Reclaiming Your Body: How Coaching, Energy Work, and Somatic Exercises Can Help You Feel at Home in Your Skin
- Carrie
- Apr 5
- 3 min read
Have you ever looked in the mirror and felt like your body was a stranger—or worse, an enemy? If so, you’re not alone. Many people carry stories of shame, discomfort, or disconnection when it comes to their bodies, often stemming from trauma, medical experiences, cultural conditioning, or chronic stress.
The good news? Healing is possible. A more compassionate and connected relationship with your body isn’t just a dream—it’s something you can actively build with the right tools. Coaching, energy work, and somatic practices offer powerful pathways to reconnect with your body and begin to feel safe, empowered, and even joyful in it again.
Let’s explore how each of these approaches can support your healing—and how you can begin right now, from the comfort of your own home.
Coaching: Rewriting the Inner Narrative
How it helps: Coaching helps you become aware of the internal stories you tell yourself about your body—many of which may have originated outside of you. A skilled coach creates a safe space to unpack these beliefs, reframe them, and build self-trust and agency.
Example: A client struggling with body image due to years of medical trauma and criticism might discover they’re holding onto the belief, “My body is a problem.” Through coaching, they begin to shift this to: “My body has protected me, and I am learning to care for it with compassion.”
Try this at home:
Body Gratitude Journaling: Each day, write down 3 things your body did for you. It could be as small as digesting your food, helping you walk, or allowing you to breathe through anxiety.
Ask Yourself Empowering Questions: Try, “What do I need from my body today, and how can I meet that need with kindness?”
Energy Work: Clearing Old Patterns
How it helps:Energy work, such as Reiki, IET (Integrated Energy Therapy), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), or chakra balancing, helps release stuck emotional energy and trauma that’s been held in the body. This can create a greater sense of peace, self-acceptance, and vitality.
Example: Someone holding shame in their chest area may feel a literal heaviness there. Through consistent energy work, they may begin to feel lighter, more open, and even breathe more freely—physically and emotionally.
Try this at home:
Simple EFT Tapping Sequence for Body Acceptance
Tap gently on the side of your hand while saying: “Even though I struggle with how I feel about my body, I choose to accept myself today.”
Tap through points on your head, face, and upper body while repeating statements like: “It’s okay to feel this. I am open to healing.”
End by placing your hand over your heart and breathing in deeply.
Heart-Clearing Meditation: Place one hand on your heart and another on your belly. Visualize a warm light filling your body, bringing ease and release wherever you feel tight or stuck.
Somatic Exercises: Reconnecting with Sensation and Safety
How it helps: Somatic work brings your awareness into your physical experience, helping you feel grounded and present. It teaches your nervous system that your body is a safe place to inhabit, especially if it hasn’t felt that way in a long time.
Example: A person with trauma might feel dissociated from their body. Somatic practices like gentle movement or breathwork help them start to feel sensations again—without judgment—building trust with their physical self.
Try this at home:
The “Body Scan with a Twist”: Lie down or sit comfortably. Slowly bring your attention to each part of your body—from head to toe—noticing not just sensation, but emotion or memory that may arise. Offer each part a word of kindness (“Thank you, legs,” or “I see you, belly.”)
Shake It Off: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and gently shake your arms, shoulders, hips, and legs. Let your body release pent-up tension. This can reset your nervous system and boost vitality.
You Are Not Broken
Your body isn’t wrong, broken, or something to be fixed—it’s a living, breathing ally that’s carried you through so much. By blending coaching, energy work, and somatic practices, you can begin to feel more at ease, empowered, and connected to the miracle that is you.
Healing is a process, not a destination. Be gentle with yourself. Celebrate the small wins. And most importantly—come home to your body, one breath at a time.
Ready to start a Positive Relationship with Your Body? Carrie-Leigh Stockwell can support you in your journey. Try one of the services below and begin!
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