How Somatic Healing Shows Up In My Life, In a Real Way.
The other day, I went to get my oil changed.
I sat in the slow line, watching the one next to me shuffle cars in and out at three times the speed. As the minutes passed, something familiar started to rise. For the next 40 minutes, I watched every car get taken before mine—and underneath that, I felt it: A quiet panic. A sense that I was behind. A desperate urgency to catch up.
Turning 28 this month stirred something in me.
“I should be making more money.”
“I haven’t done enough.”
“There’s not enough time.”
“Grow up.”
“Be better.”
These aren’t new thoughts. They’re old patterns—ones I’ve carried since I was young. As a former “golden child,” I learned to earn love through perfection. And certain milestones in life still wake up that part of me—the one that feels like she’s falling short, like she might be left behind.
Sitting there in my car, I noticed what was happening in my mind. So I paused. I closed my eyes and began to scan my body—from the top of my head down to my toes. My awareness widened just enough to notice the tension in my throat, the fluttering anxiety in my stomach. Sensations that used to feel like the background noise of my life.
I placed my hand on my abdomen, offering it some comfort—like a mother would her child. Not trying to fix anything. Not trying to make it go away. Just staying. Just listening. There was a quiet understanding that these feelings belonged to a younger version of me—one that needed to be met, not managed.
My hand stayed still while my thumb gently moved along my ribcage. I told myself: It makes sense that you feel this way. You’re not alone. You’re not behind. You’re right on time. And then, without effort, a deep breath moved through me. Misty eyed, quieted mind, stomach settled.
What a gift it is to give yourself what you didn’t receive enough back then—Presence. Empathy. Time. Permission to feel. Freedom to be exactly who you are.
In its most distilled form, this is what somatic healing is. It’s the practice of reconnecting the mind, heart, and body—so that what’s been held inside can finally be felt, expressed, and integrated. And it doesn’t have to look like a class, a session, or a perfectly structured practice. Sometimes, it looks like sitting in your car at Valvoline. Choosing to stay with yourself in a moment you would have otherwise pushed away. These small moments—done consistently—are what begin to shift your nervous system.
From experience, I know this work is simple—but not always easy. In the beginning, I needed support. I didn’t have a blueprint for trusting myself or listening to my body in this way. Through somatic therapy, I experienced what it felt like to be safely met—what we call co-regulation. That experience changed everything. Over time, my nervous system began to feel safe enough to soften. Safe enough to listen. Safe enough to heal.
If you’re wanting support
You don’t have to figure this out on your own. If you’re feeling disconnected from your body, overwhelmed, or stuck in patterns that feel hard to shift, this is the kind of work I support people in. I offer sessions that gently help you reconnect with your body and support your nervous system in real time.
You can book bodywork with me here.
If you’re not ready for a session, I also share free somatic practices on YouTube that you can explore at your own pace.
And if you’d like to stay connected, you can join my email list for reflections like this, along with practices and offerings.
However you choose to engage with this work, I’m really glad you’re here. Learning to be with yourself in this way is no small thing. And you don’t have to rush it.
Abby
