How To Incorporate Somatic Therapy into Your Self-Care Routine

Practicing Somatic therapy techniques daily will help you get the most out of it. You’ll spend time on your mental health, building your mind-body connection, and releasing trauma from your body.

We’ve put together all the steps to incorporate Somatic therapy into your self-care routine. Different aspects of Somatic exercises work best for other people, so you should try as many exercises as possible until you find one that you like most. Let’s begin!

1. Take a Moment To Breathe

Breathing exercises are common in Somatic therapy. They’re also easy to do nearly anywhere. Take a few seconds during your self-care routines to stop and breathe. There are several breathwork techniques that you can try, too.

These include:

• Focus on breathing: Sit, close your eyes, and focus on how you feel when you breathe. Take note of how your chest and lungs move. Breathe deeply into your stomach and feel how your body expands.
• Emphasize exhales: You can also focus on exhaling longer than you inhale. Breathing out longer than you breathe in will make you feel calmer.
• Diaphragmatic breathing: Lie down and rest your hands against your sides. Focus on feeling how the sides of your ribs move when you breathe in. 
• Don’t hold your breath: Sometimes we hold our breath during the day. If you notice yourself doing that, take a moment to focus on breathing naturally. Deepen your breaths and focus on how your body moves to help you relax. You can do this any time you catch yourself holding your breath during the day.

Breathing can be a powerful tool for self-care. It gives you the mental clarity to check in with yourself and build a strong mind-body connection. Plus, you can relax and release some tension.

Here are a few quick tips to make your breathwork more impactful:

1. Find a relaxing space where you won’t be disturbed. 
2. Set your intention for the breathwork session. It could be to release stress or connect with your body.
3. Try assessing your natural breathing patterns before you try to deepen them. Pay attention without judgment.
4. Count your breathing. Inhale for four counts, hold for two counts, and exhale for six.
5. Scan your body for tension and use your breath to release it.
6. Practice mindfulness as you breathe. If your mind wanders, direct your attention back to your breathing. Make sure you’re patient and kind to yourself.

You can practice breathwork anywhere that’s quiet. So, find a few moments at work or school to take care of yourself.

2. Relax With Body Scanning

Next, you can try relaxing with body scanning. This technique can get you back in touch with your body. You’ll know where to focus your self-care efforts when you understand what parts of your body hold the most stress.

Start with progressive muscle relaxation. Here’s how to follow through with this technique:

1. Lie or sit down comfortably.
2. Start at the tips of your toes and slowly bring your awareness up to the top of your head.
3. Check-in on each body part as you go.
4. Tense and relax each part as you go.

Your body will feel more relaxed. You can focus on tense areas with your breathwork, stretching, light exercise, or massages.

3. Incorporate Gentle Movements

Adding more movement to your daily routine will also help your mental and physical health.

Yoga is an outstanding Somatic therapy technique you can use for self-care. You’ll focus on your breathing, stretch, and relax. Yoga can even help you build a stronger connection between your breathing and your movements.

Free movement is another excellent way to release tension. All you do is move in ways that feel natural to you. You can jump, dance, or stretch. Make sure to pay close attention to how you feel. What muscles are more tense and need to move? Are you feeling sore anywhere?

As long as you move gently and in ways that feel good, you can use free movement in your Somatic therapy routine. 

4. Self-Massage for Comfort

Massaging yourself can be comforting. It also helps your muscles relax by releasing tension anywhere you touch. Try rubbing your hands, arms, and feet slowly. Move on to your legs and thighs. You can also stretch as you go, taking care to pay attention to stiff muscles. 

Don’t forget to rub your scalp. Use your fingers to massage your scalp, the back of your neck, and your temples. 

Lastly, make sure to rub your shoulders. We tend to hold most of our stress there. Here’s the best way to self-massage your shoulders:

1. Slowly lower your chin.
2. Gently rub the back of your neck. 
3. Move over to one shoulder. Press tense areas and rub with the opposite hand.
4. Repeat on the other side.
5. Roll your shoulders back a few times, then repeat the motion going forward.

Self-massage is highly beneficial in self-care and Somatic therapy for several reasons. It builds mind-body awareness and relaxes your muscles. You’ll also learn to tell when you’re feeling tense.

Self-massage can also help you express your emotions safely. It keeps you active in staying aware of your body, which can build a feeling of control, too.

Overall, taking a few moments to practice self-massage can help you relax during your self-care routines. You can even do it any time you have a moment alone, so it’s very versatile. 

5. Being Present With Grounding

Finally, you can use grounding during your self-care routines. It’s a simple practice that keeps you present. Many people use it to reduce anxiety and stop PTSD flashbacks.

Start by focusing on how your feet feel on the ground. Push them in harder and see how it feels. Focus only on how your feet feel. You can also check in with your body.

You can also run cool water over your hands to help you stay present.

Somatic Therapy and Self-Care Go Hand-In-Hand

Somatic therapy is an excellent form of self-care to try. You can use it to take care of both your mind and body. There are plenty of ways to move and breathe that can help you release stress. You’re sure to appreciate one of these options.

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