to psychotherapy. Nota.
Peca. C. (2021). Certified trauma specialist training. Arizona Trauma Institute Accredited Programs.
Porges, S. W. (2011). Polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation / Stephen W. Porges.
Van Der Kolk, B. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. IDreamBooks Inc.