Disclaimer: I am a somatic therapy coach, not a psychologist or medical professional. This is intended to educate, inspire and support you healing stress and embodying your highest self. Some content might be sensitive; I invite you to practice self-harmonizing.

More research is demonstrating the importance of the body in mental/emotional health. Read that again.

Here’s the deal; In a stressor, there is a natural physiological response to contract shoulders towards hips as a protection reaction.

Whether that threat is real (a tiger, gun shots) or imagined (thinking about finances), it doesn’t matter… the bodymind responds in this same way.

We do this to protect our vital organs, throat, face and eyes. Because the nervous system has one primary job; safety for survival of self & species.

Stress induces this posture AND this posture induces more stress…and here’s the kicker… we remain in this posture far… too… often… seated…

I remember my chiropractors, ARTs, myofascial therapists, etc. growing up ALL would tell me, “sitting is the new smoking”. Now decades later, I understand how correct they truly were!

You know the posture;

I don’t know this woman modeling a bad posture but she’s adorable

Hunchback/leaning forward
Shoulders tensely riding up to the ears
Forward head carriage aka text neck
Sore neck and upper back, low back pain
Core unengaged
Glutes getting soft

…does this (bad) posture seem familiar?

When we are in a posture of stress; we are contracted, tense, hunched over. Conversely, when we are hunched over, tense, contracted we unconsciously signal to the nervous system to prepare for more stress!

… and so the cycle goes.

We can’t control traffic or if a loved one gets cancer, but we can consciously control how we engage with muscles that have a direct connection to our stress response, our nervous system health & harmony

here are 4 muscles to release and build resilience for:

*Note: especially when beginning somatic work, less is more. Start slow and gentle. Notice what comes up, what you feel. Presence, sensation, feeling often have to be relearned. Somatic work for stress reduction and nervous system health & harmony isn’t about powering through. Make sure to have a good support system; partner, friends also doing somatic work, a coach or therapist, etc.

psoas

The psoas is the main muscle that contracts your body into fetal position under a stressor.

It attaches the lumbar (lower) spine, hip and upper leg together.

You might have heard the term iliopsoas; which is the combination of the psoas and iliacus muscles.

This one is made really bad by sitting! I used to sit for 12ish hours a day for the startups I worked on! Working at a desk, driving to work, cheeky glass of wine with girlfriends, eating dinner, watching TV, reading a book… time sitting adds up!

Psoas is a very deep muscle, hard to palpate on your own. I suggest finding a great myofascial therapist to support you in releasing tension from the psoas.

Additionally, I have found TRE (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises) is an effective and accessible method to release the psoas as well! And something you can learn to eventually do on your own!

SCM

SCM stands for sternocleidomastoid but you won’t be tested on that, we’ll just say SCM.

The SCM is the largest and most superficial muscle on the front of your neck. Since it’s superficial, it’s very easy to find and palpate! It connects the base of the skull (behind the ear) to the collarbone and sternum.

It aids in movement to turn and protect our head (face, eyes, brain, etc.). And is working haaaaard with bad posture, tech neck, etc.

For exevery inch (2.5 cm) your head is in front of your shoulders, it add ten pounds (4.5 kg) of weight! That’s a lot of extra weight thats straining your neck and shoulder muscles!

Fascinating fact: SCM is one of only two muscles in the body that are innervated by a cranial nerve!

If you were wondering, the Accessory Nerve (cranial nerve 11) innervates both the SCM and the trapezius.

Additionally the vagus nerve is close to surface behind the ears and down the neck so your working with cranial nerves 11 AND 10 (vagus nerve).

So lots of reasons to release this neck muscle and improve your damn posture as a priority for nervous system health!

I personally love myofascial release, tapping/EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), gua sha and dry brush on my neck! Chanting is also a great way to gently coax open the SCM muscle.

eye muscles

I already mentioned that when we contract shoulders towards hips, we do this to protect the organs vital to our survival; heart, stomach, intestines, eyes, etc.

The eyes are very important to our safety, survival, nervous system, but did you know the eyes are actually part of our brain!

Additionally we are in stress mode (sympathetic or shutdown), we are not in social engagement (more on Polyvagal Theory later).

One characteristic of social engagement is eye contact, curiosity, connection, calm vitality; an ability to see with greater perspective.

When we stare at a screen for hours on end, we are fixating on one point, tightening (constricting, narrowing) muscles around the eyes.

You can use somatic therapy modalities like tapping/EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and gua sha to release tension from the eyes. Also another good practice to get in the habit of is to take lots of screen breaks!

diaphragm

The diaphragm is a dome-shaped breathing muscle, located in the torso, that connects sternum, ribs and lumbar (lower) spine.

It is essential to inspiration, the inhale of respiration, receiving life-sustaining energy.

We already discussed that when stressed (in a bad posture of hunched shoulders to hips), we reduce the amount of space available for the diaphragm to move and breathe.

Additionally, when stressed, we restrict breath to become less detectable to predators (threats, stressors). This restricted breath is shallow (high in the chest) which atrophies the diaphragm.

So we can create change by releasing the diaphragm so we can learn to take longer, deeper breaths to restore ourselves back to health, growth and restoratation.

Working with the diaphragm is particularly effective because the respiratory system is both conscious and unconscious! Meaning we can voluntarily work with autonomic nervous system!!! SO FREAKING COOL!

*Caveat here… the breath can be a particularly activating aspect of the body. Proceed with caution and support of experienced practitioner.

Wanna know one somatic therapy method that works with all four of these… kundalini yoga!

Which of these muscles are you going to explore working with?

infinite health & growth,
Stephanie

resources

Forward Head Posture on Chiro

Seeing Beyond the Eye: The Brain Connection on Frontiers

The retina as a window to the brain—from eye research to CNS disorders on Nature