Meeting the Moment with Presence: A Somatic Approach to Emotional Regulation
The Weight of Now
Right now, many of us are carrying a deep sense of unrest. The tension in the air—politically, globally, personally—is palpable. It’s as if the ground beneath us is shifting, and our nervous systems know it. For those of us who identify as a highly sensitive person, this intensity can feel especially overwhelming. Emotions that have long been buried are surfacing, sometimes without a clear story, almost as if the past is knocking at our door.
These emotions often operate just below the surface of our awareness, subtly shaping how we think, act, and relate. When they rise, they can feel unmanageable. But what if this discomfort isn’t a problem to fix—but an invitation? A quiet call for nervous system healing, an opportunity to release what no longer needs to be carried.
Futility and the Urge to Fix
Lately, I’ve noticed a pervasive sense of futility—not just in myself, but in the collective field. A helplessness in the face of collapsing systems, rising injustice, and the chronic emotional labor so many of us carry. The dread, anxiety, and fear amplify our daily stress, contributing to the slow creep of burnout. For caregivers, healers, and changemakers, this can feel especially acute.
Our bodies respond in kind. We contract. We brace. We try to outrun the discomfort.
Because to really let it in—to feel the futility—can seem like giving up. Like surrendering to chaos. Like letting go of hope.
So we do what we’ve been taught to do: we fix. We plan. We take action.
And while there’s wisdom in being proactive, when we live in constant fixing mode, we miss the quiet beauty that’s still here.
The Quiet Continuance of Life
Because even in this moment—especially in this moment—life continues.
We keep caring, loving, laughing, growing.
Flowers still bloom.
Birds still soar.
Children still play.
The breath still moves in and out of our bodies.
Every time we soften, every time we let ourselves feel—without needing to solve—we’re practicing emotional regulation.
We begin to remember that, simply by being embodied, we are already resisting the chaos.
From Thinking to Feeling: The Wisdom of the Body
It’s tempting to try to make sense of our emotions intellectually, but real healing happens below the level of thought. It happens in the body. This is the foundation of somatics and embodiment—the practices of tuning into our lived experience, listening to what our bodies are holding, and honoring the wisdom stored there.
As a somatic coach and trauma-informed practitioner, I’ve witnessed how much the body carries—how grief, fear, and even joy are stored in our tissues.
We can't "think" our way through healing. We have to seense our way through it.
This is the heart of trauma healing.
The Resistance to Presence
And yet, many of us resist that connection. We fear we’ll be consumed by the weight of our emotions, or discover truths we’re not ready to face. We wonder what we might lose if we truly listen.
But there is always a part of us that waits patiently—that remembers how to soften, how to stay present, how to trust the body’s wisdom. That part is not broken. It’s the gateway to wholeness, to nervous system resilience, and to deeper presence.
Presence as Medicine
Recently, in a session, I invited a client to simply be with her exhaustion. Not to analyze or avoid it—just to feel it.
Within a minute, she reported feeling less tired. Sometimes, presence alone is the medicine.
So today, I invite you to pause.
Where can you soften, just a little?
Where can you invite in more presence?
How might you listen more deeply to your body’s quiet knowing?
There is no perfect way to meet this moment—but you can meet it honestly. Through embodiment, through emotional presence, and through trust in your body’s capacity to heal—you are already doing the work.
