Look for Body Clues to Find Your True Sense of Power

You often hear these days about “stepping into your power.” But what does that mean? How do we step through our fear in order to claim – or reclaim – our power?

Stepping into your own power means you're safe in your voice. You recognize and honor what your needs, ideas, and desires are. You also recognize that you deserve the freedom to express your inner truths and to be heard and seen when you do.  

We are in the midst of a cultural shift that supports your speaking up. If you have been treated for a long time as “less than,” now is the time to step up and claim your power. You can say out loud into the world how you feel and what you want. You matter.

If the message you share is feeling right inside of you, if there is an inner sense of clarity about its truth, then you’re in your own power. People can disagree with you and it’s okay because you know this is my truth.

Power is more than an idea. It lives in our body. Feelings of disempowerment also live in our body. Our body can be a trustworthy teacher and ally as we explore what power means to us and what it actually feels like.

I often invite my somatic therapy clients to check in with their bodies, to recognize when they feel in the flow with life and, by contrast, when they don’t. They work on discovering where they feel restricted because of the dominant culture and generational trauma or other traumas experienced in their current lifetime. And they also learn to pay attention to where they do feel a surge of power in their body.

Whenever we have to suppress ourselves due to fear, whenever we have to make ourselves smaller than to avoid perceived danger, then we are not in power. We lose power. 

Our suppressed power shows up typically as constrictions that we can feel in various areas of our body. To become aware of these restrictions and release them takes practice -- and often support from a therapist or others. But you can work on releasing these fears as you pay attention to how your body has constricted to keep you safe.

Below I offer you a few clues to look for in your own body. Use them to begin noticing how you hold back and also how being free might feel. As you do, you will more easily be able to speak your truth and reclaim power that has been taken from you.  

Suppressed power may feel like:

·      Tightness in the throat

·      Tension in your belly

·      Caved-in chest

·      Clenched teeth

Claiming your power may feel like:

·      An openness in your chest 

·      A softening of your throat

·      Fully open belly

·      A sense of flow

·      Relaxed jaw