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What Is Somatic Breathwork—and Why Is It So Powerful?
- donna conley
- Aug 21
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 26
We all know what it means to “take a deep breath.”
But what if that breath could do more than calm your nerves?
What if it could unlock emotions you didn’t know you were holding?
What if it could help your body complete trauma responses from years ago?
What if it could lead you back to the version of yourself that feels free, grounded, and whole?
That’s the power of somatic breathwork.
👉 To learn more about a breathwork session, CLICK HERE.
What Is Somatic Breathwork?
Somatic breathwork is a healing modality that combines:
Somatic awareness (noticing what’s happening in your body),
With intentional breathing,
To help release trauma, stress, and stuck energy from the nervous system.
In simpler terms:
It’s breathwork that’s deeply body-based and emotionally intelligent. It helps you feel, express, and integrate what’s been held inside.
It Works with Your Nervous System, Not Against It
Somatic breathwork doesn’t force the body to relax or override emotion.
Instead, it honors the body’s wisdom by creating a safe container for stored stress to rise, move, and release.
When you breathe in specific patterns (sometimes activating, sometimes grounding), your nervous system has a chance to:
Surface incomplete fight/flight/freeze responses
Shake off old trauma or grief
Rewire emotional patterns
Restore balance between activation and calm
This is called completing the stress cycle—something most of us never learned how to do.
Why Is It So Powerful?
Because your body doesn’t speak in words.
It speaks in:
Tightness
Numbness
Shallow breathing
Gut feelings
Shaking, tears, yawns, or silence
When we use breath to tune into the body—not override it—we gain access to deep emotional truths, unconscious memories, and energetic blocks that want to be seen and released.
And once they are… we begin to feel free.
A Typical Somatic Breathwork Journey
Somatic check-in
You’re invited to notice:
What’s happening in your body? Where are you tense, closed, or tender?
Active breathwork
You use intentional breathing (often in and out through an open mouth guided by a professional) to activate the nervous system and stir what’s held beneath the surface.
Emotional surfacing
This is where tears, shaking, memories, or insight may arise. Nothing is forced. Everything is allowed.
Integration and rest
The body returns to stillness. The breath slows. Your system recalibrates in real time.
This is where the shift lands.
It’s Not About “Fixing” Yourself
Somatic breathwork is not about pushing through trauma or chasing bliss.
It’s not about becoming “more spiritual” or getting it “right.”
It’s about returning to your body with tenderness and curiosity.
To breathe is to say yes to what’s real. To feel is to honor your body’s story.
And from that place… transformation begins.
Guided Breathwork with Donna
As a trauma-informed breathwork practitioner, I can guide you on this journey. If you’re curious to experience this, I’d love to guide you. To learn more about a breathwork session, CLICK HERE or book a session using these links:
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