Welcome back to the Somatic Series!
This is the series where I am using somatic psych theory to help people learn and map out their autonomic nervous system (ANS), develop a healthier relationship with themselves, and eventually build stronger communities.
Congratulations for completing Unit 3!
Unit 3 explained trauma from a somatic perspective, what triggers are, the concept of biological rudeness, what glimmers are, and the basics of how to regulate your ANS out of survival mode through self-regulation and co-regulation:
Chapter 12 covered an overview of how fear and anxiety shows up in the nervous system as a way to lay the foundation for talking about trauma.
Chapter 13 discussed trauma from a somatic perspective, specifically what trauma is and some of the effects chronic trauma has on our brains, bodies, and communities.
Chapter 14 focused on triggers: What triggers generally are and how to identify your own triggers so you can continue this somatic self-learning journey.
Chapter 15 broke down biological rudeness. What it is and how to tell the difference between misunderstandings, regular relationship conflict, and danger.
Chapter 16 illustrated the concept of glimmers, how they compare to triggers, and how to use them to support your mental and physical health.
Chapter 17 Part 1 and Part 2, explained the basics of self-regulation: what it is, how it relates to the concept of self-care, and the theory behind how to use it to release stress, think clearly, manage your emotions, and connect with your body/gut/intuition.
And finally, Chapter 18 closed out Unit 3 with co-regulation: what makes it an essential human need, how it relates to reciprocity, intimacy, and play in all interpersonal relationships, and why it’s baked into the foundation of community building.
This chapter starts Unit 4, which is going to be another skills-based unit like Unit 2. For comparison, similar to how Unit 1 (a theory-based chapter) gave you the theory to be able to make sense of the somatic tools in Unit 2, everything we covered in Unit 3 (another theory-based chapter) prepares you to be able to practice regulating your autonomic nervous system (ANS) by Unit 4. It becomes easier to regulate your own ANS as you start to build your somatic understanding.
Knowing yourself somatically is essential to recognizing the warning signs of when you are experiencing dysregulation in the form of whichever survival response (fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or shutdown). Knowing yourself somatically is also the foundation of knowing which somatic tool to use and how to use them in a specific situation.
With any new somatic tool, you want to start practicing the tool when you DON’T need it. Practice needs a relatively, chill low-stakes environment to be successful. I’m going to be repeating this for the entire unit. This isn’t the time to dive head-first into a 10-foot pool. Your body needs extra intention and care for something like this. Rushing any part of this process, even the parts that seem easy, could add unnecessary stress to your autonomic nervous system. And bodies under stress have a harder time learning and retaining information. This somatic journey is not supposed to be approached like a burden or an assignment to cram and accomplish. A better approach is to discover the pace that your body needs at any given moment and try to match that pace as much as possible.
When I give clients new somatic tools to practice for homework, I show them how to practice starting with small, everyday glimmers. Use the Body Scan to practice checking in with yourself and noticing how emotions and thoughts feel in your body, starting with small glimmers. How does your body respond to that song you like? Or your favorite snack? Or wearing your favorite shirt and/or house pants? How does your body physically respond to the nice moment you’ve created for yourself? What do these everyday life moments of contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, etc. feel like physically in your body? See how that’s a much easier starting point than trying to use a new tool when you’re already dysregulated? Starting with small glimmers helps to activate your prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that helps with critical thinking and learning. You are building the muscle memory for these tools and turning the tools into regular practice so they become easier over time and feel less like homework and more like things you just do.
Breathing Exercises That Actually Work
What makes these 3 breathing exercises unique is they work quickly and they directly influence different parts of your ANS. You can use each of them in 2 main ways: first, as a solid bridge between doing nothing and using the other tools. Maybe you feel too stuck to your bed and need a little something to help you start regulating yourself or call the person you want to body double with, for example. Or maybe you notice you are hyperventilating or your heart is racing and you want a quick way to turn on your parasympathetic nervous system and calm things down.
And second, as a tool that can be easily layered with other tools to boost the somatic benefits of what you are doing. Like using a breathing exercise to help ground yourself into a glimmer moment. Breathing exercises are generally a low effort, low intensity tool to throw into a situation to see if it makes things a bit easier to manage.
I will dedicate a whole chapter to putting all the tools together from start to finish later in this unit, but, for this chapter, I want to show how somatic breathing can fit in with the tools you already have.
3 Ways to Breathe
First things first,
What’s going on in your body?
Do you need to body scan or do you already know which part of your ANS is activated?
To Activate the Sympathetic Nervous System
Long Inhale + Shorter Exhale = Activating Breath
How Do I Do This?
Example: Breathe in for 6 seconds and breathe out for 4 seconds, about 5 or 6 times. What do you notice in your body?
What Does This Do?
This style of breathing pours a bit of energy into you, low-key reminding me of Lamaze classes. This breathing exercise will also make your heart rate speed up and is a light pick-me-up, a nice little spark to get the sympathetic nervous system going.
Why is This Important?
This is a great tool to use in the beginning of pulling yourself out of a shutdown response and turning low power mode off. This is a gentle, lower effort option to get some movement going in your body when you are feeling fatigued, frozen, or stuck.
Can I Have More Examples of Situations I Can Use This In?
Example of Low stakes Practice: When you’re about to play a game or you are in any situation where you want to gas/hype yourself up.
Higher Stakes Example: You want a little push to get up and do something to release some pent-up energy. You’d be using this style of breath to increase your heart rate until your body has just enough energy or motivation to take the next step.
To Activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System (& the Vagus Nerve)
Short Inhale + Longer Exhale = Deep Restorative Breath
How Do I Do This?
Example: Breathe in for 4 seconds and breathe out for 6 seconds, about 5 or 6 times. What do you notice in your body?
What Does This Do?
This breathing exercise can drop your heart rate in seconds. It can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, specifically your vagus nerve so your body can come down from a fight/flight survival response.
Why is This Important?
When you get the hang of it, it’s just enough to ease yourself off the ledge of a panic attack. A great layering tool to take your heart rate down and a little jittery-ness out of your limbs. Not meant to use on its own generally, but just enough so you can pivot and regroup in the moment.
Can I Have More Examples of Situations I Can Use This In?
Example of Low stakes Practice: You just climbed up some stairs or did another kind of low risk physical activity and you’re noticing that your heart rate is up and want to bring your heart rate down.
Higher Stakes Example: Using this right before a meeting, along with some grounding and a glimmer (and some bilateral stimulation in the future) to get you in the right headspace.
To Stay in a Nice Moment
Equal Inhale + Equal Exhale = Even Breath
How Do I Do This?
Example: Breathe in for 5 seconds and breathe out for 5 seconds, about 5 or 6 times. What do you notice in your body?
What Does This Do?
This breathing exercise helps to maintain homeostasis. This kind of breathing is only for when you are already feeling good and regulated and want to enjoy the moment you have going on. I do not suggest pulling this out when you’re feeling stressed or even uncomfortable. It’s not going to work.
Why is This Important?
You can use this style of breathing to enjoy a moment for what it is. Best for when your ventral vagus is activated and you are regulated and enjoying a moment. Grounding into a glimmer moment and once you are present, allowing yourself to breathe in the moment while you take in how this moment makes you physically feel in your body is a great way to layer and incorporate this breathing technique into your somatic practice.
Can I Have More Examples of Situations I Can Use This In?
Example of Low stakes Practice: Enjoying a little glimmer, like your favorite snack, a good song, a field of wildflowers, or a funny video, while noticing how you feel in your body.
Higher stakes example: Staying grounded into the present and breathing in an intensely pleasant experience without becoming overwhelmed or without waiting for something bad to happen (This is 1 of the long-term goals of somatic work by the way).
Thanks for reading. The next chapter will cover Bilateral Stimulation (finally)!