Somatic Healing: Both Sessions

In the two somatic healing sessions, we focused on understanding how stress lives in the body and how to regulate it. At the beginning of the second session, we were asked what we wanted to achieve. I honestly did not have a clear answer, but I still felt good being there. The activities themselves felt calming and helpful.

We started with grounding exercises. We placed our hands on our lap, closed our eyes, and took a deep breath from the nose into the belly, then slowly sighed it out. Repeating this helped reduce distractions and focus only on the body and the air moving inside it. After that, we looked around the room and chose something that caught our attention. This helped create a sense of safety. Then we tried to set an intention for the session.

We talked about stressful moments, especially during exams. One important moment is when I feel like giving up. In that moment, I feel uncertain, my body becomes numb, and there is a strong sense of defeat. It is not just a thought; it is physical. To release this feeling, we tried shaking our bodies and putting our hands on our ears. It helped reduce the uncertainty, but afterward I felt tired, as if my body had released a lot of stored tension.

We also practiced breathing techniques to calm the brain and body. They work under moderate stress, but during high stress, they do not calm me down enough. A technique that worked better for me was looking around and choosing one color, such as red, green, or blue. Focusing on that color helped me feel safe and calmer inside. We also practiced the “voo” exercise, which uses sound vibrations to relax the nervous system. Instead of stretching clothes to release tension, I personally prefer biting on something because it helps me release stress faster.

During breakout rooms, we shared stressful experiencesn which showed me that these methods can work in real situations.

Across both sessions, we discussed how our bodies are not designed to constantly meet deadlines and stay strong in our careers. Today, we live in continuous stress. I personally feel rushed most of the time because of many consecutive deadlines. I rarely slow down. This creates a conflict between what I think and what I feel. My usual solution is to ignore the feeling and focus only on my brain. I am not sure if this is the healthiest way, but it has been the most practical for me so far.

We also discussed trauma and perceived safety. A quote that stood out to me was: trauma is not what happened to you, but what happened inside you because of what happened to you. I related to this because when my parents used to fight a lot, I thought it was my fault, even though it was not. That belief affected me internally. We also talked about embodiment, that is, how the body remembers experiences. For example, being forced to greet someone when I did not want to created discomfort in my body. Certain foods or certain people can also trigger strong physical reactions, such as nausea or the need to avoid someone. These reactions show how the body holds memories and emotions.

One important realization for me was noticing physical sensations. When I feel rushed because of deadlines, I feel heat in my chest and face. This made me understand that stress is not only mental; it is deeply physical. Overall, these two sessions helped me become more aware of my body, my stress responses, and the techniques that help me feel safer and calmer.