18/04/2024
In class this week we’ve been exploring movements to help increase our energy and, in Somatic terms, when we think about why we may be feeling low on energy or fatigued, the Red Light Reflex has a large role to play.
So what is the Red Light Reflex? Otherwise known as our startle reflex, it’s a response to fear, worry and sadness. When we feel these emotions or percieve danger or threat there is always a physical response in our body. The front of our body contracts, and closes in - we do this to protect ourselves. This is a normal and necessary response which ideally we move out of when the danger or feelings have passed. However if we get stuck there, because we come into this reflex so frequently that it becomes habituated, then it can cause us problems. And, just to add, we can also get stuck here if we spend a lot of time sitting - something fairly unavoidable in today’s technology led world.
Along with low energy, some of the symptoms you may experience from being stuck in the Red Light Reflex are shallow breathing, feelings of anxiety, neck and shoulder pain, mid back pain and posturally you may notice rounded shoulders and forward head posture. Any of these sound familiar?
Well, you don’t have to stay stuck, thanks to your brains' ability to learn and change and that’s where Somatic Movement comes in. By recreating and de-creating the full body pattern of this reflex you can remind your brain how to release out of it when it’s no longer needed. Leaving you feeling more energised, able to stand taller, and breathe and move more freely and comfortably.
