How Somatic Shaking Can Release Tension and Reset Your Nervous System

Do you feel like your nervous system is in overdrive? Is your body full of muscular tension?

I want to show you a simple, body based therapy to help you turn down your autonomic nervous system and release trauma while relieving stress.

You know how some animals shake after they feel stressed? That’s somatic shaking!

Somatic shaking is one of a few trauma releasing exercises that involves rhythmic, spontaneous movements of the body to release muscular tension and stress. It’s a natural response observed in animals and humans as a way to discharge excess energy, process intense emotions, and reset the nervous system.

However, in modern society, we’ve been taught to counter this natural movement and heal the mind. But sometimes the best therapy session for our nervous systems is to simply shake it off! Somatic therapy focuses on improving mental health through releasing trapped energy in the body, especially stress and trauma.

By engaging in somatic therapy approaches with gentle shaking movements, you can release held tension, lower blood pressure, and promote relaxation on a cellular level. The best part? You don’t need a somatic therapist to get started. You can start shaking anytime…

What Is Somatic Shaking?

As one type of somatic workouts, somatic shaking is a practice that blends movement and breathwork, focusing on your internal sensations, perceptions, and experiences. The body holds anxiety, tension, and traumatic experiences. These can show up as depression, excess adrenaline, and a wide range of emotional states, especially for those of us who experience trauma.

Simply shaking encourages you to tune into your body’s signals, listen to its needs, and shake in ways that break anxiety and habitual patterns. You can get into a natural state (or a neutral state) where you release tension and promote healing.

I like to think of somatic shaking as embodied movement—a way to feel safe, get out of fight or flight, and stay connected deeply with your internal experience.

By tuning into our bodies’ subtle cues, we can shake in a way that feels nourishing and help facilitate a release of stored tension and enhance our bodies physical and emotional health. We can even change our heart rate with this practice.

Shaking can be practiced on its own or integrated into other therapeutic approaches. You might pair it with meditation, or simply as a way to ground and get out of fight or flight.

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Benefits Of Somatic Shaking

Somatic shaking brings a host of benefits that can really enhance your overall well-being, touching on physical, emotional, and even spiritual levels.

Here’s how Somatic Shaking benefits you:

• Stress reduction: Shaking helps kickstart your parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces stress. Studies show that similar mindful movements, like somatic yoga, can really cut down on stress and anxiety. This can benefit us all of our lives.
• Better emotional regulation: By tuning into your body’s sensations and how you react to emotions, shaking boosts your emotional resilience. It’s especially helpful for those dealing with PTSD, offering a safe way to manage emotional responses. You become more aware of safety in your body. Awareness is a key to healing.
• Release of physical tension: If you’re feeling stiff or sore, shaking targets those problem areas in the body, easing discomfort and improving flexibility. Research backs up that these kinds of body-centered practices can effectively reduce muscle tension.
• Trauma healing: This practice is great for processing and releasing stored trauma. Gentle movements help trauma survivors safely work through their experiences, fostering healing and integration.
• Increased energy flow: By clearing blockages and balancing your body, this somatic release technique revitalizes your energy (prana). This can leave you feeling more vibrant and rejuvenated, ready to take on the world!
• Energizes the body: It helps move energy throughout the system, enhancing overall function and vitality.
• Releases pent-up emotions: The practice helps clear stagnant thoughts and feelings, promoting emotional balance. Meditation works well as an complimentary treatment.
• Boosts self-esteem: By facilitating a release of stored tension, it supports a greater sense of self-worth and confidence.

How To Do Somatic Shaking

Since somatic simply means “of the body” any movement techniques that involve increasing your mind body connection and body awareness can be considered somatic.

This means that somatic practices can combine all of your favorite movement modalities as long as you are regularly checking in with how your body feels. Some great specific somatic techniques include:

To effectively incorporate a shaking practice into your routine, consider these practices to enhance your experience and maximize benefits.

Begin with Gentle Movements to familiarize yourself with the sensation and gradually increase intensity as you become more comfortable.

Focus on Your Breath throughout the practice to support the release of tension and maintain relaxation.

Pay Attention to Sensations that arise during shaking, allowing yourself to experience and process them fully.

Cool Down Slowly after shaking to ease back into a calm state and integrate the release.

Each of these steps will help you harness the full potential of somatic therapies for emotional and physical well-being.

Somatic therapy is a powerful tool in your healing journey. When you do somatic shaking practice, you might experience a somatic release. You might feel tension dissolving, your muscles relaxing, and a profound sense of calm enveloping you. Some may notice tingling, warmth, or a sensation of energy flowing more freely. In practices like EMDR therapy and sensorimotor psychotherapy, the release might be more subtle but equally impactful.

Somatic stretching involves gentle, intuitive movements paired with mindful breathing, which helps you tap into deeper relaxation, balance your nervous system, and create a sense of inner calm.

Making somatic stretching a part of your daily routine lays the groundwork for a well-balanced and connected life. It helps you stay centered while fostering a strong connection to your inner self.

As you continue with this practice, you’ll find yourself gaining more clarity, wisdom, and a profound sense of peace from aligning with your true self.

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Closing Thoughts

If you’re ready to deepen your practice of somatic stretching, join my Somatic Yoga Training Certification. I’ll show you practical tools to enhance your daily life and relationships through intuitive movement and somatic embodiment.