Somatic Series: Shaking

Welcome to the Mini Somatic Series, exploring dynamic movement as an outlet for pent-up activation in the body.

When we experience stress, our nervous system prepares us to respond. Muscles tighten, energy mobilises and the body gets ready for action. But when that stress isn't fully discharged, some of that activation can remain stored within us, leaving us feeling tense, restless or stuck.

Many mammals naturally shake after a stressful event to release this excess energy and return to a state of balance. As humans, we've often learned to suppress this instinct, even though our bodies still know how to let go.

I invite you to return to this micro-moment whenever you notice stress building in your body and need a simple way to reset, regulate and reconnect.

Transcript

Coming to stand and checking that your feet are a generous hip width distance apart and you have a soft bend in your knees. As we take a deep breath in through the nose. Let it go through the mouth with a sigh. And that downward movement of your exhale. Send it down into your knees as you start to bob, As you start to bounce up and down. So we might imagine here that we're sending a momentum. Down through the suspension of our knees into the ground. So I like to imagine the movement moving down, Down, Down, Down, Down, Down, Down. Now as your knees are bobbing, We're moving into a full body shake, So let's scan up the body. And notice what is not moving as an indicator of where we're maybe holding on to a bit of tension. So notice what's happening with your arms. Can you let your arms sway out by your sides and your hands are shaking the energy down towards the ground. Down, Down, Down, Down. And it's not unusual if we are new to this kind of thing to feel a little self-conscious. So maybe you close down the eyes or soften the gaze and you let the shoulders shrug as you shift the energy down, Down, Down, Down. And finally, We'll bring awareness up into the head. Notice if you're holding your head rigid. Can you let your chin kind of bob up and down, Your head kind of floating around as if suspended on the top of your spine. As you keep shaking the energy down. Now you might notice that your breath naturally wants to deepen. So if we can encourage that now, We can take a deep dynamic breath in. And sigh the breath on the way out. Maybe you can pick up this bounce just a little bit more now, So you're moving, You're shaking, You're sounding with the breath. Let's take three more breaths here. Ugh. Keep shaking. Keep moving. One more time. Sigh. And now come to steady. Come to a gentle stillness, Maybe a. . . It's subtle. Swaying of the body side to side. Maybe you take a hand to your heart and you witness the charge that you've cultivated within your body. And then I invite you to steady yourself here, Slowing your breath. Slowing the momentum of that charge. As we ride this wave back down. Taking as much time with yourself here. As you need. To let this settle. And to let this momentum pass.