Somatic Sensations &

Body Scan Guide

Welcome to your Rewire Therapy Program
Everything we feel inside or outside our bodies is a form of communication from our
body, signaling particular needs to be addressed and expressed.

Try to think of your strong emotions or triggers as forms of communication that

something needs to be addressed within your body.

In order to develop a sense of calm and relief, we want to notice what our body is telling
us in the form of sensations, then process and release the experience on a mental and
physical level.
 Sensations & Emotions
Sensations Colors Emotions
Hot Full Sore Grief
Black
Cold Empty Relieved Sadness
White
Warm Airy Heavy Peace
Grey Closure
Cool Spacious Light
Red Resolution
Dark Still Armored
Green Anger
Light Moving Blocked
Blue Contentment
Open Shimmery Bubbly Rage
Closed Electric Buzzy Pink
Stillness
Flowing Pounding Electric Purple Grateful
Stuck Pushing In Energized Shiny Hateful
Gold Self-Compassion
Exploding Pushing Out Tired
Tearful
Imploding Moving Up Loading Silver
Helpless
Spacey Moving Down Fluid Brown Powerful
Tingling Skin temperature Itchy Orange Fearful
Twitchy Pressure Nervy Yellow Safe
Achy Numb Pounding Sparkly Pillar Of Panic
Prickly Fabric On Your Skin Radiating Energy Light Calm
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 Sensations Or Emotions That May Arise from Somatic Healing Practices

Body scans are somatic practices that often elicit bodily sensations or emotions. Some sensations or
emotions might be comforting or pleasurable, whereas others might be overwhelming and stressful.
This is all part of the healing process. However, it can be very challenging to manage overwhelming
sensations or emotions if you have to return to daily responsibilities after completing the exercise. We
recommend you set aside some time (30 minutes minimum) after engaging in our somatic
practices, to be able to process or sit with any overwhelming sensations that may come up.

If any uncomfortable sensations or emotions arise

during the somatic practices, focus your attention on
this sensation or emotion more so than you would
usually. Explore the sensation or emotion with
openness, curiosity, and acceptance. Accept these
sensations without criticism or judgment.
Acknowledge them, say hello to them, and try to
allow them to pass.

Oftentimes, it is not easy to let these emotions pass.

We have devised this information sheet as a guide
on what to do with overwhelming sensations or
emotions that may arise.
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 Guide On What To Do When NO Sensations Or Emotions Arise

1. Bring your focus and awareness to the area of the body that does not elicit any emotion or
sensation and see if any sensations or emotions arise after 5 minutes of focusing on this part
of your body.

2. Be understanding of your own process and

acknowledge the lack of sensation to yourself.
Remind yourself that you will not experience
numbness forever and that it is okay to be
experiencing it now.

3. Slowly shift your awareness onto a different part

of your body.

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 Guide On What To Do With Overwhelming Sensations or Emotions

Stepping Away

Sometimes, what we need to do is step away from the situation when feeling too overwhelmed.

1. Take a break from the body scan and step outside for a few moments. Get a blanket and lie on the
balcony or the grass for a few minutes. Get some fresh air. Make yourself a cup of tea.

Honoring the Sensation or Emotion

1. Place your hand on the body part eliciting the sensation or emotion. Bring your awareness to this area of
your body.

2. Acknowledge what is coming up. Say the following out loud to yourself:
a. “I hear you and I am sorry for this grief.”
b. “I am here for you, always.”
c. “I will do whatever it takes to stay with you and help you to feel held and understood.”

The sensation might grow more intense and shift to another part of the body. Or it might move away-
meaning it feels heard. The nervous system will respond to that attunement. When the trauma energy has
been attuned to or released, the nervous system will shift into its rest and digest state.

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 Guide On What To Do With Overwhelming Sensations Or Emotions

Breathwork

A very important part of dealing with overwhelming sensations or emotions is to focus on deeply inhaling and
exhaling. When one feels overwhelmed, their breathing gets shallower and feelings of anxiety in the body arise.
Breathing deeply assists the body in activating the parasympathetic nervous system- the rest and digest state.
Focus on your breath in these situations, inhaling and exhaling whilst imagining the discomfort or overwhelming
emotion decreasing with each exhale.

If the sensation or emotion being experienced from one body part is too intense, as you inhale and exhale, slowly
shift your awareness from the specific body part, onto a new one. However, maintain awareness of each body
part in focus. If awareness is kept, the less likely it is for distorted, overwhelming thoughts to arise (Burgard, 2010).

1. Closing your eyes, you can place your right hand on your heart and your left hand on your belly (for
differently-abled individuals, you can either use only the breath or place one hand on the heart or one hand
on the belly).
2. Breathe in for 4 seconds (1, 2, 3, 4)
3. Hold for 2 seconds
4. Exhale for 6 seconds
5. Repeat 5 times
6. After your last round, take a long inhale, and as you exhale, you can say the words “you are safe, you are
safe, you are safe.” This will help to calm your body and mind during overwhelming sensations or emotions.
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 Guide On What To Do With Overwhelming Sensations Or Emotions

What Calms You?

If our suggestions don’t work for you, that is okay. Not everything will work for everyone. Put some time into
thinking about what calms you.

Think about the following:

1. Vision: what is something around you that you find beautiful? Bring your awareness to this
image/view/object, to appreciate its beauty.

2. Sound: what sounds are soothing for you? Music/birds/a clock? Listen to this sound whilst breathing
deeply.

3. Smell: what scents are soothing for you? Essential oils/perfume/candle? Smell this scent.

4. Food: what is your favorite food that makes you feel happy? Eat this.

5. Touch/Feel: do you have a piece of clothing or a blanket that makes you feel safe (Lamothe, 2019)?
Wear this item or wrap yourself in it.
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 Guide On What To Do With Overwhelming Sensations Or Emotions

Write it down

1. Journaling is a powerful tool to use to manage stress.

2. Take a piece of paper or get a notebook to write in. Write whatever you are feeling. Your writing does not
need to make sense. It can be a jumble of different adjectives and words. Just get out what you are feeling
onto the page in a flow of consciousness.
3. Once you are finished writing, take a deep breath in, hold it for 2 seconds, and exhale making a sound and a
shape with your mouth.
4. You do not need to read what you have written.
5. Close the journal and store it away, or if you are using a piece of paper, store the paper away or choose to
throw it away.

Reach out

1. Sometimes, all we need is to feel connected to a loved one. Whether the connection is in the form of a hug or
a phone call. Support from our friends and family should not be underestimated. Call a family member or a
friend if you are feeling overwhelmed and need the comfort of another individual.
2. You could let them know how you need to be supported and ask them if they have the capacity or energy to
do it for you- whether it is to vent to them, for them to take you out for a walk or for a swim, or for them to
cook your dinner.
3. If the sensations or feelings are too overwhelming for you to understand, please reach out to our team at
Rewire, a known therapist, or a local helpline.
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 Guided Somatic Experiencing Exercises For Trauma Recovery
The more you feel an emotion, pain or uncomfortable feeling, the more likely your body subconsciously continues
to get in touch with that feeling throughout the day/night. Therefore, when you practice not just positive thinking
but rather, consciously putting an effort to feel calm or positive feelings – this stretches the body’s capacity to
feel good things and is more likely to come up again in your system as you practice these feelings.

Begin rewiring your autonomic nervous system to develop more prominent feelings of calmness, painlessness
and serenity with this step-by-step Somatic Experiencing guide:

1. Grounding
Feel your feet on the ground.
Feel the pressure of your body on what is supporting it.
Feel the texture of objects beneath you or beside you with your fingers.
Name details of what you touch, see, hear, smell and taste.

2. Tracking / Felt Sense

Place your attention on sensations in the body and monitor them for a period of time.
Describe them and notice when they change.
Try to stay with yourself even if something very uncomfortable comes up.
Challenge yourself not to dissociate (if overwhelming sensations/emotions arise, use our guides above to return
to calm).
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3. Slowing / Titration
Deliberately slow down your emotions and disturbing body sensations, like slowing down the tempo of music.
Separate out and work on only a few of the emotions or sensations and leave the rest for later, like taking only
one bite of the pie.

4. Resourcing
Create an imaginary Safe Place, or recall a safe, calming, comforting experience.
Imagine you’re there and notice what you feel.
Know that you can always go to this place in your imagination if you need to calm yourself
down.

5. Pendulation
Be deeply present with an area of your body feeling activation, such as terror, anger, panic, tension. Then move
your attention to a place of neutrality or calm in your body.
Very slowly go back and forth. Try to build your capacity to stay with the negative. Through the
acknowledgement of the negative, try to build your capacity to feel positive things again.

6. Contact / Self-Holding Exercises

Put your hands on the parts of your body that feel difficult sensations (tension, discomfort). Notice how the
hands feel when on the body. Notice how the body feels under the hands. Notice how the space in the body
located between the hands feel.

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7. Presence
Practice placing your awareness on any emotion or sensation coming up inside you. Say to yourself; “You are
welcome here.” Stay with it in a loving, compassionate way.

8. Self-Acceptance
Work on reducing “should” thoughts about yourself. Allow yourself the space
and time for your body, emotions and mind to embrace and pass through the
processes they need to.

9. Self-Empathy
Practice being gentle with yourself and the skill of becoming your own best friend through
positive self talk and self-empathy.

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Enjoy The Program

support@rewiretherapy.org 12
References

Burgard, R. (2020, September 9). Mindfulness: untying knots in the body, mind, and heart.
GoodTherapy.
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/mindfulness-grief-body-psychotherapy/

Lamothe, C. (2019, August 28). 10 ways to deal with feeling overwhelmed. Healthline.
https://www.healthline.com/health/i-cant-take-it-anymore

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