If you’ve been in therapy for a while and still feel stuck, it might be time to work below the neck.

Your nervous system stores unprocessed stress as:

• Tightness in the chest
• Gut issues
• Freeze/fawn responses
• Emotional shutdown

Cognitive insight doesn’t undo somatic trauma. You can understand everything and still feel dysregulated.

Somatic therapies help by working with your body’s internal state:

• Polyvagal-informed therapy
• Somatic Experiencing
• Breathwork and grounding
• Movement + voice release

When your body feels safe, your mind catches up.

Ask your therapist about integrating somatic tools into your sessions.

Some examples of somatic tools are below:

At-Home Somatic Therapy Techniques You Can Start Today

1. Body Scans

What it is: A slow, focused scan of your body from head to toe, noticing tension, numbness, sensation — without judgment.
Why it works: Increases body awareness and reconnects you to physical presence (often disrupted by trauma or chronic stress).
How to do it: Sit or lie down. Close your eyes. Start at your forehead and slowly scan down to your toes, noticing each area for 10–15 seconds. Breathe into any tension you notice.

2. Orienting Practice

What it is: Gently turning your head and eyes to take in your space, using curiosity and presence.
Why it works: Activates the parasympathetic nervous system and helps exit a freeze state.
How to do it: Look around your space. Let your eyes land on colours, textures, objects. Name a few things you see, hear, or feel. Let your neck move slowly as if scanning a new environment.

3. Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)

What it is: Light, non-invasive activities that stimulate the vagus nerve — your body’s calm-down switch.
Examples:

• Humming
• Gargling
• Splashing cold water on your face
• Deep, slow exhalations (longer out-breath than in-breath)
  Why it works: Supports regulation and shifts your body out of survival mode.

4. Tapping (EFT or Bilateral Stimulation)

What it is: Gentle rhythmic tapping on acupressure points or alternating sides of the body.
Why it works: Lowers cortisol, helps discharge emotional intensity, and can ground you during anxiety spikes.
How to do it:

• Tap gently on the side of your hand, under your eye, collarbone, etc.
• Or cross your arms and tap your shoulders or thighs back and forth.
• Combine with calming statements (e.g. “I’m safe right now”)

5. Grounding With Texture

What it is: Using your senses (especially touch) to bring your awareness to the present moment.
Why it works: Helps interrupt dissociation and creates a physical anchor.
How to do it:

• Press your feet into the floor.
• Grip the arms of your chair.
• Hold an object with texture (ice cube, stone, fuzzy sock).
• Focus on describing it to yourself in detail.

6. Shake + Discharge

What it is: Physically shaking tension out of your limbs, similar to what animals do after a threat.
Why it works: Releases stress stored in the body and exits fight/flight states.
How to do it:

• Stand up. Shake out your hands, arms, legs.
• Bounce gently on your heels.
• Let sound out if it feels natural (sigh, yawn, hum).
• Stop and notice how your body feels afterward.

7. Titration + Pendulation

What it is: Practicing going between discomfort and safety — on purpose — in small doses.
Why it works: Builds resilience and nervous system capacity without overwhelm.
How to do it:

• Bring to mind a slightly stressful memory or sensation (don’t overload).
• Notice how your body responds.
• Shift your focus to a safe memory, calming breath, or grounding anchor.
• Go back and forth gently. Stay present.

8. Weighted Objects

What it is: Using weighted blankets, beanbags, or even a stack of towels to ground and calm.
Why it works: Deep pressure supports sensory regulation and can help the body feel safe.
How to do it:

• Lay a weighted item on your chest, lap, or shoulders.
• Sit or lie still for 5–10 minutes.
• Breathe slowly and notice your body’s response.

9. Self-Holding / Containment

What it is: Using physical touch to soothe your own system.
Why it works: Builds a sense of internal safety and activates oxytocin (calming hormone).
How to do it:

• Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly.
• Or cross your arms and hug your own shoulders.
• Sit like this for 3–5 minutes, breathing deeply and gently.

10. Walking Meditation

What it is: A slow, intentional walk where the focus is on feeling each step.
Why it works: Reconnects body and mind, reduces anxiety, and brings you into the present.
How to do it:

• Walk slowly in a quiet space.
• Feel each footstep — heel, ball, toe.
• Notice your breath, your pace, your surroundings.
• If your mind drifts, gently return to the physical sensation of walking.

Somatic work isn’t about “doing it perfectly.” It’s about building a relationship with your body. Start small. Repeat what feels good. Skip what doesn’t.

And if you feel overwhelmed — that’s OK too. Start with just noticing. Awareness is the first step in somatic healing.