What is somatic exercise and why it's everywhere | Woman and Home Magazine (2024)

FAQs

Is somatic exercise legit? ›

Not only can somatic exercise help you strengthen muscles correctly, but it can improve mobility, balance, and coordination. But no matter the reasoning, it never hurts to tune into your body for the sake of healing—whether that's physically or mentally.

Somatic movement is moving with full-body awareness, focusing more on how you're feeling rather than meeting a specific fitness goal. It's a way to connect your emotions to how you're feeling physically. When done regularly, somatic movement can benefit both the body and mind in profound ways.

Although by itself, somatic movement will likely not result in weight loss, it can be a great addition to your usual fitness routine, because of all the benefits we listed above. The truth is that losing weight is a mental game just as much as it is physical.

While somatic exercises may seem like a contemporary trend, their roots trace back to ancient practices such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong. These disciplines have long recognized the intimate relationship between the mind and body, using mindful movements to promote health and well-being.

Somatic exercise for trauma, anxiety and pain

This type of therapy is somewhat new, with the first small randomized controlled trial occurring in 2017. A small systematic review concluded that most studies found a beneficial correlation between this type of therapeutic approach and improving symptoms of PTSD.

SomaShare is a free app that brings practical, easy-to-follow tools and a communal space to support people in deep healing and transformation.

Yoga is a somatic practice, but often it is offered and practiced in a way that doesn't lead to embodiment. Rather than feeling and experiencing ourselves, someone is telling us how to move and then we “do” the movement without actually feeling it.

Somatic Movement

Gentle, deliberate movements can facilitate emotional release and reduce physical tension. Somatic movement exercises, such as shaking or rocking, encourage the body to release held trauma, restoring the natural flow of energy.

From mindful walking to diaphragmatic breathing, these somatic exercises can relieve stress quickly and boost wellbeing. Welcome to Start TODAY.

How often should I do somatic exercises? ›

It's safe to practice somatic stretching daily if you're doing the technique correctly. When practicing somatic stretching, it is important to listen to your body and your personal limits, and not push any movement too far or in a way that's uncomfortable.

Endomorphs have narrow shoulders and fat deposits in the lower abdomen, hips, and thighs. This distribution of body weight and fat makes it challenging to reduce weight and needs precise training methods. Of course, you must combine these with a suitable diet to lose weight. Exercise is crucial for endomorphs.

Choosing to move your body in any way that feels good to you, focusing on the inflow and outflow of the breath, noticing how it feels to tense and relax parts of the body, and grounding by feeling the connection of the body to the ground and/or chair are some examples of somatic exercises,” she says.

Unlike standard mental health therapy, such as CBT, which focuses prominently on the mind, somatic therapy incorporates body-oriented modalities such as dance, breathwork, and meditation to support mental healing. In addition, somatic experiencing therapy sessions include talk therapy and mind-body exercises.

Crying can be a healthy and therapeutic way to release emotions during somatic exercises or trauma healing. It enables the expression and release of suppressed feelings, which adds to a sense of relief and catharsis.

Research suggests that somatic therapy is an effective treatment for mental health conditions like PTSD, depression and anxiety, among others.

Somatic experiencing is a type of body-based trauma therapy that aims to address the physical symptoms of trauma. Some early evidence suggests it may have potential as a PTSD treatment, but there is not enough evidence to firmly support its use.

The benefits of somatic yoga can be felt even after just a few sessions, but like any practice, consistency is key. Some people experience immediate improvements in relaxation and body awareness, while others notice changes over a few weeks or months.

The bottom line. Somatic exercise involves gentle movements designed to help you connect with your body. It promotes mind-body awareness, which may help reduce stress and anxiety.