Feeling as though something is welling up or lurking within you that you need to process? Latent or repressed emotions can sometimes be difficult to access and acknowledge, and the inability to process your feelings can lead to unnamed anxiety and distress. This somatic experiencing practice is designed to help you tune into your body’s stored emotional energy to foster awareness and release suppressed feelings through mindful interoception and gentle movement.
Here’s how:
- Find a Quiet Space
Stand or sit in a comfortable position. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Take a few deep breaths, inhaling through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth. - Body Scan Awareness
Shift your attention inward, slowly scanning your body from head to toe. Notice any areas of tension, numbness, or discomfort without judgment. - Breath and Sensation Inquiry
Place a hand on the part of your body where you feel the most constriction or heaviness. Breathe deeply into this area, as if sending your breath directly into the sensation. Ask yourself silently, If this sensation had a voice, what would it say? - Gentle Movement
If the tension feels strong, introduce subtle movement—rolling your shoulders, stretching your arms, or swaying gently. Allow your body to move in any way that feels intuitive. Movement can facilitate the release of stored emotional energy. If you feel the impulse to move more fully, go with it. Let your body guide you in as full a range of movement as it wants. - Vocal Expression (Optional)
If emotions begin to surface, experiment with gentle vocalization. A deep sigh, a hum, or a soft “ahh” sound can help express feelings that words may not yet capture. - Closing Grounding
Place both hands over your heart and take three slow, intentional breaths. Express gratitude to yourself for showing up to this practice. When ready, gently open your eyes and reorient yourself to the space around you.
Efficacy of Somatic Practices
Try this exercise several times, and whenever you’re feeling as though some lurking emotion is just beyond your perception. Research supports the effectiveness of somatic approaches in processing and integrating suppressed emotions. Somatic experiencing and interoception-based practices have been shown to improve emotional regulation and facilitate trauma resolution (Payne et al., 2015).
Reference:
Payne, P., Levine, P. A., & Crane-Godreau, M. A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: Using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 93. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093
