If journaling is part of your self-care routine after a traumatic event, you may have noticed how good it feels to unleash emotions on paper. If you wish to explore embodiment and somatic healing, these prompts deepen the connection with yourself.
I invite you to join me as I explore five somatic journal prompts for trauma healing that reconnect you with your body. I’d also like to add that these are trauma-informed writing prompts that would pair well with a trauma-informed yoga class.
What Is Somatic Healing?
Somatic healing practices support your healing process by allowing you to return to your body after a stressful event or traumatic experience. You’re able to release held protective patterns within your body without speaking about your experiences, all while easing tension and chronic pain.
There are many forms of somatic healing you can explore for support, including tai chi, trauma release exercises (TRE ®), somatic practices, and yoga. I welcome you to use these journal prompts before any somatic healing practice you enjoy, or even as a standalone practice.
If you include somatic healing practices into your routine, I welcome you to explore trauma-informed styles. These take extra care to honor past trauma and facilitators have specialized training to understand how trauma affects survivors and their healing. I welcome you to learn more about the 6 Pillars of Trauma-Informed Yoga to see if this would be a supportive practice for you.
If you’d like to learn more about somatic healing and how to create a supportive practice, I welcome you to explore my Somatic Yoga for Beginners Guide. This is a 3-part blog series that explores how to find safety in your practice and ultimately how to decode emotions in your body, leading to uncovering hidden beliefs.
Why Journal?
Journaling is much more than a morning self-care routine to practice gratitude (although this is still an a beneficial habit to have). This systematic review from the National Library of Medicine explored that journaling is a cost effective, accessible way to support mental health. It’s also a supportive way to check in with yourself, and physically writing gives you that feeling of venting something out of you, instead of ruminating or experiencing racing thoughts.
It also encourages you to explore somatic healing and provides these benefits:
- Provides a grounding tool and offers more reflection to the question, “how is your body feeling today?”
- Opportunity to notice trends. After you’ve been journaling for a while, you may notice trends. Maybe you have more tension on Sundays, before the start of the work week, compared to Fridays. This is valuable information to cater to your practices for the level of stress and tension you have.
- Less room for judgement. It’s easier to turn to judgment in your thoughts than on paper. The more you focus on just what you’re feeling (instead of judging), the more embodiment you’ll create within yourself and spend more time on what truly matters – how to find comfort in your body.
I recommend you explore journaling for personal growth only if you enjoy it to release thoughts, emotions, and explore your internal landscape.
How To Use These Somatic Journal Prompts
There is no right or wrong way to approach these prompts. You might explore them on their own, after a yoga practice, grounding, or anytime you like.
I invite you to find a quiet, distraction free environment before you journal for your best experience. Take all the time you need, and there are no right or wrong answers. You may answer in bullet format, long paragraphs, or any way that suits you. You have the option to do these alongside another practice or on their own.
I also offer a gentle reminder that you can pause or end your journaling practice at any time.
5 Somatic Journal Prompts For Trauma Support
The first part explores prompts to explore before certain practices, and the second you can do after any somatic or yoga practice.
5 Prompts To Explore Before Somatic Practices
1. Mind Body Connection
In your time, I welcome you to take a moment to notice the sensations in your body. Where do you feel the most comfort? The least? Do you notice energy in some places but not others? If you feel comfortable, I welcome you to take a long, slow deep breath, and exhale at your pace. How does it feel in your body after this breath?
2. Emotional Exploration
If you feel comfortable working with your emotions, I invite you to explore this prompt. Feel free to write about any emotions you’re currently feeling. If you’re unsure, the first prompt is an alternate option for journaling. If you’re able to notice your emotions, you might explore how they feel in your body. (Example: If you’re feeling sad, maybe you notice your shoulders hunch forward or you’re frowning.)
3. Tension Release
If you’re looking to release tension in your body, this is a supportive journaling prompt to explore and release tension. I invite you to complete a body scan, starting from your head or toes, scanning each part of your body for tension. As you scan, you might ask yourself these questions: Where is there tightness? Where is there ease? Could I make any adjustments to make any tight areas more comfortable? Maybe I could send my breath into areas of tension. What does this feel like in my body? Explore this exercise for as long as you choose.
For deeper support, I welcome you to explore my free Healing Light Meditation Transcript for a trauma-informed body scan to release tension. There is no email required for access.
4. Cultivate Safety
Safety is crucial for any somatic practice, including yoga. Establishing a sense of safety allows you to return to center if you become overwhelmed or need to take a break. Here are a few supportive questions to explore: What does a nurturing environment look and feel like to me? Is it real? Imaginary? Is there anyone with me in this space? What are my five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, sound)? Once I discover this sense of safety, can I create this feeling in my body? What do I notice if I try to establish this feeling of safety in my body?
5. Create An Intention
An intention is a specific goal or affirmation you carry with you either for the rest of the day or if you plan to do yoga afterwards. Maybe your intention is peace or self love and acceptance. It can be a word or a sentence – anything that works for you. When you’re ready, I invite you to explore these questions: What is my intention for today’s practice? Is there anything I’m hoping to achieve from today or this class? Can I cultivate this in my body now before starting my day or class?
Journaling After Your Practices
If you like, you may return to your journaling after your yoga practice to see if there were any shifts, make any notes, or re-answer questions entirely. Here are a few ideas:
- (Yoga) What pose did you enjoy the most? The least? Why do you think so?
- Did your intention stay the same throughout class or your day? How do you feel in your body when you repeat this intention to yourself?
- How do you feel in your body now compared to before your practice? Did any tension or emotions arise? How did you speak to yourself when this happened?
- Did anything about today’s practice surprise you? Or did you learn anything new about yourself, body, or emotions?
Explore More Journal Prompts
If you’d like to explore more journal prompts, I invite you to read my other journaling blog posts:
- 15 Transformational Journal Prompts To Release Rage: Yoga For Anger After Trauma
- 5 Self-Compassion Journaling Prompts for Sexual Trauma Survivors (with PDF)
Deepen Your Journaling with Free Trauma-Informed Yoga
If you’d like to feel more supported within your body after sexual trauma, my free seven day trauma-informed yoga series offers somatic guidance and nervous system regulation to gently reconnect with yourself.
Each day includes a unique themed journal prompt to explore before and after practice. This is a supportive way to take your practice further with prompts specifically designed for each day’s class theme to deepen connection and compassion within yourself.
If this sounds like a supportive resource, I welcome you to learn more below.
