Somatic Insights
Emotions cannot be separate from our body sensations. Notice your body for a second. (I’ll wait).
Do you notice any tension anywhere?
Common tension points are the jaw (unclench your jaw), forehead (soften your eyebrows), and shoulders (drop your shoulders).
You just experienced becoming aware of the process of emotions being stored in your body. Emotions are stored in the body because you have been suppressing your emotions instead of feeling them. Over time, this storage of emotions can become so full and tense, beyond your capacity, that the tension becomes painful, even chronically painful.
Wherever you are on the spectrum of pain, tension in the body is due to suppressed emotions, so why not start releasing some of these emotions to relieve all that tension you’re holding?
How do you start releasing emotions? By focusing on the physical sensations in your body, especially when you are experiencing emotions. That is it. That is how you feel your emotions, and if you can stay with it for as long as possible, even through the discomfort it may cause, to its completion, you have successfully released that emotion. However, please be aware that some stored emotions (physical sensations) are difficult to process because they may trigger cognitive memories. These types of physical sensations (emotions) should be processed in the presence of a witness that can support you on this mental, emotional journey. This happens because the body not only stores emotions, it also stores somatic memories (your body remembers everything that has ever happened to you, even if you don’t cognitively remember it, your body does remember). Emotions and somatic memories are stored in the same place— physical sensations. Sometimes somatic memories can trigger cognitive memories to resurface, however, you can choose not to engage with the cognitive process. Although cognitive processing is important to gain insight about yourself, it is not necessary for releasing emotions or somatic memories. Cognitive memories are not the ones causing your body harm, the tension from the somatic memories tied with pent up emotions are what causes the body the most harm.
I’ve noticed that most people do not want to do the emotional and somatic work of healing because they believe they must relive or at least remember their past experiences. But that is not true. It might have been true years ago, when therapy was just getting started. The field of psychotherapy is still very young, but it has evolved. Recently, there has been a surge in somatic healing in therapy, but I’m afraid there still some catching up to do because therapists are still emphasizing cognitive processing to treat somatic and emotional issues.
I have found ONE way to release emotions in their purest form, as energy. Energy pure from our cognitive limitations (perceptions, memories, limiting beliefs, and attachments). Energy in its purest form does not use language to express itself, energy expresses through movement, breath, tears, contractions, expansions, temperature, and awareness.
THIS IS THE WAY:
Step 1: locate the emotion in your body.
Where do you sense this emotion in your body? Think about what is causing this emotion and notice what happens to your body simultaneously.
Step 2: get a good sense of what it looks like.
describe the texture, weight, size, and shape.
Step 3: using your imagination
start tracing the outline of the shape you see (it doesn’t have to be a perfect shape) over and over again.
the outline of this shape should be the only image in your mind, everything else needs to be put aside.
if your mind is distracting you, practice coming back to the shape over and over again. (Master this step until your mind no longer distracts you).
Step 4: keep tracing until the sensation moves, changes, or goes away.
if it moves, follow it as long as possible.
let it change if it wants to
KEEP TRACING (this is how you sit with your emotions)
Step 5: give it permission to do whatever it needs to do to be felt and released as you continue tracing.
The challenge here is not getting sucked into the cognitive processes like cognitive memories of your childhood, trippy visualizations, or parts work. Although these cognitive processes are helpful in gaining insight about the physical sensations in your body, they are not necessary for releasing stored somatic memories and emotions.
Now I know I’ve been giving cognitive processing a hard time but that’s only because I need you to understand that in order to process a cognitive memory and all the narratives, beliefs, and values it holds, you must first learn how to be in your body.
If you process cognitively first, you are more likely to trigger yourself and your parts because your memories are not safe. You need to build a sense of safety with your body and emotions first in order to cognitively process everything that gets in your way like self-doubt, shame, and guilt.
This is what I teach every person who chooses to work with me. It’s not a quick-fix, but with patience, practice, and persistence this practice results in lasting change.
If you’re not ready to commit to your healing journey but you’re curious about my work, try my Emotional Limpia Offering. It’s a one-time, as-needed service that will give you a taste of what it’s like to start healing.
