Somatic Movement Therapy
What is Somatic Movement Therapy?
Somatic Movement Therapy isn’t about performing or achieving—it is about creating space to notice, to feel, and to reconnect. In this gentle practice, you are invited to feel safe in your body as every small movement becomes an opportunity to soften, to breathe, and to return—to the present moment, and to yourself.
Somatic Movement Therapy is a body–mind centered approach that gently guides you to reconnect with your body and mind, helping you release stored emotions and find ease within. The word somatic comes from the Greek soma, meaning “living body.” At its heart, this work is about learning to listen to the subtle wisdom your body holds.
Our bodies often hold on to tension, stress, or protective patterns, sometimes long after the experiences that created them. Even if the mind no longer remembers the story, the body still carries it within. There is no right or wrong in how your body responds; it has been protecting you in difficult situations. These responses once served to protect you, but when they are not released, they can gradually accumulate. Over time, this holding may show up as stiffness, discomfort, fatigue, anxiety, feelings of being stuck, or even emotional heaviness.
Through gentle movements, breath exercises, and grounding practices, Somatic Movement Therapy offers a safe and compassionate space to explore and release what the body has been holding. Rather than forcing change, the body is softly guided back toward ease—opening space for natural healing, fluidity, and flow. This understanding is deeply supported by the work of pioneers such as Dr. Peter Levine, whose research in Somatic Experiencing shows how trauma lives in the body; Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, who describes in The Body Keeps the Score how movement and awareness are essential for healing; and Dr. Stephen Porges, whose Polyvagal Theory highlights the vital role of the nervous system in creating safety and connection.
How Somatic Movement Therapy Works: The Science Behind It
Our bodies and minds are deeply connected through the nervous system, which acts as the body’s communication network, guiding how we respond to the world. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a key part of this network—it functions like an autopilot, regulating essential bodily functions such as heart rate, digestion, breathing, and energy levels. It helps the body adapt automatically to both internal and external changes, keeping us alive, alert, and balanced throughout daily life.
The ANS has two primary branches: the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
The sympathetic nervous system is often called the “fight or flight” system. It prepares the body for action by increasing heart rate, raising blood pressure, and energizing muscles. This response helps us stay alert, focused, active, and even enjoy excitement, play, or adventure. It can also kick in automatically when we perceive danger or threat, whether it’s a physical threat, a stressful encounter, or even an emotionally tense situation.
Being stuck in the sympathetic system, however, can feel overwhelming. You may experience racing thoughts, restlessness, tension, irritability, or anxiety. Your body may feel wound up, tight, or on edge, even if there is no immediate danger. Everyday pressures such as deadlines, social stress, traffic, or a busy schedule can also keep the sympathetic system activated, maintaining a heightened state that makes it hard to relax, focus, or feel fully present. Over time, this can lead to chronic stress, fatigue, and emotional overwhelm.
The parasympathetic nervous system is the “rest and digest” system. It slows the heart, supports digestion, and promotes relaxation and recovery. It helps us restore energy, calm down after stress, and feel safe and connected. You can feel it in everyday moments like lying in bed after a long day, sitting on the couch and enjoying your favorite book, or sunbathing on a warm afternoon—these are times when the body naturally relaxes, restores, and feels at ease.
When we are stuck in the parasympathetic system, however, we can feel sluggish, disconnected, or numb. Energy levels may drop, motivation can decrease, and we may feel emotionally shut down or frozen.
The vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve in the body, plays a central role in this branch. Its name comes from the Latin vagus, meaning “wandering,” reflecting how it travels throughout the body to influence multiple organs. The vagus nerve signals safety to the brain, regulates breathing, supports digestion, and encourages a state of calm, allowing the body to fully rest and restore.
Somatic Movement Therapy works directly with the nervous system to restore balance and resilience. By engaging the body through gentle movements, breath exercises, and grounding practices, it helps the nervous system shift out of prolonged stress states and move toward regulation. This process allows both branches of the autonomic nervous system to function in harmony, supporting alertness, focus, energy, and even joy through the sympathetic system, while allowing rest, restoration, calm, and emotional connection through the parasympathetic system.
Unlike approaches that focus only on the mind or cognitive strategies, Somatic Movement Therapy acknowledges that the body stores the memory of stress and trauma. These imprints can show up as tension, anxiety, stiffness, fatigue, or emotional heaviness. By working with the body and mind connection, therapy creates an opportunity for the nervous system to release these patterns safely, helping the mind feel lighter as the body unwinds.
This work also emphasizes that there is no right or wrong way to feel or move. The body’s responses are natural protective mechanisms, it has worked to keep you safe in challenging situations. Somatic Movement Therapy offers a gentle, supportive space to notice these responses without judgment, allowing the body to gradually let go of what it no longer needs.
Through regular practice, people often experience improvements in physical comfort, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. You may notice a greater sense of presence in daily life, more ease in your movements, and a deeper connection to yourself. By tuning into the body’s subtle signals and giving it the space to release tension, Somatic Movement Therapy helps you cultivate resilience, vitality, and a step closer to feeling aligned with your body and mind.
How It Can Support Your Life
Somatic Movement Therapy can help the body release tension, find balance, and move with greater ease by working gently with the nervous system. Through practices like breathing, grounding, and mindful movement, it encourages deep relaxation, helping the body shift out of stress and feel calm, centered, and present, even during busy or overwhelming moments.
The therapy gently releases tension and protective patterns the body may have held for months or years, which can show up as stiffness, shallow breathing, or emotional heaviness. By noticing and moving with these sensations, the body can restore natural fluidity, comfort, and ease of movement.
It can also support emotional regulation, improve body awareness and coordination, enhance sleep and energy, ease chronic pain, and foster a deeper sense of mind-body connection. Over time, practicing somatic movement can help you respond to stress more calmly, move more freely, and experience greater presence, clarity, and overall vitality.
Somatic Movement Therapy isn’t about “fixing” anything; it’s about giving your body space to remember its natural rhythm. By supporting both body and mind, it helps you feel more grounded, resilient, and in tune with yourself, making daily life easier, more comfortable, and deeply nourishing.
When Somatic Movement Therapy Can Be Helpful
Somatic Movement Therapy can be a gentle companion in many moments of life. It’s helpful when you feel tense, overwhelmed, or stuck in patterns of stress, anxiety, or fatigue. It can support you in times of change, recovery, or emotional heaviness, helping your body release what it no longer needs and inviting a sense of ease and flow.
Even if you’re simply curious about feeling more connected to your body, moving with more comfort, or finding calm in your day-to-day life, this practice offers a safe and nurturing space to explore and reconnect.
You’re warmly invited to take a step toward yourself, whether that’s joining a session, watching the videos on this page, or simply reaching out to learn more. Every movement, every breath, is a gentle invitation to rediscover your natural rhythm and feel more grounded, present, and at home in your body.