Real Somatic Tools to Regulate Your Nervous System (When Breathing Just Won’t Cut It)

Let’s get one thing straight: If you still believe a lavender candle and a deep breath are going to rewire trauma that’s been living in your body since your childhood wounds, then you’re already behind.

This isn’t about soft talk or quick fixes. We’re talking about your nervous system, the invisible force that hijacks your choices, sabotages your relationships, and keeps you addicted to chaos. It’s what makes you react before you think, it’s what keeps you in cycles of self-doubt and overwhelm, and if you don’t learn to regulate it in your body, you’ll be stuck in the same loops, just with a more polished vocabulary.

So, let’s talk real somatic tools, not the fluffy, bypassing stuff. The body-based practices that help you retrain your system and stop confusing trauma with reality.

1. Orienting: Retraining Your Brain to Stop Expecting Danger

Your nervous system doesn’t give a damn about your positive affirmations if it still thinks it’s in danger.

Trauma doesn’t just live in your mind, it lives in your body, and your body remembers the fear and chaos it’s been through, even when your rational mind thinks it’s “over.”

That’s where orienting comes in. It’s a somatic technique that helps your body realign with the present moment and break free from the cycle of hypervigilance.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Sit down somewhere comfortable.

2. Breathe slowly to start calming your system.

3. Let your eyes begin to scan the space around you like a curious animal, taking in the colours, shapes, and light.

4. Notice the environment, the space between you and the objects around you, the boundaries of the room.

5. Acknowledge that the world around you is safe and that you are no longer in the danger that your body has stored in its memory.

This simple practice reminds your body that the danger is over, allowing you to begin the work of feeling safe again.

2. Grounding: Coming Back to the Earth

One of the most immediate ways to settle your nervous system is by grounding. When you’re triggered or dissociated, you’re often floating out of your body, lost in the past, or stuck in a fear response. Grounding helps you reconnect to the present moment and the physical reality of your body.

Here’s a grounding technique to try:

1. Stand or sit with your feet flat on the floor. If you’re sitting, make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground.

2. Take a deep breath, focusing on how your feet feel against the floor. Feel the weight of your body.

3. Imagine roots growing from your feet into the earth, anchoring you to the ground. Visualize this energy pulling up from the earth, filling your body with strength, stability, and calm.

4. Slowly tune in to the sensations in your feet, legs, and hips, noticing how the earth beneath you offers support.

This practice brings you back to your body and the present, reminding you that you are no longer in fight or flight.

3. Somatic Movement: Releasing Tension and Trauma

If your body has been holding onto stress or trauma, it can feel heavy or stiff. Somatic movement helps release that tension and return you to a state of flow. Whether it’s through stretching, shaking, or simply dancing, movement activates the body’s natural ability to release trapped energy.

Try this:

1. Put on some music that feels good to you—something that makes you want to move.

2. Close your eyes and let your body guide you. Start with small, slow movements, maybe rolling your shoulders, moving your arms, or gently swaying.

3. As you move, pay attention to any areas of tension or discomfort. Allow your body to release whatever needs to let go. Feel any stuck energy melt away as you move.

4. Let your movement flow, without judgment or expectation. Allow your body to express itself fully.

Movement, when done mindfully, is one of the most powerful ways to release stored trauma and reset the nervous system.

4. Breathwork: Calming the Nervous System

You can’t underestimate the power of breathwork. The way you breathe directly affects your nervous system. When you’re stressed, your breath becomes shallow, rapid, and constricted. When you consciously slow your breath, you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest, relaxation, and healing.

Here’s a simple breathwork practice:

1. Find a comfortable position and close your eyes.

2. Take a deep breath in for a count of four, hold for four, and then exhale slowly for six. Try to make your exhale longer than your inhale. This activates the relaxation response.

3. Repeat this for several minutes, focusing on your breath. Let the air fill your lungs and soften your body with each exhale.

Breathwork allows your nervous system to reset, calm, and restore its natural rhythm.

5. Self-Touch and Massage: Reconnecting to Your Body

After trauma, our bodies can feel like a foreign space, numb, disconnected, or even hostile. Self-touch is one of the gentlest ways to reconnect with your body and help it feel safe again. Whether it’s a simple self-massage, rubbing your hands on your arms, or placing a hand on your chest, gentle touch can help regulate the nervous system and ease tension.

Try this:

1. Find a quiet, comfortable space where you won’t be disturbed.

2. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.

3. Take a few deep breaths and feel the warmth of your hands on your body. Breathe into that space and allow the safety of your touch to soothe you.

4. Slowly move your hands around your body, on your arms, shoulders, neck, any area that feels tight or heavy. Let your touch be gentle and soothing.

This practice helps re-establish a sense of safety and nurturing in your body.

6. Tracking: Becoming Aware of Sensations

One of the most transformative tools in somatic healing is tracking. This involves becoming aware of the sensations in your body, without judgment, and allowing them to shift naturally. By tuning into the sensory experience, you allow your body to release and integrate emotions more freely.

Here’s how to track:

1. Close your eyes and check in with your body.

2. Notice any sensations: tightness, pressure, warmth, tingling, etc. Focus on one sensation at a time.

3. Instead of trying to fix it or push it away, simply observe it. How does it shift as you bring awareness to it?

4. Allow the sensation to change naturally, without forcing it to leave. The body knows how to process these sensations when given space and attention.

Tracking your body’s sensations is a powerful way to stay connected and present, especially when dealing with overwhelming emotions or trauma responses.

Regaining Control Through Somatic Practices

Healing your nervous system requires more than just cognitive understanding or mental techniques. It requires a body-centred approach that allows you to process trauma on a deep, visceral level. These somatic practices, orienting, grounding, movement, breathwork, self-touch, and tracking, are essential tools for healing.

By integrating these tools into your daily life, you can start to reclaim control over your body, release the trauma that’s been stored within, and finally feel safe in your own skin again.