Introduction: Movement and Healing Across History
For many years, dance and movement have been integral to healing rituals across cultures. From fostering communal resilience to invoking spiritual blessings, movement has been used to address fertility, developmental milestones, and communal trauma. These practices have evolved into modern approaches like dance/somatic movement therapy (DMT), a psychotherapeutic method that integrates the mind, body, and emotions for holistic healing. Drawing from the rich traditions of dance as a universal language of expression and healing, DMT has become a profound tool for addressing trauma and stress in therapeutic settings.
The Nervous System: Foundation of Somatic Experiences
At the core of somatic movement therapy is an understanding of the nervous system, particularly the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This system operates at a level of unconscious awareness to regulate vital functions like breathing, heartbeat, and digestion, ensuring internal balance. The ANS consists of two primary parts: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). The SNS prepares the body for action, triggering the “fight or flight” response, while the PNS encourages relaxation, guiding the body into a “rest and digest” state.
A key player in this balance is the vague nerve, which connects the brain to the heart and digestive system. Chronic stress and unresolved trauma can dysregulate the ANS, leaving the body trapped in a prolonged state of hypervigilance or immobilization. This dysregulation manifests as anxiety, physical tension, and emotional overwhelm, which are often symptoms of the body’s unresolved stress response.
Understanding Trauma and How It Affects the Body
Trauma doesn’t just affect your mind—it leaves a lasting impact on your body too. A key part of this process involves the amygdala, a part of the brain responsible for detecting threats. When it senses danger, it sends signals to the hypothalamus and brainstem, activating your body’s emergency response. This triggers the release of stress hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and dopamine, which prepare your body to fight, flee, or freeze (Brooks, 2017; van der Kolk, 2014).
These stress hormones kick the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) into action, speeding up your heart rate, raising blood pressure, and increasing your breathing. This is helpful in real danger, but the amygdala can sometimes overreact, treating something harmless as a threat. This happens because the amygdala processes sensory information faster than the thinking part of your brain (the frontal lobes). This means your body can go into survival mode before you’re even fully aware of what’s happening (van der Kolk, 2014).
While this response is meant to protect you, staying in survival mode for too long can harm your body and brain. Prolonged exposure to stress hormones like cortisol can shrink the hippocampus, a part of the brain critical for memory, and reduce serotonin, the hormone that helps you feel
good. This can leave you feeling anxious, stuck, or unable to relax. If your body struggles to shift back into the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)—the “rest and digest” state—you may feel like you’re constantly on edge or reliving the danger (Brooks, 2017; van der Kolk, 2014).
Understanding these responses helps explain why trauma healing isn’t just about changing your thoughts—it’s about calming your body. Somatic movement therapy focuses on releasing this built-up tension, calming your nervous system, and helping your body find balance again. It’s not just about surviving; it’s about helping your body feel safe enough to thrive.
Somatic Movement Therapy: Connecting the Mind and Body
“Somatics,” derived from the Greek word soma (body in its wholeness), emphasizes the interconnectedness of mind and body. Somatic movement is practiced with conscious attention, focusing on internal sensations rather than external appearances or outcomes. This approach promotes exploration, presence, and the release of tension, allowing the body to guide the healing process.
A defining quality of somatic movement is its focus on exploration rather than results. In this practice, we are encouraged to let go of performance expectations and instead stay curious about our body’s needs in the moment. This adaptability is crucial, as the body’s needs can change daily. By fostering this deep connection between the mind and body, somatic movement therapy empowers individuals to release stress, improve awareness, and heal.
Benefits of Somatic Movement Therapy
Somatic techniques create lasting change by addressing the body’s stress response mechanisms directly. By calming the nervous system and breaking the cycle of chronic stress, these practices help release unresolved energy tied to trauma. Additional benefits include increased body awareness, improved emotional regulation, better posture, pain relief, and reduced tension. Through intentional and mindful movement, clients can experience profound emotional release and a sense of renewal.
Skills and Techniques in Somatic Movement Therapy
Grounding and Awareness Practices
Grounding techniques are essential for reconnecting with the body and the present moment. A common practice is the body scan, where clients lie down and bring attention to areas of tension or relaxation, asking, “What can I release?” Another technique is somatic journaling, which involves identifying discomfort in the body and describing it (e.g., tight, heavy, warm) while visualizing the tension melting away.
Breathing Practices for Nervous System Regulation
Breathing exercises are a cornerstone of somatic movement therapy, helping to regulate the nervous system and promote calmness. Techniques like 4-7-8 breathing (inhaling for four
counts, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight) or deep diaphragmatic breathing can slow the heart rate, reduce stress, and restore balance to the ANS but shifting your body back into the PNS.
Polyvagal Theory Techniques
Based on polyvagal theory, certain practices stimulate the vague nerve to promote a sense of calm and balance. Activities like humming, gargling, singing, intentional laughter, or creative expression can regulate the nervous system. These small yet powerful exercises help reduce stress and foster emotional resilience.
Creative and Expressive Modalities
Movement-based practices like dance or yoga emphasize intentionality and exploration rather than performance. Exploratory movement encourages clients to notice how their body feels in motion rather than focusing on form. Metaphoric expression, such as describing bodily sensations in terms of colors or shapes, helps uncover emotions that are hard to articulate. Techniques like non-dominant handwriting, where clients scribble freely with their non-dominant hand, can also unlock emotional release and clarity.
Alexander Technique (AT)
The Alexander Technique refines postural alignment and balance through conscious awareness. By learning to modulate effort and release tension, clients improve their posture and enhance their readiness for movement, promoting both physical and emotional ease.
Healing Through Movement: A Transformative Experience
Somatic movement therapy transcends traditional talk therapy, addressing trauma where it resides—in the body. By fostering mindful exploration, releasing tension, and calming the nervous system, somatic practices empower individuals to reclaim their sense of safety, balance, and joy.
The bodies needs are different every day. Whether through grounding exercises, intentional movement, or creative expression, somatic therapy invites us to listen deeply to our bodies, honor their needs, and embrace the journey of healing. By integrating the mind and body, somatic movement therapy offers a powerful path to transformation and renewal.
If you are interested, Refuge has both a Somatic Movement program and offers weekly trauma-sensitive Yoga classes. Find out more at refugecenter.org/somaticmovement
