In a culture that celebrates productivity and constant motion, it’s easy to lose touch with what’s happening inside us. Days fill quickly with obligations, screens and schedules, often leaving little space to notice how we feel in our bodies—or what those feelings may be trying to tell us. Yet recognizing and releasing emotions is essential for healing, self-connection, and living in alignment with our inner guidance.

“Our emotions—like our bodies—need to move,” says Dan Leven, a movement and dance teacher at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He explains that the human body is made up of approximately 70 percent water, and this water is always in motion. When we stop moving—physically, emotionally or energetically—feelings can stagnate.

“Through movement, exercise or creative expression, we open channels in the body,” Leven says. “We release tension and allow energy to flow, so emotions don’t get stuck.”

Leven recommends five simple, accessible practices to help reconnect with the body and gently release emotional blockages.

Dance It Out

“Music moves our energy. Music moves our soul,” says Leven. Turning on music and allowing the body to respond naturally can be deeply freeing. Start by walking around the room and noticing the strength of one’s feet, legs and hips. Let the body lead without choreography or judgment.

Modern dance pioneer Martha Graham once wrote, “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy translated through you into action and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique.” When we suppress that expression, something essential is lost. Shaking the shoulders, swaying the hips or simply moving with the rhythm can help emotions surface and release.

Write by Hand

Writing and drawing activate brain pathways connected to emotional processing, creativity and well-being. Writing by hand—rather than typing—stimulates more areas of the brain and has a calming, centering effect.

Cursive writing, in particular, engages the hand-mind connection in a rhythmic, mindful way. Each stroke connects letters—and ideas—into a continuous flow. This is why ancient practices like calligraphy have long been used as meditative and spiritual tools, allowing emotion to be expressed through movement and intention.

Slow Down and Turn Inward

Healing happens in the present moment, and a slower pace helps bring us there. Building moments of stillness into the day allows us to check in with ourselves and listen more deeply.

Choose a consistent time—perhaps mid-afternoon—to pause and ask: What is my body telling me right now? What do I need? These brief moments of inward focus help steady the mind and keep us aligned with our inner truth.

Acknowledge What You Feel

Set aside 10 minutes each day to simply sit and notice physical sensations in the body. Bring awareness to the breath that sustains us and the ground that supports us. When sensations or emotions arise, observe them without judgment or labels.

“Be with what arises,” Leven advises. “You don’t need to change it.” Acknowledgment alone can soften emotional intensity and create space for release.

Offer Compassion

Finally, bring compassion to everything we feel. Place a hand on the heart and notice its warmth and steady rhythm. With more than 100,000 beats each day, the heart tirelessly powers our lives—our relationships, creativity and purpose.

“The heart is a spiritual organ,” philosopher Rudolf Steiner observed. It is the center of compassion. By shifting attention from the thinking mind to the heart, we invite gentleness and understanding toward ourselves.

“Just being aware of our emotional states helps to soothe them,” says Leven. As we listen more closely to the body, we become more guided by the soul. As psychologist Marion Woodman wrote, “Body work is soul work.” Every cell carries wisdom—we simply have to slow down enough to hear it.

Robin Fasano is a frequent contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.