What is Somatic Healing? How Trauma Lives in the Body

What is Somatic Healing?

Somatic healing is a gentle approach that focuses on body awareness rather than only talking about past events. It helps you feel what is happening in your body and teaches you how to release stored tension, fear, and emotional pain in safe, manageable ways.

It can involve:

Grounding exercises

Breathing techniques

Gentle movement

Touch or massage

Noticing physical sensations

Shifting posture or gestures

Guided visualisations

The goal is not to re-live trauma, but to reconnect with your body and restore a sense of safety and presence.

Signs You May Benefit From Somatic Work

You may find somatic healing especially helpful if:

You’ve tried talk therapy but still feel stuck

You often feel numb, detached, or out of your body

You have strong emotional reactions that don’t seem to match the situation

Your body feels constantly tense, tired, or reactive

Somatic approaches can help regulate your nervous system, making it easier to process emotions, set boundaries, and live in the present.

Simple Somatic Practices You Can Try

Grounding Through the Senses

Find five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This pulls you into the here and now.

Orienting to Safety

Slowly look around the room. Notice what feels calming or comforting. Say to yourself, “Right now, I am safe.” This helps signal your brain and body that the threat has passed.

Butterfly Hug

Cross your arms over your chest and gently tap your shoulders, left and right. Breathe slowly. This bilateral stimulation can soothe the nervous system.

Shake It Out

Animals shake after stress and so can we. Let yourself shake your hands, feet, or whole body to release tension.

Touch Your Heart or Belly

Place your hand gently on your heart or stomach. Breathe deeply. Feel the warmth and weight of your hand. Remind your body it is being cared for.

A New Way to Feel Safe Again

Trauma healing is not only about remembering what happened it’s about feeling safe enough to be here now.

Somatic healing gives us tools to come back into our own bodies, gently and without force. It reminds us that healing doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can be quiet. Subtle. Slow. And still completely life-changing.