Letting Emotions Move Through Our Body

From a somatic perspective, it is not our strong emotions themselves that are the problem, but rather the way we let ourselves become consumed with the emotion. Emotions are meant to move through us, but if we are not soft in our bodies they become stuck, and it is the feeling of that “being stuck” that creates breakdowns. Not letting an emotion consume you, but rather letting the emotion move through you, requires noticing what’s happening in your body that is keeping the tidal movement of the emotion from flowing. 

Shifting attention

Because energy follows attention, one very powerful way to work with emotions is to shift our attention such that we are “filling out” in our bodies. If our attention is solely on the tightness in our chest, for example, dropping our attention down to our belly, legs, arms and feeling or imagining sensation in those areas can help us become a bigger container for the emotion. This is because simply feeling how there is more room in your body allows more space for movement and helps us feel we can more fully meet the present moment. 

Shifting the breath

Similarly, shifting your breathing is another way to shift the way you are contracted in your body during moments of overwhelm. Dropping the breath into the belly, taking a big breath and letting it go with some sound, or breathing into particular areas of our bodies are all ways to move the breath, move energy, and soften around places of tightness. As breath moves more freely the tissues respond, and this change in muscular contraction helps us feel our bodies and feel more space within us. Shifting our breath and our attention are two of the most powerful ways to remind ourselves that we are able to be with a very powerful emotion and let it move through us.

Physical movement

Physical movement is another great way to manage overwhelm. Physically exerting yourself such that you feel “spent” is a great way to open the lid on the pressure cooker. When we move - whether it’s challenging physical exertion or simply going for a walk outside - we make it easier to feel how energy is actually moving in our bodies and how there is more space in our bodies to let the discomfort move so it doesn’t stay trapped.

Notice what helps you feel resilient

Spending time getting to know what it feels like in your body when you feel relaxed and alive is one of the best practices to build resilience. For many of us, being out in nature, listening to music or doing art, being with friends or pets are all ways we come into a state of being that is present and connected. When you are engaging in one of these activities, notice what it feels like in your body. Do you feel a particular sensation in your body? Where do you feel the sensation and what is the texture/ quality you are feeling? Where is your breath? Be as specific as possible when taking notes; the more you become aware of the answers to these questions the easier it will be to practice feeling them during times of emotional overwhelm.

Imagination

You’ll notice that in many of the above suggestions I invite you to use your imagination to shift your experience. As humans, our imagination is one of our most powerful tools, and leaning on our capacity to simply imagine a change can do wonders in creating real change. Notice this is different than “just think it and it will come true”.  This isn’t magical thinking. Human beings simply have the capacity to imagine events that never actually happened, and doing so has a huge impact on our nervous system. This is why we can merely imagine a scary situation and we feel very real fear in the present moment. We can take advantage of the power of our imagination by using it to help us make more contact with the very real sensations of our aliveness. When we imagine ourselves relaxed and alive in the world, it supports us in actually feeling that way.

Schedule a somatic bodywork session today and support yourself in learning how to be centered with your emotions.