The pathways we close
How the body holds what can’t move
Today I was lying down in the clinic, working with herbal compresses on my belly.
As I softened into the work, I could feel an area of tightness in my abdomen.
Not just physical tension, but something held.
In that moment, I became aware of a pathway. A route for the feeling to move.
Upwards…
from the belly,
through the diaphragm,
into the chest,
the throat,
the mouth.
A natural direction for something to rise and leave the body.
But the pathway wasn’t open.
There was holding along the way.
So I began, very simply, to soften.
Soften the mouth.
Soften the tongue.
Soften the throat.
Soften the shoulders.
Soften the diaphragm…
And as soon as that pathway began to open, even just starting with the mouth, something shifted. The energy moved.
The doors we close
This made me think about how often we do the opposite. When something feels too much, or not safe to feel or express, we don’t allow that pathway to stay open. We close it down.
It’s almost as though, as the feeling begins to rise from the belly, we shut doors on the way up.
The diaphragm tightens, holding everything down.
The chest braces.
The shoulders lift and contract.
The throat tightens, as if to stop something being said.
The jaw clamps.
The tongue pulls back and holds.
And we move up into our head.
Away from the feeling.
Away from the body.
Leaving the body, leaving ourselves
When the pathway is closed like this, the emotion doesn’t disappear.
It stays held – often in the belly.
And over time, that holding can become familiar.
We may not even realise how much tension we carry
through our diaphragm,
our throat,
our jaw.
Or how much energy is being used to keep something contained.
Opening the way back
The moment I softened the pathway, the body knew what to do.
There was no forcing.
No need to analyse or understand.
Just space.
And a quiet invitation for the body to release what it was holding.
It made me realise that healing is not always about “getting somewhere” or “fixing” something. Sometimes it is simply about reopening a pathway that has been closed.
An invitation
You might try this gently for yourself…
Notice your belly.
Then bring awareness to the pathway upwards:
Your diaphragm
Your chest
Your throat
Your mouth and jaw
And see what happens if you soften.
No pushing.
No trying to make anything happen.
Just creating the conditions for movement.
A different direction
There is the journey of coming back into the body.
And there is also the movement away from it…
the shutting down,
the closing of doors
when something doesn’t feel safe.
Both are intelligent responses.
But when the body is given enough safety, those doors can begin to open again.
And when they do, what has been held can begin to move.
If this resonates, you may wish to explore...
Through somatic bodywork and abdominal therapy, I support the body in softening, regulating, and allowing what has been held to begin to move – gently and at its own pace.
You can read more about this approach here:
Return to centre – reconnecting with your body
https://rootedwellbeing.co.uk/reconnect/
Or, if it feels right, you’re welcome to begin with a conversation.