Somatic exercises for beginners: 7 simple practices to start with

Somatic exercises are gentle, body-based practices that help you notice what’s happening inside you, such as your breath, muscle tension and how settled or on edge you feel, and respond with small actions that help you steady yourself. For beginners, short daily practices like a longer out-breath, feeling your feet on the floor and slowly looking around the room are a good place to start.

What are somatic exercises?

“Soma” comes from the Greek word for the body. The philosopher and educator Thomas Hanna coined the term “somatics” in 1976 to describe the body as it’s experienced from the inside, rather than looked at from the outside.

Somatic exercises put that idea into practice. Instead of working towards a shape, a number of reps or a target, you move slowly and pay attention to sensation. You might notice where you’re holding tension, how your breathing changes, or the moment your shoulders drop.

Many people use somatic exercises to support nervous system regulation: getting better at noticing when they’re wired, on edge or shut down, and finding small ways back to feeling steady.

Is somatic yoga the same as somatic exercises?

They overlap. “Somatic yoga” usually describes slow, mindful yoga-style movement where the focus is on what you feel inside, not on how a pose looks. Somatic exercises is a broader term that also covers breathing, grounding, self-touch and simple orienting practices that don’t look like yoga at all.

If you enjoy movement, somatic yoga classes can be a lovely way in. If yoga isn’t for you, or moving feels hard right now, the practices below can be done sitting in a chair.

How do I start somatic exercises as a beginner?

Start small. One or two minutes, once or twice a day, is plenty. The aim isn’t to feel calm on demand; it’s to get curious about what’s happening in your body and to notice what helps.

• Check in first. Ask yourself whether you feel wired and revved up, settled enough, or flat and far away. Different practices suit different states.
• Go slowly. Slower usually means you notice more.
• Stay in charge. You can stop at any point. Nothing needs to be pushed through.
• Notice, don’t judge. Some days a practice will help a lot, some days not much. Both are useful information.

The idea of a “window of tolerance”, introduced by Dr Dan Siegel in 1999, is a helpful map here: most of us move above, inside and below our window through the day, and somatic practices can help us spend more time inside it.

7 somatic exercises for beginners

1. Check in with your body

1 minute · any time

1. Pause and notice your breathing, without changing it.
2. Scan slowly from your head to your feet. Where do you feel tension, warmth, heaviness, or not much at all?
3. Ask: am I above, inside or below my window right now?

2. The longer out-breath

1–5 minutes · when you feel wired or on edge

1. Breathe in gently through your nose for a count of four.
2. Breathe out slowly for a count of six.
3. Repeat for about six breaths. If counting feels stressful, just let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath.

The NHS also suggests a simple breathing exercise for stress: breathing gently into your belly, counting from one to five on the in-breath and the out-breath, for at least five minutes.

3. Feet on the floor

1–2 minutes · when you feel far away or overwhelmed

1. Sit or stand with both feet flat on the floor.
2. Press down gently and notice the ground pressing back.
3. Notice the weight of your body in the chair or on your legs.

4. Look around the room

1 minute · when you feel foggy, shut down or panicky

1. Slowly turn your head and let your eyes move around the room.
2. Name three things you can see: a colour, a shape, something you like.
3. Let your gaze rest on whatever feels most pleasant or neutral.

5. Hand on heart

1–2 minutes · when you feel anxious, low or self-critical

1. Place one or both hands on your chest, or anywhere that feels comforting, such as your belly or upper arms.
2. Notice the warmth and gentle pressure of your hands.
3. If it feels right, say something kind to yourself, like “this is hard, and I’m doing my best.”

6. Push and release

1 minute · when you feel tense, stuck or restless

1. Press your palms together firmly in front of your chest, or push your hands against a wall.
2. Hold for a slow count of five to ten, feeling your arms and shoulders work.
3. Let go completely and notice the difference. Repeat two or three times.

7. Gentle shake or sway

1–2 minutes · when you feel buzzy or can’t settle

1. Stand and gently shake out your hands, then your arms, shoulders and legs.
2. Or sway slowly from side to side, letting your arms swing.
3. Finish by standing still for a few breaths and noticing how you feel now.

Want these as a printable sheet? Join the free Weekly Nervous System Reset for one short email each Sunday, or download the free guide Get Out of Your Head: 7 body-based ways to calm anxiety.

How often should I do somatic exercises?

Little and often tends to work better than a long session once in a while. Try one practice in the morning, one before a moment you know will be stressful, and one as you wind down in the evening. Over a few weeks, you’ll start to notice which ones help you most, and in which states.

Are somatic exercises safe for everyone?

These practices are gentle, but paying attention to your body can sometimes bring up strong feelings or memories, especially if you’ve been through difficult experiences. If that happens, stop, open your eyes if they’re closed, and look around the room. You don’t need to push through.

Somatic exercises are general self-care. They aren’t a treatment for any medical or mental health condition, and they aren’t a substitute for therapy or medical care. If you have a health condition, an injury or you’re pregnant, check with your GP before starting new movement.

When might one-to-one support help?

Self-guided practices are a great start. One-to-one somatic coaching can help if you’d like support working out what your own patterns are, why certain situations set you off, and which tools work for you. In my online somatic coaching, we map how your nervous system responds to stress and build practical tools together, at your pace.

Quick answers

Sources

• Thomas Hanna coined “somatics” in 1976: Thomas Louis Hanna, Wikipedia
• Breathing exercises for stress, NHS
• Window of tolerance (Siegel, 1999): Psychology Tools

Related support: Online somatic coaching · The vagus nerve and feeling safe in your body · Free body check-in and breathing pause

This article is for general information. Coaching is not a substitute for therapy or medical care. If you’re in the UK and need urgent help, call 999, NHS 111 (option 2) or Samaritans on 116 123. If you’re elsewhere, contact your local emergency services.