The Body Knows - Somatics & Embodiment

You know how to use I-statements. You've maybe learned nonviolent communication. But sometimes you want to just be able to RAGE (aka communicate how you feel in all its raw and emotional glory). But you’re absolutely certain that bringing that version of your emotions to your partner or friend is just too much. In this episode, Leona shares a framework borrowed from an unexpected place — kink scene-setting — and how she used it to create a container for expressing rage and hurt to her partner. She got loud, she cursed, she flung assumptions at him and he was able to meet it all, because they were both held by explicit agreements about boundaries, time limits, safe words, and aftercare. We also get into:- Why your partner can't hold your emotions (because they don’t feel safe, they don’t know how long it will last, they don’t know if they’ll get a say afterwards, and they don’t know what you need to hear after)- How informed consent and explicit containers turn emotional dumping into portals of release and deeper intimacy- The BDSMA framework: Boundaries, Desires, Safety, Meaning, and Aftercare- Why getting radically specific about what you need (down to sentence structures) sets both you and your listener up for successAnd turns out, Leona’s partner didn’t just feel safer after (because he knew exactly how she felt), he was also kinda into it ;).🌀EPISODES THAT DEEPEN THIS TOPICTBK 14: Suppression runs so deep, we’ve come to call it virtue (the dark goddess archetype & reclaiming your wildness)https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/demonizing-freedom-is-a-great-way TBK 18: How to actually process emotion (without bypassing, spiraling, or drowning) https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/how-to-actually-process-emotion-without TBK 19: The three stages of getting your s**t together, emotionally (Oscillating between over-reacting and self-abandoning is a sign you’re on the right track)https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/the-three-stages-of-getting-your 🌀OUR LINKSJoin our mailing list for upcoming programs here!Thank and support us for our work by buying us a coffee here! Follow Ana on IG here and Leona on IG here.🌀TIMESTAMPS0:00 — The sentence that changed the way I fight with my partner1:26 — This one is for the people who want to rage, without accidentally burning it all down2:22 — What it felt like to rage in a held, boundary-ed container (and how he felt afterwards)3:04 — The BDSMA framework3:50 — How we set up our scene: Boundaries (time limits, what I could and couldn’t say)4:43 — Desires: what both of us wanted from this5:25 — Safety: having safe words in case anything goes off the rails6:24 — Meaning: no, this doesn’t mean I think you’re a terrible person7:35 — Aftercare: both people get to receive it!9:07 — The embodiment world’s blind spot: expression without containers11:28 — How our scene went (spoiler alert: well)12:43 — Stop expecting people to guess what you haven’t figured out yourself🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

Oscillating between over-reacting and self-abandoning? Setting boundaries and shutting down? Feeling confident and free, and then like a total poser? Yes, you’re kind of a mess. But everyone is, when they're in Stage 2.In this episode of The Body Knows, we break down the three stages of reclaiming any exiled part of yourself — dormant, developing/distorted, and divine — and explain what each one actually looks and feels like from the inside. Including the part where you snap at someone who didn't deserve it, apologize, and then overthink yourself into silence the next time… and the cycle repeats.This episode is 100% for you if you’re on a healing journey that involves reclaiming an emotion or expression like anger, boundaries, sexuality, vulnerability, taking up space, using your voice, etc.Specifically, we get into: – Why we can stay in Stage 1 for so long (because we have DEEPLY self abandoned) – The sneaky ways that Stage 2 pretends to be Stage 3, and the major differences  – How to FEEL Stage 3: attuning to love, being grounded in your body, learning from transmission– How the people who trigger you most are sometimes just living in Stage 3 with something you've exiled– Ana's journey through learning to state boundaries without fawning or snapping – Leona's journey reclaiming her anger, and how now her anger makes her and her partner feel SAFER This episode is part framework, part confessional, and part permission slip. We're both solidly in stage two with plenty of things, and we're not pretending otherwise!📌OTHER PODS & RESOURCESTBK 14: Suppression runs so deep, we’ve come to call it virtue (the dark goddess archetype & reclaiming your wildness) https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/demonizing-freedom-is-a-great-way TBK 17: When “being nice” stops working (learning boundaries like force fields) https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/when-being-nice-stops-working-tbk  TBK 5: What somatics helps with, and how to get started (learning to tune your sensitivity to your body and surroundings) https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/what-somatics-helps-with-and-how 🌀OUR LINKSJoin our mailing list for upcoming programs here! Thank and support us for our work by buying us a coffee here! Keep binging our podcasts by listening to the Dark Goddess episode next. Follow Ana on IG here (https://www.instagram.com/roam.and.rise) and Leona on IG here 🌀TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Emotions that are destructive versus emotions that open and heal and liberate01:26 — Triple Ds Framework: Stage 1 is dormant, Stage 2 is developing/distorted, Stage 3 is divine03:04 — Ana’s journey with boundaries: from being a doormat to overcorrecting to feeling mean08:15 — Leona’s journey with anger: from being mean to repressing her anger to reclaiming her anger more consciously15:31 — Learning to tune into Stage 3: how can you create a feeling of more love and liberation with your emotional expression17:57 — What Stage 3 rage can look like: expressing open-hearted hurt in a way that invites rather than shuts down24:22 — To find Stage 3, focus less on what you say, and more on where you express from (your head vs your heart, for example)28:07 — What Stage 3 boundaries can look like: full ownership of your choices and preferences30:47 — Another framework for relational moments: sometimes we need to be in a “me” moment35:05 — Stage 3 can be learned through transmission, so look for examples around you🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our shit together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

The world is a lot right now. It has been for a while. And whatever your relationship to the news cycle, most of us are walking around carrying more than we know what to do with…Which is exactly the problem. We don’t know what to do with it.We’ve been handed a lot of tools for understanding our emotions: therapy, journaling, self-help books with provocative titles. And those things have their place. But understanding an emotion and processing an emotion are two completely different things. Which is why we can spend a decade in talk therapy getting very articulate about our patterns and still feel like they rule our life. This is what happens when the body hasn’t been invited to the party.Emotional processing — real emotional processing — is an embodied act. It involves your breath, your movement, your voice. It looks a lot more like a baby crying than a person journaling. And almost none of us were taught how to do it.That’s what this episode is about.🌀Podcast Timestamps:1:26 – The world is overwhelming and we don’t have good tools for dealing with it4:21 – What we can learn about emotional processing from babies, and how we can relearn this skill7:11 – The three core tools for emotional processing: movement, breath, and sound8:31 – Breath: how to use different breathing styles to move anger, fear, and sadness safely9:59 – Sound: why using your voice feels so hard, and gentle ways to break the sound barrier18:13 – Movement: options from tiny wiggles to full‑body shaking to get unstuck21:06 – Following sensation in your body as a guide for how to move and release emotion23:59 – Accessible practices for anger, fear, and grief that work with your biology29:26 – Processing emotions with other people: venting vs ruminating, and getting consent38:31 – Seeing painful emotions as proof of what you love and what deeply matters to you39:38 – How to close the emotional processing “container” and ground yourself afterward🌀Listen to next:TBK 9: Conflict avoidance, people pleasing, workaholism: all nervous system responsesTBK 10: Step-by-step tools for discharging stress, anger, and overwhelmTBK Shaking Practice: A shaking meditation for when you need to release pent-up energy so you can think clearly again.🌀Links:- Join our mailing list for upcoming programs here!- Thank and support us for our work by buying us a coffee here!- Learn about one-on-one coaching & support here.- Watch us on YouTube here.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about nervous system healing, practical somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body and emotions were never the problem. They’ve been the compass all along. Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

Women are starving for a way to reclaim power without becoming hardened.There’s a particular kind of tension many women live with. We’re taught to be kind, accommodating, and agreeable if we want to belong. Which, in a nutshell, is a chronic state of self abandonment — outsourcing our sense of worth to the approval of others (*ahem* aka the male gaze). But when we try to reclaim our power, the only models we’re given are domination, aggression, or becoming what people love to call “a b***h.”So in this episode, we explored an accessible doorway into reclaiming feminine power: the archetype of the lioness. A way of being that holds boundaries without yelling, fierceness without chaos, and power without domination. If you struggle with people-pleasing, self-sacrifice, or feeling like you’re oscillating between being doormat and exploding, this episode is for you.🌀Links:- Join our mailing list for upcoming programs here!- Thank and support us for our work by buying us a coffee here!- Practice your lioness embodiment with the support of this pllaylist.- Keep binging our podcasts by listening to the TBK #14 next - the Dark Goddess episode.- Learn about one-on-one coaching & support here.- Watch us on YouTube here.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about nervous system healing, practical somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body and emotions were never the problem. They’ve been the compass all along. Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

After a 10-day meditation retreat, Ana's chronic pain disappeared. It took her the next five years of studying somatics, nervous system regulation, and integrative health to figure out why.In this episode of The Body Knows, we dive into a true story of healing chronic illness (Lyme disease) when conventional medicine only promised that symptoms would get worse. We also explore how self-criticism, systemic harm, and autoimmune conditions are weirdly intertwined, and what it takes for our bodies to get the resources to heal themselves. 🎙️ We talk about:Neuroception, and why your nervous system responds similarly to a tiger or an infection or your inner criticThe unspoken epidemic of bracing due to overwhelmed nervous systems or unprocessed stressThe necessity of moving through our emotions, or letting our body store them as tension and eventually illnessConcrete changes to go from "my body is the enemy" to "my body is the compass"This isn't about blaming your body for your symptoms. It's about understanding that your body is using the only language it has to tell you what’s hurting, and what you need to heal.***Chapter timestamps:0:00 - Intro: A story of chronic illness2:09 - The despair of chronic illness that nobody talks about6:49 - Ana's early IBS symptoms and the gastroenterologist who offered no answers8:06 - The crash at 23: Lyme diagnosis and being told it was degenerative13:20 - The pattern of finding something that helps, improving, then plateauing again14:40 - The Vipassana retreat where Ana's chronic pain disappeared17:12 - Finding somatics and finally having a framework for what happened22:15 - Leona's parallel journey: realizing she'd been the slave driver to her body26:09 - Neuroception explained: how your nervous system assesses safety, threat, and danger35:47 - Modern threats beyond the tiger: systemic harm, the news cycle, walking home alone41:37 - The inner critic as threat: self-worth, desirability, and looking in the mirror48:52 - Why intellectualizing your emotions isn't the same as feeling them54:42 - 75% of autoimmune conditions are in women and what that might mean1:01:47 - Integrative health: movement, rest, food, connection, play, creativity, community📌Other episodes & resources mentioned:TBK 5: What somatics helps with, and how to get started.TBK 6: A beginner’s guide to embodiment. TBK 8: Life gets better when you’re more sensitive… and more grounded.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

Your stress management strategies probably aren’t working because you're missing a piece.Most advice for coping with stress focuses on two places: your mind and your emotions. Reframe your situation. Let go of what you can’t control. Feel your feelings. Be gentle with yourself. But there's a third place, a very very important third piece: your nervous system, your body. You know, the place your stress actually LIVES. And until you go there, purely mental and emotional methods don’t stick.In this episode of The Body Knows, we explore why nervous system regulation is the missing piece in how we deal with stress and overwhelm, especially during the holidays.🎙️ We talk about:– The difference between being activated and being grounded (and how to tell which one you're in) – Understanding the spectrum of the fight-or-flight response, and noticing before you’ve hit fully triggered– What your window of tolerance actually is and why it matters – Simple grounding practices and somatic practices for stress you can do in the car, the bathroom, or anywhere you can steal five minutes – Breathwork for anxiety: the difference between breathing as a checkbox and breathing as a way to actually come home to yourself – How to catch the fawn response in yourself (hint: if your jaw hurts from smiling, that's data) – How to support yourself and others through holiday stress and holiday overwhelm, or any time expectations are high.Because you don't need to grit your teeth and white-knuckle your way through hard times. There's another way to calm down and find relief from stress, and it starts in your body.♥️Guided practices:Slow down & remember everything is okay. A breathing meditation for when you need to ground in the safety of your body. https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/somatic-practice-slow-down-and-rememberShake it off. A shaking meditation for when you need to release pent-up energy so you can think clearly again. https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/somatic-practice-shake-it-off📌Other episodes & resources mentioned:TBK 10: Step-by-step tools for discharging stress, anger, and overwhelm. https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/just-relax-doesnt-work-when-youre TBK 9: How to spot fawn, flight, fight, and freeze stress responses in yourself and the people you love. https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/conflict-avoidance-workaholism-and TBK 1: Thinking about your emotions isn’t the same as feeling them — and it won’t help you release them. https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/the-essential-aspect-of-somatics 🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

We can’t think your way out of fight or flight.You’re in go-go-go mode, convinced if you just somehow rush through everything, nothing can touch you. Or you’re ranting at someone in your head, or pissed off and snapping, or gritting your teeth and working til the wee hours of the morning. These are all telltale signs that your nervous system is activated, and that energy needs somewhere to go. It’s not a mindset problem. It’s a body problem.This episode is a guided somatic shaking meditation to help you physically release the stress energy trapped in your system so your body can finally relax, sleep, or really feel anything besides tension.In this practice, we’ll:– Move the activation energy out of your body through intentional shaking– Help your nervous system complete the stress cycle it’s been stuck in– Release the grip, the brace, the “ready for battle” tension you’ve been holding– Land you in a calmer, more regulated statePress play when you’re wired and can’t wind down.(You can learn more about this nervous system phenomenon here, and the practices that help us re-ground here.)🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

You notice your thoughts are starting to spin. Your breath is shallow and you don’t what to sit still. You think you can maybe outrun this feeling if you are productive enough… but the truth is, you’ll only find relief when you slow down, not speed up.This episode is a guided somatic breathing meditation to help you come back to your body and present moment so you can remember that you’re okay.🎙️ In this practice, we’ll:– Slow your breath from shallow urgency to deep, full inhales– Guide your awareness out of your spinning mind and into your body– Help your nervous system remember that right now, in this moment, nothing is chasing youPress play when you ready to breathe and return to a feeling of grounded clarity.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

We've been taught that love is synonymous with kindness. That evolution means transcending anger, grief, and rage into high-vibe serenity. But what if that's incomplete? What if the parts of ourselves we've been taught to fear — our wildness, our power, our sexuality, our rage — are not only sacred but EXACTLY what the world needs right now.In this episode, we're throwing a grenade into the spiritual, self-help space and exploring what happens when you stop demonizing your darkness and start wielding it responsibly.🎙️ We talk about:– What archetypal embodiment work actually is (and how Jungian shadow work plays into it) – Why "dark" doesn't mean evil; it means the parts of consciousness society has villainized – The cost of only accessing light archetypes (spiritual bypassing, self-abandonment, playing small) – How to work with the dark goddess archetype somatically: through movement, sound, and embodied expression – Why reclaiming your darkness is the missing piece to loving better, leading better, and creating real change Because “the only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion” – Albert Camus.📌Other episodes & resources mentioned:Last podcast was TBK 13: You need to get out of your head (but not to where you think). https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/you-need-to-get-out-of-your-head Since this episode was released, we published another dark goddess episode! TBK 17: When being "nice" stops working. https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/when-being-nice-stops-working-tbk🙏If you're enjoying this episode, and want to give back, you can buy us a coffee here: https://ko-fi.com/thebodyknows🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

We're overstimulated, dissociated, and searching for peace in all the wrong places. The answer isn't rising higher, it's rooting deeper.In this episode of The Body Knows, we explore why grounding into your pelvis might be the most important somatic practice and spiritual practice you've never heard of. We unpack how spiritual bypass, cultural conditioning, and our addiction to intensity have disconnected us from our bodies, and how grounding practice, rooting, and our lower chakras can bring us back home.🎙️ We talk about: – Why we're all walking around like dissociated balloons (and how to come back down) – How bypassing keeps you stuck (and why lower chakras change that) – The dopamine addiction that's destroying your ability to feel peace – Concrete somatic grounding practices you can try right now – Why reconnecting to pelvic awareness transforms your presence, power, and pleasure (including your sex life)Because not all mental health solutions require us to leave our bodies and emotions behind. Sometimes we need to reconnect to the deeper parts of self (which can’t get lost in overthinking, spiraling, or stress) to find peace. 📌Other episodes & resources mentioned:Learning to tune into subtle sensations with somaticshttps://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/what-somatics-helps-with-and-how Vipassana Retreatshttps://www.dhamma.org/en-US/index Sabrina Lynn of ReWildinghttps://www.youtube.com/@ReWildingwithSabrinaLynn 🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, embodiment, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

Somatic therapy is often called pseudoscience. Deniers question the validity of nervous system regulation, healing trauma stored in the body, emotional release, and the mind-body connection.Good thing there's an easy way to test if somatics works: by believing your own LIVED EXPERIENCE.🎙 In this episode, we talk about: – How we ended up with science being as dogmatic as religion (aka The Church of Reason)– The scientific research behind somatics (it's a budding field so there's still much we don't know)– Why we should also count the subjective experience as data– The evolution of the nervous system and nervous system regulation– Why there's so much fury around the idea that your body knows something your mind doesn't Because here's a crazy idea: you are actually an AUTHORITY on your own body, healing, and nervous system. Even if science doesn't understand how or why. 📌Books & authors mentioned:The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der KolkWhen the Body Says No by Gabor MateWaking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter Levine🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

Medicine isn't just pills. It's anything that brings you back to wholeness.In this episode of The Body Knows, we explore what actually counts as holistic health and why we've been taught to overlook the most accessible and reliable wellness tools we have.🎙️ We talk about:– Why the question "what medicine do I need?" can be so much more powerful than "how do I fix myself?"– How treating certain things as medicine (instead of self-care) makes them non-negotiable– A simple framework for getting to the bottom of what will truly resource youWe all have the body wisdom. Now we just have to stop ignoring it.📌Other episodes & resources mentioned:Temple of Yes — https://www.eroticreclamation.com/temple-of-yes 🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week about somatics, embodiment, and mind-body wisdom→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

When you're triggered and spiraling, deep breathing often doesn’t cut it. Your nervous system needs to expel the energy trapped in it, not just try to bypass it.In this episode of The Body Knows, we break down exactly what to do when you're triggered. We cover somatic practices and grounding techniques you can use right now to work WITH your stress response instead of fighting it.🎙 We talk about: – How to recognize when you're in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn (and why most people miss the signs) – Step-by-step somatic exercises: shaking, orienting, heel drops, self-contact, and more – How to release stress and discharge activation energy from your nervous system – Why nervous system regulation requires being in your body, not just going through the motions – What to do when classic somatic practices feel inaccessible or cringe – Special considerations for working with freeze responsesThis is nervous system regulation 101. If you've ever felt triggered and wondered "what do I actually DO?", this episode is for you.📌Other episodes & resources mentioned:TBK 9: Conflict avoidance, people pleasing, workaholism: all nervous system responses. https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/conflict-avoidance-workaholism-and TBK 5: What somatics helps with, and how to get started.https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/what-somatics-helps-with-and-how Emotions Inventory PDF. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TzVbSD4hF3VZFUM4cSIF_5vhETa_efvK/view?usp=drive_link Melinda Delisle, Emotional Health with NERDS. https://melindadelisle.substack.com/🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

Avoiding a friend's text for three days because you're afraid of disappointing them? That's actually a nervous system stress response: flight. Walking into conversations ready to fight over nothing? That's fight. Smiling through discomfort until your jaw aches? That's fawn. Can't string a sentence together or feel anything at all? That's freeze.In this episode of The Body Knows, we break down the four trauma responses you can have when you’re triggered, helping you to recognize when your nervous system has hijacked the control panel and you’re not thinking clearly anymore.🎙️ We talk about: – Markers for fawn, flight, fight, and freeze responses in your own body – How to identify your window of tolerance (and what happens when you leave it) – The difference between being triggered vs. dysregulated – Why conflict avoidance and workaholism are actually nervous system patterns, not personality traits – How to spot these responses in the people you love without judgment – What functional freeze and dissociation actually feel like – What to do when you’re triggeredThrough this episode, we’ll help you build the self-awareness to recognize when your body is trying to protect you from a threat that isn't actually there… before you blow up a relationship, ghost someone you care about, or spend days spiraling over something that could've been a two-minute conversation.📌Previous episodes mentioned:TBK 5: What somatics helps with, and how to get started.We talk about: how to know if you’re ready for somatics, the role your nervous system plays in internal resistance, and include some beginner-friendly somatic practices you can try today.TBK 2: The most misunderstood concept in somatics. We unpack what true dysregulation actually is, why feeling big emotions doesn’t mean you’re broken, and how to work with big emotions rather than shaming them.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about holistic healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

Being highly sensitive or an empath isn't a weakness, it's the foundation of healing, intimacy, and living authentically. But somewhere along the way, we learned to repress or try to “fix” our feelings instead of working with their wisdom.In this episode of The Body Knows, we explore how somatic sensitivity, emotional awareness, and interpersonal attunement can transform your relationships and while improving your health and vitality. This all stems from fine-turning sensitivity while also building nervous system capacity, so we don’t become overwhelmed and reactive by the things we are feeling.🎙️We talk about:– The three types of sensitivity: somatic, emotional, and interpersonal – Why emotions "leak out sideways" when we repress them– How to build capacity for discomfort without getting knocked off your feet – The difference between challenging yourself and overwhelming your nervous system – Why your body needs to feel safe before you can grow your edge – How fine-tuned sensitivity becomes a gateway to authentic intimacyThis isn't about becoming less sensitive. It's about becoming more grounded. Because the goal isn't to feel less. It's to feel everything without losing yourself in the process.📌Previous episodes mentioned:TBK 2: The most misunderstood concept in somatics. We unpack what true dysregulation actually is, why feeling big emotions doesn’t mean you’re broken, and how to work with big emotions rather than shaming them.TBK 5: What somatics helps with, and how to get started.We talk about: how to know if you’re ready for somatics, the role your nervous system plays in internal resistance, and include some beginner-friendly somatic practices you can try today.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

What if the longing you've been trying to satisfy is actually your doorway to more fullness?In this solo episode, Ana shares her transformational two-month experiment: no dating, no flirting, no crushes, not even fantasy. What started as "the no man diet" became a journey into the deepest parts of herself, and changed everything about how she relates to desire, validation, and her own sovereignty.🎙️ Ana talks about: – Why she committed to 60 days of complete romantic abstinence – How much of her energy was unconsciously directed toward the male gaze – The difference between externalizing longing vs. embodying it – How longing is actually life force, not emptiness to be filled – The shame around wanting to be desired (and why that's so damaging) – Practical somatic tools for working with yearning in your bodyThis isn't about restricting yourself or shutting down desire. It's about discovering what changes when you stop reaching outside yourself for wholeness and start listening to what your body's deepest longings are actually telling you.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem.It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

You know that version of yourself that shows up when you feel both safe and confident? The one who speaks their truth, expresses their desires, and moves through the world with clear boundaries and an open heart?Most of us only catch glimpses of her. She appears for a moment — maybe at a dinner party with close friends, or during that conversation where you felt truly seen — and then disappears the second you walk back into "regular life."That gap between who you are in your most expressed moments and the shell you crawl back into is where embodiment lives.In this episode of The Body Knows, we're exploring how to close that distance. Not through more self-management or emotional regulation, but through embodiment — the practice of becoming who you actually are, instead of constantly monitoring who you're being.🎙 We talk about:– How to know you're ready for embodiment (hint: you feel safe feeling, but not safe expressing what you feel) – The difference between emotional management and emotional expression – Why embodiment is actually an act of collective liberation – Three embodiment practices you can try today, including using music as a container for emotions you've never let out – How clearing old emotional backlog frees up massive amounts of life force – The liberation of trusting your emotions as wisdom instead of problems to solveBecause embodiment isn't about becoming someone new. It's about remembering who you've always been underneath all the conditioning that taught you to be smaller, quieter, more palatable.It's about becoming a force of nature instead of a people-pleasing project.You can get a full definition of embodiment (and how it compares to somatics) here: https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/we-rewired-our-mind-body-connectionAnd you can explore whether you are feeling more called to somatics here: https://thebodyknows.substack.com/p/what-somatics-helps-with-and-how🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to "fix yourself" never really works.We're not selling five-step plans, and we're definitely not pretending we have our s**t together. We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It's been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

You’ve done the mindset work. You’ve journaled about your blocks. You've talked through your trauma. And still… something hasn’t shifted. This is when somatics enters the chat.In this episode of The Body Knows, we explore how to know when you need somatics, who it’s for (and who it’s not), and why mental processing just won't cut it.🎙️ We talk about:– How to know if you’re ready for somatics– The role your nervous system plays in internal resistance– Beginner-friendly somatic practices you can try todaySomatics isn’t a performance. It’s not about "being good" at feeling. It’s about rebuilding your relationship with your body,  one sensation at a time.And you can find the episode where we define somatics in detail here.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We’re coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem.It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

Transform conflict into a moment of deepening connection, intimacy, and trust with this phrase: “When this happens, I feel this.” It really is that simple. But somehow, we’re terrible at it.In this episode of The Body Knows, we explore how felt-sense awareness — a core somatic practice — can shift the way we show up for conflict and conflict resolution.We talk about why most of us default to blame or bottling it up… and how there’s another way that’s actually more honest, more connective, and more healing.🎙️ We cover: – How to speak from your body, not your analysis of what’s happening – Why “I” statements aren’t enough without somatic awareness – How to help someone empathize instead of defend – Real examples of how to say hard things more skillfully📌 Examples:❌ You always shut down when things get hard.✅ When I shared something vulnerable and you went quiet, I felt my body tense. My chest tightened, and I started to wonder if it was safe to keep sharing.❌ You never initiate anything. I'm always the one doing the work.✅ When I'm the one consistently reaching out or making plans, I start to feel tired and disappointed. I notice myself pulling back.❌ You keep making promises and not falling through.✅ when something you've committed to doesn't happen. I feel let down and wary. I want to trust your word, and I notice that's starting to wobble for me.❌ You only reach out when you need something. I feel more like a lifeline than a friend.✅ When it seems like you are mostly just reaching out when you need something, I feel sad. I miss the parts of our friendship that felt mutual and curious.❌ You don't know how to lead. We're all drowning.✅ When direction is unclear, I feel overwhelmed and scattered. I need clearer priorities so I can give my energy to the right tasks.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem.It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

Being alive can feel like magic. But first, you have to come back to your body.In this episode of The Body Knows, we finally explain what somatics and embodiment actually mean, and how doing this work helped us move through anxiety, chronic health struggles, emotional chaos, and into a way of living that feels downright mystical at times.🎙️ We talk about:– The difference between somatics and embodiment – How we rewired our mind-body connection– Where you can start if you're interested– Intuition, chronic illness, emotional resilience... and how it’s all connected– Why this work matters not just personally, but politicallyBecause when you stop solving your emotions and start feeling them, everything changes.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem.It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

You're not dysregulated. You're just feeling something. Somewhere along the way, we started confusing emotional expression with nervous system failure, and that’s a problem.In this episode of The Body Knows, we dive into one of the most misunderstood concepts in somatics: dysregulation.We unpack what true dysregulation actually is, why feeling big emotions doesn’t mean you’re broken, and how overusing this word can become just another way we shame ourselves (and each other) for being human.🎙️ We talk about: – The real difference between activation and dysregulation – Why being “calm” isn’t the goal of healing – How to work with your nervous system, not against it – What to do when you’re feeling a lotLet’s stop pathologizing being alive.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and ‪Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics and embodiment, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for: → New episodes every other week → Embodied truth, not performance → A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe

You've done the therapy. You understand your attachment style, your childhood wounds, your patterns. You could probably explain your trauma to a stranger at a party.And yet... you're still stuck.In this episode of The Body Knows, we return to one of the most essential (and most misunderstood) aspects of somatics: what does it actually mean to feel your feelings? Spoiler: it's not the same as understanding them.We dig into why intellectualizing your emotions keeps you trapped in the same loops, and share practical tools for actually moving energy through your body — gently, safely, and even playfully.🎙️ We talk about: – The difference between understanding your emotions and metabolizing them – Why "I'm triggered because of my abandonment wound" isn't actually processing – What emotions actually are (hint: they're bodily experiences, not mental concepts) – The Daily Soma Check-In: a 10-second practice for building emotional awareness – Move, Breathe, Sound: how to let your body guide the release – Why starting with pleasure (not trauma) builds your capacity to feel – The surprising link between repressing grief and losing access to joyBecause when you block one emotion, you don't just shut down the hard stuff. You dam the entire river, including the aliveness, the freedom, and the bliss.🌀The Body Knows is where we — Ana Ally and Leona Waller‬ — say the quiet parts out loud about healing, somatics, and why trying to “fix yourself” never really works.We’re not selling five-step plans, and we’re definitely not pretending we have our s**t together.We're coming back to the wild, wise truth that your body was never the problem. It’s been the compass all along.✨ Subscribe for:→ New episodes every other week→ Embodied truth, not performance→ A little irreverence, a lot of nervous system wisdom Get full access to The Body Knows at thebodyknows.substack.com/subscribe