Movement as Medicine
If you’ve ever noticed that stress doesn’t just live in your thoughts, but also in your shoulders, your chest, or your stomach — you’re not imagining it.
Many of us were taught that healing happens through talking things through, understanding ourselves better, or changing our thinking. While those approaches can be incredibly valuable, they don’t always reach the whole picture. Our bodies carry stories too.
In her TED Talk Why Movement Is Medicine, Emma Marshall beautifully explains something I see every day in my counselling work: the body plays a central role in healing. This idea sits at the heart of a therapeutic approach called Somatic Experiencing.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing (often shortened to SE) is a body-based approach to healing stress and trauma. Rather than focusing only on what happened or why, it gently supports people to notice what is happening in the body right now.
This might include:
Subtle sensations like warmth, tightness, tingling, or heaviness
Changes in breath, posture, or movement
Moments of ease or settling, even if brief
The idea isn’t to force anything to change. Instead, we build awareness and allow the nervous system to do what it naturally knows how to do: move toward balance.
Why talk alone isn’t always enough
When something overwhelming happens (whether it’s a single event or ongoing stress) the nervous system can get stuck in survival mode. This might show up as:
Feeling constantly on edge or anxious
Numbness or disconnection
Chronic tension or fatigue
A sense of being “stuck” despite insight or effort
Talking can help us make sense of these experiences, but the body may still be responding as if the threat is present. Somatic Experiencing works from the bottom up, supporting the nervous system to complete responses that were interrupted (often through very small, gentle shifts).
As Emma Marshall highlights in her talk, movement doesn’t have to be big or dramatic. Sometimes the most meaningful changes come from subtle movements, impulses, or sensations that the body has been holding back.
What movement looks like in Somatic Experiencing
When people hear “movement,” they sometimes imagine exercise, stretching, or being asked to do something physical. In SE, movement is often much quieter than that.
It might look like:
Allowing the body to slowly turn away from something that feels threatening
Letting a spontaneous stretch complete itself
Noticing a sway, a push through the feet, or a deepening breath
Simply tracking internal sensations without changing them
These moments help the nervous system recognize that it has more choice and capacity than it may have felt before.
A gentle and respectful process
One of the most important aspects of Somatic Experiencing is that it moves at your pace. There’s no pressure to relive the past or push through discomfort. Instead, we work with small pieces, building safety and resilience over time.
Many people find this approach especially helpful if they:
Feel overwhelmed by traditional talk therapy
Struggle to put their experiences into words
Notice strong physical reactions to stress or emotion
Want a more integrated mind-body approach
Bringing this into therapy
In my work with adults, Somatic Experiencing is woven into counselling in a way that feels supportive and grounded. We may talk, pause, notice, and gently explore what your body is communicating (always with choice and collaboration).
Healing doesn’t mean getting rid of sensations or emotions. Often, it’s about learning how to be with them differently, with more curiosity and less fear.
If Emma Marshall’s TED Talk resonated with you, that curiosity is already a meaningful first step. Your body has wisdom, and with the right support, it can become a powerful ally in healing.
