3 Trauma Release Exercises You Can Try Today
Maybe it’s the tightness in your shoulders that never quite goes away. The clenched jaw you notice when you’re driving. That heavy feeling in your chest that settles in without warning. These aren’t just random aches—they’re your body’s way of holding onto experiences it hasn’t fully processed yet.
Here’s what I’ve learned in my 20+ years of helping people heal: trauma doesn’t just live in your thoughts. It settles into your tissues, your nervous system, your very cells. And the path to freedom? It runs right through your body.
The beautiful news is that there are simple, gentle ways to release trauma from body tissues that you can start exploring today. These somatic exercises to release trauma work with your body’s innate wisdom, helping you finally let go of what you’ve been carrying.
What Are Trauma Release Exercises?
Tension and trauma releasing exercises are body-centered practices that help your nervous system discharge stored stress and survival energy. They honor the truth that healing isn’t just about talking—it’s about feeling, moving, and allowing your body to complete what it started.
Think about it: when animals in nature face danger, they shake it off afterward. Literally. They tremor, they stretch, they reset. We humans? We’ve learned to hold it all in. To push through. To keep going.
These exercises give your body permission to do what it’s been wanting to do all along—release.
When we experience overwhelming events, our bodies activate survival responses: fight, flight, freeze. Sometimes that energy gets trapped inside, showing up as chronic tension, unexplained anxiety, or that feeling of being stuck. Free somatic exercises to release trauma help complete those interrupted responses, so your nervous system can finally exhale.
How Do You Know Your Body Is Releasing Trauma?
As you practice these stretches to release trauma, you might notice some interesting things happening:
Your body might shake or tremor—especially in your legs or arms. This is good. This is your nervous system discharging what it’s been holding.
You might yawn, sigh deeply, or feel sudden waves of emotion. Tears might come from nowhere. Or unexpected laughter. All of this is your system recalibrating.
You might feel temperature shifts—warmth spreading through your body, or coolness where there was heat.
That tight, heavy feeling might start to lift, replaced by a sense of spaciousness or lightness you haven’t felt in a while.
These aren’t signs that something’s wrong. They’re signs that something’s finally right. Your body is remembering how to heal.
Ready for deeper support on your healing journey? Sometimes processing trauma feels safer with someone walking beside you. Find healing with someone you can trust—I’d be honored to guide you through somatic experiencing techniques tailored to your unique story.
Is trauma Holding you back?
Perhaps you experienced a specific event that left you feeling different, disconnected, or stuck. Or maybe you carry a sense of unease in your body, struggling with anxiety or a feeling that something isn’t quite right.
As a somatic experiencing practitioner I specialize in helping people process and release stored trauma through gentle yet effective methods.
Download my FREE guide “Get Unstuck! The Truth About Body Trauma and How to Break Free’ and learn how to create the future you deserve.
3 Somatic Exercises to Release Trauma You Can Try Right Now
1. The Grounding Body Scan with Shaking
This practice taps into your body’s natural tremor response—the same mechanism that helps animals discharge stress in the wild.
Here’s how:
• Lie down on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor
• Take a few deep breaths and just notice where you’re holding tension
• Starting with your feet, gently begin to shake one leg—keep it loose, unforced
• Let the shaking move up through your leg naturally
• Move to the other leg, then your arms, and if it feels right, your whole body
• Give yourself 5-10 minutes to let whatever wants to move, move
• When you’re done, rest quietly and notice the shift
Don’t force anything. Your body knows what to do. These tension and trauma releasing exercises work best when you trust the process and let your system lead.
2. The Psoas Release with Supported Bridge
Your psoas—that deep hip flexor connecting your spine to your legs—holds so much. Fear, protection, survival instinct. When we soften here, profound healing can happen.
Here’s how:
• Lie on your back and place a yoga block, firm cushion, or rolled towel under your sacrum (that flat bone at the base of your spine)
• Draw your knees toward your chest, holding them gently
• Rock slowly, gently side to side while breathing deeply
• Stay here for 3-5 minutes, letting your psoas soften
• If emotions come up, let them. This area holds a lot
• Slowly remove the support and rest flat, feeling the difference
This gentle approach helps release trauma from body areas that guard your most vulnerable core. Be patient with yourself here.
3. The Pendulation Practice
This exercise teaches your nervous system something powerful: you have options. You’re not stuck. You can move between discomfort and ease.
Here’s how:
• Sit or stand comfortably, close your eyes
• Scan your body and find a place that feels tense or uncomfortable
• Stay with that sensation for 30-60 seconds, breathing into it
• Now shift your attention to somewhere that feels okay, neutral, maybe even good
• Rest there for 30-60 seconds
• Gently move back and forth between these two places
• Repeat 5-10 times
• Notice how your body learns it can shift out of distress
These somatic exercises to release trauma work because they show your nervous system a different possibility—that safety is available, that ease is real.
Moving Forward with Compassion
Listen, I’ve walked this path with hundreds of people over the years. And here’s what I know: healing isn’t linear. It’s not about doing it perfectly. It’s about showing up for yourself with kindness, curiosity, and patience.
Start small. Maybe just five minutes a day with one of these practices. Notice what shifts. Trust what you feel. And remember—every tiny release is your body saying, “I’m ready. I’m healing. I’m finding my way back home.”
Your body has carried you through so much. It deserves your gentleness as it unwinds.
You don’t have to heal alone. As a certified somatic experiencing practitioner with over 20 years of experience helping people break free from trauma, I’d be honored to support you. Find healing with someone you can trust—let’s create a path forward together, one that honors your unique story and your body’s wisdom. Reach out today and let’s begin.
Brianna Anderson, SEP
If you’re ready to begin your healing journey I’m here to help so you can begin to live the life of your dreams
My private practice specializes in helping people who have endured trauma, resolve the symptoms out of their body, mind & spirit so they can feel comfortable in their skin, find inner peace and live the desires of their heart.
I am based out of South Orange County, Ca and offer online therapy sessions. Whether you are just starting your healing journey or ready to try something new, I am here to help.