Somatic Experiencing

SOMATIC
EXPERIENCING

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CCONTENT

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Somatic Experiencing About Emotions

About this tool 15

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EMOTION WHEEL

Somatic eXPERIENCING

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ExTERNAL & INTERNAL SCRIPT FOR BODY
RESOURCES AWARENESS

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About the Author

SOMATIC EXPERIENCING

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EEXXPPEERRII

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SOMATIC EXPERIENCING

About this Tool

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It’s important to find opportunities Connecting with and resourcing
to talk about and explore your your body is a really good way to
emotions. practice...

Talking about emotions with other SELF CARe
people can help you identify your
deepest needs and find ways to This is a great tool to use if you
get those needs met. This tool will feel interested in establishing
guide you through the process of new ways of relating to your
noticing and describing feelings in body or if you want to learn how
your body so you can find balance your emotions are connected to
and calm after talking about your physical sensations.
difficult emotions.

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About Emotions

Emotions are strong feelings that involve a mixture of bodily sensations.
For example, the emotion

“sad” might feel heavy in

your chest, and come with
an urge to cry or hide.

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Emotions can also stir up strong imagery or symbolism.

“Sad” might make you think about the image of....

a broken heart

a wilted flower

A rain cloud

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Managing risk:

If it’s too challenging,
skip it!

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Sometimes talking about and exploring sensations in How wifleleIlkonvoewrwwhheelnmeId?
the body can set off a cascade of unpleasant
memories, thoughts, feelings, and worries.
It is important to plan ahead:

Are my immesdaifaet,ecsoumrfroorutnabdline?gs
mindsetDotoI hdaovtehetsheeaecnteirvgityieosrnroigwh?t

What can I do if Im overwhelmed?
Distract with something fun?
Soothe with something soft ?

whoifwIonueleddIewd manotretoheclapl?l

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If you need more support with this
stuff, you can always reach
LGBT YouthLine

a peer support helpline by and for
2SLGBTQ+ youth in Ontario.

CALl us: 1 800 268 9688
text us: 647 694 4275
Chat with us: www.youthline.ca

We are open:
Sunday Friday
from 4PM 9:30PM E.S.T.

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EMOTION

WHEEL

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This wheel contains emotion
words, or words that describe
feelings. The words at the center
of the circle are core emotions,
and the words in the outer rings
are more specific feelings. There
is no right or wrong way to use this
chart. You can start by scanning
the words to find the ones that
resonate with you. Check in with
yourself multiple times a day:

“How do I feel right now?”

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Adapted from Dr. Gloria Wilcox, 1982
Designed by Mosaiceye

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SOMATIC
EXPERIENCING
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'SomatiC' which comes from the Greek word,
“soma”, meaning body refers to the practice
of paying careful attention to our bodies.

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Somatic experiencing is a It’s important to pay attention to
mindfulness strategy that helps these signals instead of pushing
you connect to what your body is them away or stuffing them down.
saying to you (e.g. “Get out!” or By paying attention, we can find
“Seek comfort” or “Feed me!”). out more information about our
Our body cannot use words to tell emotions and what our body
us what is going on, but it does needs. This understanding will
communicate with us by sending help us learn more about
out signals or body sensations ourselves and increase our ability
that we can check out and to make informed choices for our
investigate further. These signals safety, growth and development.
are our own spidey-sense, or
they’re a part of our intuition. Somatic experiencing involves
noticing, describing,

tracking and resourcing.

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Noticing: Skin temperature: Does
your skin feel hot or
To notice means to pay careful cold to touch? Warm
attention to details. We can
notice what is happening with or slightly cooler?
our bodies by checking out
different sensations. Here are
examples of physical sensations
you can learn to notice:

Digestion: What is your
stomach doing? Noisey
Gurglings or Quiet?

Muscles:Check out
different muscle
groups to sense if they
are tense or relaxed

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Breathing rate: Is your
breathing fast or
slow? Shallow or full?

Sweating: Do you
notice sweat forming
anywhere? Or any
areas of dryness?

Heart rate: Is your
heart beating fast or
slow? Where can you
feel your heartbeat?

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Use this list to check in with yourself at
the same time every day, perhaps at night

before you go to sleep.

Describing:

There are many different sensations
that we can have. Part of becoming
more aware of these sensations
involves learning some extra words that
can help us describe our sensations.
Describing sensations is very helpful for
staying with your feelings and emotions.

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INTENSITY MUSCLE SKIN

SHARP TREMBLING ITCHY
HARD ACHY TINGLING
DULL SWEATY
SOFT SHIVERY GOOSE-
SOLID CRAMPY
PRESSURE SPAMS BUMPS
THROBBING MOIST
ENERGY
TEMPERATURE DRY
EXPANSIVE
FLOATING FROZEN WHOLE BODY
RADIATING COLD
NUMB CALM
STUCK HOT BUZZING
TIGHT
SUFFCATED BOILING PUFFY
WARM SPINNING

HEAVY
WOBBLY

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TRACKING:

It’s important to keep track
of what you are noticing and
describing over time so that
you can find patterns and
detect any changes to your
usual state. Using the body
outlines below, you can add
sensation words that you
notice and/or colour in the
parts of your body where
you notice them.

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RESOURCING:

While noticing, describing,
and tracking our sensations,
we might feel uncomfortable
or unpleasant sensations. If
this happens it’s important
to stop and make use of
some external or internal
“resources.” Resources are
practices, memories, or
experiences that help you
move from a state of stress
to a more calm state.

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EXTERNAL & Internal

RESOURCES

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EXTERNAL RESOURCES

Safe people or pets
Comforting places

(nature, home, a special room)

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Listen to music,
dim the lights

Food and water

Escape

(vacation, distraction)

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INTERNAL RESOURCES

a deep or slow breath
gentle touch, self hug,
tapping

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imagining or remembering
pleasant experiences

singing, humming,
chanting

STRETCHING, SLOW
MOVEMENTS

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TRY WALL PUSHING:

Keep your arms close to the body and push
into the wall with your arms and hands.
Engage your back muscles as you push
with your arms and hands. Use your whole
body to push the wall! Notice all the
muscles in your legs, back and arms. Do it
as long as it feels good and then let it go.
Repeat as much as feels good.

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SCRIPT FOR

BODY
AWARENESS

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In a quiet room at a peaceful
time, try this exercise:

(adapted from Rothschild, 2016)

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS EXERCISE If you get distracted, that’s okay: all
you have to do is follow the sound
In a quiet room, at a peaceful time, of my voice back to the instructions.
get into a comfortable position that
will allow you to bring your focus to In this activity, you will find that
yourself. It may take some time to some areas of your body are more
settle your body into a relaxed easily accessed by your awareness
position. You may need to find the than others. Discover the
right spot, or use pillows and sensations that are most available
blankets. You may need to wriggle to you, and practice noticing the
your body, or take a few breaths in ones that are more difficult to
silence. notice. This might be a hard thing to
do, but it should not feel painful.
From this relaxed position, we are Remember:
going to observe our bodily
sensations. You may drift in and out You can stop at any time.
of awareness, and it might be
difficult to focus.

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Now let's begin. Notice that you can find small
differences depending on where
Notice all the areas where your body your mind is focused.
comes into contact with the world
around you: Next, notice where you are tense
and where you are relaxed. Look for
the floor, your clothes, small differences throughout your
pillows, blankets. body. Compare upper body versus
lower body, right-side to left-side.
Next, notice your breathing. Notice your shoulders, arms, your
back, your legs.
Is it deep or shallow?
What feels tense, or tight?
Next, notice how the expression on What feels relaxed, or
your face feels from the inside. expanded?
What is the position of your mouth,
eyes, eyebrows, forehead? Next, notice your heart?

Next, notice your body temperature. Is it beating fast or slow?

Is your skin warm, cool, or Notice the areas in your body where
something in between? you can feel your heartbeat.

Take note of the temperature of You can end the activity by
different parts. stretching and shaking any part of
your body that needs it.

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ABOUT

THE AUTHOR

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I'm Ronnie I love talking about relationships:
the choices we make, the contexts
we live in, and the connections we
cherish. Creating and nurturing
healthy relationships involves
learning about yourself, exploring
your emotions, and communicating
about your needs to others.

I’ve been a psychotherapist in I encourage you to try the activities a
queer and trans communities for few times and try to teach it to a friend!
8 years. Part of what makes If you’re interested in learning more
2SLGBTQ+ communities so
strong and vibrant is the care and about my work, check out @
support we offer to each other leavesonastream or
when we have difficult emotions. leavesonastream.ca

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Writer: Ronnie Ali
Illustrator: Alejandra Higuera
Graphic Designer: Magda Arturo
Produced by: LGBT YouthLine

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