What Does It Mean To Feel Energy In My Body?

Energy is felt as sensation. This can take the form of movement sensations (buzzing, tingling, pulsing, etc.) or pressure sensations (tight, dense, open, etc.) or temperature sensations (cool, warm, hot, etc.).

Somatics is all about feeling sensation, since this is the language of the body. Listening to our bodies means being attuned to our sensations and, thus, how energy is either moving or not moving throughout the body.

Why does feeling energy matter?

Ideally, we let energy run smoothly and freely. As a rule of thumb, it’s helpful to feel sensation throughout the body so that we can feel when we are tightening or restricting our energy in some way. If we are tightening our belly, numb to sensation in the legs, or holding our jaw (to use just a few common examples) then we want to be aware of that. After all, being embodied is all about using our attention to be aware of what’s happening in the body. The more awareness we have, the more choice we have about whether or not we want to maintain a bracing in the body or (more likely) let it soften so that we are not tensing more than necessary. There are many reasons we might want to let go of contractions in the body - perhaps most notably that it can support us in being more relaxed. But if we aren’t noticing our bodies, we will never have the awareness of how and where we are tensing in the first place.

What if I have too much energy in my body?

Sometimes clients will voice a concern that they feel their bodies too much, or that they are too connected to their bodily sensations. Typically feeling a lot of sensation isn’t the issue - rather the problem is how we are reacting to that feeling. For example, feeling a lot of sensation around the chest might signal to you that you are scared, however the fear is a story you tell yourself about the sensation. The sensation itself is neutral, and sometimes it’s helpful to recognize this because it allows us to tolerate more sensation. When we can become curious about sensation as just energy, rather than a signal that something is wrong, we open up new possibilities.

Other times, focusing on the energy in our bodies can increase the sensations in ways that aren’t helpful. What can be more helpful is to zoom out our attention and soften around any holding or tensing in the body. Using that same example of experiencing a lot of sensation around the chest, can you also notice if you’re tightening around the sensation? Are you bracing around the energy? Are you holding your breath?This tightening can prevent the energy from moving more freely and create more of a sense of distress. 

What if I don’t feel any energy in my body?

It’s just as common I work with clients who tell me they don’t feel much energy at all in their bodies. They feel more numb than anything. Here, what is more helpful are practices that help get more energy moving in the body. Movement practices and breathing practices can help stimulate more sensation and begin to get us more conditioned to noticing energy. This can be especially helpful in the case example where we feel disconnected from our body and we are also struggling with emotional numbness. Take procrastination as an example: when we don’t feel our bodily energy, we are also more numb to our emotional signals of urgency. Living more connected to our sensations means we have an easier time feeling our cares and concerns, and therefore it is easier to motivate when needed.

I offer both online and in person somatic bodywork. Schedule a free consultation to learn more!