What Is a Somatic Shoulder Release? Key Exercises for Releasing Emotions Stored in the Shoulders

Did you know that up to 27% of the general population suffers from general shoulder pain (23)? So, if you’re one of the many individuals who are dealing with shoulder pain and tension, you now know that you’re not alone! However, just because you’re not alone in dealing with this doesn’t make it any easier, and I’m sure some days it’s exhausting and overwhelming to deal with constant or frequent shoulder pain. 

But there’s good news! Let me introduce you to somatic shoulder release, a series of small movements intended to relieve pain and tension in the body and mind (12). These are gentle, simple movements that most individuals of any age and fitness level can perform at home to help improve their neck and shoulder tension.

In this article, we’re going to discuss what somatic shoulder release is, what causes tension and pain in the shoulders, how to do these movements, and how they can be incredibly beneficial for individuals who are dealing with chronic neck and shoulder pain.

What Is Somatic Release?

Somatic release is a physical or emotional response that occurs when the body discharges stored tension, trauma, or stress. It’s done by performing a series of small movements that help relieve both pain and tension. These movements aim to help heal your body and your mind by focusing on the powerful mind-body connection (12). Before we look deeper into somatic release, let’s first look at what “somatic” means. 

“Somatic” means “of, or relating to, or affecting that body” (13). Therefore, somatic releases are movements that are focused on healing both the body and the mind. By strengthening your mind-body connection, you can experience a relief of tension and an improvement in your overall physical and mental well-being (22). These exercises aim to help with physical pain you may be experiencing and they also focus on getting to the root of the problem and healing it. 

Somatic shoulder release movements are beneficial and can be done in the comfort of your own home, with little to no equipment required, either sitting or standing. Somatic shoulder release exercises can help manage your chronic shoulder pain, relieve tension from your neck, relieve headaches, and even help release any stored trauma and distress from your body (6).

What Emotion Is Held in the Shoulders?

Did you know that different emotions can be stored in various parts of our body when they’re not processed entirely? For example, we tend to store emotional tension and trauma in our hips (21), heartbreak in our chests (4), or sadness in our throats or chests (4). And when it comes to our shoulders, there are three main emotions that can become stored there and cause shoulder tension or pain: stress, anger, and trauma (26).

• Stress

Stress can be stored in the shoulders when you have just too much to deal with. The saying “carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders” is more than a cliché, it comes from the fact that shoulder tension is often linked to burdens and responsibilities. In addition to your own responsibilities, carrying other people’s burdens can weigh on you and result in you feeling chronic pain and tension in your shoulders (8).

• Anger

Another emotion that can be held in your shoulders is anger. You tend to carry repressed anger in your shoulder blades and spine (19). You also carry defensive tension in your shoulders, and when it isn’t released or processed, this can lead to shoulder pain from over-activation (19). Have you ever argued with someone or felt angry and felt your shoulders getting tense? This is because when you feel aggressive, angry, or anxious while communicating, this defensiveness often results in you getting tense in your shoulders and neck (1). If this tension isn’t addressed and released, it can lead to backaches, headaches, and other problems over time (1). 

• Trauma

In addition, some individuals can also carry trauma on their shoulders (6). Trauma can cause you to feel both physically and emotionally drained and lead to chronic shoulder tension (6). However, there are daily somatic exercises to release this tension in the body and shoulders.

BetterMe: Health Coaching app helps you achieve your body goals with ease and efficiency by helping to choose proper meal plans and effective workouts. Start using our app and you will see good results in a short time.

Somatic Exercises to Release Emotions in Your Shoulders

While you may store emotions in your body, often the shoulders, there are somatic exercises for anger and somatic exercises to release emotions that can be incredibly beneficial. These somatic exercises help release stored emotions in the shoulders, helping relieve shoulder tension and chronic pain.

Somatic Exercises for Anger

It’s okay to feel anger—it’s a natural part of life. However, when not dealt with appropriately, this strong emotion can have a considerable impact on the nervous system, which can lead to a great deal of tension in the shoulders (24). Fortunately, there are a few somatic exercises to help release the tension in your shoulders that is caused by anger. While they’re quick and simple, somatic exercises for anger can be incredibly effective for helping restore peace and balance between your mind and body (24)

Standing Breath of Fire

This exercise is effective for helping stimulate the nervous system. This exercise uses quick inhales and exhales, which help enhance oxygen flow and increase your body’s alertness and energy (24).

Below is a deep breathing technique that is known to help reduce anger or stress:

1. Find a comfortable position: Sit or lie down in a relaxed position.
2. Inhale deeply: Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of 4, filling your lungs.
3. Hold your breath: Pause for 4 seconds.
4. Exhale slowly: Breathe out gently through your mouth for a count of 6.
5. Repeat: Continue this cycle for 5–10 minutes, focusing on the rhythm of your breath.

Eye Press Breathing

This technique is a slow-paced breathing technique that helps calm your nervous system. This exercise communicates to your nervous system that it’s safe to slow down and relax (24).

How to do the eye press breathing exercise:

1. Sit or lie down.
2. Press your wrists gently across your closed eyes.
3. Focus on taking slow, deep breaths into your lower belly through your nose (24).

Read more: 10 Somatic Exercises to Release Stress in the Body

Somatic Exercises for Releasing Emotions (Such as Stress)

Stress is a major contributing factor to tension and chronic pain in the shoulders (18). This is due to the fact that when you feel stressed, your body goes into a response of “flight or fight”, which causes your muscles to contract (18). This response is the body’s way of preparing to face a perceived flight. However, if stress is ongoing, your body can stay in this response continuously, causing your muscles to stay tense and tight for a long period of time (18). 

If the stress and tension aren’t dealt with, this can lead to more issues than just shoulder pain. It can also lead to back pain, shoulder pain, body aches, and tension headaches (17). Let’s look at a couple of exercises to help release stress from the shoulders.

Thread the Needle

This exercise helps relieve tension in the shoulders, neck, and back.

How to do the thread the needle exercise: 

1. While on your hands and knees, place your palms flat on the floor, your wrists under your shoulders, and your knees under your hips.

1. Place your right hand (palm up) on the floor and slide it to the left side of your body. Look to your left, which will cause your right shoulder to touch the floor as your body rotates. Support your weight with your left hand.
2. You should hold this position for 20–30 seconds before returning to your starting position.
3. Repeat on the left side.
4. Repeat each side two to three times (18).

Neck Release

This exercise is a gentle way to relieve tension in your shoulders and neck.

How to do the neck release exercise:

1. Stand with both arms lying at your sides.
2. Bring your chin toward your chest as you lower your head.
3. Tilt your head gently to the right and pause for 30 seconds, causing the left side of your neck to feel stretched.
4. Bring your head back to the center and lift it back to the starting position.
5. Repeat this exercise before alternating sides.
6. Repeat each side three to five times (18).

What Is Somatic Referred Pain in the Shoulder?

Shoulder pain can often be caused by problems with the shoulder joint or the muscles, ligaments, or tendons around it (10). Somatic referred pain is pain that occurs when structures beyond their location are stimulated (15). For example, referred pain is when you have an injury in one part of your body but feel pain somewhere else (9). Referred pain can be anywhere in your body, but it’s most commonly found in the shoulders, neck, back, and jaws (9).

Injuries to structures such as ligaments, tendons, muscles, or joints can produce pain chemicals that can irritate nearby sensory nerves, leading the brain to misinterpret the pain as coming from another area (11). A somatic referred pain is typically described as a dull, gnawing, or achy feeling that is difficult to locate. This pain usually feels different than pain that stems from the actual nerve itself (11).

Therefore, somatic referred shoulder pain often occurs due to an injury elsewhere in the body, but you feel the pain in your shoulder (11). An abdominal problem such as gallstones, a pelvic problem, a heart or blood vessel problem such as pericarditis, or a lung condition such as pneumonia can cause this. If you feel long-lasting pain, you should consult a medical professional for guidance (11).

Do Somatic Exercises Really Release Trauma?

Somatic therapy, which includes somatic exercises, is a holistic approach that helps release stress and trauma from the body by focusing on the mind-body connection (20). This is based on the premise that unresolved trauma and stress can become trapped in the body, resulting in physical symptoms (20). 

When you go through a disruptive experience, your body automatically responds as if it’s under attack or perceives a threat, pushing it into a “fight or flight” response (20). When your body is in this response for a prolonged period of time, this reaction can become trapped and leave your nervous system on ‘alert’, which results in physical symptoms such as chronic stress and tension (20).

In addition, these symptoms can include physical tension, emotional imbalances, and a disconnect from your body (14). Somatic therapy uses somatic exercises to help increase your recognition of bodily sensations, movement, and breathwork to help release unresolved emotions from your body and relieve your body of these symptoms (14).

Reasons why BetterMe is a safe bet: a wide range of calorie-blasting workouts, finger-licking recipes, 24/7 support, challenges that’ll keep you on your best game, and that just scratches the surface! Start using our app and watch the magic happen.

How Do You Manage Signs of Trauma?

There are a few beneficial somatic exercises to help manage tension in the body that can easily be done at home. These exercises include breathwork and shoulder rolls.

• Breathwork

Breathwork is one of the most simple yet effective ways to help release tension from your body. Breathwork, such as the extended exhale exercise, helps release tension that is stored in the body by focusing on conscious and intentional breathing (3).

To do the extended exhale exercise:

1. For this exercise, you’ll be emphasizing the exhale by exhaling for twice as long as you inhale. This is due to the fact that your body goes into relaxation mode during the exhale, not the inhale.
2. Inhale for a count of two seconds, and exhale for four seconds.
3. Repeat this exercise 10 times until you feel your nervous system calming (2).

• Holotropic Breathwork

Holotropic breathwork is a therapeutic breathing technique that was developed by Stanislav Grof. It involves controlled, deep, and fast breathing patterns combined with evocative music and focused bodywork. This practice aims to access altered states of consciousness, promoting emotional healing, self-exploration, and spiritual growth (28). 

Participants often report heightened awareness, deep relaxation, and release of repressed emotions. Holotropic breathwork sessions are typically led by trained facilitators in a group or individual setting. It is considered a powerful tool for personal transformation and stress relief. Proper guidance is recommended to ensure safety during the process.

It’s also important to note that trauma release exercises should be guided by a therapist to ensure optimal results. 

Read more: Somatic Bedtime Routine: How it Helps and What it Looks Like

• Shoulder Rolls

This exercise is great for immediately alleviating shoulder tension and pain.

1. Sit upright and straight in your chair.
2. Bring your fingertips to your shoulders while bending your elbows.
3. Take a deep breath and exhale.
4. While exhaling, roll your shoulders forward as if drawing invisible circles with your elbows.
5. Reverse the circles and repeat this process in the opposite direction. At this point, you should start to feel the tension melting from your muscles.
6. Breathe deeply while continuing this exercise for 30 to 45 seconds (7).

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is somatic breathing release?

Somatic breathing release, which is also known as somatic breathwork, is a holistic practice that uses breathwork that focuses on the mind-body connection in order to help improve emotional and mental well-being (5). 

• What does somatic movement do?

Somatic movement focuses on moving for the sake of movement rather than meeting a specific fitness goal (25). Essentially, it’s a way to increase bodily awareness while connecting with your emotions, working to benefit both the body and mind (26).

• What does somatic therapy do?

Somatic therapy uses a holistic therapeutic approach that helps release trauma and stress from the body by improving the mind-body connection. 

The Bottom Line

Somatic shoulder release involves somatic exercises that are designed to alleviate shoulder pain and tension through a series of gentle, mindful movements. These exercises are focused on both physical relief and the mind-body connection with the aim of addressing the underlying causes of discomfort. 

Emotional factors such as stress, anger, and trauma often contribute to shoulder tension and pain. By incorporating simple movements that can be performed at home, somatic shoulder release helps improve neck and shoulder tension while also addressing emotional factors such as stress, anger, and trauma. 

Somatic exercises can help manage these stored emotions and alleviate physical symptoms. In addition, practices such as breathwork and shoulder rolls can further help relieve tension. These techniques are focused on enhancing bodily awareness and fostering relaxation, offering a holistic approach to managing shoulder pain and improving overall well-being.

To learn more ways to alleviate shoulder tension and other chronic pain, read BetterMe’s articles on somatic exercises, calisthenics shoulder exercises, rehabilitation therapy, somatic exercises for weight loss, and somatic exercises for neck hump.