11/11/2025
Get your wiggle on!
Know that feeling - back, neck, and shoulders feel like rock.
Shake it out - it’s science and body wisdom.
Gentle, relaxed shaking (sometimes called trauma release shaking, neurogenic tremoring, or simply shaking it out) is a natural way for the body to discharge built-up tension and return to a calm, regulated state.
It’s something all animals do instinctively.
Think of a dog after a fright—it shakes, then goes back to normal.
Humans used to do that too… we just learned to hold it in.
Why it Works
1. It releases muscle tension held in the survival system.
When we’re stressed, the body contracts—especially in the diaphragm, jaw, shoulders, pelvic floor and thighs.
Gentle shaking allows these muscles to let go, undoing the brace-response of fight/flight.
2. It tells the nervous system “You’re safe now.”
Shaking activates the parasympathetic nervous system — the “rest, digest, heal” mode.
This reduces adrenaline and cortisol, and signals to the brain that the danger has passed.
3. It resets the vagus nerve.
The rhythmic, loose movement improves vagal tone, which helps:
• settle anxiety
• improve breath depth
• soothe the heart rate
• switch off the “on edge” state
4. It relieves stored emotional energy.
Stress and emotion are physiological first, not psychological.
Shaking lets the body complete stress cycles that didn’t get finished at the time (e.g., when we stayed polite, professional, or quiet instead of reacting).
5. It restores natural circulation and lymph flow.
The gentle bouncing movement stimulates the lymphatic system (your immune drainage network), improving detox and reducing inflammation.
Try a gentle wiggle starting with your knees and letting it work through your body no holding in just let go.
Or
Try ‘empty coat sleeves’ twist from side to side with floppy arms and hands.
