Small Somatic Practices That Make a Big Difference
Small practices to help you come home to your body, one breath at a time.
You don’t need a retreat.
You don’t need hours carved out of your day.
You just need a few quiet moments and the willingness to meet yourself there.
When stress builds and burnout creeps in, we often try to think our way out. We journal, we plan, we overanalyze. But our bodies — the place where that stress actually lives — often get left behind. That’s where somatic practices come in.
Somatic simply means “of the body.” These exercises are rooted in presence, sensation, and nervous system regulation. They’re not about fixing anything. They’re about feeling: safely, slowly, and with compassion.
Whether you’re deep in burnout or just sensing the early signs, these five gentle practices can help guide you back to center.
The Voo Sound
Polyvagal Toning for a Softer Nervous System
This one may feel a little strange at first and that’s okay. The Voo Sound is a powerful way to activate your vagus nerve, the pathway that helps shift you out of fight-or-flight and into a more regulated, grounded state.
Polyvagal Theory explains how your nervous system responds to stress and safety. By gently stimulating the vagus nerve, polyvagal toning helps signal to your body that you are safe: softening the stress response and inviting calm.
How to Try It:
Sit comfortably and take a deep inhale.
As you exhale, gently say “vooooooo,” letting the sound vibrate through your chest and belly.
Repeat 3–5 times, pausing to notice any sensations that arise.
This is less about volume and more about vibration. You may feel warmth, grounding, or even a subtle release. Let that be enough.
The Look Around
Letting Your Eyes Guide Your Body Into Safety
When we’re stuck in stress or overwhelm, our vision narrows. This is a survival response. But by consciously expanding our gaze, we send a quiet signal to the body: It’s okay to settle.
How to Try It:
Find a space where you feel safe.
Let your eyes move slowly and curiously around the space. Notice light, color, shape, texture. Let your gaze linger on whatever feels soothing, beautiful, or interesting.
As you look, breathe. Let your shoulders drop. Let your jaw soften.
There’s no right object to look at. The medicine is in the wandering. The healing lives in the gentle act of noticing. This small shift in how you see the world can help your body feel like it belongs here again.
The Butterfly Hug
Cross-Body Tapping for Comfort and Connection
This gentle self-soothing practice is often used in EMDR and trauma recovery. It helps regulate the nervous system by offering rhythmic, bilateral stimulation. Which simply means both sides of the body receiving touch in a pattern.
How to Try It:
Cross your arms over your chest so that your hands rest on opposite upper arms or shoulders.
Begin tapping slowly, alternating left and right.
Breathe gently. You can close your eyes if that feels safe.
Let your mind rest on something comforting: a peaceful memory, a place you love, someone who brings ease. You can do this for 1–2 minutes or as long as it feels nourishing.
The Sigh Reset
Micro-Reset for Tension Release
So often, we hold tension we don’t even notice. Often in the jaw, the neck, and the shoulders. The Sigh Reset is a somatic cue to soften. It doesn’t take long, and it doesn’t require a mat or mood lighting. Just you and your breath.
How to Try It:
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
Then sigh it out through your mouth but a real sigh, sound included.
As you exhale, consciously drop your shoulders. Release your belly. Soften your forehead.
Do this 3 times in a row. Notice what shifts. This is a pattern interrupt and a way to step out of survival mode and back into your body.
The Tension Sweep
Letting Go, One Muscle at a Time
Stress often gathers in the body like static. This practice helps you meet it where it lives and move it along with intention.
How to Try It:
Begin either seated or lying down. Close your eyes if that feels safe.
Bring your attention to your feet. Gently squeeze the muscles there and then release.
Move up your body slowly: legs, hips, stomach, hands, arms, shoulders, face.
Each time, squeeze and then exhale and let it go.
This builds somatic awareness. You’re not just releasing tension. You’re reminding your body what it feels like to let go.
Support That Moves With You
These exercises are not meant to “cure” your stress. They’re meant to reconnect you with your body, one moment at a time. They remind you that you are allowed to pause, to soften, to feel.
Burnout doesn’t ask for more productivity.
It asks for presence.
And that’s something you can cultivate gently, slowly, and with grace.
Want support for the days you feel disconnected?
Here are a few soft ways to stay connected to your body and your healing:
• Follow @SproutandSageWellness on Instagram for bite-sized nervous system tips and practices
• Read our first somatic blog: [Somatic Therapy 101: What It Is, Why It Helps, and How to Begin]
• Sign up for our monthly email notes (they’re calm, thoughtful, and never spammy)
• Or just… take a deep breath. You’re doing beautifully.
💛 KD