What Is Somatic Experiencing?

A gentle introduction to body-based healing

Welcome In

If you've ever felt like talk therapy helped… but only up to a point—you’re not alone. Many people sense there's more to healing than words alone. That’s where Somatic Experiencing (SE) comes in.

Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, SE is a body-based approach to healing trauma, stress, and nervous system overwhelm by working directly with the sensations stored in the body.

Let’s unpack what that actually means—and how it might support you.

Why the Body?

When something stressful or overwhelming happens, your body often remembers—even if your mind forgets.

• Your shoulders tighten during a tough conversation
• Your jaw clenches before opening an email
• You feel a strange “shutdown” after conflict—even if it seems minor

These are somatic responses—the body’s way of trying to complete a stress cycle. When we don’t allow that cycle to resolve (often because life moves too fast), the body holds onto it. Over time, this can lead to chronic stress, fatigue, anxiety, and even physical pain.

How Somatic Experiencing Helps

SE helps you notice, track, and gently release stored stress by guiding your attention to physical sensations—like warmth, tingling, tightness, or breath.

It’s not about reliving trauma.
It’s about completing what your body didn’t get to finish when the event happened—restoring a sense of safety, balance, and self-regulation.

Key Principles of Somatic Experiencing

1. Titration

We work with small pieces of experience—so your system doesn’t get overwhelmed. Like dipping a toe into warm water before a full swim.

2. Pendulation

We gently shift attention between uncomfortable and neutral or pleasant sensations—building the body’s ability to self-regulate.

3. Discharge

You may experience yawns, tears, trembles, or sighs—these are healthy signs your nervous system is releasing held energy.

What Science Is Saying

Modern neuroscience is catching up with what SE practitioners have known for decades.

• Dr. Andrew Huberman explains that "top-down (mind) and bottom-up (body) work must go hand-in-hand" when it comes to regulating the nervous system. SE uses both—by noticing thoughts and sensations.
• Studies have shown that bottom-up approaches, like body tracking and breath regulation, help reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and chronic stress (Van der Kolk, 2014; Levine, 2020).
• Vagal tone, a key indicator of nervous system flexibility, improves when people engage in slow, mindful body-based practices like those found in SE (Porges, 2017; PubMed, 2021).

Why This Matters for You

You don’t need to “figure it all out” with your mind alone.
Your body holds wisdom, not just wounds.
Somatic Experiencing helps you gently reconnect to that wisdom—so you can feel more grounded, empowered, and whole.

Try This: A Micro Somatic Practice

Set a timer for 2 minutes.
Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.
Breathe gently.
Now ask yourself:

What sensations do I notice?
Is there any part of my body that feels a little more “okay” than the rest?

No need to change anything. Just notice.
That’s somatic awareness—and it’s the first step toward regulation.

Final Note

Somatic work isn’t about going faster or being perfect.
It’s about building a relationship with your body—one small moment at a time.

If this resonates, explore more free tools in the Embodied Learning Library. And when you’re ready to go deeper, you can join our self-guided or supported coaching programs.

Stay with yourself,
Nicole

📚 Cited & Inspired By:

• Dr. Peter Levine, Waking the Tiger

• Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory

• Dr. Andrew Huberman, Huberman Lab

• Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score

• PubMed & PMC studies on bottom-up trauma recovery and vagus nerve function

➡️ Download the Free Nervous System Reset Guide