When was the last time you were really aware of your body? While we use our bodies to navigate the world every day, we very rarely pay attention to all the physical sensations that arise as we move about, from the tightness in your chest that hits when you’re feeling anxious to the strain in your muscles that grows as you carry your shopping home from the supermarket.

These feelings may seem insignificant; after all, whether we notice them or not, they’re still going to exist. But research has shown that training yourself to notice these sensations – an ability known as interoceptive awareness – could be the key to soothing your nervous system and easing symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.  

While techniques such as mindfulness and body scans have long been held up as ways to boost this important skill, a growing number of people are turning to somatic movement to tap into their inner selves. 

A practice that involves moving consciously while you pay attention to the sensations in your body, somatic movement has received plenty of attention on social media over the last couple of years, with many claiming it can release trauma, relieve stress and help people to feel more grounded.

But what does somatic movement actually involve – and how can you practice it at home? To find out more, we spoke to Nahid de Belgeonne, a somatic movement coach, yoga teacher and founder of The Human Method.  

‘Somatic movement’ is an umbrella term which refers to movement that helps people to become more aware of the sensations in their body.

While some refer to it as ‘somatic exercise’, de Belgeonne prefers to use the term ‘movement’ because of the technique’s underlying purpose. “It’s not performative,” she tells Strong Women. “It’s about tapping in to how you feel so that you’re moving in a way which is harmonious, as opposed to doing the same movements a certain number of times.

“In somatic movement, you become curious about the way the body works – and you’re interested in the quality of the movement instead of the end result.”

This broad definition means that there are plenty of ways to practice somatic movement – simply lying on the floor and moving in a way that feels good to you is a valid way to start. However, there are also certain techniques and movements you can use to learn more about the practice and improve your interoceptive awareness. Below, you’ll find three you can do at home to get started. 

1. Floor rocking

It sounds simple because, well, it is simple. But de Belgeonne swears by rocking as a great way for beginners to introduce themselves to the world of somatic movement.

“Start by lying on your side with your knees bent,” she says. “If you’re lying on your right side, your left hand would be on the floor in front of your chest. Very slowly push the floor away so that you roll a little bit, and then you let go and fall back.”

As you keep doing this, de Belgeonne recommends trying to go a bit faster, paying attention to how the movement feels and the different muscles that are working as you move.

“This works well because rocking is really primal,” she adds. “You would have rocked yourself to soothe yourself as a baby, and because the structure of your nervous system hasn’t changed, that movement will still be soothing. That’s how somatic movement works – by allowing yourself to experience these more soothing or pleasurable sensations, your nervous system’s awareness expands.” 

2. Somatic breathwork

Paying attention to the way you breathe is another great way to practise somatic movement, de Belgeonne explains.

However, instead of just focusing on the breathing itself, somatic breathwork requires you to pay attention to how your body moves and feels as you breathe. To do this, de Belgeonne says, start by placing your hands on your belly.

“Once your hands are in place, let your eyes close,” she says. “Very slowly, as you inhale, imagine that the skin on your belly is expanding and opening into your hands. And as you exhale, allow your belly to fall away from your hands – as if it’s a balloon gently retracting.”

This technique helps you to focus on your felt sense as opposed to the muscular action involved in breathing – returning your thoughts to how the body feels rather than functions.  

3. Ground pulsing

We all get stuck in our head from time to time, but this exercise is a great way to help yourself return to your body, de Belgeonne adds.

To get started, all you need to do is find a comfortable chair or sofa to sit on and make sure your feet are touching the floor. 

“As you inhale, very gently press both feet into the floor for the duration of that inwards breath,” she says. “And as you exhale, gently release that pressure. It’s like you’re moving the floor away from you and then allowing it to return.” 

While techniques like ground pulsing are great for grounding yourself in the moment, you’ll reap the benefits of somatic movement more broadly if you begin to incorporate it into your everyday life. To start with, that might look like attending some classes or following along with online sessions (see the link above) to get the basics down. Then, you can apply it more widely. 

“Over time, you want to be moving somatically day to day,” de Belgeonne says. “That just means you’re really paying attention to what you do and the quality of the movement – for example, instead of picking something up quickly and wrenching your back, you could bend your knees, get low to the floor, push your feet away and lift up.

“Eventually, the idea is that you integrate this quality of your movement into your life, and it makes for a much more peaceful way to live.” 

Images: Getty