Have you ever found yourself saying:

“I know exactly why I feel this way.”

Maybe you’ve identified the childhood experience that contributed to your anxiety. Perhaps you’ve spent hours reflecting on a relationship pattern or researching the psychology behind your emotional responses.

Insight can be incredibly valuable. Understanding ourselves helps us make sense of our experiences and can often be an important part of the therapeutic process.

But there’s a common challenge I see in my work as a somatic based therapist: many people are highly skilled at thinking about their emotions, yet struggle to actually feel them.

In our fast-paced, overstimulated world, it’s easy for the nervous system to spend more time in “fight or flight” mode than in a place of rest and ease. We’re often juggling work, personal relationships and countless daily stressors that keep our bodies subtly braced for danger—even when we’re physically safe.

Somatic practices are gentle, body-based ways of helping the nervous system find a sense of safety and ease, even when stressors still exist.