Have you ever noticed how your body naturally moves with your emotions? You bounce when you’re happy, curl in when you’re sad, or tense your shoulders when you’re stressed. These patterns aren’t random — they reflect how the brain and body communicate through posture, physiology, and feeling. Research confirms what movement and healing traditions have long understood: movement changes emotion, and emotion changes movement.
Now, before I go too deep, you don’t have to overthink it. You can work through your emotions by simply putting on your favorite music and letting your body move to the music naturally. I also love doing AromaDance or Mindful Movement to move through my emotions.
The Somatic Basis of Emotion
Emotions aren’t only “in your head.” They’re embodied experiences involving the autonomic nervous system (ANS), muscle tone, breath, and interoception — our inner sense of how our body feels. When emotions are safely expressed through movement, the body can complete its stress cycle and return to balance. Movement therapies and somatic practices (e.g., gentle stretching, dance/movement therapy, rhythmic motion) have demonstrated reductions in cortisol, enhanced emotional regulation, and improvements in psychological well-being (Koch, Morlinghaus, & Fuchs, 2019; Wu, Li, & Zhang, 2023).

Joy: Expand, Express, Energize
Open-arm reach / chest opening
Expanding posture (arms wide, chest lifted) increases lung volume, influences the balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic tone, and signals openness and approach behavior — postures correlated with higher positive affect (e.g. expanded posture studies).
Light bounce / small hops
Gentle vertical bouncing raises endorphins and dopamine and stimulates spinal and vestibular systems for autonomic regulation.
Playful skipping / side-step
Rhythmic side-to-side locomotion with arm swing boosts mood, supports motor coordination, and taps into play systems.
Wiggle / spontaneous dance
Free, irregular movement (hips, torso, shoulders) enhances body awareness (interoception), modulates autonomic tone, and can increase positive affect (Koch et al., 2019).
Shake / tremor (gentle, spontaneous)
Small tremors or shakes help discharge stored motor tension and reduce autonomic hyperarousal, as in trauma-release (TRE) approaches.
Roll (gentle floor roll → stand)
Rolling shifts vestibular input and proprioceptive orientation, helping interrupt stuck tension patterns and inviting fluidity in the body.
Fear & Anxiety: Grounding, Soothing, Calming
Tap / hum
Gentle tapping or humming engages vagal pathways (via vibration) and supports parasympathetic activation, helping calm high arousal states.
Squeeze / hold (self-hug)
Applying gentle compression through a self-hug or forearm hold reduces cortisol and signals safety through proprioceptive feedback.
Sway / reach
Slow pendular motion with gentle arm reach soothes the vestibular system and offers predictable sensory input, helping regulate hyperarousal.
Sadness / Grief / Shame: Nurturing, Soothing, Softening
Brush / self-hug (gentle stroking)
Slow, affective touch activates C-tactile afferents associated with oxytocin release and supports calming networks.
Rock / squeeze (gentle rocking)
Rocking or gentle compressive movement engages vestibular regulatory systems, offering a soothing rhythm and containment for emotional processing.
Anger / Frustration: Safe Release, Grounding Power
Tense → release (clench / relax)
Voluntary muscle contraction followed by release modulates muscle spindle activity and helps the nervous system downregulate from tension.
Stomp / ground (foot strike)
Energetic foot strikes provide strong proprioceptive feedback and anchor excess energy into the ground, giving a sense of boundary.
Slam / push (controlled directional force)
Using controlled push or strike against a safe surface (e.g., wall, pillow) enables expression of force while reducing internal pressure and reactivity.
Peace / Calm / Confidence: Stabilizing & Centering
Ground / connect (rooted stance)
Soft squats, weight awareness in feet/ankles, and slow shifts help reestablish bodily stability and downregulate sympathetic tone.
Rest / restorative posture
Lying down with deep, diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and promotes parasympathetic recovery.
Center / mindful micro-movement
Very gentle motions (neck rolls, shoulder circles) enhance interoceptive clarity and soothe the system, supporting self-regulation.
Pain / Fatigue / Recovery: Soothing, Flowing, Releasing
Settle / breathe (long exhale + micro shifts)
Slow, extended exhales paired with small posture adjustments relieve muscle guarding and support relaxation.
Ground / connect (light motion)
Gentle walking or standing awareness improves circulation and sensory grounding — beneficial for fatigue and mild pain.
Stretch / yawn / gentle mobilization
Stretching or yawning modulates muscle spindle feedback and encourages relaxation and renewed energy.
Why Somatic Movement Works
- Interoception & emotional regulation: Improving body awareness strengthens emotion regulation capacity.
- Rhythm & vestibular input: Repetitive movements (sway, rock, bounce) help regulate the autonomic nervous system.
- Vocal + breath stimulation: Humming, sighing, and extended exhalation activate vagal pathways.
- Free movement & dance: Encourages fluidity, creativity, and improved affect regulation (Koch et al., 2019; Wu et al., 2023).
Final Thoughts
Our feelings naturally manifest in the body. By intentionally choosing movement that mirrors or completes those expressions, we can help the body return to balance. Whether it’s a joyful stretch, a grounding stomp, or a slow restorative breath, each movement is a doorway to recalibration and liberation.
References
Dreisörner, A., & Junker, N. M. (2022). Self-soothing touch and being hugged reduce cortisol responses to stress: A randomized controlled trial on stress, physical touch, and social identity. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 157, 110847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.110847
Eckstein, M., Kämmerer, D., Knafo, S., & Heinrichs, M. (2020). Calming effects of touch in human, animal, and robotic social interactions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, Article 567. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7672023/
Koch, S. C., Morlinghaus, K., & Fuchs, T. (2019). Effects of dance/movement therapy and dance on health-related psychological outcomes: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, Article 1806. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01806/full
Lindgren, L. (2012). Emotional and physiological responses to touch massage (Doctoral dissertation, Umeå University). Umeå University Repository. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2%3A568111/fulltext01.pdf
Packheiser, J., et al. (2024). A systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of touch interventions: Effects on cortisol, pain, anxiety, and more. Nature Human Behaviour. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-01841-8
Wu, J., Li, Y., & Zhang, T. (2023). Effects of dance movement interventions on psychological health in older adults: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Brain Sciences, 13(7), 981. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/7/981








