This article is part of our Complete Guide to Nervous System Regulation. New to emotional fitness? Start there.

Anxiety lives in your body. Not just your mind.

Your racing heart, tight chest, and clenched jaw aren’t just symptoms of anxious thoughts—they’re part of anxiety itself. Your body holds onto stress, trauma, and fear in your muscles, fascia, and nervous system patterns.

Somatic exercises work directly with these physical patterns. Instead of trying to think your way out of anxiety, you work with your body to release what’s stored there.

The word “somatic” comes from the Greek “soma,” meaning body. Somatic practices recognize that your body has its own wisdom, its own memory, and its own capacity to release and reset—if you know how to work with it.

Best somatic exercises for anxiety:

  1. Therapeutic shaking - Discharge stress through intentional tremoring (3-5 min)
  2. Grounding through feet - Connect to the earth to calm racing thoughts (2-3 min)
  3. Butterfly hug - Bilateral tapping for self-soothing (2-3 min)
  4. Gentle rocking - Rhythmic movement for nervous system settling (2-5 min)
  5. Body scanning with curiosity - Notice sensations without judgment (5-7 min)
  6. Pushing against a wall - Restore sense of agency and strength (1-2 min)
  7. Slow mindful walking - Movement meditation for grounding (5-10 min)
  8. Self-holding - Physical touch to release oxytocin (2-5 min)
  9. Vocal toning and humming - Stimulate vagus nerve through vibration (2-3 min)
  10. Shake and settle - Complete stress cycle with activation and rest (3-4 min)

Try them in order, or jump to whichever feels most accessible to you right now.

1. Therapeutic Shaking (Tremoring)

Time: 3-5 minutes

Animals shake after stressful experiences. A gazelle that escapes a lion doesn’t just walk away—it shakes violently for several minutes, discharging the stress hormones from its system. Then it returns to grazing as if nothing happened.

Humans have this same mechanism. We’ve just learned to suppress it because shaking in public feels vulnerable or embarrassing. Intentional shaking reclaims this natural release.

How to Practice

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent
  2. Begin bouncing gently from your knees—your feet stay on the ground, but your body bounces up and down
  3. Let the movement spread naturally—let your shoulders shake, your arms wobble, your head bob
  4. After 30 seconds, increase the intensity if it feels natural
  5. Let the shaking be messy and uncoordinated—there’s no “right way”
  6. Shake your hands out vigorously at your sides
  7. Allow sounds—sighs, exhales, even sounds without meaning
  8. Continue for 3-5 minutes
  9. Gradually slow down over 30 seconds
  10. Stand still with eyes closed and notice how your body feels now

What You Might Experience

Warmth spreading through your limbs. A sense of settling or landing in your body. Sometimes emotions surface—this is your body releasing. Let them move through without judging.

2. Grounding Through Feet

Time: 2-3 minutes

When anxiety strikes, your attention often shoots up into your head—racing thoughts, worst-case scenarios, mental loops. Foot grounding brings your awareness back down, activating the ventral vagal system and signaling safety.

How to Practice

  1. Sit or stand with both feet flat on the floor
  2. Remove your shoes if possible—direct contact enhances the effect
  3. Press down through your feet, noticing the ground supporting you
  4. Spread your toes, then relax them
  5. Rock gently forward to your toes, then back to your heels
  6. Feel the entire surface area of each foot
  7. Imagine roots growing from your feet into the earth
  8. With each exhale, let your weight drop down through your feet
  9. If standing, slightly bend your knees and bounce gently, feeling the ground push back
  10. Stay here for 10-15 slow breaths

What You Might Experience

A sense of heaviness in a good way—feeling “landed” or “arrived.” Your breath may slow naturally. The spinning quality of anxiety often settles as attention moves downward.

3. The Butterfly Hug (Bilateral Stimulation)

Time: 2-3 minutes

The butterfly hug uses bilateral stimulation—alternating left-right sensory input—to help process stress and calm the nervous system. This technique comes from EMDR therapy but works as a standalone anxiety practice.

How to Practice

  1. Cross your arms over your chest, with fingertips resting near your collarbones or shoulders
  2. Interlock your thumbs—this creates the “butterfly” shape
  3. Close your eyes or soften your gaze downward
  4. Begin tapping alternately—right hand, left hand, right hand, left hand
  5. Keep the rhythm slow and steady (about one tap per second)
  6. Continue for 1-2 minutes
  7. As you tap, you can:
    • Focus on your breath
    • Repeat a calming phrase (“I am safe”)
    • Simply notice sensations without directing attention
  8. When finished, uncross your arms slowly
  9. Take a moment to notice any shifts

What You Might Experience

The bilateral movement often creates a settling sensation. You might notice your breath deepening, your shoulders dropping, or your thoughts slowing down. Some people feel emotional—this is the body processing.

4. Gentle Rocking

Time: 2-5 minutes

Rocking is deeply regulating—it’s why we instinctively rock babies and why rocking chairs exist in every culture. The rhythmic, repetitive motion activates the vestibular system and signals safety to the nervous system.

How to Practice

Seated Rocking:

  1. Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor
  2. Begin rocking gently forward and back, or side to side
  3. Let the movement be small and slow
  4. Close your eyes if comfortable
  5. Match your breath to the movement—inhale rocking forward, exhale rocking back
  6. Continue for 2-5 minutes

Fetal Position Rocking:

  1. Lie on your side in a comfortable fetal position
  2. Rock gently forward and back
  3. You can hug your knees or place hands on your heart and belly
  4. Stay here for 2-5 minutes

Standing Rocking:

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart
  2. Shift weight slowly from one foot to the other
  3. Let the movement be gentle, almost imperceptible
  4. Add slight swaying from side to side
  5. Continue for 2-3 minutes

What You Might Experience

Deep comfort and settling. Rocking often brings people back to a preverbal sense of safety. You might feel sleepy, peaceful, or emotionally moved.

5. Body Scanning with Curiosity

Time: 5-7 minutes

This isn’t the typical “relax each part of your body” body scan. Instead, you approach your body with curiosity—noticing sensations without trying to change them. This builds interoceptive awareness and teaches your nervous system that sensations can be felt without danger.

How to Practice

  1. Sit or lie down comfortably
  2. Take three slow breaths to arrive
  3. Start at the top of your head—notice any sensations there
  4. Move slowly down: forehead, eyes, jaw, neck, shoulders
  5. For each area, ask with genuine curiosity: “What’s here?”
  6. Notice without judgment: tightness, warmth, buzzing, numbness, nothing at all
  7. When you find an area of tension, don’t try to relax it—just notice it
  8. Spend 3-5 breaths with each area before moving on
  9. Continue through: chest, upper back, arms, hands, belly, lower back, hips, legs, feet
  10. End by sensing your whole body at once—all sensations simultaneously

What You Might Experience

Increased body awareness. Sometimes tension releases spontaneously when witnessed without judgment. You might notice emotions arising from certain body parts. This is information, not a problem.

6. Pushing Against a Wall

Time: 1-2 minutes

When your nervous system is in a freeze or collapse state, gentle resistance exercises can help restore a sense of agency and power. Pushing against a wall engages your muscles in a way that completes the fight response—without fighting anyone.

How to Practice

  1. Stand facing a wall, about arm’s length away
  2. Place both palms flat against the wall at shoulder height
  3. Lean in slightly and begin pushing
  4. Push with about 50-70% of your strength—firm but not straining
  5. As you push, take slow, deep breaths
  6. Notice the strength in your arms, shoulders, and core
  7. Hold the push for 30 seconds
  8. Release slowly and step back
  9. Shake out your arms gently
  10. Repeat 2-3 times

Variation: Push with your back against the wall, pressing shoulders back into it.

What You Might Experience

A sense of empowerment and aliveness. The resistance often helps people feel more present in their bodies. This is particularly helpful if anxiety has a helpless or trapped quality.

7. Slow, Mindful Walking

Time: 5-10 minutes

Walking meditation has existed for millennia, but somatic slow walking focuses specifically on the body’s experience of movement. It’s particularly useful for anxiety because it requires enough attention that the mind can’t spiral, but the movement keeps you from freezing.

How to Practice

  1. Find a space where you can walk 10-20 feet in a line
  2. Stand at one end, feet hip-width apart
  3. Feel your feet on the ground for a few breaths
  4. Begin to shift your weight to your left foot
  5. Slowly peel your right heel from the ground
  6. Move your right foot forward through the air—notice every inch of movement
  7. Place your right heel down, then roll onto the whole foot
  8. Shift your weight onto the right foot
  9. Repeat with the left foot
  10. Walk to the end of your space, pause, turn slowly, walk back
  11. Keep your gaze soft, eyes looking slightly downward
  12. Continue for 5-10 minutes

What You Might Experience

Time often seems to slow down. Racing thoughts struggle to keep up with such slow movement. You may notice micro-movements and sensations you’ve never been aware of. Many people find this profoundly calming.

8. Self-Holding

Time: 2-5 minutes

Physical touch releases oxytocin and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. You don’t need another person for this—your own touch is remarkably soothing when done with intention.

How to Practice

Hand on Heart:

  1. Place your right hand over your heart
  2. Feel the warmth of your hand, the rise and fall of your chest
  3. Breathe slowly
  4. Optionally add your left hand on top
  5. Stay here for 1-2 minutes

Self-Hug:

  1. Wrap your arms around yourself
  2. Give yourself a firm, present hug
  3. Notice the pressure of your arms
  4. You can gently rock while holding yourself
  5. Stay here for 1-2 minutes

Hand on Belly:

  1. Place one or both hands on your belly
  2. Feel your belly rise and fall with each breath
  3. Let your hands be heavy and warm
  4. Breathe into your hands
  5. Stay here for 1-2 minutes

Face Holding:

  1. Cup your face gently in both hands
  2. Let your hands be warm and supportive
  3. Breathe slowly
  4. This is particularly soothing when you feel overwhelmed

What You Might Experience

Warmth, comfort, settling. Emotions may arise. Self-holding can feel unfamiliar at first—stay with it. The more you practice, the more effective it becomes.

9. Vocal Toning and Humming

Time: 2-3 minutes

Your vagus nerve—the main nerve of your parasympathetic nervous system—passes through your throat. Humming, toning, and vocal vibrations directly stimulate this nerve, creating an immediate calming effect.

How to Practice

Simple Humming:

  1. Take a comfortable breath in
  2. As you exhale, hum at a comfortable pitch
  3. Feel the vibration in your lips, face, and chest
  4. Let the hum be as long as your natural exhale
  5. Inhale, then hum again
  6. Continue for 1-2 minutes

Vowel Toning:

  1. Inhale slowly
  2. Exhale on a long “AHHHH” sound
  3. Next breath: “OHHHHH”
  4. Next breath: “EEEEEE”
  5. Next breath: “MMMMMM”
  6. Repeat the sequence 2-3 times

Low Vibration Toning:

  1. Find the lowest comfortable pitch you can make
  2. Inhale slowly
  3. Exhale on a low “VOOOO” or “HUUUUM”
  4. Feel the vibration deep in your chest
  5. Continue for 1-2 minutes

What You Might Experience

Immediate vagal activation—you may feel your body settle within the first few hums. The vibration often spreads through the chest and creates a sense of internal massage. This is one of the fastest somatic techniques.

10. Shake and Settle

Time: 3-4 minutes

This technique combines shaking with complete stillness, teaching your nervous system the full arc of activation and settling. It’s a complete stress cycle in miniature.

How to Practice

Phase 1: Shake (60-90 seconds)

  1. Stand with soft knees, feet hip-width apart
  2. Begin shaking from your knees—bouncing, wobbling, trembling
  3. Let it build in intensity
  4. Shake your hands out vigorously
  5. Let sound come—sighs, groans, whatever wants to emerge
  6. Really commit to the shaking—get messy

Phase 2: Sudden Stop (30 seconds)

  1. Stop abruptly—freeze in whatever position you’re in
  2. Close your eyes
  3. Don’t try to do anything—just stand completely still
  4. Notice the sensations in your body—buzzing, pulsing, warmth

Phase 3: Settle (90 seconds)

  1. Slowly open your eyes
  2. Sit or lie down
  3. Place a hand on your belly or heart
  4. Take 5-10 slow breaths
  5. Notice how your body feels compared to before

What You Might Experience

The contrast between shaking and stillness often creates profound settling. You may notice energy moving through your body, then landing. Many people feel clearer, lighter, and more present.

Creating Your Somatic Practice Routine

Here’s what I’ve noticed working with StillMind users: the people who see real change aren’t doing the most exercises—they’re doing a few exercises consistently. Start simple. Choose 2-3 exercises that feel accessible and practice them for a week before adding more.

Sample Daily Routine (10 minutes):

  • Morning: Grounding through feet (2 min) + Vocal humming (2 min)
  • Midday: Self-holding (2 min)
  • Evening: Shake and settle (4 min)

When Anxiety Spikes:

  • Butterfly hug (2 min)
  • Pushing against wall (2 min)
  • Self-holding (1 min)

Weekly Deeper Practice (20-30 minutes):

  • Full body scan with curiosity (7 min)
  • Extended slow walking (10 min)
  • Shake and settle with longer integration (10 min)

For more quick techniques when anxiety strikes suddenly, see 5-Minute Nervous System Reset.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises)?

TRE is a specific somatic practice developed by Dr. David Berceli that uses a series of exercises to deliberately activate the body’s natural tremoring mechanism. Unlike the shaking in this article (which you initiate and control), TRE exercises fatigue certain muscle groups until your body begins tremoring on its own. This neurogenic tremoring can release deep muscular tension and stored stress. TRE is best learned from a certified practitioner first, as the tremoring can be intense and occasionally release strong emotions. Once learned, it can be practiced independently.

How is somatic exercise different from yoga?

Yoga and somatic exercise overlap but have different emphases. Yoga often focuses on achieving specific postures and may emphasize flexibility, strength, or spiritual development. Somatic exercise focuses purely on internal sensation and nervous system regulation—there are no “correct” positions to achieve. In somatic practice, the goal isn’t how a movement looks but how it feels from the inside. That said, many modern yoga approaches incorporate somatic principles, and restorative or trauma-sensitive yoga can be deeply somatic.

How do I know which exercise to choose?

Let your body guide you. If you feel frozen, shut down, or numb, try activating practices like shaking, pushing against the wall, or slow walking. If you feel agitated, wired, or racing, try settling practices like humming, self-holding, or grounding through feet. If you’re not sure, start with the breath-based exercises (humming, sighing) or the grounding practice—these are balancing rather than activating or settling.

Can somatic exercises bring up difficult emotions?

Yes, and this is actually part of how they work. Your body stores unexpressed emotions. When you create safety and space through somatic practice, those stored emotions may surface. This isn’t a sign something is wrong—it’s a sign your body is releasing. Usually, the emotions move through relatively quickly if you stay with them without resistance. However, if you have significant trauma history, consider working with a somatic therapist who can support you through deeper releases.

How long until I notice benefits from somatic practices?

Many techniques create immediate shifts—you may feel different within minutes of practicing humming or shaking. However, deeper changes to your baseline anxiety level typically take consistent practice over weeks. Think of it like physical training: one workout feels good, but lasting fitness requires regular practice. Most people notice significant shifts in their overall anxiety levels after 2-4 weeks of daily practice (even just 10 minutes per day).