Unwind

Imagine you’ve just finished a yoga class... or gone on a walk outside... or taken a swim in the ocean.

Whatever kind of movement feels the most restorative to you.

Picture that post-movement feeling for a second.

Your body feels loose. Your breathing and heart rate are starting to settle. Your mind feels clearer. The stiffness and tight spots from sitting too long have eased. You feel warm, grounded, and more connected to your body.

That feeling is what we are trying to come back to throughout our day.

We cannot always step away from life and drop everything for a yoga class, a long walk, or an hour to reset.

But we can introduce small movements that help us feel a little looser, calmer, and more connected to our bodies.

That is the idea behind our free Somatic Reset Routine.

Start with how you want to feel

Before doing anything, take a second to notice what settled feels like for you.

Maybe it is:

Relaxed facial muscles.

A deeper breath.

Loose shoulders.

A tall spine.

Feeling grounded in your body instead of stuck in your head.

That is the direction you are moving toward.

Work backward from the tension

Once you know what relaxed feels like to you, it becomes easier to notice what is getting in the way.

Maybe your jaw is tight.

Maybe your shoulders are creeping upward.

Maybe your hips or lower back feel stiff.

Maybe your breathing is less expansive than you would like.

You do not need to analyze every sensation.

Just notice where your body seems to be holding on.

Give that area a little movement

From there, choose something simple.

Roll your shoulders.

Stretch your neck.

Open your chest.

Move your hips.

Take a few slower, deeper breaths.

Our Somatic Reset Routine works through a few common places we tend to hold tension, from the jaw and shoulders to the hips and lower back, with simple movements for each.

You can move through the whole routine, or choose one or two areas that feel like they need a little attention today.

This is not a workout. The goal is simply to help your body soften.

After a few minutes, notice what feels different.

Sometimes feeling just a little looser is enough to change the rest of your afternoon.

Begin with the body

We spend a lot of time trying to think our way into feeling better.

Sometimes that works.

Sometimes the simpler route is to start with the body.

If you found this practice helpful, please share it with a friend.