Coming home to yourself: cultivating a sense of safety in your body

Trauma often causes us to not only feel a lack of control over our body and emotions but also feels like a threat to our safety. Our experience of internal safety is one of the most important foundations for us to feel connected to ourselves. In this post we will discuss what is safety, why it is important and I will offer some tools for you to try to increase your sense of safety in your physical body.

What is safety?

The word safety is most commonly related and attributed to the experience of physical safety. And while this is certainly important one, in the context of healing, safety is the experience of an inner ease and connection to the self. Some ways you may notice this sense of safety is through:

• a sense of grounding and ease in your body

• accepting your own emotions

• experiencing a sense of trust in your environment

Why is it important to feel safe?

Safety is our birthright, we are all worthy and deserving of feeling safe - both physically and emotionally. When you feel safe in your body you may feel more connected to yourself and your body, more confident, your nervous system may feel more at ease and you may notice a greater sense of trust in your environment and relationships. Additionally, feeling safe in your body may decrease a sense of anxiety and stress while deepening your overall emotional resilience.

What are some ways of cultivating a sense of safety?

• Orienting into the space

  • Take a moment to pause as you start to notice and name to yourself objects, colors and shapes that you notice in your surroundings. This practice brings your body into the present moment, allowing for it to feel more grounded and safe.

• Box breath

  • Find a comfortable space in your environment, close your eyes as you start to bring your awareness to your breath. Once you do, slowly start to notice and match the length of the inhales to the exhales, beginning to count the length of both. Then, begin to pause at the top of the inhale and the bottom of the exhale, holding it for the same count. Over time, match the length of the inhales, holds and exhales. You can even imagine as if you were tracing a box or physically do so to further ground you into your body and the present moment.

• Self-touch

  • Allow the impulse to guide this practice as you experiment with self touch on various parts of your body. You can also explore pressure, how much or little you press or hold the parts of your body you intuitively want to touch. This practice can help bring a sense of ease and comfort to your body.

• Noticing and naming sensations

  • Often times it can feel challenging to feel safe because we are disconnected from our physical body. Spend some time in stillness to notice and name the various sensations you notice in your body - without trying to judge or change them. Our body usually wants to feel heard and noticed in order to feel safe and supported.

Want to explore ways to connect with your body and cultivate a deeper sense of safety? I have spots open in my practice for both in person individual sessions in Miami, FL as well as virtual in both New York and Florida for you to explore connecting with your body through Art Therapy and Somatic Healing. Schedule a FREE consultation call to begin your journey today. I also host weekly Somatic Healing classes at Daily Flows Movement Studio in Miami, FL which you can sign up for here.