Somatic Practices Every Girlie Should Know

While these practices are great for everyone, in this post we're focusing on the physiological and biological rhythms that women experience. These are practices that support somatic healing through movement and help to build and strengthen the connection between our mind and our body.

The term "somatic practice" can sometimes sound like this grandiose concept, but when we break it down, "somatic" simply means "of the body." Often times in the healing arts and self-development, we're familiar with the "heady" work like mindset shifts, affirmations, and cognitive restructuring. But it's our physical bodies that play a crucial role in the storage of our emotions, traumas, and other memories that can become "stuck" if we're not (literally) moving through them.

So here are two practices I want every girlie to know:

Essential Somatic Practice #1: Intuitive Movement

Intuitive movement just means allowing your body to guide you. Your body has different needs based on your hormonal rhythms, which vary throughout the month. Tuning into intuitive movement involves listening to what your body craves. If you've rolled your shoulders out to relieve some tension, or maybe you've given your body a good shake to literally shake off the nerves or jitters, guess what? You've moved intuitively!

Another way you can practice intuitive movement is to simply put on some music and let your body move and express itself the way it wants to!

Because here's the thing: when we try to stuff our emotions down because they don't feel good e.g., "I'm not down to be a sad girl today", those emotions don't go anywhere, they just hang out in our body. If we leave those emotions there long enough, we might start to feel weighed down or heavy with the sads. Sound familiar?

So trust your intuition and let your body tell you how it wants to express itself. Sign up for that dance class or breathwork sesh ;), or wiggle it out in the living room, just get your intuitive move on!

Essential Somatic Practice #2:  Breath Awareness

It's really this simple: paying attention to your breath is a gateway to regulating emotions and promoting overall well-being. Many of us unknowingly breathe shallowly, from the chest, and shallow breathing sends signals to the body that it's suffocating, triggering our nervous system to function in survival mode. By practicing breath awareness, you can shift from panic to relaxation, supporting your nervous system and emotional regulation.

Breath awareness also contributes to intuitive movement. As you begin to understand your breathing patterns, you’ll notice a deepening connection between mind and body. Simple acts like inhaling and exhaling consciously can trigger a shift from reactive to responsive states, which helps create a sense of peace and flow.

Intuitive movement and breath awareness may seem deceptively simple, but their impact on emotional regulation and your sense of well-being is huge. Try them out for yourself, start listening to the subtle signals your body sends, and see what comes up for you.  

If you're interested in diving deeper into somatic exploration, free practices are available on our website. And of course, for aspiring breathwork facilitators, comprehensive training on nervous system mechanics, trauma survival modes, energy centers, and emotional processing, join us in Flow Breathwork Facilitator training.

Both the free practices and information on our training can be found at www.flowbreathworktraining.com.