Spring Somatic Awareness Exercise

By Cathy Wang, Taproot Therapy Clinical Trainee

With melting snow and warmer temperatures we are finally starting to see the first signs of spring! It’s time to come out of our bundled up coats and scarves, bracing against the cold and wind and just like the snow, take this moment to melt some tension in your body with a somatic awareness exercise. 

Throughout this practice, if you notice your mind has drifted, simply notice that you’ve drifted and bring awareness back to your breath or feeling of relaxation in your body.

1. Lie down on your back anywhere: your couch, bed, even the floor. Rest your arms next to your body.
2. Focus on your breath, notice how each breath feels, the rise and fall of your chest.
3. Notice if anything else has started to slow or relax in your body as you’ve been focusing on your breath. If you notice any sensations of relaxation or softening, take some time to live inside that sensation, imagine yourself curling up in it.
4. Allow your body to melt into the surface you’re lying on. Continue to notice any contrasting sensations of both tension and relaxation. Should you notice any sensations of tension, say to yourself “It is safe to relax”
5. Continue this for five to ten minutes and rest!

This is an exercise with no stakes, just a simple moment to yourself to just breathe, notice, and be. Once you finish, check in with your body, noticing any remaining tension as well as spots of relaxation. I hope this exercise was able to provide some reprieve in your day and can continue to help in the days ahead.