stress & stress relief Archives - Somatic Movement Center https://somaticmovementcenter.com/category/stress-relief/ Discover the secret to living pain-free. Mon, 21 Apr 2025 20:35:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 How to Relieve Shallow Breathing https://somaticmovementcenter.com/shallow-breathing/ Fri, 12 Apr 2024 14:46:04 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=17511 How to Relieve Shallow Breathing Chronic stress, posture, and muscle tension can all play a role in developing shallow breathing, also referred to as chest breathing or thoracic breathing. Shallow breathing can contribute to serious medical conditions including anxiety disorders, panic attacks, hyperventilation, shock, asthma, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, and a buildup of carbon dioxide [...]

The post How to Relieve Shallow Breathing appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> The Role of Belief in Health and Healing https://somaticmovementcenter.com/placebo-effect/ Fri, 14 Oct 2022 14:12:01 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=16216 The Role of Belief in Health and Healing Belief is a powerful thing. In a 2001 study, researchers told a group of Parkinson's patients that they were receiving a highly effective new drug that would improve their motor symptoms. However, the patients only received an injection of saline. Half of the patients experienced improvement [...]

The post The Role of Belief in Health and Healing appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> Learning to Relax After Four Decades of Chronic Tension by Lena Pollack https://somaticmovementcenter.com/learning-to-relax-after-four-decades-of-chronic-tension-by-lena-pollack/ Thu, 17 Mar 2022 14:05:22 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=15685 Learning to Relax After Four Decades of Chronic Tension by Lena Pollack Every time I get a tensed muscle to relax, it’s like a little miracle. It leaves me awestruck, much like being chosen by a shelter cat, or finding a beautiful field that’s completely empty. Maybe it isn’t anything objectively earth shattering but getting [...]

The post Learning to Relax After Four Decades of Chronic Tension by Lena Pollack appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> What is the Polyvagal Theory? https://somaticmovementcenter.com/what-is-polyvagal-theory/ Thu, 13 Jan 2022 13:34:18 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=15553 What is the Polyvagal Theory? The Polyvagal Theory is a theory proposed by Stephen Porges that describes how the mammalian autonomic nervous system evolved to keep us safe and alive. As mammals evolved from reptiles, our autonomic nervous system developed to automatically communicate with other mammals and engage different self-defense systems when needed. When our [...]

The post What is the Polyvagal Theory? appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> The Diverse Ways in Which SMC® CEI instructors Use Clinical Somatics to Help People https://somaticmovementcenter.com/smc-cei-instructors/ Fri, 09 Apr 2021 15:14:57 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=15049 The Diverse Ways in Which SMC® CEI Instructors Use Clinical Somatics to Help People The Somatic Movement Center® Certified Exercise Instructor (SMC® CEI) program was born out of a desire to make Clinical Somatic Education accessible worldwide. With the three in-person training schools all located in the United States, bringing the training online has [...]

The post The Diverse Ways in Which SMC® CEI instructors Use Clinical Somatics to Help People appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> Meditation Series https://somaticmovementcenter.com/meditation-series/ Thu, 03 Dec 2020 15:35:11 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=14728 Over the next few months I'll be offering a series of guided meditations for beginners on YouTube. Some of them are true somatic meditations—exploring breath sensations, internal bodily sensations, and noticing and releasing tension throughout the body. Others will explore ideas such as attention and awareness, energy, and love. Click the titles or the [...]

The post Meditation Series appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> 12 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Meditation https://somaticmovementcenter.com/health-benefits-meditation/ Thu, 05 Nov 2020 15:24:59 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=14651 12 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Meditation To say that it's been a stressful year would be an understatement. If you don't meditate, you may have considered starting as a way to calm your mind, stop worrying, and get better sleep. But starting a meditation practice can be daunting. How can you fit it into [...]

The post 12 Scientifically Proven Health Benefits of Meditation appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> Karoshi: Is Working Long Hours Worth the Health Risks? https://somaticmovementcenter.com/karoshi/ Wed, 17 Jun 2020 18:44:58 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=14102 Karoshi: Is Working Long Hours Worth the Health Risks? In 1969, a 29-year-old man working in the shipping department of Japan's largest newspaper died suddenly of a stroke. While at first his case was called occupational sudden death, it was later determined that his stroke was caused by shift work and an increased workload. [...]

The post Karoshi: Is Working Long Hours Worth the Health Risks? appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> Chronic Tension in Facial Muscles Can Keep You Stuck in Stress and Emotions https://somaticmovementcenter.com/facial-muscles/ Thu, 02 Apr 2020 14:15:15 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=13738 Chronic Tension in Facial Muscles Can Keep You Stuck in Stress and EmotionsIf you've ever watched the TV show Lie To Me, you know that people automatically express their emotions through their facial expressions, whether they want to or not. Our nervous system is hardwired to contract our mimetic muscles (facial muscles) in certain patterns [...]

The post Chronic Tension in Facial Muscles Can Keep You Stuck in Stress and Emotions appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> The Latest Wonder Drug Is Free, and It’s All Around Us https://somaticmovementcenter.com/prescribing-outdoor-time/ Wed, 04 Mar 2020 14:54:40 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=13621 The Latest Wonder Drug Is Free, and It's All Around Us Screens have taken over our lives, and we've reached a point in our existence where we need a doctor to tell us to get outside. A study done in the mid-1990s showed that we spend about 87% of our time in enclosed buildings, [...]

The post The Latest Wonder Drug Is Free, and It’s All Around Us appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection https://somaticmovementcenter.com/when-the-body-says-no/ Wed, 26 Feb 2020 19:52:06 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=13581 When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection “If you can't say no, your body will do it for you.” You may have experienced coming down with a cold after a period of high stress. You've worked long days, not slept enough, and put your needs last—and as a result, your immune system [...]

The post When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> Why Body-Centered Therapies Help Heal Post-Traumatic Stress https://somaticmovementcenter.com/ptsd/ Tue, 11 Feb 2020 14:54:27 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=13563 Why Body-Centered Therapies Help Heal Post-Traumatic Stress About one-half of adults in the U.S. experience at least one traumatic event during their lives. It might be a violent attack, accident, military combat, natural or human-caused disaster, or physical, verbal, or sexual abuse. People who have experienced trauma, whether or not they get diagnosed with [...]

The post Why Body-Centered Therapies Help Heal Post-Traumatic Stress appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> Good vs. Bad Stress: The Critical Difference Between Challenge and Threat https://somaticmovementcenter.com/challenge-threat-stress-response/ Wed, 04 Dec 2019 19:58:25 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=13352 Good vs. Bad Stress: The Critical Difference Between Challenge and Threat When we're faced with a potentially stressful situation, we automatically and subconsciously ask ourselves two questions: First: Could this situation cause me harm or loss, or is there potential benefit? Second: Am I capable of handling this situation? This is the transactional model [...]

The post Good vs. Bad Stress: The Critical Difference Between Challenge and Threat appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> New Research on How Stress Affects Inflammation, Neurodegeneration, the Gut Microbiome, Cancer Treatment, and Relationships https://somaticmovementcenter.com/new-research-stress/ Wed, 06 Nov 2019 15:04:39 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=13191 New Research on How Stress Affects Inflammation, Neurodegeneration, the Gut Microbiome, Cancer Treatment, and RelationshipsStress is a particular passion of mine—I love learning how to reduce negative stress, and I'm fascinated by the ways stress affects our health. This is the first in a series of posts I'll be writing about stress in the coming [...]

The post New Research on How Stress Affects Inflammation, Neurodegeneration, the Gut Microbiome, Cancer Treatment, and Relationships appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> Breathing in Clinical Somatics exercises https://somaticmovementcenter.com/breathing/ Sun, 30 Jun 2019 18:53:07 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=12163 Breathing in Clinical Somatics exercises Many students ask me how to breathe correctly when practicing Clinical Somatics exercises. Your breathing pattern is more important in some exercises than others, depending on whether or not the exercise includes extension (arching) or flexion (curling) of the spine. In this article I'll describe why diaphragmatic breathing is important, [...]

The post Breathing in Clinical Somatics exercises appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> The Anatomy of Your Tension Headache https://somaticmovementcenter.com/anatomy-tension-headache/ Sun, 07 Apr 2019 16:33:25 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=11654 The Anatomy of Your Tension Headache If you're reading this post, you may be one of the 45 million Americans who suffer from chronic headaches. Headaches are one of the most frustrating pain conditions because the causes are so varied and can seem completely mysterious. In fact, over 150 different types of headache have [...]

The post The Anatomy of Your Tension Headache appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> The Life-Changing Link Between Anxiety and Muscle Tension https://somaticmovementcenter.com/anxiety-muscle-tension/ Wed, 03 Apr 2019 15:27:11 +0000 https://somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=11618 You can listen to Sarah's podcast on this topic here: The Life-Changing Link Between Anxiety and Muscle Tension Anxiety is thought of as a psychological disorder, but it actually involves many systems of the body. Anxiety is a true “somatic” condition: It is typically brought on and made worse not by any external source [...]

The post The Life-Changing Link Between Anxiety and Muscle Tension appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]> Somatic Relaxation Exercises https://somaticmovementcenter.com/somatic-relaxation-exercises/ Wed, 29 Jun 2016 21:03:38 +0000 http://www.somaticmovementcenter.com/?p=7257 In this short Somatics class, you'll learn gentle movements that release chronic muscular tension in the lower back, abdomen, shoulders, chest, face and jaw. Did you know that chronic muscular tension is directly linked to psychological stress? Human beings are naturally well equipped to recover from short-term, life-threatening stress. Unfortunately, long-term, psychological stress stays with [...]

The post Somatic Relaxation Exercises appeared first on Somatic Movement Center.

]]>