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By: Stephanie Compton-Bain, MA, LBC, LPS
If you’re healing from trauma, stress, or just the ups and downs of life, these somatic exercises can help you ground yourself, soothe your nervous system, and promote deep healing. Let’s dive into some simple, effective practices that you can incorporate into your day-to-day life.
1. Grounding Through the Feet
One of the easiest and most powerful ways to calm your nervous system is by connecting to the ground beneath you. This exercise works to bring you back into the present moment, creating a sense of safety and stability.
How to do it:
- Stand or sit with your feet flat on the floor.
- Close your eyes and notice the sensation of your feet making contact with the ground.
- Imagine your feet growing roots deep into the earth, anchoring you in place.
- Slowly shift your weight from one foot to the other, noticing how the ground supports you.
- Take deep breaths, feeling the solidity beneath you as you breathe in and out.
Why it helps: Grounding brings you back to your body and the present moment. It calms the fight-or-flight response by reminding your nervous system that you are safe here and now.
2. Deep Belly Breathing
When you're in survival mode, your breath becomes shallow and rapid. Deep belly breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, helps slow everything down, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the body’s natural "rest and digest" mode).
How to do it:
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position.
- Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.
- Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, allowing your belly to rise while keeping your chest still.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth, letting your belly fall.
- Repeat this for 5-10 minutes, focusing on the rise and fall of your belly.
Why it helps: Deep belly breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which is directly connected to your parasympathetic nervous system. This encourages a state of relaxation, slowing your heart rate and calming your mind.
3. Tension and Release (Progressive Muscle Relaxation)
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) involves tensing and releasing different muscle groups to reduce tension and encourage relaxation. This exercise can help release the physical tension that often accompanies emotional stress or trauma.
How to do it:
- Sit or lie down in a quiet place.
- Start by tensing the muscles in your feet, holding for 5-10 seconds, and then releasing.
- Move up your body, tensing and relaxing your calves, thighs, abdomen, arms, shoulders, and face.
- Pay attention to the contrast between the tension and relaxation in each muscle group.
Why it helps: PMR helps to reduce chronic muscle tension and create a sense of control over the body. By actively relaxing your muscles, you signal to your nervous system that it’s safe to let go.
4. Orienting
Orienting is a somatic practice that involves tuning into your surroundings to activate your body’s natural capacity for safety. It engages the ventral vagal branch of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is connected to feelings of calm and social engagement.
How to do it:
- Sit or stand in a comfortable, safe space.
- Slowly and gently turn your head to look around your environment.
- Take note of colors, shapes, objects, and light.
- Move your eyes in different directions—up, down, and side to side—without moving your head, slowly scanning your surroundings.
- As you notice the environment around you, remind yourself that you are safe in this space.
Why it helps: Orienting helps your nervous system register that there are no immediate threats in your environment. It’s a simple but effective way to reduce hypervigilance and bring your body back into a state of calm awareness.
5. Humming or Vagus Nerve Toning
The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in regulating your nervous system. Gentle vocal exercises like humming or chanting can stimulate the vagus nerve, which in turn helps calm the body and mind.
How to do it:
- Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a deep breath in.
- As you exhale, hum gently, allowing the vibration to travel through your body.
- Feel the vibration in your throat, chest, and even your face.
- Repeat this for several minutes, allowing your breath and hum to become steady and soothing.
Why it helps: Humming stimulates the vagus nerve, which helps shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight mode. This exercise also fosters a sense of inner calm and connectedness, soothing the body from the inside out.
These five somatic exercises are simple but powerful ways to support your body in calming and repairing your nervous system. The beauty of somatic work is that it allows you to reconnect with your body in gentle, non-invasive ways—no need to dig up the past or force yourself into uncomfortable places. Instead, you’re learning how to come home to your body, one breath and movement at a time.
Remember, healing takes time. Each time you engage with these practices, you’re telling your body that it’s safe to relax, and over time, that message will begin to stick.
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