Exercises and Examples of Somatic Experiencing Therapy

Nov 1

In the world of psychotherapy, there are many approaches to help individuals soothe symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and stress. One such method is Somatic Experiencing (commonly abbreviated as SE). Developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, this body-focused approach focuses on the body's innate capacity to heal and regulate itself, providing a unique and powerful path to healing.

In this post on Somatic Experiencing, we’re going to share:

What Somatic Experiencing is and the core principles of this therapy
8 examples of Somatic Experiencing exercises and their purpose
Benefits of engaging in Somatic Experiencing therapy and further resources on the topic

So let’s start with what Somatic Experiencing is –

What is Somatic Experiencing?

Somatic Experiencing is a holistic therapy approach pioneered by psychotherapist Dr. Peter Levine geared toward trauma resolution and emotional healing. It emphasizes the connection between the mind and the body and how traumatic experiences can leave lasting imprints within both. When one is healing from trauma, chronic stress, or heightened emotional triggers, it can be difficult to feel like your body is supporting you. However, an important belief that Somatic Experiencing holds is that during healing, your body can be a resource to help you. Somatic Experiencing focuses on helping individuals become more aware of sensations in their body in connection to memory, addresses underlying physical dysregulation, and aims to support individuals in developing a greater control over distressing physical symptoms.

Since the brain and body often retain memories and emotions of distressing events or trauma, it is not uncommon for someone to feel that they are chronically in a body that constantly feels uncomfortable to exist in. In many cases, it clarifies why someone might often feel physically uncomfortable or feel a lack of safety in their environment without knowing exactly why their body is responding in that way. This can lead to a wide range of physical, emotional, and functional challenges. Sometimes individuals may not even be aware of how deeply trauma affects their beliefs or the unresolved traumas they carry in the body and mind until they are confronted with issues related to them later in life. Somatic Experiencing therapy aims to address and harmonize this mind-body connection.

Core Principles and Terms in Somatic Experiencing

Titration: This principle refers to the careful, slow, and gradual exploration of traumatic experiences. Slowing down looks like working with only small bits of difficult experiences at a time. It also looks like pausing and taking time to notice sensations in the body that correspond to what is being spoken about. When we do this, the sensations of the body will often move towards completion of protective responses that were unable to be carried out in the past. Therapists help individuals explore their trauma in manageable fragments in order to avoid retraumatization.
Pendulation: This principle involves navigating between states of tension and relaxation in the body. Think of it as an “ebb and flow” of the body’s nervous system. This process helps individuals develop a greater capacity to self-regulate their emotional and physiological responses. The goal is to build a nervous system that can move back and forth between alertness and action, and calm and rest without getting stuck at either extreme. The therapist and client can then practice moving back and forth between these states.

Resourcing: The ability to utilize positive coping skills for self-regulation. In essence, resourcing is having an anchor that helps stabilize you when feeling dysregulated. These resources can either be external, such as people, places, pets, or activities that feel safe and comforting – or internal, such as positive sensations in the body and feeling more relaxed, grounded, stable, and connected.
Tracking: Tracking in SE refers to becoming more aware of the sensations and physiological responses in our body. This involves paying attention to physical sensations, such as tension, heartbeat, and breath without reacting to them with panic, fear, worry, judgment or attempting to change them. This often involves reminding yourself that these sensations are safe and not putting you in any real danger. The goal is to view uncomfortable sensations without fear and judgment and calm our nervous system and to help provide relief in the long term when these sensations come up.
Containment: This is the ability to tolerate negative sensations and emotions without feeling out-of-control or reacting in an impulsive manner. Containment is the capacity to stay present to and hold our experiences/emotions in such a way that they do not overwhelm or scare us.
SIBAM (Sensation, Image, Behavior, Affect and Meaning): This is a model developed by Dr. Peter Levine. SIBAM is an acronym for sensation, image, behavior, affect, and meaning as categories of human experience. In instances of trauma, these categories often form connections, blend together, and provoke automatic reactions from the nervous system in response to triggering stimuli. SIBAM is meant to be used as a tool to learn, bring awareness to, and gauge which channel we’re in when processing our experiences.

Exercises and Techniques Used in Somatic Experiencing

Example #1: Felt Sense

Purpose: Enhance your ability to attune to and articulate your "felt sense" – the sensations experienced both subtly and prominently throughout your entire body. Following a painful or traumatic experience, it can sometimes feel difficult to remain connected to one's own body. Oftentimes, there is a need to actively relearn how to feel bodily sensations in order to feel safe occupying our body. It is completely normal if you find it strange or challenging to establish this connection with your bodily sensations. This is a common experience and many trauma therapists initiate this exercise to help individuals reconnect with their "felt sense."
Key terms:
- Exteroception (“Orientation”): Receiving information from the external environment via sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing.
- Interoception (“Felt Sense”): Awareness of the internal states of one’s body to inform us of such internal regulation responses as: heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature, balance, hunger, thirst, pleasure, and pain.
Instructions: If, during the exercise, you find yourself connecting with a part of your body that is linked to trauma and it becomes uncomfortable, it's advisable to either gently redirect your awareness toward a neutral or relaxed body part instead or to give thoughtful resources to that part. For example, say, “I love you, I am with you, I am here for you, I am present with you, We are safe,” in effect using your awareness to extend an empathic connection with that part of your body.

Sit or lie down in a quiet location where you can comfortably focus.
Describe the sensations you notice in your body. You can go from head to toe or focus on any part that brings forth the most sensation. Pay attention to more and more subtle sensations and use as many descriptive words you can think of.

(Some descriptive language examples are: tense, warm, cold, gentle, aching, stabbing, sharp, inflamed, numb, vibrating, hot, light, heavy, buzzing, empty, fuzzy, calm, relaxed, pulsing, expansive, prickly, dry, tingly, shudder, fluttery, stiff, achy, dull, intense, soft, weak, tight, knotted, stuck, blocked, suffocated, glowing, radiating)

There are endless descriptors, but one thing that can be helpful is to pick a handful, say 5 of them, and ask either/or questions. For example – Does it feel more tense or more relaxed? Is it sharp or knotted? Does it feel heavy or light?

Example #2: Orienting

Purpose: Orient ourselves by taking in our environment through the senses to signal to our nervous system that we are safe and grounded in the present moment. This lets our nervous system know that we exist in our environment and that it is safe to look around and expand ourselves in the space we are in.
Instructions:

Look around and notice something that you enjoy looking at – something that brings neutral or pleasant sensations.
As you orient yourself to the moment, notice what happens in your body. If you’re not finding anything in your environment that you’re drawn to naturally, you can give yourself some detail to look for. This can be searching for a specific color, shape or a certain pattern You can orient to touch and sound as well.

Example #3: Self-Holding

Purpose: Help soothe the nervous system by reintegrating ourselves within our body, enhancing body awareness, and encouraging the nervous system to familiarize itself with a sense of stability. The aim of this exercise is to perceive the body as a container and establish a sense of personal boundaries. Try to take notice of all the sensations as they pass through you, like watching a stream and noticing the colors, shapes, energy, sounds and motion.
- Instructions:
  Step 1:

You may have your eyes opened or closed, whatever feels most comfortable for you.
Get into a comfortable position. You can either lie down or be seated.
Place one open hand with an open palm on your forehead.
Place the other hand on your heart.

Step 2:

First, pay attention to the hand that is on your forehead. Feel what the hand feels like, inside and on the surface. For example, is it relaxed, tense, warm, tingling? Simply be with the hand; gently rest your attention on it for a moment.
Now feel what the second hand on the heart feels - how does that hand feel? Heavy, tense, relaxed, cold? What does it sense when on the heart? Does it feel warm, energized, tingly, relaxed? Be with that hand for a little bit.

Step 3:

Now we are going to switch and go inside the body.

Feel the forehead. What sensations are inside your forehead? How does the forehead sense the hand sitting on it? Does it feel some weight, warmth, comfort? Sometimes there are no words for what you sense. It’s okay. Just be with the sensations as they shift and flow for a while, even if you can’t describe them.
Now feel inside the heart/chest area. What sensations are in there? Maybe a little tension or relaxation? You may even sense some emotions or colors or shapes. Maybe a fog or cloud. What does the chest feel with the hand sitting on top of it? Does it feel a little pressure in that area? Notice how it feels to be held and supported.

Step 4:

Observe any patterns from your observations. Did you get a sense of feeling safe in your body? Did you take note of the fact that you were not being traumatized in the moments of doing the exercise and for those moments were safe? Do you feel like there may be a chance to feel safe in your body at some point in time?

Example #4: Heel Drops

Purpose: Boundary setting is a valid and healthy response of the nervous system -In this exercise our body will mobilize with adrenaline and cortisol, but then release and discharge this energy.
Instructions:

Begin by standing and letting your eyes defocus, so you’re not really looking at anything or focusing on anything in particular.
Now, raise slowly up onto your toes, and then let yourself drop back down to your heels.
Keep doing this at a slow rhythm, imagining that your entire weight drops down all at once through your heels. Let it make a loud thud and give yourself permission to make noise and take up space.
Bring your attention to the effect this movement has on your hips and lower back; maybe it feels as though the jolt loosens them. Try to let them relax. Each time you return to a standing position, imagine stress and tension leaving your body.

Example #5: Wave Breathing

Purpose: To help relax our body and bring our breathing to a stable, calm state. This exercise utilizes imagery and visualizations as a tool for focus and releasing tension.
Instructions:
-You can do this exercise either standing or sitting.

Start noticing your breath. As you relax your body and close your eyes, let your body gently sway back and forth.
As you move, pay attention to the movement in your spine, and to how you feel your weight fluctuate throughout your body.
Picture a gentle wave. Let that wave get bigger with your breath in, and then crest and fall with your breath out.
After a few breaths, make the image of the wave bigger in your mind’s eye.
Take in a big breath in through your nose, let that wave get bigger and build, and then breathe out and let it crash down on to the beach.
Continue to breathe, in and out, and let that wave expand and release.
You can continue to go ahead and close your eyes, continuing to make small waves, big waves, gentle waves, powerful waves with your breath, until you notice a sense of calm and stillness throughout your whole body.

Example #6: Recalling a Kindness

Purpose: Encourage one to concentrate on a positive memory where you were on the receiving end of an act of kindness. These instances of kindness can assist you in nurturing positive emotions, feelings, and recollections within your body as a way to offset negative ones. By doing so, people can develop the ability to self-soothe and bring their nervous system to a state of calmness by resourcing from their positive emotions associated with memories.
Instructions:

Recall a time when someone was kind to you. Remember everything you can about this kind moment – the words, tone of voice, touch, gestures, or actions the kind person used to soothe and comfort you or to provide you with help or return you to safety.
As you recall what the kind person did, notice how your body is recalling the memory right now – body sensations, etc.
Recall the emotion you felt back then and notice what you feel now in this moment as you recall the experience.
If a negative aspect of the memory arises, set that part of the memory on an imaginary shelf and come back to the sensory aspects of this memory of kindness.
As you come to a close, notice what you’re feeling in your body now and your overall experience now compared to when you started the exercise.

Example #7: Closed Loop Connection to Body

Purpose: Help support you to feel more contained, connected, supported, and present in your body when feeling distressed. This exercise helps allow you to go inside yourself to settle your nervous system. You’re telling your body, “These are my boundaries, and there’s nobody here except me.”
Instructions:

Cross your arms, tucking your hands under your opposite armpits.
Next, cross your ankles maybe squeeze them a little tightly if it feels good, and slowly lower your head, tucking yourself in to your body.
Breathe slowly – continue this for 30-60 seconds or until you feel calm and supported.

Example #8: Body Mapping

Purpose: This exercise allows you to visually observe, describe, and draw what you notice is happening in your body. It is a body awareness and mindfulness tool.
Instructions: Make sure you have a sheet of paper, markers, pens or colored pencils.

Draw an outline of the shape of your body. You don't have to be an artist to do this! Just draw something to represent your body.
Take a moment to tune into yourself. Begin by taking a deep breath in and a full exhale.
Allow your attention to draw inward. You can close your eyes for a moment, or place one hand on your heart or wherever feels comfortable for you.
Ask yourself: What do I notice in my body? What needs my attention right now? Are there any images, feelings, physical sensations or points of constriction?
Intuitively draw the areas that are responding. Don't overthink this part, just let yourself flow with it. Draw the areas where you notice something is present. You can use shapes, colors, or symbols. Allow yourself to express what you notice.
When you feel complete, take a moment to observe what is present. Maybe note where you might want to give more attention or tend to certain areas. Just observe what is there.

When you’re finished, give your body map a title that you feels best represents and honors this experience attending to your body.

Benefits of Somatic Experiencing in Therapy

Somatic Experiencing is particularly beneficial for those who have experienced trauma, chronic stress, or dysregulation. Somatic exercises allow one to essentially reset the nervous system and prevent it from continually feeling unsettled when distressing memories are triggered.

Some of the other key benefits of this therapy approach include:

Non-verbal approach: SE is ideal for individuals who may struggle to express their trauma verbally or struggle with traditional talk therapy, as SE primarily engages the body's responses.
Empowerment: Clients often report feeling more in control of their emotional responses and better equipped to manage stress and physical discomfort after learning Somatic Experiencing exercises.
Mind and Body Connection: We are not just our thoughts and feelings in our brain, we have a whole body that works to support us and help us function. SE addresses the physical effects trauma, anxiety, and stress can have on our body, helping us become increasingly aware of what’s happening both in our mind and our body and our body image. We are capable of top-down thinking (from the mind) as well as bottom-up understanding (through the body). Working in both directions allows us to heal and regulate more wholly.
Long-lasting results: Many individuals experience lasting relief from trauma-related symptoms, as SE targets the root physiological causes of stored trauma in the body.