Somatic Experiencing: Listening to the Wisdom of the Body


by Ruby Varghese

Have you ever noticed that even when something stressful is over, your body still feels the effects?

Maybe it shows up as stiffness in your neck. Restless sleep. A stomach that just doesn’t feel quite right. Or perhaps you’ve been feeling foggy, disconnected, or numb.

When we go through stressful events, we often try to “think” our way out of them: “I’m fine. Just move on.” But trauma and stress don’t only affect our thoughts, they affect our bodies and nervous systems as well.

Somatic Experiencing (SE) offers a body-centered approach to healing trauma and chronic stress. Developed by Peter A. Levine, SE is based on the understanding that trauma is not caused simply by the stressful event itself. Instead, it’s about how our nervous system responds and sometimes gets stuck during overwhelming experiences.

We all face difficult moments in life: a breakup, car accident, medical crisis, work stress, a challenging past, or ongoing stress in the world around us, etc. . During these times, our system shifts into survival mode.

Often, once the danger passes, our bodies gradually settle and we return to baseline.

But what happens when we don’t?

Somatic Practices 

Here are a few gentle tools inspired by somatic practices that have been helpful for my clients  and in my own life:

1. Notice Your Breath
Take a moment to slow down. Gently elongate your inhale and exhale.

2. Scan Your Body
Where do you feel tightness?
Where do you feel neutral or okay?

3. Observe Body Signals
Do you notice warmth, tingling, heaviness, lightness, or subtle movements?

Bringing awareness to your nervous system in this way can begin to interrupt the stress loop. It allows stored tension to gradually release without overwhelming the system so your body can begin to feel safe again.

Why This Matters

When we shift from “I should just shake this off” to “I deserve care and to feel whole again,” something powerful happens. These small practices can reduce dysregulation, support nervous system balance, and positively impact our daily routines , from sleep to digestion to mood.

Practices to try this week

For the next week, spend just 3 minutes a day on this practice:

  1. Take a seat.

  2. Pay attention to your breath. What do you notice?

  3. Gently inhale for a count of 4.

  4. Slowly exhale for a count of 6.

  5. Repeat 5–6 times.

  6. Notice: Where do you feel tightness? Where do you feel okay? Do you sense your heart rate slowing? What feels different?

Through practices like Somatic healing we begin to listen, rather than dismiss. We listen to this invitation to pay attention to what’s happening in our bodies and grow in our awareness of the stress we hold.