Somatic Techniques To Compliment Your Yoga Practice and work through Trauma
In the realm of emotional healing, traditional talk therapies are often complemented by innovative somatic techniques. These body-focused practices—such as tapping, shaking, toning, and specific breathwork—offer profound tools for addressing trauma and releasing held emotions.
By engaging directly with the body, these techniques facilitate a deeper, often more immediate connection to our emotional experiences and promote in-the-moment healing. Exploring how each of these somatic techniques work and how they can help individuals navigate and transform trauma and stored emotions can increase an individual’s capacity to cope with and process the full spectrum of life.
What is Somatic Healing?
Somatic healing refers to therapeutic practices that involve the body in the healing process. These techniques recognize that emotional experiences are not just mental constructs but are deeply intertwined with physical sensations and patterns. Somatic practices help individuals access, process, and release these embodied experiences to achieve emotional and physical well-being.
1. Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique – EFT)
What It Is:
Tapping, also known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), involves using the fingertips to tap on specific acupressure points on the body while focusing on a particular emotional issue or trauma. This technique combines elements of exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, and acupressure.
How It Helps:
- Releases Emotional Blockages: By tapping on meridian points, EFT helps to release emotional blockages and reduce the intensity of traumatic memories or distressing emotions.
- Reduces Stress: The tapping process can help lower cortisol levels and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and stress reduction.
- Enhances Emotional Clarity: Focusing on specific issues while tapping can lead to greater emotional clarity and a reduction in the negative charge associated with traumatic memories.
Practical Application: To use tapping, identify a specific issue or feeling you wish to address. Begin tapping on the acupressure points—such as the side of the hand, the top of the head, and various points on the face and torso—with the option to repeat affirmations related to the issue. This process can help rewire your emotional response to the trauma and foster a sense of relief.
2. Shaking
What It Is:
- Releases Tension: Shaking helps to release physical tension and trauma stored in the muscles and connective tissues.
- Stimulates the Nervous System: It engages the autonomic nervous system, helping to reset and balance the body’s stress response.
- Enhances Emotional Release: The physical act of shaking can facilitate the release of pent-up emotions and foster a sense of emotional liberation.
Practical Application: Find a quiet space where you feel comfortable. Stand or sit and begin to shake your body gently, allowing your arms, legs, and torso to move freely. You can start with smaller movements and gradually increase the intensity. Focus on the sensations in your body with the option to focus on what you’d like to shake off or release any stored tension or emotions.
3. Toning
Toning involves using vocal sound to create vibrations in the body. By making sustained vocal tones or sounds, individuals can stimulate the vagus nerve and release tension held in the throat and chest.
What It Is:
- Vibrates the Body: The vibrations from toning can help release physical and emotional tension in the body, particularly in the throat and chest areas.
- Promotes Relaxation: The soothing nature of vocal toning can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and emotional calm.
- Enhances Self-Expression: Toning allows individuals to express and release emotions that may be difficult to verbalize, facilitating emotional healing.
Practical Application: Choose a comfortable position and take a few deep breaths. Begin to vocalize a sustained tone or sound, focusing on the vibrations you feel in your body. Experiment with different pitches and volumes to find what feels most soothing and releasing for you. Traditional Mantra practices from ancient Yoga are natural toning practices as well!
4. Breathwork
What It Is:
Breathwork encompasses various techniques that involve conscious control of breathing patterns to influence physical and emotional states. Techniques such as deep diaphragmatic breathing, circular breathing, and holotropic breathwork are common examples of somatic breathwork.
How It Helps:
- Regulates the Nervous System: Controlled breathing techniques can help balance the autonomic nervous system, reducing stress and promoting relaxation.
- Releases Stored Emotions: Deep, rhythmic breathing can help access and release held emotions and trauma stored in the body.
- Enhances Emotional Processing: Breathwork can facilitate a deeper connection with emotions, allowing for greater emotional clarity and release.
Integrating Somatic Techniques into Healing Practices
Incorporating these somatic techniques into your healing practice can offer a comprehensive approach to addressing trauma and held emotions. Here’s how you can integrate them effectively:
- Create a Safe Space: Ensure you have a comfortable, private space where you can practice these techniques without interruption or find a safe space/teacher to support you in your exploration of these practices.
- Start with Awareness: Begin by tuning into your body and identifying areas of tension or emotional discomfort. This awareness will guide your use of these techniques.
- Experiment and Adapt: Explore different techniques to find what resonates with you. Each person’s experience is unique, so adapt the techniques to suit your needs.
- Combine Techniques: Consider combining different somatic practices for a more holistic approach. For example, you might start with shaking to release physical tension, followed by breathwork for emotional processing.
- Seek Support: If needed, work with a trained somatic therapist or practitioner who can guide you through these techniques and provide additional support.
These Somatic techniques such as tapping, shaking, toning, and specific breathwork offer powerful tools for working through trauma and releasing held emotions. By engaging with the body directly, these practices help to uncover and address emotional blockages, promote relaxation, and enhance overall emotional well-being. As you explore these techniques, you may find new pathways to healing and resilience, leading to a greater sense of freedom and emotional balance.
It is critical that one engages with these Somatic techniques in a trauma-informed way. Any practice with emphasis on bodily felt sense should be trauma-informed as trauma is stored in the body, so a trauma response or big emotional release is possible. You can learn more about Trauma-Informed work and our Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Trainings here.
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