My mom’s 7th life lesson was on the healing power of touch; the way simple, physical gestures like a hand on the chest, a stroke of the forehead, or a hug can calm the nervous system and communicate love without words.

In this episode, we’ll explore how touch can regulate stress and anxiety through somatic practices, how early experiences with affection shape the way we give and receive love, and how the body, especially the gut, holds and communicates emotional truth.

Music: All music for my podcast is sourced and licensed for use via Soundstripe.

Songs in this episode: Whatever Weather by Basket; Some Kind of Wonderful by Nu Alkemi$t; Con Sazón by In This World

Poem: Lemonade, It Flows

Resources:

10 Somatic Exercises and Techniques for Anxiety: Expert-Approved The Gut-Brain Connection

Related Episodes:

Learn the Language of Nature — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 6) - Episode #69

Being Hateful is Incompatible with Being Whole – Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 5) - Episode #68

Giving Without Expectation – Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 4) - Episode #67

Take Notice of Little, Beautiful Things — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 3) - Episode #66

Recognize the Good in Others — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 2) – Episode #65

Let People Know You Love Them — Lessons My Mama Taught Me (Part 1) - Episode #64

Journal Prompts:

1. How do you like to be touched by your loved ones? Recall and write about the way a loved one's touch made your body (and mind) feel.

2. Would somatic practices help reduce your overthinking? Write a list of three ways you could explore somatic meditation when faced with anxiety or worry.

3. What has your gut been telling you about the current state of your work or home life? How might listening impact your future?

Please subscribe & leave a review if you enjoyed today's episode.💜💛

Follow Jill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillhodgevo/

Prefer to read this episode? Read the complete episode in blog format here: https://www.lettheverseflow.com

Let the Verse Flow is part of Jill Hodge’s voice actor and audiobook narration work. Learn more at jillhodgevo.com.

If you’ve been using these episodes as a space to reflect or journal, I recently narrated a short audiobook that supports that same kind of practice — something you can listen to in a single sitting or revisit for just a few minutes a day.

It’s a devotional book called Prayers for When Anxiety Won’t Let Go, and it’s designed for moments of overthinking or overwhelm. You can find it on Audible: https://tinyurl.com/yx4p6nwt