Shake Off Anxiety - Somatic Hands

This gentle 14-minute somatic release meditation guides you out of anxious thinking and back into your body — where real regulation begins. Instead of trying to mentally “solve” anxiety, this session uses simple movements, grounding touch, soft shaking, and slow rhythmic breathing to discharge stored tension from the chest, hands, shoulders, neck, and belly.

You’ll be invited to notice energy in the hands, loosen the shoulders, soften the jaw, and gently sway your body to interrupt the freeze response. Through warm imagery and body-led awareness, this practice teaches your nervous system that it is safe to unwind.

Perfect for moments when anxiety feels stuck in the body, when the mind is racing, or when you need fast relief without effort.

This is calm through movement — grounding, soothing, and deeply regulating.

Transcript

Welcome to this session.

Begin by settling into a comfortable position.

Let your shoulders soften.

Let your breath fall into its own rhythm.

Not deep and not forced,

Just steady.

You're here to let your body help you,

Not your thoughts,

Not your analysis.

Your body.

Because anxiety doesn't live in the mind alone.

It lives in the chest,

The hands,

The belly,

The throat and all the places that hold tension where life speeds up.

Today we let the body unwind.

So take a slow inhale and let it slide out with ease.

Now notice your hands.

Don't change anything.

Just notice the energy there.

Maybe it's a buzz.

Maybe a faint tightness.

Maybe nothing at all.

Whatever you feel is fine.

Now gently shake your hands just for a moment.

Loose,

Soft movements like you're flicking water away after washing them.

Now notice your hands.

Not hard,

Not soft,

You're just inviting motion where tension used to sit.

So let your breath stay easy,

Almost lazy.

And now bring your attention to your shoulders.

Let them lift slightly with an inhale and let them fall on the exhale.

And now do that again.

Up with the breath and down with the release.

And now place your hand on your chest.

Just a light touch.

Feel the warmth of your palm and feel the rise and fall of the breath under your hand.

You're reminding your body that it's safe,

That it doesn't need to brace for impact and that it can soften even deeper.

So let your hand rest there while you breathe slow and smooth.

Now move your focus to the back of your neck.

Many people don't realize how often this spot tightens when stress builds.

So let the breath travel there like warm air moving into a cool room.

And as you exhale,

Imagine the muscles behind your neck melting.

Loosening,

Letting go of the pull they've held for too long.

Bring both hands to your thighs now.

Press down gently,

Just enough to feel grounded and not enough to strain.

This pressure tells your nervous system you're here,

You're steady,

And you're supported.

So hold that for a moment and then release the pressure.

Now do a small sway,

Very subtle.

Let your body rock left and right,

Like tall grass,

Moving in a calm breeze.

No effort,

Just a natural rhythm.

This motion tells your system that it doesn't need to freeze.

It can actually flow.

So breathe in and then let the breath drift out.

Now imagine the tension in your body as dust on a drum.

And each soft exhale sends a ripple across the surface,

Loosening the dust,

Lifting it,

And of course clearing it.

Your belly softens,

Your chest opens,

And your jaw releases.

So slowly shake your hands again,

Light,

Loose,

And almost playful.

This breaks the pattern of tension and tells the body we're not holding this anymore.

So let the movement fade and let your hands rest now.

And now picture a warm glow forming just below your ribs.

A steady,

Calm light that expands on every inhale and then softens on every exhale.

This glow is your inner steadiness,

The part of you that remains clear even when the world gets loud.

It's quiet,

It's warm,

And it's always been here.

So let it spread through your chest,

Your arms,

Your back,

Your legs,

And all the way down to your feet.

Let it drift into places where we're used to sit,

Not pushing it out,

Just warming the space until the tension loosens on its own.

So take a breath that fills your ribs and then release it slow.

And now place a hand on your belly.

Light touch and easy breath,

So feel it rise and then feel it fall.

And if your breath feels small,

Well,

That's fine.

Just let it move the way it wants.

Now you're not fixing anything.

You're just allowing space.

So now say quietly inside,

I can soften this.

No force,

Just a gentle truth.

And another breath in and then let it pour out.

Let your body find stillness.

Notice a shift,

Even if it's just small.

The mind may still move,

But the body is calmer now,

Looser,

Looser and more grounded.

This feeling doesn't need to be perfect.

It just needs to be real and it is.

So take one last slow breath and release it with ease.

And when you're ready,

Gently open your eyes now.

Good work today and namaste.