From Mind to Muscle: The Journey of Stress Through the Body

We tend to think of stress as something that lives in the mind—worrying thoughts, mental overload, or racing emotions. But the truth is, the body feels it first. A difficult conversation, a deadline, an unresolved emotion—these experiences don’t just pass through the mind. They register in the body. Muscles contract. Breath shortens. The jaw tightens. Over time, this becomes more than a moment—it becomes a pattern.

Stress has a journey. It starts with perception—a signal picked up by the brain. But if that signal isn't processed or released, it travels downstream, embedding into the tissues, posture, and nervous system. What begins in the mind doesn’t just stay there. It becomes physical.

Let’s explore how stress gets stored in the body and use four simple, somatic ways to begin releasing it—through muscle tension, jaw holding, restricted breath, and the absence of comforting touch.

How Stress Moves Through the Body

Stress isn’t just emotional; it’s physiological. When you experience stress, your body activates the sympathetic nervous system—your fight, flight, or freeze response. Your muscles tense, your heart rate increases, your digestion slows, and your breath becomes shallow. This is helpful short-term, but when stress becomes chronic, the body doesn’t always get the message that the threat has passed.

Without release or regulation, stress becomes “stuck.” You may feel it as:

• A tight neck or shoulders

• A clenched jaw or teeth grinding

• Shallow breathing or frequent sighing

• A sense of agitation or low-grade fatigue

• Disconnection from your body

These are not just discomforts—they’re invitations. Let’s explore how to listen, respond, and release.

4 Somatic Ways to Release Stored Stress

1. Muscle Tension: Soften the Armor

Muscles often become the body’s first line of defense against stress. We unconsciously brace—shoulders up, belly tight, spine rigid. This “body armor” is meant to protect, but over time it leaves us feeling restricted and exhausted.

Try this: Progressive muscle relaxation

• Find a quiet space.

• Starting from your toes and working up to your head, gently tense one muscle group at a time for 5–10 seconds, then release with an exhale.

• Notice the contrast between tension and release.

• Repeat 1–2 rounds, especially in areas like the shoulders, chest, or thighs.

This helps the nervous system recognize that it’s safe to let go.

2. Jaw Holding: Unlocking the Silent Clench

The jaw is one of the most common places we hold stress—often without realizing it. A tight jaw can contribute to headaches, poor sleep, and even digestive issues.

Try this: Jaw release with sound

• Place your fingertips gently on the sides of your jaw.

• Open your mouth wide like a yawn and exhale with a deep sigh or humming sound.

• Repeat 5–7 times, slowly.

• Let your tongue rest at the bottom of your mouth and soften the space behind your eyes.

Sound and vibration help stimulate the vagus nerve and unwind stored tension in the face and neck.

3. Breath Restriction: Reclaiming Space Inside

Stress shortens the breath, keeping us in a low-level alert state. Over time, shallow breathing reduces oxygen flow, tightens the chest, and feeds anxiety.

Try this: Three-part breath (Dirga Pranayama)

• Sit or lie down comfortably.

• Inhale slowly into your belly, then into your ribs, then into your upper chest.

• Exhale in reverse: chest, ribs, belly.

• Keep the breath fluid and unforced.

• Practice for 2–5 minutes, allowing your breath to expand from the inside out.

This breath practice helps regulate the nervous system and reopens space that stress has compressed.

4. Lack of Touch: Reclaiming Connection and Safety

When we’re overwhelmed, we often disconnect—not just emotionally, but physically. The absence of nurturing touch or pressure can increase a sense of isolation and dysregulation.

Try this: Self-soothing touch

• Place one hand on your heart, the other on your belly.

• Apply gentle, steady pressure and breathe.

• You might gently rock, hum, or close your eyes.

• Stay here for 2–3 minutes, or longer if it feels comforting.
  

Touch—especially self-touch—signals safety to the nervous system and helps restore a sense of grounded presence.

The Body Remembers, but It Also Responds

The journey of stress through the body is not a flaw—it’s an ancient intelligence. Your body holds on because it’s trying to protect you. But it also wants to let go. When we begin to listen—through breath, movement, touch, and awareness—we invite the body out of defense and back into flow.

Your healing doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes, it starts with softening your jaw, taking a deeper breath, or placing a hand on your chest and simply saying: I’m here.

Because the body always listens. And when we listen back, we create space for release, regulation, and return.

Looking for support ? Curious about how working 1:1 with me looks like?
Email me for a complimentary consult: info@nousahsalimi.com

Much love,
Nousha