In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness

by Peter A. Levine

A sequel to this shower exercise involves bringing boundary awareness into the muscles. You start by using a hand to grasp and gently squeeze the opposite forearm; then you squeeze the upper arm, the shoulders, neck, thighs, calves, feet, etc. The important element is to be mindful of how your muscles feel from the inside as they are being squeezed. You can begin to recognize the rigidity or flaccidity of the tissue as well as its general quality of aliveness. Generally, tight, constricted muscles are associated with the alarm and hypervigilence of the sympathetic arousal system. Flaccid muscles, on the other hand, belie how the body collapses when dominated by the immobilization system. In the case of flaccid muscles, you need to linger and gently hold them, almost as though you were holding a baby.