I don’t remember exactly what led me to the Somatic exercise videos. Maybe it was an offshoot of the lymphatic drainage exercises on Facebook, or the meditation videos that were supposed to help me get to sleep (didn’t work), or the exercise videos I was watching in order to piece together a manageable daily routine (didn’t work), which led me to the Tai chi guy who led classes as if they were one continuous dance, and the one where the teacher kept hitting her head over and over again, and a whole bunch of yoga videos that seemed to believe I have a closet full of yoga props, just sitting there, waiting. But finally, I landed on a series of videos that didn’t annoy me too much and that attempted to explain the reason why the teacher was swinging her arms around her body like heavy ropes or punching her legs or swaying drunkenly with her eyes closed.
I went down this particular rabbit hole in the first place because I’ve been looking for better ways of dealing with my anxiety than just playing games on my phone all day – well, more productive ways, because the games work too well and stop me from doing anything else – and I came across these somatic exercise videos and found one that was only five minutes long, which is right at the limit of my attention span at the moment, so I gave it a try. This one teacher has videos aimed at various different mental or physical health issues: headaches, depression, dizziness, anxiety, etc., and I decided to try one or two a day and see if it was helpful. But first I had to give myself a stern talking to, reminding myself that I was going to give these videos a chance and not let my inner monologue take over, even though there were so many things that cried out for comment, like the white smoke that comes over the screen each time she finishes one exercise and starts the next, or the creepy smile on her face when she gropes her own arms (something she calls “havening”). But, being me, even sitting alone in my room it was hard to do the self-hugging exercise with a straight face, and I didn’t feel the comfort she was sure I would feel, but at least it didn’t hurt (until I tried to do the fifty repetitions she recommended and my shoulders creaked to a stop, cried, and refused to continue). But there were some arm stretches that felt good, and twists that seemed to loosen up my lower back for a second, and neck stretches that actually made my headache go away for a few minutes, so I kept going.
I would say that the underlying theory of somatic exercise (and somatic therapy, and trauma-informed yoga, and whatever other names these tapping and swinging and shaking exercises go by), is that emotions exist in the body and not just in the mind, and therefore they can be accessed through physical exercises. Of course, some of the emotions they tap into aren’t fun, like shame and anger and self-loathing and impatience, but I’m willing to give it a little bit more time, because sometimes the exercises actually help me feel calm, or steady, or even settled in my body. I still can’t get myself to do the lie-on-the-floor-and-shake-your-arms-and-legs-in-the-air-like-a-dying-bug exercise, but I’m doing my best. I just need to make sure I wear long sleeves for a while, because I bruise easily and all of the tapping and havening and shaking leaves a mark.
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rachelmankowitz 
Eee! Your little girl is such a beauty! I hope she has settled in well at your house and is living her best life.
Do you do PT exercises for your neck? I’ve found they help a lot with the headaches.
(Does Tzipporah try to join you in your exercises, or does she run away? 😊)
I do lots of PT, and it does help. Tzippy stares at me from the safety of her bed and/or leaves the room in horror. It depends on her mood.
Murphy doesn’t like when I do PT. 😆
It does look weird. Cricket used to love yoga; or disrupting yoga.
😆
Somatic therapy is similar to something I’ve been doing for over a decade. I’ve employed mental body scan/relaxation in conjunction with guided meditation. I am unfamiliar with somatics, so I checked out a YouTube video about it. Psychotherapy is the aspect that differs from the practice I learned. It looks to be beneficial. I hope it works for you and that we will receive updates if possible.
I keep trying meditation, and keep failing at it, but having a physical activity to focus on seems to help. We’ll see.
You made me laugh with “I landed on a series of videos that didn’t annoy me too much”. Good luck and hang in there. These might just be the thing for you.
Thank you! Fingers crossed!
I’ve not heard of somatics, but it seems that at the very least, it would release tension. I hope you’ll keep us updated.
We’ll see if I can keep myself updated.
Best of luck!
Thank you!
There is no shortage of people online offering workouts or exercise of some type although they often give you a little bit for free on YouTube and then commercial interruptions are plentiful depending on what you’re doing. It’s worth trying and even if you only do it sporadically, it’s better than not at all. I like group fitness classes at the gym but even on days I don’t go, I get some sort of a workout in taking a long walk or my old dance instructor has a YouTube channel. And sometimes it’s a rest day.
There is so much on Youtube, it’s overwhelming.
A link to the videos could be helpful to anyone in the same boat ☺️
I didn’t want to add the links because I wasn’t sure if I was giving the videos a positive review or not. It didn’t seem fair to share a video and say, “look how weird she is!” But if you look up somatic exercise on youtube, and look out for the white smoke screen changes, you’ll find her.
Yeah i found it. Odd yet soothing as well.
My introduction to somatic exercise was a workshop for people who were caring for someone who has cancer. The Center for Mind Body Medicine hosted this week-long workshop, and every session started with “shaking and dancing.” I love to dance and I was willing to give shaking a try. The week was a wonderful awakening to connecting with what my body was holding. Good luck with the videos.
That sounds wonderful!
They use that technique in neuroplasticity videos! That helped accelerate my healing from a car accident two years ago. Once your body is very relaxed, you heal faster. I wish you continued success. I have anxiety too and I was able to bring my blood pressure back to normal — on a steady basis — by doing this, along with other healing methods. I love YouTube!
That’s awesome! The only problem with youtube is that I can get lost in a wormhole and it feels like days pass before I find my way out again.
I didn’t know about somatic exercise, and I can see my dog Gus thinking humans are weird when I do my PT!!! Good luck with this exercise and getting all the bad emotions out!!
Thank you!
Loved the read as always Rachel (though I know I’m a few behind) and I could see how something called “havening” could leave a mark or even possibly make a good horror title except called “THE Havening”.
And believe it or not I have actually done the lay on the floor shake your arms and legs in the air like a dying bug except not for any self healing purposes. My experience was one moron at the bar in the grad school days yelling “Dead Bug” and 3 or 4 other morons at the bar falling to the floor and doing some early drunken somatic “dead bug” therapy.
“Hey Steve, did you ever finish that Masters?”
“No, as a matter of fact I did not”
Oh, and great pics of Tzi by the way, especially the head tilt. She looks really happy. Great to see!!
The crossover between silly things drunk people do and therapeutic exercise is much larger than you might think.
Hehehehe Yes, that is most true. 🙂
Adorable, adorable pup! And thanks: I’m going to try those somatic exercises as well — sounds interesting! And 5 minutes is my attention span, too. 🙂
Five minute tops!
Anxiety can be crippling. I hope this works for you. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1: 7). ❤
Thank you!
I haven’t heard of “havening” before but I like the idea so I’m going to check it out. I can’t say I’m confident of anything happening because if I’m the one causing my anxiety then how can I provide a haven for myself? We’ll see. Happy new year!
Shana Tova!
Well, along with everyone, my hope is that the exercises work (out) well for you. I wonder if the body, apart from heart and mind and soul, makes its own emotions–or maybe that is the foundational understanding of the somatic program. I tend to think only of how emotions that we make (through heart and mind and soul) affect the body, not so much, if at all, the other way ’round. I like the first photo of Tzipporah, especially. She looks fetching (pun, sorry).