Somatic Exercises for Anxiety - The Workout Witch anyone?

[PurplePansy05]

Hi! I've been reading a lot about somatic exercises and how they can help with anxiety and trauma. Full disclosure, I am diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder and I also suffered from PTSD. Both are much, much better now after a lot of work I've put in over the last 2 years.

Anxiety however still features in my life more than I want it to and I do feel tense quite regularly. I went through CBT, medication, hypnotherapy (best thing for me), I am pretty active generally and I do a fair bit of yoga as well. Eating and sleeping could be better, alas I'm a toddler mum so these two might have to be improved gradually.

I bit the bullet and bought The Workout Witch Stress and Trauma Release course on offer, only just started and I'm enjoying it so far. I know there's some free somatic content online but I like the structured approach and the fact I have access to the full course for life. I'm the last person ever to be influenced, but what she posts on Instagram has convinced me, it's a story of my life and symptoms. I spent months debating if it's worth spending money on it, but so far I'm glad I did.

Is anyone else doing it? I'd love to chat about your experiences, especially if you're further into the course or completed it already 😊

I keep getting somatic exercise programs advertised to me on Instagram, but they are always very vague about how it actually helps... So I'm interested to hear from someone who is actually doing one of the programs!

Hmmm. The last sentence is a bit of a giveaway...

What giveaway?

I'm on Day 3 and looking for opinions from people further into it because I'm curious how they're doing?

You sound like an advert.

Same. I'm guessing because I have been looking up a lot about anxiety/trauma/yoga/pilates etc. I was very dubious tbh. I have no idea how good this thing is, like I said, only on Day 3. She seems pleasant and relaxing, the exercises are super easy so far and kind of make me feel chill, a bit like tension is shifting its way down from top to bottom. I'd like to know if this is actually likely to make a real difference to anxiety levels longer term though.

Oh FFS. Can people not just talk about what they're trying to do anymore? I'm not an advert, I'd be glossing over the course if I was. I spent 3 months debating if it's a scam or not and I still don't know so would like to hear from others who know what they're talking about. If you're not doing this course, you have nothing to contribute here.

I’ve seen her page. I am a little sceptical. I think any movement would be good for anxiety but I don’t know that somatic movement is better than say yoga - which has lots of evidence behind it.

@PurplePansy05

Im a qualified mental health practitioner and finally we are getting it out there there that trauma is stored in the body and absolutely needs somatic exercises in order to help recovery.

Talking / counselling alone is not enough.

So for me im really glad you posted this thread 😊

One of the skills i set people to do is try and gargle every day because it stimulates the vagus nerve.

I really hope you get some benefit from the course.

The concern i have is that she does not outline what techniques she uses ... there is no real description.

And my other concern is that its just not true boldily held trauma releases itself in this big moment that she talks about.

It just doesn't. Its time and commitment that slowly helps to process trauma.
Not a 30 day course .

@Lighttodark That was my thinking too. I do a mix of vinyasa, yin/ashtanga, regular pranayama etc. As I've been practicing for some time now, I tend to stretch a lot daily now as a force of habit, so I am in two minds about how much of an additional benefit, if any, somatic movements may have.

However, I would say having watched other free somatic YT videos before buying this course, I thought the movements were in fact a bit different to yoga. In this course so far there is a lot of body shaking which is a bit of a weird sensation, but very pleasant eventually especially on the hips. It's different to yoga postures offering hip stretches.

@IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls Thanks! This is really interesting to hear. I never considered how alleviating physical symptoms of anxiety could help my MH. It's very common to start from the inside and then leave your body to sort of fall into place by itself. Of course trauma needs healing and there are no two ways about it, I know from experience how many different methods I've tried to help my brain and some worked better than others.

But anxiety is something I have for life, I think I've had it since I can remember, just didn't realise it until it really spiked. What I didn't know either until I came across her Instagram that many, many of my physical behaviours are actually a result of anxiety. When I started paying attention to those and noticing tension in my body, I was really surprised how much of it I've identified. I am hopeful these movements will be something I can retain for life to manage anxiety long-term. I think I've had so much of it especially in the last few years that I absolutely was in a functional freeze.

Quite! The "big release" sounds pretty witchcraft to me, I shall report back in 3 weeks' time 🤣

I agree these techniques need to be for life, not a month. I understood that she meant that they are likely to make a big difference after a month, but you get access to full course for life to come back to. There's also advice on what to do if the "big release" doesn't happen in the first month.

Re techniques, so far it's a mix of shaking, stretching, breathing and holding in pose (similar principle to yin yoga, but different postures). It's definitely engaging my parasympathetic nervous system, I can tell by now when I get into that zone, I learnt that from yoga and hypnotherapy.

Following. Op would be interested in any updates you’d care to give as you move through the course

Also @IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls do you have any somatic movement recommendations at all, please? I'd be very interested to read your suggestions.

@Teaandsympathy Will do 😊

@PurplePansy05 do you have any Qi Gong or Tai Chi classes near you ?

These are both ancient somatic release practices...

Or if you have any trauma informed yoga classes near you 👍

Also ... look up the polyvagal system and polyvagal exercises ... some of them are such good hacks to activating your parasympathetic system ( the nervous system responsible for feeling calm and restored ).

Thank you! I've never come across tai chi as a recommendation, I have several groups nearby actually. None of the trauma related yoga, but I can look up YT etc, I can do yoga myself at this stage. I'm guessing polyvagal are for vagus nerve stimulation, I looked into that a lot but apart from breathing (which I do already), struggled to find a good website or video with suggestions.

@PurplePansy05 i will give you some recommendations for good websites for polyvagal exercises 😊

Thanks, that would be great @IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls!

Quick update, I did another day and I feel OK, a lot of stiffness/dull ache in my left hip last night and today, but as I did other exercises on Saturday it might be from that, hard to tell. Also lots of digestive symptoms, however I have IBS and lactose intolerance so not sure, could be random. She does say there would be flare ups, so maybe it is to do with WW. Mood is pretty good, I felt quite balanced today. Another day tomorrow.

Don't know if anyone is still following, but this is how today went:

• significantly less bloating, for the first time in over 2 years I felt quite light for most of the day. I can only think of WW exercises as I didn't do anything else differently
• dull hip ache has gone, now I feel some tension stuck in my glute instead
• I felt largely OK, however had an extra stressful day in work and still went into functional freeze this afternoon, i.e.: procrastinated when I shouldn't have
• I was on the move a lot and stretching throughout the day because I felt like it
• I fell asleep (or went into trance/parasympathetic nervous system activation mode) 3 or 4 times during tonight's session which I finished half hr ago. Off to bed now feeling very sleepy and relaxed. I enjoyed myself.

Thanks, I'm interested in your updates.

I'm on the hip opener stage now, a bit disappointed as the exercises today were very short. Also quality of the videos could be better as I can't always see the whole of her body moving. The videos are quite relaxed and her dog features a lot which I don't mind, but I think I'd prefer it to be more professional.

Anywhooo! I am definitely less bloated and less tense in the hip area which is a great feeling! Happy with that. Something in this course is working, I feel loose physically, that's the only way I can describe this. I also sleep better and generally my mood has been OK, but I still get my moments of feeling overwhelmed-stressed-angry. Onto the new day!

Interesting stuff. I’m following and enjoying your updates.

Finished the hip openers part, and wow, it feels good! I'm also due to start my period soon and no sign of bloating, no usual mood swings etc. I'm feeling pretty OK. I think I will be doing hip openers more regularly.

My Yoga teacher explained that we store grief in our hips, and this actually makes a lot of sense. I am genuinely feeling quite ggood!

Thanks the update op. I’ve just seen it. Very interested but need to see if I can justify the cost of the course to myself!

What is the cost?