exercise has been and continues to be so beneficial for my mental health. I do martial arts & strength training. during my active recovery days, I go for walks and of course: I dance everyday 😊
- make a somatic dancing playlist
- it can be as short as one song, three songs, or 40 songs like mine is
- if you are trying to make dancing a regular practice, you can utilize technology to automatically start playing music at a certain time each day (e.g. morning or bedtime).
tips for your somatic dance practice
- if you're new to dancing, shy, or self-conscious start by just moving one body part. you can do that for a full song if that's what feels safe and comfortable for you.
experienced dancers can try this too if you like; it helps you bring awareness to your body.
I just did my daily dance practice and I feel so much better. If you're looking for some songs to get you moving and feeling good, my favourites today were shake it to the max (fly) remix, nena by yendry, bob the builder by Lady Lava & los caminos de la vida by los diablitos.
Aw, thank you so much Krystal. I appreciate you!
Please read this brilliant interview with my friend, Yasmine Simone Gray @ysimone.bsky.social, who is doing vital work: www.nature.com/articles/s44...
"My experience with psychiatrists was that I was either seen as ‘too high-functioning to require support’ or ‘too complex to receive support’..."
🥹
C-PTSD is so exhausting. Even with eating protein in my diet, getting 8 hours of sleep... Ice can make my eyes look less tired and wake me up a bit but all I can do for the fatigue is try to work with it. Try to be flexible. Try to rest when it's time to rest. Can be frustrating tho.
It's hard for the body to panic/ruminate/freak out when you introduce such a strong temperature change. Then all the body's attention goes to trying to figure out how to lower the temp or acclimate. Good distraction when you need one.
Ice is also integral to my c-ptsd healing. It was one of the earliest nervous system self regulation tools I learned. I dunked my face in an ice water bath this morning; I drank ice water today; I held ice cubes in my hands last light. It's a TIPP skill - helps lower the intensity of big feelings.
For two years my biggest c-ptsd symptom was dissociation. I still have that; still do that. But I'm finding myself "more awake" in different pockets of time this past month. And it's making me very angry! I'm told that when we come out of freeze mode, we have to pass through fight and/or flight 1st.
Yesterday's somatic exercise was grounding through artwork. I traced my feet on a piece of paper, choosing colours that represented how my feet were feeling. I drew patterns inside each foot. I also asked myself - how are my feet feeling? Which made me realize they needed some TLC.
Today's Somatic Exercise was healing hands. I thought about times when my hands were healing - e.g. while holding a baby. When I hold an infant, my hands are loving. Protective. I rubbed my hands together to generate heat & reflected on this. I put my hands to the part of my body that needed warmth.
I haven't set out the yoga mat for SE and the chair I sometimes sit in to practice is cluttered with clothing. So I'm taking ten minutes to get fresh air and then clean up. The thing with c-ptsd is I can lose a lot of time. The longer I delay using my tools, the worse things can get.
for me c-ptsd looks like:
- flashbacks
- depression
- rumination
- overthinking
- many thoughts that don't lead to action; that keep me stuck
- overwhelm
- freeze response
- anger
- irritation
- small tasks feel like mountains
today is one of those days that living with c-ptsd feels extra difficult. I actually haven't made time to do SE today even though it will only take five minutes.
We all have our go-to trauma responses. Freeze, Flight, Fawn, Fight. My default tends to be Freeze. The hardest part is just getting myself to take notice, that oh, I'm in the freeze state, so that I can use the appropriate tools.
The "exercise" can look like dancing for at least three minutes, going for a brisk walk, or vigorously shaking your body. Ice also helps "wake me up" from the freeze state which often feels zombie like, or like I'm just in a dream.
Signs of being in the freeze state include dissociating through increased screen time (tv, phone, tablet etc), low energy, and not moving around much. My tried and true ways of getting out of the freeze state are a) to recognize when I'm in it b) avoid screens for at least 10 minutes & c) exercise.
the time period of 2021 - 2022 was so rough. It weighs on me in ways that feel so heavy and immovable at times.
What do you guys want to learn about somatic experiencing? What can I teach you about it? Especially from the lens of a Queer Black woman living with C-PTSD who is using it to heal from developmental trauma and racial battle fatigue.
I wanted a specific outcome today that I unfortunately don't believe I achieved so it's been tough. But breathing, shaking, and getting sunlight will help me ease the pain of it all. And return to a safer and calmer baseline.
Today I wasn't able to pause and ask that question. But in hindsight I realize I was engaging in dissociation to run away from the feeling of perceived rejection and perceived failure. We can ground ourselves in these moments through gentle self-touch or vigorous movement (e.g. shaking).
Somatic experiencing is also about pausing to notice the times when you want to leave your body. When it feels safer to dissociate. In these moments you can ask yourself: what am I running from? Usually it's a painful feeling which could come from our thoughts or a past experience.
Today's somatic practice is just a deep breath. That's all I can manage right now. Inhale. Exhale. Notice how your diaphragm rises and falls. Keep the exhale longer than the inhale, to promote greater relaxation.
Today I experienced peak nervous system dysregulation. It was a reminder that that's just what our bodies do sometimes. And while it's easy for me to do SE during specific scheduled time frames, ultimately, the goal of the practice is to be able to draw on it in high stress times when it's not easy.
I have something important happening tomorrow which is triggering the anxiety. You always hear people talk about how when you're about to level up, that can feel really dysregulating for our nervous system. Maybe because it challenges core limiting beliefs. & change is hard. Be gentle with you.
Some of my favourite ways to "get back into my body" are everyday things. A warm shower. A hot drink. My anxiety is very high at the moment so I'm going to take a shower. I'm going to try to calm my nervous system down with dim lighting, lavender, and basil.
Today's somatic practice | knocking on heaven's door | place feet wider than hip width apart. hands loosely at your side. Twist, slowly. Increase speed as desired. Notice touch points - feel your hands tap your hips and butt. | Helps relieve trapped emotions in the body. Might make you laugh or cry.
A snapshot of today's somatic practice. | Self-touch can remind us of our own bodily ownership. Either in my head or out loud, I like to do this practice while affirming "these are my arms". This exercise also helps strengthen our vagus nerve.
