When you've experienced trauma, being told to "get into your body" can feel like a pretty enormous request.

For some people, noticing physical sensations feels comforting and grounding.

For others, it can feel vulnerable.

Uncomfortable.

Overwhelming.

Maybe you've tried a body scan and became hyperaware of every sensation.

Maybe closing your eyes made you feel less safe instead of more relaxed.

Maybe sitting perfectly still made you restless.

Or maybe you've spent years learning how not to feel what was happening in your body because, at one point, disconnecting helped you get through something you couldn't escape.

So we're not going to start by demanding that you suddenly feel everything.

Gentle somatic work can begin somewhere much smaller.

With your eyes open.

With movement.

With curiosity.

With choice.

And perhaps most importantly:

With permission to stop.

Somatic comes from a word meaning body.

Somatic approaches generally involve bringing awareness to physical sensations, movement, posture, tension, impulses, or other aspects of our embodied experience.

Instead of working exclusively with thoughts, they recognize that stress and emotion can also have physical components.

Maybe your shoulders tighten.

Your jaw clenches.

Your stomach feels unsettled.

Your hands become restless.

Your breathing changes.

Your body feels heavy.

Or you feel disconnected from your body altogether.

Somatic practices invite curiosity about those experiences.

But curiosity doesn't mean interrogation.

You don't need to search your body for trauma.

You don't need to uncover memories.

You don't need to force yourself to feel sensations that are overwhelming.

Gentle means gentle.

Before directing attention toward your body, start with the room.

Keep your eyes open.

Look around.

Notice the door.

Notice the windows.

Find something familiar.

Look toward the light.

Notice where you're sitting or standing.

Let your eyes move naturally.

Take in the environment you're actually in.

Sometimes it's easier to notice the body after you've first allowed yourself to notice where the body is.

You don't have to sit still and concentrate intensely on your feet.

Instead, give them something to do.

Place both feet on the floor if that's comfortable.

Gently press downward.

Notice the resistance.

Release.

Press again.

Release.

Maybe you notice your legs engaging.

Maybe you notice pressure through your shoes.

Maybe you don't notice much at all.

That's okay.

You aren't trying to produce a specific sensation.

You're experimenting.

Stand facing a sturdy wall.

Place your palms against it.

Gently push.

Not as hard as you can.

Just enough to notice some resistance.

Feel the pressure against your palms.

Notice your arms working.

Notice your feet against the floor.

Then release.

Step away.

Look around again.

You can repeat it if it feels supportive.

Or you can decide once was plenty.

Both are valid.

Notice where your shoulders are right now.

You don't need to change them.

Then, if it feels comfortable, gently roll them backward.

Once.

Twice.

Maybe forward.

Maybe lift them toward your ears and let them drop.

Notice what movement feels like without immediately deciding whether it's good or bad.

You aren't trying to force tension out of your body.

You're simply offering it movement.

Reach your arms toward the ceiling.

Or reach them outward.

Stretch one arm.

Then the other.

Reach toward something across the room.

Notice the sensation of taking up a little more space.

Then release.

There is no ideal stretch.

There is no required range of motion.

Stop wherever your body says:

That's enough.

Let your wrists soften.

Gently shake your hands.

Wiggle your fingers.

Roll your wrists.

Then stop.

Notice the difference between movement and stillness.

You don't have to analyze what happened.

Maybe your hands feel warmer.

Maybe they tingle.

Maybe absolutely nothing interesting happens.

The exercise still counts.

Stand or sit somewhere comfortable.

Very gently shift your weight from one side to the other.

Left.

Right.

Left.

Right.

Or forward and backward.

Find a rhythm that feels natural.

You don't have to close your eyes.

You don't need music.

You aren't trying to enter a meditative state.

You're simply allowing your body to move rhythmically.

If swaying feels unpleasant, stop.

Your "no" is useful information too.

Body-based practices often ask:

Where are you holding tension?

But you don't always have to start with discomfort.

Try looking for something neutral instead.

Maybe your hands feel neither good nor bad.

Maybe you can feel your socks against your feet.

Maybe your back is touching the chair.

Maybe your shirt is resting against your shoulder.

Maybe you can feel the temperature of the air on your arms.

Find a sensation that doesn't require much from you.

Stay there for a few seconds.

Neutral counts.

You don't have to stay focused on your body continuously.

Try moving your attention back and forth.

Notice your feet.

Then look at something across the room.

Notice your hands.

Then listen for a sound outside.

Notice your back against the chair.

Then look through the window.

Inside. Outside. Inside. Outside.

You get to decide how long you stay with either one.

This can make body awareness feel less like being trapped inside a sensation.

Instead of deciding what exercise you're supposed to perform, ask:

Does any part of my body want to move?

Maybe you want to stretch your neck.

Straighten your legs.

Uncross your arms.

Change positions.

Stand up.

Curl your toes.

Stretch your fingers.

Adjust your clothing.

Take a walk.

Follow one small impulse if it feels comfortable.

Then notice what happens.

Somatic practices don't have to involve exercise.

Wrap yourself in a blanket.

Put on your favorite sweatshirt.

Hold a pillow.

Sit somewhere comfortable.

Notice the weight or texture against your body.

You don't have to convince yourself that it feels safe.

Simply notice:

This is soft.

This is warm.

This is supporting me.

Take a slow walk.

Around your room.

Through your house.

Down the hallway.

Outside.

You don't need to walk mindfully.

Just notice something occasionally.

Your foot contacting the ground.

Your arms moving.

The temperature.

The scenery changing as you move.

If sitting still makes you uncomfortable, movement can provide another way to explore body awareness.

This might be one of the most important practices on this entire list.

You don't have to wait until an exercise becomes unbearable before stopping.

You can stop because:

You're bored.

You're uncomfortable.

You've had enough.

You don't like it.

Something feels off.

You want to do something else.

You simply feel finished.

Practicing the ability to notice "I don't want to continue" and respond to that information can itself be meaningful.

That's okay.

You don't need to manufacture sensations.

And you don't need to become frustrated with yourself because you aren't having some profound mind-body experience.

Maybe you notice your feet.

Maybe you don't.

Maybe you feel relaxed.

Maybe you feel restless.

Maybe you feel numb.

Maybe you feel nothing particularly noteworthy.

Start where you actually are.

There is no correct sensation you're supposed to find.

Stop.

Open your eyes if they're closed.

Look around.

Move.

Stand up.

Drink some water.

Talk to someone.

Do something familiar.

Direct your attention toward your environment rather than deeper into physical sensations.

You don't have to push through distress because an exercise is labeled "healing."

For some people with trauma histories, body-focused attention can be activating rather than calming.

That's important information.

A qualified trauma-informed professional can also help you explore body-based approaches at a pace appropriate for you if you'd like additional support.

You don't need to replay your past while doing these exercises.

You don't need to search for where trauma is "stored."

You don't need to uncover a hidden memory.

And you don't need to interpret every physical sensation as evidence of something psychological.

Sometimes a tight shoulder is a tight shoulder.

Sometimes you're tired.

Sometimes you're hungry.

Sometimes you've been sitting at a computer too long.

The body deserves curiosity without turning every sensation into a story.

You can keep your eyes open.

You can move.

You can stop.

You can leave the room.

You can skip an exercise.

You can decide body-focused practices aren't supportive for you right now.

You can try again tomorrow.

You can never do that particular exercise again.

The goal isn't becoming perfectly comfortable inside your body overnight.

It's building a relationship with your physical experience that contains something trauma may once have taken away:

Choice.

Maybe today that means pressing your feet into the floor.

Maybe tomorrow it's stretching.

Maybe another day it's simply noticing the warmth of sunlight against your arm.

Tiny experiences count.

There is no finish line.

There is no perfect somatic practice.

You don't have to force yourself deeper.

You are allowed to approach yourself gently.

If you're looking for more ways to support your nervous system without breathwork, this list of regulation techniques has a lot of overlap with what we covered here.

This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for trauma therapy, medical care, or individualized mental health treatment. Somatic practices may not be appropriate or comfortable for everyone. If body-focused exercises trigger significant distress, dissociation, traumatic memories, or other concerning symptoms, consider stopping the practice and seeking guidance from an appropriately qualified trauma-informed professional.