🌿 Mindful Monday: Shake It Out!

🌿 Mindful Monday: Shake It Out!

A Simple Somatic Reset to Reconnect With Your Body

When life gets busy, we can spend so much time in our heads that we forget to check in with our bodies. We carry tension in our shoulders, clench our jaws, tighten our hands, and sometimes don't even realize we're holding our breath!

This week, let's try something a little different. Instead of sitting still and trying to relax, let's get moving! 💃

🫨 Try the “Shake It Out” Experiment

Put on your favourite upbeat song and give yourself a minute or two to move!

• Shake your hands and arms. Let your wrists loosen and your shoulders move.

• Roll your shoulders and gently bounce your legs. Allow your body to move in whatever way feels comfortable.

• Wiggle, stretch, or sway. There is no right or wrong way to do this. You don't need to dance or look a certain way!

Then, stop moving and stand or sit quietly for a moment.

Take a slow breath and notice your body.

What do you feel now?

Are your shoulders softer? Do your hands feel different? Are you more aware of tension you hadn't noticed before? Has your breathing changed?

You don't need to feel relaxed or experience a dramatic shift. The goal isn't to force tension away—it's to become more aware of what's happening in your body.

💚 Why Try This?

Somatic practices encourage us to pay attention to the connection between our bodies, sensations, emotions, and experiences. Gentle movement can help us notice where we hold tension and bring our attention back to the present moment.

Sometimes, we need to step away from overthinking and give ourselves permission to move, stretch, and simply feel.

🌿 Your Mindful Monday Challenge

Take one song, shake it out, and then pause.

Notice what your body is telling you.

You don't always have to think your way through everything. Sometimes, you can start by reconnecting with your body.

Until next Monday... loosen up, move a little, and remember to check in with yourself! 💚

— Lisa Deighton Psychotherapy