Somatic Meditation for Emotional Regulation
Why We Struggle With Emotional Dysregulation
So often, we find ourselves at odds with our own emotions. A wave of sadness, anger, or anxiety rises up, and our first impulse is to push it down, to hold it together, to try and “manage” or “control” what feels like too much. We tell ourselves we shouldn’t feel this way. We do our best to keep the feelings contained.
And yet, instead of bringing relief, this effort often leaves us feeling more exhausted, more tense, and more dysregulated. Instead of softening, the body grows tighter. Instead of clarity, the mind grows more confused. And somewhere deep within, our nervous system remains unsettled, longing to be met with care.
This is why emotional regulation can feel so hard. It’s not simply a matter of calming down or forcing ourselves into peace.
What Emotional Regulation Really Means
True emotional regulation isn’t about being calm all the time. It’s not about “controlling” your emotions or taking one deep breath to make them disappear.
Real regulation means this: when emotions inevitably rise, you have a way of returning to a sense of safety and clarity within yourself. It’s the ability to meet what you feel without being swept away by it. Regulation is less about getting rid of emotions and more about creating a compassionate, steady container in which they can be felt and processed.
The Role of Deep Listening
So how do we return to that safety inside? The doorway is deep listening.
When we pause and really listen to our emotions - not rid ourselves of them, but to simply notice and care for them - something shifts in the nervous system. Our bodies no longer have to shout through tension or racing thoughts to get our attention. Just like a child who softens when they know they’ve been heard, our emotions begin to settle when we meet them with presence.
Deep listening is regulating because it tells your body: You are not alone in this. What you feel matters. This creates a felt sense of safety that allows the wave of emotion to move through, rather than getting stuck.
Emotional Self-Care Through Somatic Practice
Listening in this way is a radical form of emotional self-care. It changes the relationship we have with our inner world. Instead of seeing emotions as problems to be solved, we begin to treat them as tender parts of ourselves that deserve care and compassion.
Over time, practicing deep listening and inner attunement does more than regulate us in the moment. It helps us become more regulated people. Each time we turn toward what we feel with compassion, we’re retraining the nervous system to move out of survival patterns and into greater resilience, steadiness, and trust in ourselves.
This doesn’t mean emotions stop arising. It means that when they do, we’re less likely to spiral and more able to meet them with grounded presence. This is how healing unfolds - one moment of deep listening at a time.
A Somatic Meditation for Emotional Regulation
This week on the Somatic Healing Meditations podcast, I guide you through a Somatic Meditation for Emotional Regulation using a technique called Regenerating Images in Memory® (RIM). RIM is a powerful emotional processing tool because it takes us into a state of deep listening, where emotions can be safely felt, understood, and integrated.
Through this meditation, you’ll have the opportunity to practice listening inward in a way that is compassionate, soothing, and deeply regulating—so you can feel more at home in your own body.
Final Note: If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or disconnected, remember this: your emotions are not mistakes. They are invitations to listen more deeply. And with each practice, you are building a kinder, steadier relationship with yourself.
Try this Somatic Meditation for Emotional Regulation now!
Episode timing:
00:00 - What Emotional Regulation Really Means
05:20 - Somatic Meditation for Emotional Regulation (using Regenerating Images in Memory)
33:32 - Conclusion
Related: Try more Somatic Emotional Processing meditations here!
If this kind of gentle, body-based healing speaks to you, I’d love to invite you into Somatic Healing Hub - my membership community where we practice this work together.
With live classes, workshops, and coaching you’ll:
Create a steady rhythm of nervous system regulation, so you can feel calmer, clearer, and more grounded in daily life
Gently process the emotions held in your body, instead of getting stuck in reactivity, overwhelm, or shutdown
Break free from chronic stress patterns by addressing what’s underneath - not just managing the surface
Reclaim your attention from spiraling thoughts or anxiety, and reconnect with what your body is truly asking for
Feel supported and not alone, inside a community that honors your sensitivity and your pace
BONUS: You’ll also get AD-FREE ACCESS to my entire podcast library! (Somatic Healing Meditations)
How was that Somatic Meditation for Emotional Regulation for you?
What shifted within you? How do you feel now?
Please let me know in the comments!
➡️ If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it if you would subscribe, rate, and review this podcast!
And please join me every Friday on this beautiful journey out of your head, and into your more embodied and authentic self. 🩷🩷🩷
Thanks so much for joining me today!
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Enjoy more like this: Regulation Exercises, RIM® Exercises, Parts Work, Get to the roots, Somatic Emotional Processing
About me
Hey, I’m Karena!
I’m a somatic emotional healing coach here to help you quickly identify and heal the subconscious blocks, old emotional wounds and self-sabotaging core beliefs that are holding you back!
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