Rewiring From Within: Neuroplasticity, Somatic Movement, and Stress Relief
Aug 10, 2025
The Science and Power of Somatic Neuroplasticity: How I Discovered the Brain’s Ability to Heal Through Movement
There was a time when my days began with clenched shoulders, a racing mind, and the weight of too many responsibilities. As a single mother, physical therapist, and business owner, I thought stress and pain were just part of the job. But when I stepped onto the floor for my first somatic dance, the music rose around me, my breath deepened, and something shifted — and I began to learn the science behind why.
What I felt in that moment wasn’t magic — it was my nervous system beginning to rewire. And there’s a science behind why that happens.
Introduction: Why Neuroplasticity?
In a world that rewards speed, productivity, and endless output, many of us—especially caregivers, healthcare professionals, and high-performing individuals—are silently breaking under the weight of overwhelm. Our minds race, our breath shortens, and our bodies carry the imprint of long-held stress. But here lies the good news: the brain is not fixed. Through the power of neuroplasticity and somatic movement, we can rewire not just how we move, but how we live, feel, and heal.
What Is Neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experience. It involves the brain forming new neural pathways, reorganizing existing ones, and even strengthening connections between brain regions. This capacity doesn’t disappear with age. In fact, it thrives with practice, novelty, and presence.
Neuroplasticity is activated when we:
- Pay attention (especially to sensation)
- Engage in repeated or novel experiences
- Practice regulating the nervous system
- Move with awareness and intention
Somatic Movement: The Body as a Portal to Brain Change
Somatic movement goes beyond exercise. It brings awareness to the internal experience of movement—to sensation, breath, rhythm, and stillness. When we move somatically, we’re not just strengthening muscles; we’re engaging the insula, prefrontal cortex, and brainstem networks responsible for regulation, integration, and healing.
At Aurras, our work draws on two deeply embodied pathways:
- The 5Rhythms®: A dynamic movement practice that maps the rhythms of life (Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical, Stillness) onto the body. Each rhythm helps to loosen chronic patterns, restore vitality, and reconnect with inner truth.
- The Life/Art Process™: A multimodal approach integrating movement, drawing, writing, and witnessing, designed to translate inner sensation into creative expression and insight.
These practices are not simply expressive. They are regenerative.
How the Science Supports It
- Somatic Experiencing & Neural Regulation
Somatic approaches that focus on felt-sense and micro-movements activate the "core response network"—the circuitry that links the autonomic nervous system, limbic brain, and motor output. By moving slowly and with presence, we shift out of sympathetic dominance (fight/flight/freeze) and into ventral vagal safety. This builds new neural associations of safety, release, and connection. - Contemplative/Somatic Movement & Emotional Regulation
Studies show that practices like somatic dance, Feldenkrais, and yoga improve emotional regulation by increasing interoceptive awareness. As we become better at sensing our internal state, we also become better at self-soothing, grounding, and choosing different responses. - Interoceptive Training & Brain Circuitry
Neuroscientific research shows that interoceptive training strengthens the insula and anterior cingulate cortex—areas linked to empathy, resilience, and stress reduction. In other words, learning to feel ourselves helps us adapt and recover more fluidly. - Mindful Movement, Neuroplasticity & BDNF
Mindful movement increases levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein that supports the growth of new neurons and synaptic plasticity. This makes somatic movement a powerful support for mental clarity, mood regulation, and cognitive resilience.
SIDEBAR: What Is BDNF?
BDNF stands for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. It’s like fertilizer for your brain—helping neurons grow, form new connections, and stay resilient. Higher levels of BDNF are linked to better memory, learning, and emotional balance. Somatic practices like mindful movement, rhythmic dance, and breath awareness help boost BDNF levels naturally.
- Therapeutic Somatic Methods
Methods like the Feldenkrais Method and Basic Body Awareness Therapy offer evidence-based ways to reorganize inefficient movement and pain patterns. These slow, intentional movements encourage cortical remapping and motor-sensory integration—core components of neuroplastic healing.
SIDEBAR: How Neuroplasticity Supports Trauma Recovery
When trauma occurs, the brain often forms rigid patterns to protect us—fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown. Neuroplasticity allows us to unlearn these reactive loops by creating new, embodied pathways of safety, movement, and connection. Through repetition, regulation, and awareness, somatic movement gently restores choice, presence, and trust in the body.
Why This Matters for the People We Serve
The people who come to us are not just in physical pain. They arrive carrying:
- Chronic stress and dysregulation
- Emotional overwhelm or shutdown
- Feeling disembodied or disconnected
- Burnout from caregiving or over-performing
Many have tried talk therapy or traditional exercise, but still feel fragmented. They crave something deeper, something that brings them home to themselves.
Why Regular Practice Matters
Neuroplasticity doesn’t work with one-time interventions. The brain needs repetition, safety, and diversity of input to rewire effectively. That’s why Aurras builds its offerings as ongoing practices:
- Weekly 5Rhythms classes (Aurras Waves)
- Seasonal movement-based rituals and explorations
- Membership pathways that encourage consistency, not perfection
Our programs follow the natural cycles of life, breath, and the seasons. Just like the brain, we honor the rhythms of descent and return, of effort and integration. Healing isn’t linear—it spirals.
Why Slow, Embodied Practice in a Fast World?
Because the nervous system doesn’t speak the language of urgency. It speaks the language of rhythm, breath, safety, and presence.
In a world dominated by screens, speed, and cognitive overload, somatic movement gives us a chance to:
- Unclutter the system
- Regulate from the inside out
- Feel alive and creative again
Takeaway: Rewiring Is Possible. And It Begins in the Body.
If you are feeling stuck, disconnected, or overwhelmed, the path back isn’t through forcing change. It’s through moving with presence.
At Aurras, we believe that every breath, every rhythm, and every conscious movement has the power to change your brain and return you to yourself.
π Start Your Own Nervous System Reset
If you’re someone who holds it all — for your family, your patients, your work — your body deserves a way back to balance. Return to the Body: A Nervous System Reset for Those Who Hold It All shares simple, at-home practices trusted by therapists and backed by neuroscience to help you release stress, restore balance, and reconnect with yourself — even on your busiest days.
π Click to download the guide here →
If you’re ready to start now, the guide is yours. And if you’d like to keep exploring this topic, you won’t want to miss what’s next.
π This is Part 1 of a 3-part series.
Today, we explored the neuroscience behind neuroplasticity and how somatic movement creates lasting change.
Next in Part 2: We’ll look at how different movement practices—like 5Rhythms and Ecstatic Dance—each impact the brain and nervous system, and what kind of structure supports deeper transformation.
Then in Part 3: We’ll bring it all together by exploring how Aurras integrates these principles into long-term programs, seasonal cycles, and community practice to create embodied, lasting change.
Backed by research. Rooted in rhythm. Designed for the nervous system.
Bettina Kira
5Rhythms Teacher, Somatic Movement Educator, Physical Therapist
Owner of Aurras Transformation
© 2025 Aurras Transformation. All rights reserved.
