Top 8 'Digital-Tension-Dissolving' Somatic Exercises to start for stress relief - Goh Ling Yong
Does your body ever feel like it’s been shrink-wrapped after a long day staring at a screen? That familiar ache in your neck, the tightness across your shoulders, the low-grade buzz of tension that settles deep in your muscles. You stretch, but the stiffness snaps right back. This isn't just poor posture; it's what we call 'digital tension'—the physical manifestation of a nervous system stuck in a low-level state of fight-or-flight.
Our modern lives, tethered to laptops and smartphones, are constantly sending subtle stress signals to our bodies. The constant pings, the endless scroll, the blue light… it all adds up. Our bodies respond by tightening, bracing, and holding on. Over time, this chronic holding pattern can lead to pain, fatigue, and a feeling of being disconnected from ourselves. So, how do we break this cycle? Not by forcing our muscles into submission, but by learning to communicate with them in their own language.
This is the beautiful world of somatic exercises. The word 'soma' means 'the living body experienced from within.' Unlike traditional exercise that focuses on output and external form, somatic work is an internal exploration. It’s about slowing down, tuning into your body’s subtle sensations, and using gentle, mindful movements to persuade your nervous system that it’s safe to let go. These practices help rewire the brain-body connection, releasing stored tension from the inside out.
Ready to dissolve that digital tension and find a new sense of ease in your body? Here are eight foundational somatic exercises you can start today.
1. The Mindful Neck Glide: Releasing 'Tech Neck'
That persistent ache at the base of your skull? That's the signature of 'tech neck,' the strain caused by constantly looking down at screens. We often try to fix it by aggressively stretching, but this can sometimes make the guarded muscles tighten even more. The somatic approach is to re-educate these muscles, reminding them how to move with ease and grace. The Mindful Neck Glide is less of a stretch and more of a gentle, curious exploration.
Start by sitting or standing in a comfortable, neutral position. Close your eyes if you feel safe doing so, and take a few deep breaths into your belly. Instead of tucking your chin or forcing your head back, imagine a string gently pulling the crown of your head up towards the ceiling, creating length in your spine. Now, very slowly, as if moving through honey, begin to glide your head forward, leading with your chin. Go only as far as is comfortable, paying close attention to the sensations at the back of your neck. Pause. Now, just as slowly, glide your head back to the starting position and then slightly further back, creating a gentle 'double chin'. The key here is the slowness and the quality of your attention.
Pro-Tip: Focus on the sensation of release, not the range of motion. Notice if one side feels stickier than the other. Is there a point where the muscles feel like they're catching? Don't push past it. Instead, breathe into that spot. Try this for just 60 seconds between meetings. You’re not just moving your head; you’re telling your nervous system that this range of motion is safe and available, effectively resetting the neuromuscular pattern of tension.
2. The Somatic Cat-Cow: Unlocking Your Spine
Many of us know Cat-Cow from yoga, but we can transform it into a profound somatic exercise by shifting our focus from the shape of the pose to the intricate, vertebra-by-vertebra experience of moving our spine. Our spines often become rigid from hours of sitting, holding emotional and physical tension. This movement helps to gently mobilize each segment, releasing stored stiffness and improving communication along the spinal cord.
Come onto your hands and knees in a tabletop position, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Instead of immediately moving into the full poses, start incredibly small. Begin at your tailbone. As you inhale, imagine you could tilt only your tailbone up towards the sky. Feel how that tiny movement creates a ripple effect, slowly, segment by segment, up your lower back, your mid-back, and finally your neck, until your gaze lifts slightly (Cow Pose). Don't just collapse into your low back; feel a sense of expansion across your chest.
Now, reverse the movement, starting again from the tailbone. As you exhale, tuck your tailbone under, and feel that wave of flexion travel up your spine. Your lower back rounds, then your mid-back, and finally, your head releases down as you gently press the floor away (Cat Pose). The goal is to make the movement as fluid and continuous as possible, like a wave. Do this for 8-10 breaths, moving so slowly you can feel the individual bones of your spine articulating. This is a powerful way to release back tension and calm your entire nervous system.
3. Constructive Rest: The Ultimate Psoas Release
If you're a desk worker, your psoas muscles are likely chronically tight. The psoas is a deep core muscle that connects your spine to your legs, and it’s deeply involved in our stress response—it’s literally the muscle that curls you into a fetal position when you feel threatened. Sitting for long periods keeps it in a shortened, tense state. Constructive Rest is a deceptively simple position that allows this deep muscle to release passively, signaling profound safety to your nervous system.
Lie on your back on a comfortable surface, like a yoga mat or carpet. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart and a comfortable distance from your seat. Your knees should be able to rest against each other or stay pointing toward the ceiling without any effort. Let your arms rest by your sides or place your hands gently on your lower belly. That’s it. Now, the real work begins: do nothing.
Your only job is to allow gravity to do the work. Bring your awareness to the points of contact between your body and the floor: your feet, your sacrum (the back of your pelvis), your shoulder blades, the back of your head. With each exhale, imagine your body getting heavier, melting into the floor. You might notice your belly gurgling or feel a subtle unwinding in your hips—this is a sign that your parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous system is coming online. Spend 5-15 minutes here. It's a game-changer for releasing deep-seated tension in the hips and lower back.
4. The Body Scan: Mapping Your Inner Landscape
You can't release tension you're not aware of. Much of our digital tension exists just below the level of our conscious perception, humming along in the background. A body scan is a foundational somatic practice that builds interoception—the ability to sense your internal state. It’s like turning on the lights in a dark room, allowing you to see exactly where you’re holding on.
Lie down in the Constructive Rest position or any other comfortable position. Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath without changing it. Then, guide your awareness to the toes of your left foot. Simply notice any sensations present. Is there warmth? Coolness? Tingling? Pressure? Or maybe you feel nothing at all. There is no right or wrong answer; the practice is simply to notice.
Slowly, move your awareness up your left foot to the ankle, the shin, the knee, the thigh, and the hip, spending a few moments at each location. Then, repeat the entire process on the right side. Continue this systematic scan through your pelvis, your torso, your arms and hands, and finally, your neck and head. When you find a place of tension, don't try to force it to relax. Instead, just acknowledge it with gentle curiosity and perhaps direct your breath into that area, as if creating space around it. This practice trains your mind to inhabit your body more fully, breaking the cycle of unconscious bracing.
5. Pandiculation: The Art of the 'Inner Yawn'
Have you ever watched a cat or dog wake up from a nap? They perform a long, luxurious, whole-body stretch. This isn't just a simple stretch; it's an instinctual action called pandiculation. It involves contracting a group of muscles, slowly lengthening them, and then completely releasing them. This action is nature's way of resetting the nervous system and preparing the muscles for movement. We can use this innate process consciously to release built-up tension.
Lying on your back, begin by intentionally creating a full-body "yawn." Reach your arms overhead and point your toes, gently contracting all the muscles along the front and back of your body. Feel the tension build for a moment—not to the point of strain, but just enough to feel the muscles engage. Hold for a count of three.
Then, very, very slowly, begin to release the contraction as you exhale with a sigh. Imagine the muscles melting, lengthening, and letting go completely. The key is the slow, controlled release. This sends a powerful signal from your brain to your muscles, resetting their resting length and releasing involuntary tension. You can do this with your whole body or target specific areas, like clenching your fists and shoulders and then slowly releasing. It's a deeply satisfying way to hit the 'reset' button on muscular holding patterns.
6. The Standing Wall Push: Unfurling the Chest
Hunching over a keyboard shortens and tightens all the muscles in our chest (the pecs) while over-stretching and weakening the muscles of our upper back. This creates that rounded, protective posture that’s so common today. The Standing Wall Push somatically re-patterns this area, inviting the chest to open and the shoulder blades to glide back into their proper place.
Stand facing a wall, about arm's length away. Place your palms flat on the wall, slightly wider than your shoulders, with your fingers pointing up. Keep a soft bend in your elbows. Now, without moving your hands, imagine you are trying to push the wall away from you, but the wall won't budge. Feel the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms engage. Hold this gentle isometric contraction for a few breaths.
Next, reverse the intention. Imagine the wall is now pushing you back, and you are resisting it. Feel how this shifts the engagement to the muscles between your shoulder blades and in your back. The real magic, however, is in the transition between these actions and the final release. After a few rounds, step away from the wall, let your arms hang by your sides, and just notice. You'll likely feel a new sense of openness across your collarbones and a feeling that your shoulders are sitting more naturally on your back. As my mentor, Goh Ling Yong, often says, awareness is the first and most crucial step to change.
7. Grounding Through Your Feet: Reconnecting to the Earth
Living a 'digital life' often means we live in our heads. We can become disconnected from the very ground that supports us. This can leave us feeling anxious, scattered, and ungrounded. Somatic exercises for the feet are incredibly powerful for calming the nervous system because they reconnect us to the earth and provide our brain with a rich source of sensory feedback.
Start by simply standing and bringing your awareness to the soles of your feet. Can you feel all four corners of each foot on the ground? The base of the big toe, the base of the little toe, and the two corners of your heel. Gently rock your weight forward and back, side to side, exploring your base of support.
For a more active exercise, find a tennis ball or lacrosse ball. While standing (hold onto a wall or chair for support), place the ball under one foot and slowly roll it around. When you find a tender spot, pause and breathe, allowing your body weight to gently release the tension in the fascia. After a minute or two on one foot, place it back on the floor next to the other one. Close your eyes and notice the difference. The foot you just worked on will likely feel more alive, awake, and more fully connected to the ground. This simple act can have a profound effect on your sense of stability and calm.
8. Gentle Shaking: Discharging Anxious Energy
This last one might feel a bit strange at first, but it taps into one of the body’s most primal ways of releasing stress. All mammals, including humans, shake or tremor to discharge excess energy and trauma from the nervous system after a stressful event. Think of a dog shaking after a loud noise. We've often socialized ourselves out of this natural release mechanism, but we can re-introduce it voluntarily and gently to let go of that 'wired and tired' feeling.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a soft bend in your knees. Begin by gently bouncing from your knees, letting your heels tap the floor lightly. Keep your jaw and shoulders as relaxed as possible. The idea is not to force anything, but to create a gentle vibration that can travel up through your body. You can let your arms be loose and floppy, shaking out your hands and wrists.
Do this for one to five minutes. You can put on a piece of music you love to make it more enjoyable. The goal is to shake off the 'static' of the day—the buzzing, nervous energy that accumulates from stress and screen time. Afterward, stand still for a moment and notice the tingling sensations and the sense of calm that often follows. It’s a powerful and efficient way to shift your energetic state and signal to your body that the stressful event is over.
Your Invitation to Embodiment
These somatic exercises are not about achieving perfection or pushing through pain. They are an invitation to slow down, listen, and enter into a respectful dialogue with your body. The chronic stress of our digital world won't disappear overnight, but by incorporating these small, mindful practices into your day, you can begin to dissolve the tension, regulate your nervous system, and reclaim a sense of ease and vitality.
Here at Goh Ling Yong's practice, we believe that the body holds incredible wisdom. The key is learning how to listen to it. Start with just one of these exercises. Choose the one that feels most appealing and commit to trying it for five minutes a day for a week. Notice what changes. The journey back to yourself is taken one gentle, mindful movement at a time.
Ready to go deeper and develop a personalized practice to manage stress and connect with your body's wisdom? Explore our upcoming workshops or book a one-on-one consultation with us today. Your body will thank you.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
Stay updated with the latest posts and insights by following on your favorite platform!