What Is Somatic Movement and Why Your Body Needs It

How slowing down, listening inward, and moving mindfully can change the way you age and why somatic movement is the antidote to modern stress

If you have ever felt stressed, tight, or like your body is aging faster than it should, somatic movement can help.

So much of what we call aging is not just time passing. It is the build-up of stress, tension, and movement patterns that slowly wear the body down. Somatic movement brings awareness back inside, helps you release what you no longer need, and teaches your body how to move with strength, freedom, and resilience at any age.

Everything We Experience, Our Bodies Experience

Have you experienced trauma? Big or small? Physical or emotional? If you have, then your body has too. Everything we live through leaves an imprint. The way we respond to those moments, whether holding our breath, tightening our muscles, or curling inward, shapes how our body feels and functions today.

When stress becomes constant, we rarely give ourselves the space to release it. Over time, the tension builds. It affects posture, hormones, breath, mood, circulation, even digestion. This is why so many people carry back pain, tight shoulders, tension headaches, or feel like their bodies are falling apart. Living in pain has been normalized, but it does not have to be.

What Somatic Movement Really Is

Somatic movement is about focusing on the internal experience. It is the practice of slowing down, noticing, and becoming aware of what is happening in your body right now. Where are you holding on? Where is stress pulling you out of alignment? How can you let go and re-pattern?

The way I begin every session is by asking one simple question: “How is your body feeling today?” This moment sets the tone for everything that follows. It is an invitation for the client to turn inward and notice what is really happening. For me, it reveals where they are holding tension and how their body is responding that day. That awareness allows me to shape or reshape the plan I had in mind so the session truly supports what their body needs in that moment.

Often, it takes a few breaths or gentle movements before the awareness surfaces. But then the realizations come. “My back has been aching on the left side,” or “I forgot about that pain in my heel.” These signals are always there, but we push them down and run on autopilot. Ignoring them only adds layers of stress that eventually affect every system. Stress shows up in how we hold ourselves, in our hormones, our breathing, our blood flow, our energy, and our heart. Everything is connected.

Why This Work Matters

The body is remarkable. It can heal, restore, and adapt when given the right support. Somatic movement makes that possible.

• Awareness: Learning to feel what is happening inside, not just what you see on the outside.

• Relief: Breathing, letting go of tension, and undoing stress that has built up for years.

• Repatterning: Teaching your nervous system and muscles to move with balance and efficiency.

• Strength: Once the foundation is reset, building strength that supports every kind of movement whether you are a high schooler, a mom, or an athlete.

It is not about forcing your body into poses or chasing flexibility. It is about how you move into positions, where the movement comes from, and how you can find strength in relaxation instead of tension. With time, you move deeper, stronger, and freer.

Aging Is Not a Number

What makes us feel old is not just the number on the calendar year. It is the accumulation of stress and poor movement patterns. Somatic movement helps peel back those layers so your body can stay mobile, aligned, and alive.

This is why so many of my clients have moments of realization: “This feels so much easier,” “I finally feel my abs working,” “Why was I never taught this before?” With consistency, somatic movement transforms how you feel in your body day to day. It makes movement more efficient and life more enjoyable.

Even kids are showing signs of stress in their bodies earlier than ever. Adults often carry aches they dismiss as normal. But pain and stiffness are not inevitable. Somatic movement is the antidote.

Try This at Home: A Somatic Body Scan

One of the simplest ways to begin your somatic journey is through a body scan. This is a way of gently bringing awareness back inside, noticing where you are holding tension, and beginning to create a conversation with your body.

How to practice:

1. Lie down comfortably on your back in a quiet space. Let your arms and legs fall naturally open.

2. Close your eyes and begin to slow your breathing. Inhale softly through your nose. On the exhale, let the air seep out as slowly as you can, creating the longest, quietest breath out. Each exhale is an invitation for your body to soften.

3. On your next exhale, start at the top of your head. Relax the muscles of your face: your forehead, your brow, the corners of your eyes, your lips, your jaw, even the back of your tongue. Notice where it feels easy to let go and where it feels harder.

4. With each breath, move your attention down. Relax your neck, your shoulders, your chest and heart, your arms. On the next exhale, soften your solar plexus, your stomach, your hips, and your pelvic floor.

5. Continue down into your thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet, and toes. With every exhale, imagine the breath washing through those areas, telling them it is safe to release.

6. Once you have scanned your whole body, return to the places that still feel tight. Stay there with your breath. If it is your shoulder, breathe into your shoulder. Say hello to it in your mind. Notice what it feels like—pressure, heaviness, tension. Name that sensation. Then gently encourage it to let go, reminding it through your thoughts and through each long exhale that it is safe to soften.

This practice is the first step in somatic movement. It is about becoming aware, building a line of communication with your body, observing what is really going on, and then inviting release. Through slow exhalations you connect with your nervous system, telling your body that it is safe. Safe to let go, safe to heal, safe to rebuild.

When you slow down and turn inward, you create a new relationship with your body. One that is curious, responsive, and resilient.

Somatic movement is not just another form of exercise. It is a way of listening, feeling, and moving that keeps your body young. It is how we undo stress, restore posture, and strengthen from the inside out.

This is the heart of my method: awareness, release, repatterning, and strength. It is also why I am so passionate about this work. I cannot stand seeing people suffer in their bodies when I know there is another way. My mission is to help people reconnect with themselves, find relief, and discover the strength and freedom that comes when you truly learn to listen to your body.

With love,

Regan

P.S.: Here’s a somatic movement flow for you to try!