I’ve spent so much of my life desperately wanting to be liked.

That meant saying “yes” when my whole body was screaming “no.” It meant shrinking back from my own truth because I was afraid of what might happen if I spoke up. It meant swallowing resentment, walking around with tension in my jaw and shoulders, and convincing myself I was “just being a good person.”

I thought my ability to deeply feel other people’s experiences was what made me kind.

What it actually made me was exhausted.

Activation can be messy, unpredictable, and tangled up in old patterns that are easy for our systems to recall. That’s why activation is most effective when it starts from neutral and a sense of safety. How do we cultivate that in the body?

Movement teaches us that opposing muscles (agonist and antagonist) exist in a constant relationship with one another: front and back, left and right. How can we use the lessons of the body to create more balance in our lives and world?

Pause and feel where you are sitting. Let your exhale lengthen slightly. Imagine your body receiving support from both the ground and the unseen web of community around you. Stay here for three breaths.

To change a manmade system out in the world, we have to change our systems internally, collectively. It starts with each of us.

Most people think back pain starts in the back.
But the truth? It often begins in the front.

The front of the body (the chest, ribs, belly) is where we curl inward when we’re stressed, tired, or protecting ourselves. It’s the pattern of freeze and fawn written in muscle memory.

It’s not a mystery that stress causes pain and pain causes stress. How do we end the vicious cycle of discomfort with movement?

Our eyes and jaw hold subconscious tension that contributes to our lack of energy, brain fog, and neck pain and headaches. How can Somatic Movement help?