A lot of the time when we envision therapy and healing, we focus only on the mind; on thoughts, memories, or beliefs. Yet with our body and mind being ever connnected there is healing that can occur through the body as well. This is the central insight of somatic therapy, a body-centered approach that bridges psychology and physiology, inviting us to recognize the deep, undeniable connection between mind and body.
Somatic therapy is not just about “talking it out.” It is about feeling it out and learning to notice how the body stores tension, fear, or even unexpressed grief, and then gently releasing what has been held for too long.
The Mind–Body Connection
Modern neuroscience confirms what ancient wisdom traditions have long known: the mind and body are inseparable. Our nervous system, breath, posture, and even gut health all influence how we feel, think, and relate to the world.
Somatic therapy works with this truth. By paying attention to sensations we gain access to emotions and memories that words alone cannot reach. Examples of these sensations can include a flutter in the chest, tightness in the throat, or heaviness in the belly.
🌱 What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-centered approach to healing that integrates talk therapy with physical awareness and movement. It’s based on the idea that trauma, stress, and emotions don’t just live in the mind — they’re also stored in the body as tension, postures, or physical sensations.
The word “somatic” comes from the Greek soma, meaning “living body.”
Instead of focusing only on thoughts or narratives, somatic therapy helps people tune into body sensations as a gateway to release stuck emotions and restore regulation in the nervous system.
🧠 Core Principles
Mind–body connection – Emotions, thoughts, and body states are deeply intertwined.
The body remembers – Trauma and chronic stress often show up as muscle tightness, shallow breathing, gut issues, or chronic pain.
Release happens through awareness – By noticing sensations (tightness, tingling, warmth, trembling), the body can complete stress cycles and find relief.
Regulation, not re-traumatization – The goal isn’t to relive trauma, but to gently guide the body back to safety and resilience.
🔑 Common Techniques
Grounding – Using posture, breath, or sensory input to return to the present moment.
Body scanning – Tuning into areas of tension, numbness, or energy flow.
Movement & gesture – Encouraging natural body movements (stretching, shaking, rocking) that help release energy.
Touch (when appropriate) – Gentle therapeutic touch to support safety and connection.
Breathwork – Regulating breath to calm the nervous system.
Imagery & mindfulness – Using guided visualization to connect sensations with emotional release.
🌊 What Somatic Therapy Can Help With
PTSD and trauma recovery
Anxiety and panic
Depression and disconnection
Grief and loss
Chronic stress and burnout
Body image struggles
Chronic pain and illness (when linked to stress/trauma)
🌀 Modalities Within Somatic Therapy
There are different approaches under the somatic umbrella, including:
Somatic Experiencing (SE) – Developed by Peter Levine, focusing on releasing “trapped” survival responses.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy – Blends somatic awareness with traditional talk therapy.
Hakomi Method – Combines mindfulness and body awareness for self-discovery.
Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) – Uses tremors/shaking to release stored stress.
Body-oriented therapies like dance/movement therapy, yoga therapy, or breathwork.
🌟 Benefits
Greater self-awareness and connection to the body
Reduced symptoms of anxiety, hypervigilance, and flashbacks
Release of physical tension and chronic pain
Stronger resilience to stress
Feeling more “alive,” embodied, and present
🧩 A Simple Somatic Exercise (you can try now)
Sit in a chair with your feet on the ground.
Notice your breath without changing it.
Scan your body slowly from head to toe.
Where do you feel warmth?
Where is there tightness or numbness?
Place a hand over one area that feels tense. Breathe gently into it.
If your body naturally wants to sigh, stretch, or move — let it.
The Role of Yoga and Yoga Therapy
Yoga offers a natural complement to somatic therapy. Rooted in the philosophy that the body, mind, and spirit are one, yoga teaches us how movement and breath can regulate emotions and shift energy.
In fact, the practice of yoga therapy, the intentional use of yoga postures, breathing exercises, meditation, and relaxation for healing, aligns closely with somatic principles. Where somatic therapy might guide someone to notice tension in the shoulders, yoga offers tools to move through it with asanas, or soften it with breath and mindfulness.
Research supports this integration: a 2014 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that trauma-sensitive yoga significantly reduced symptoms of PTSD. As van der Kolk has said, “Yoga helps regulate our arousal systems by focusing on the breath, sensing the body, and moving in ways that bring comfort and mastery.”
For many people, combining somatic therapy with yoga or yoga therapy creates a powerful path toward embodiment; coming home to the body as a place of safety rather than fear.
Another Practice to Try
Here is a simple somatic–yoga blend you can try today:
Sit comfortably with your feet on the ground. Close your eyes if that feels safe.
Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly.
Breathe in for a slow count of four. Pause for two. Exhale for six. Repeat five rounds.
Notice if your body wants to move — maybe a small shoulder roll, a stretch, or a sigh. Allow it.
Whisper inwardly: “I am here. I am safe. I am listening.”
Moving Forward: Embodied Healing
Somatic therapy invites us to see healing not as a purely mental task but as a whole-body experience. Our stories live in muscle and memory, in breath and bone. By listening to the body with compassion, and by integrating practices like yoga and yoga therapy, we begin to soften what was once frozen.
The body’s wisdom reminds us that healing is not about forgetting the past but about reclaiming presence. As the poet Rumi once wrote, “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
