Balance, Resilience, and Renewal: Somatic Healing for Women

Women are often asked to carry so much. Along with carrying our own energetics, we also do the lifting for family members, co-workers or business partners, relationships, and of course, there’s the constant twist and twirls of life. Somewhere in the midst of it all, stress settles into our muscles, burnout lingers in our chest, and those unspoken emotions hide quietly in our body.

I know this far too well. After moving through some of the deepest losses and transitions in my 20s and 30s, I struggled with physical tension and mental discomfort. After becoming a yoga teacher in 2003, I discovered that my body was holding far more than I realized. Although I was in therapy to address my mental heaviness, I soon realized it was through my body that would be the true doorway back to myself. Breath, gentle movement, and moments of stillness became my lifelines. Healing did not come from pushing harder, it came from softening, from creating space to feel, releasing, and remembering I am worthy of rest.

Over the years of guiding women through meditation, yogic movement, and somatic practices, I have seen the same transformation repeat itself. When women reconnect with their bodies, something magical happens. Stress begins to unravel, burdens feel lighter, and our inner wisdom rises to the surface.

What Is Somatic Healing?

At its heart, somatic healing is about remembering that the body and mind are not separate. Every experience, whether joy or heartbreak, leaves an imprint. When heavy imprints aren’t tended to, they can show up as tension, fatigue, anxiety, or even illness.

Somatic practices help us meet those imprints with care and grace. By engaging the nervous system through breath, movement, touch, and stillness, we are reminded the body is safe. In that blanket of safety, healing becomes possible and the soul has time to regulate. I often remind myself and others, the body doesn’t  need to be forced, it knows how to return to balance when we give it the space to be.

Why It Matters for Women

Women’s health isn’t only shaped by biology, but it’s also intertwined with the invisible weight of expectations. Many of us are taught to keep going even when we are exhausted, to silence emotions, and to put others before ourselves. From childhood to womanhood, this disconnects us from the rhythms and wisdom of our own bodies.

Somatic healing invites us to return and come back into alignment with our authentic self. Here’s how it actually supports women.

• Calms the stress response and eases burnout.
• Releases trauma that lives in the body.
• Honors our hormonal and energetic cycles.
• Builds emotional resilience.
• Returns us to empowerment and wholeness.
• When we stop pushing against our bodies and begin listening, we find a different kind of strength that is rooted, feminine, and deeply sustainable.

Five Somatic Practices for Women’s Health

To support you on your healing path, here are five gentle practices you can try at home. Each one is simple, yet powerful, and can be easily woven into your daily life. I suggest starting out with one that resonates with you, and also think about how you want to merge it into your life with ease.

1. Breath as Medicine: Try inhaling through your nose for four counts, then exhaling softly through your mouth for six counts. This extended exhale tells your body it is safe, and helps calm your nervous system. I suggest doing this 1-3 minutes when you feel overwhelmed or anxious.
    
2. Grounding through Movement: Stand barefoot on the earth, walk slowly, or flow through a few gentle movements that feel good to your body. Let movement remind you that you are here, supported, and connected. Grounding into nature is always a beautiful technique to support you in arriving and being present. If you can’t get outside, no worries. Do the same practice anytime you need a quick reset.
    
3. Journaling with the Body in Mind: Before you begin writing in your favorite journal, pause and notice your body and breath. Observe all the sensations by scanning from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes. Notice if there are feelings of openness, tension, exhaustion, or steadiness. Keep in mind, different areas of your body will not feel the same, and that’s okay. After you take 10–20 breaths while scanning the body, move into your journaling practice. This simple approach creates a deeper bridge between body and mind.
    
4. Touch and Self-Soothing: Place one hand at the center of your chest and the other on your belly. Close your eyes and breathe 7-10 breaths. This simple act of self-touch signals comfort, care, and it reminds you that you are not alone. You can do this standing, seated, and on your back. I love doing this before bed as a way to soothe my nervous system, and seal in my time of rest and renewal.
    
5. Restorative Stillness: Lie on your back, close your eyes, and give yourself 10–15 minutes of quiet rest. This is not about sleep. It is about allowing your body to reset and experience spaciousness. You will be surprised how quickly your body drops into a place of calm and receptivity. When I do this practice, I always come out reflecting on the fact that stillness is medicine.

Somatic healing is not a quick fix. It is an ongoing relationship with your body and mind that opens a path of listening, honoring, and reconnecting. For women, it offers a sacred return to wholeness, and a lovely way of tending to ourselves that nourishes every part of who we are. Each time you pause to breathe, move gently, journal with awareness, or rest with intention, you are doing more than easing stress. You are remembering who you are, reclaiming your balance, and choosing yourself unapologetically.

On Campus

Reclaim Your Radiance

A feminine nervous system and somatic healing experience

November 28–30, 2025