Chapters (11)

Somatic Exercises To Process Grief | 15 Minutes

sheBREATH · 15:10

In this practice

Key teachings

Nervous system regulation for emotional well-being
Processing and releasing the emotional weight of grief somatically
Deepening the mind-body connection through self-awareness
Honoring grief as a natural human emotion
Shifting from sympathetic dominance to parasympathetic activation

Ideal for

Individuals processing grief or emotional loss
Anyone seeking nervous system regulation and emotional balance
Practitioners interested in somatic exercises for trauma and healing
Those looking to deepen their mind-body connection in a gentle way

Lesson

Instructions

Welcome to Day 12 of Somatic Kickstart, my transformative 30-day series designed to enhance nervous system regulation and improve your overall well-being. Today's focus is on grief—an emotion as universal as it is misunderstood. Grief manifests not only in our hearts but also in our bodies, as tension, heaviness, or numbness. By working with the body, we can process and release the emotional weight of grief. This session offers scientifically grounded somatic practices to support your nervous system in navigating this complex emotion.

BENEFITS OF SOMATIC GRIEF WORK -Improved Emotional Regulation: Releases stored emotional tension, allowing for clearer emotional expression. -Enhanced Mind-Body Connection: Deepens awareness of physical and emotional states, promoting self-understanding. -Stress Reduction: Lowers cortisol levels, alleviating the physical symptoms of grief. -Resilience Building: Strengthens the nervous system's capacity to cope with future stressors.

THE SCIENCE OF GRIEF AND THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Grief activates the brain's emotional centers, particularly the amygdala, triggering the body's stress response. When unresolved, grief can lead to prolonged states of fight, flight, or freeze, impacting overall well-being. Somatic exercises help shift the nervous system from sympathetic dominance (stress) to parasympathetic activation (calm), facilitating emotional processing and physical relief.

1) Heart-Opening and Self-Hugging: Stretching the chest and hugging yourself alternates between expansion and comfort, helping release emotional tension stored in the pectoral muscles and fascia. This practice stimulates oxytocin production, fostering a sense of connection and soothing the emotional pain of loss.

2) Self-Havening: Gentle, rhythmic strokes on your arms and hands engage C-tactile afferent nerves, calming the amygdala and reducing cortisol levels. This technique enhances safety signals within the body, promoting a state of rest and recovery, essential for grief integration.

3) Spinal Flexion and Extension: Rolling the spine forward and opening the chest mirrors the natural cycle of grief: withdrawal and re-engagement. By stimulating the vagus nerve, this exercise supports physiological calm and releases tension in areas where grief is often held, such as the neck and upper back.

4) The Butterfly Hug: Crossing your arms and tapping rhythmically engages bilateral stimulation, a key mechanism in EMDR therapy. This practice helps the brain process difficult emotions, reducing their intensity while promoting clarity and emotional regulation.

5) Grounding Through Self-Containment: The act of wrapping your arms across your chest provides deep proprioceptive input, signaling safety to the nervous system. Combined with gentle swaying, this exercise activates the insula, a brain region involved in interoception, fostering a deeper connection to the body's emotional states.

- Whether you’re new to somatics or looking to deepen your practice, this guided somatic practice offers a gentle introduction to connecting with your body, mind and soul. Don’t forget to like, comment, and share your experience.

Reminder: If you sigh, yawn, shiver, swallow or have an emotional release, this is a sign your nervous system is starting to regulate and feel safer.

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- As a certified trauma-centered somatic practitioner and breath therapist, I help you regulate your nervous system. My journey included transforming personal challenges into wisdom. I´ve evolved through my own trauma, trials and errors, which now empower me to offer guidance and support to others navigating their own transformations.

- You may consult a healthcare professional before beginning somatic exercises. These exercises are intended as a general guide; always pay attention to your body's signals and discontinue if you feel unwell. If you experience sensations such as tingling, ear ringing, dizziness, light-headedness or similar symptoms, please remain calm, as they are completely normal

Steps

Heart-Opening and Self-Hugging
Self-Havening (gentle rhythmic stroking)
Spinal Flexion and Extension (rolling the spine)
The Butterfly Hug (bilateral tapping)
Grounding Through Self-Containment (holding oneself with gentle swaying)

Benefits

Improved emotional regulation and clearer expression
Enhanced mind-body connection and self-understanding
Stress reduction by lowering cortisol levels
Increased resilience of the nervous system to cope with stressors
Release of stored emotional tension in the body
Stimulation of oxytocin production for comfort and self-compassion
Calming of the amygdala and reduction of stress response
Activation of the vagus nerve for physiological calm
Facilitating emotional processing and physical relief

Grounding Interoception Expansion Emotional Regulation Emotional Release Ama

Transcript

hello and welcome back to day 12 of somatic kickstart in today's session we are focusing on Grief an emotion that's deeply human yet often avoided or misunderstood grief shows up not just in moments of loss but as tension heaviness or even numbness it's important to honor this feeling and allow it to move rather than locking it away let's begin sprad your arms wide to the sides opening through the chest and then gently wrap yourself in a hug This Heart opening motion physically stretches the pectoral muscles and fascia around the chest an area that tends to contract and holds tension when we experience grief by switching between openness and self hugging we signal safety to the nervous system activating the parasympathetic response and encouraging the body to release stored emotions hugging yourself in particular stimulates the release of oxy kosin a bonding hormone which helps sooe the heartache and fosters a sense of comfort and self-compassion [Music] and now allow yourself to integrate for about 40 seconds [Music] [Music] for the next exercise gently stroke your arms shoulders and hands in a slow rhythmic motion offering yourself reassurance and care this technique known as self havening helps to calm an overactive amigdala the brain's emotional alarm system which can be highly activated during grief the repetitive touch stimulates seed tactile afferent nerves in the skin sending soothing signals to the brain that reduce cortisol levels and promote a sense of safety by engaging in self- havening we help the body downregulate from the stress of grief reinforcing a state of calm and allowing the nervous system to process grief without becoming overwhelmed [Music] is [Music] and now allow yourself to integrate for about 20 seconds [Music] now interlace your hands and place them behind your head elbows wide open then slowly roll your head and spine forward bringing your elbows toward each other before rolling back up to the starting position opening through the chest this movement mimics the natural reflex of curling inward that often accompanies grief followed by the act of opening backl inviting the body to practice moving between protection and expansion by engaging the posterior chain and releasing tension in the neck shoulders and upper body this exercise helps to unlock areas where grief often manifests as physical tightness the gentle spinal flexion and extension stimulate the vagus nerve promoting a state of physiological calm and helping the body process unresolved emotions stored during States immobilization or emotional freeze [Music] is [Music] and now allow yourself to relax for about 10 [Music] seconds moving into the butterfly hook Cross Your Arms over your chest and gently tap one hand left and right in an alternating Rhythm the simple yet powerful exercise helps integrate and process difficult emotions by stimulating bilateral stimulation which engages both hemispheres of the brain by doing so the butterfly hug helps reduce the emotional intensity of grief and promotes cognitive Clarity similar to the mechanisms used in EMDR therapy the rhythmic tapping Soo this nervous system supporting in the regulation of the stress response and allowing the body to release emotions that may otherwise remain trapped [Music] [Music] and now allow yourself to integrate for about 20 [Music] seconds for your last exercise wrap your right hand into your left armpit and your left hand into your right armpit holding yourself firmly this posture provides a deep sense of containment and grounding signaling safety to the nervous system through the activation of proprioceptive receptors and the arms and chest [Music] if it feels comfortable add a gentle swaying motion side to side the gentle pressure and swaying stimulate the insula a key region of the brain involved in inter reception our ability to sense the internal state of the body the insula helps us process and integrate emotions particularly those tied to bodily Sensations like the heaviness of grief by engaging this area the exercise Fosters a stronger Mind Body Connection allowing you to tune into and regulate emotional states more effectively this activation creates a safe space for processing the complex layers of grief helping the body release emotional tension and promoting a sense of embodied self-awareness [Music] [Music] and now allow yourself to fully [Music] relax you've just completed day 12 of somatic Kickstart remember that grief is a natural part of Being Human a way our heart expresses the weight of love and loss it's not something to overcome but something to honor the body holds grief in a ways words often canned and through sematic practices like these we create a bridge between our emotions and our physical selves allowing space for release and healing be patient and gentle with yourself grief has its own Rhythm trust that each small moment of presence brings you closer to Inner Peace sending you love and warmth I'll see you in the next one take care [Music]

Video chapters

Practice summary

Level: all levels
Duration: 15 minutes
Equipment: none
Target areas: ChestArms and HandsSpine, Neck, and Upper BackNervous SystemEmotional Centers
Energy: calming

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