5 Somatic Practices to Reconnect with Your Body

When life feels overwhelming, your body remembers.

Before your mind finds the words…
your chest tightens.
your shoulders rise.
your breath shortens.

You may not even realize it, but your nervous system is working hard—doing its best to protect you, to hold it all together.

But what if your body didn’t have to carry that alone?

What if there were small, sacred ways to come back home to yourself?

Somatic practices offer you that.
Not through force.
But through quiet permission.

Practice 1: Rooting — Let the Earth Hold You

Begin by noticing your feet.
The way they press into the ground.
The quiet strength beneath you.

Now soften your breath.
Feel the support that’s already here.
Let yourself lean into it—just a little.

You are grounded.
You are here.
And the earth is holding you.

Even now, something in you may be exhaling.

Practice 2: Orienting — Remind Your Body It’s Safe Now

Slow down.
Let your eyes move gently around the space you’re in.

Notice what’s near… what’s far.
The color of the wall.
The shape of a shadow.
The sound of something quiet.

Let your senses tell your body:
You are not back there.
You are here now.
And here is safe.

Practice 3: Micro-Movements — The Body’s Way of Releasing

Find one small area of tension.
No need to fix it.
Just notice.

Now invite the tiniest shift—
A soft roll of your shoulder,
A wiggle in your toes,
A stretch in your hand.

Notice how the body responds.
Notice what changes.
Then pause.

Let yourself feel the space that opens after release.

Small movements matter.
They whisper to the body:
You don’t have to hold it all at once.

Practice 4: Creating a Safe Place Inside

Close your eyes, if that feels okay.
Let your breath settle.

Now imagine a place where you feel completely safe.
It might be real. Or remembered. Or made up.

What do you see there?
What do you hear?
What do you feel?

Let yourself rest there for a moment.
Let that safety soak into your cells.

This place belongs to you.
You can return anytime.

Practice 5: Pendulation — Touching Pain Without Getting Lost

Bring gentle attention to a place inside that feels tight, tense, or uncomfortable.
Stay with it for just a few seconds.

Now shift to a part of your body that feels neutral… or even pleasant.
Maybe your hands.
Maybe your breath.
Maybe just the warmth in the room.

And then slowly, softly… go back.

Move between the two.

You’re teaching your nervous system that it can feel discomfort—
and come back to comfort.

That you can move through pain—
and return to peace.

You Can Build a Sanctuary Within

These somatic practices don’t demand perfection.
They invite presence.
They don’t push you to feel better.
They offer you a way to feel safe.

One breath at a time.
One pause at a time.
One moment of kindness toward your body at a time.

And when paired with EMDR therapy, these practices deepen.
Your body begins to release what it’s carried for too long.
Your nervous system starts to trust that it’s safe to rest.
And healing becomes not just possible—but embodied.

Come Home to Your Body. Come Home to You.

If you're in Boulder, CO, and ready to reconnect with your body and nervous system in a way that feels gentle and real, I’d be honored to walk with you.

Through Boulder EMDR Intensives combined with somatic therapy, we’ll create space for release, safety, and healing.

Reach out today to begin the journey back to your body—
back to presence—
back to peace.