Posted on July 8th, 2025 

  

Ever get that knot in your stomach before a big conversation, or feel your jaw clench without even noticing? 

  

That’s not random. Your body’s been keeping receipts. 

  

Emotions don’t just pass through—they often move in, set up shop, and start collecting rent in your muscles, tissues, and nerves. 

  

We walk around like everything’s fine, while our shoulders tell a very different story. It’s not just stress or sadness, either. 

  

Even joy leaves a trace. You may not hear your body whisper, but it’s definitely talking—just not in words. 

  

Turns out, your nervous system is a bit dramatic. It treats every awkward chat, heartbreak, or busy Monday like it’s an emergency. 

  

The adrenaline rush? That’s your body panicking quietly. 

  

Over time, these reactions build up, especially if you've been taught to 'keep it together' or 'tough it out'. Emotions that don’t get expressed don’t vanish—they just go into storage. 

  

And like any overstuffed cupboard, eventually it all starts spilling out. 

  

The good news? There’s a way through the mess. But we’ll get to that soon. 

  

Why and How Emotions Are Stored In Your Body 

Your body isn’t just along for the ride—it’s recording everything. 

  

Every argument, heartbreak, awkward silence, or childhood scolding leaves its mark. Not just in your memory, but in your shoulders, your gut, and even that mysterious tightness in your jaw you can’t quite explain. 

  

Biologically, what’s happening is surprisingly straightforward: emotions trigger chemical reactions in the brain, which then send signals to the rest of your body. 

  

In high-stress moments, your system flips into fight, flight, or freeze. Helpful in an emergency—less so when it’s your inbox causing the panic. 

  

And if those stress responses don’t get a proper cool-down, your body doesn’t exactly hit ‘reset’. Instead, it starts treating everyday stress like a full-blown crisis. 

  

Over time, your nervous system can get stuck in a loop, sounding alarms even when the threat is just a disapproving look or an awkward group chat. The result? Emotions that don’t go away—they hunker down. 

  

Emotions can linger in your tissues, your breath, your posture, and yes, even that tension headache you’ve had since last Tuesday. These are not just leftover feelings—they’re unprocessed energy with nowhere to go. 

  

On the psychological side of things, we’ve been quietly trained to avoid the messier bits of our emotional lives. From an early age, many of us are told to “be strong”, “calm down”, or “stop overreacting”. So instead of letting it out, we bottle it up. 

  

The body, being the obliging vessel that it is, holds onto what we won't release. The result? A mental junk drawer that turns physical—knots in the back, tight hips, clunky breathing, and moods we can’t quite place. 

  

The good news is 'stuck' doesn’t mean 'permanent'. Emotions don’t want to stay trapped—they just need the right exit. 

  

Whether that’s movement, breathwork, a quiet moment of reflection, or a messy dance in your living room, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s permission. 

  

When the body is invited to speak, it often tells you exactly what it needs. You don’t have to decode it all at once, but paying attention is a strong start. 

  

Stick around, and we’ll get into how to actually do that—without turning your life upside down or booking a one-way flight to Bali. 

  

The Role of Physical Activity in Releasing Emotions 

Emotions have a way of overstaying their welcome when we don’t give them a way out. One of the most underrated bouncers for all that emotional build-up? Movement. 

  

Physical activity doesn’t just sculpt muscles or burn calories—it stirs the emotional pot. When you get your body moving, you’re not just flexing your limbs; you're shaking loose all sorts of buried feelings that didn’t get a proper exit. 

  

Exercise kicks up your energy, quite literally. It shifts you from stuck to flowing, from shut-down to switched-on. That’s not just a motivational poster—it’s brain chemistry. 

  

Endorphins flood in, stress hormones settle down, and your system gets a chance to reset. Activities with rhythm—like walking, swimming, and running—act like emotional tumble cycles, churning through whatever you’ve been holding onto. 

  

There’s a reason people come back from jogs with a clearer head or cry halfway through a yoga class. The body remembers, and when it moves, it releases. 

  

Dancing deserves a special mention. Not the choreographed kind that stresses you out—just honest, messy, no-one’s-watching movement. 

  

Music gets into your bones and bypasses the need to explain what you’re feeling. You’re not just listening—you’re translating emotions into motion. 

  

One minute you’re grooving; the next, you’re untangling grief or letting go of a frustration you didn’t know was hanging around. It’s expressive, it’s freeing, and yes—it counts as cardio. 

  

Yoga, alternatively, works like a gentle nudge rather than a full-on shake. Through breath and posture, it brings your attention to the places you’ve been avoiding. 

  

That tight hip or locked jaw? Probably holding more than just bad posture. Each stretch invites you to exhale and release—not just physically, but emotionally too. No talking necessary. Just space, breath, and permission to drop the armour. 

  

Consistent movement does more than offer one-off emotional detoxes—it strengthens your emotional fortitude. It tones your nervous system, nudging it out of panic mode and into rest-and-repair territory. 

  

Even five minutes of stretching or a brisk walk can chip away at the emotional backlog. And the best part? You don’t need to be an athlete, yogi, or dancer. You just need a body and a willingness to let it speak. 

  

Because sometimes, the path to healing isn’t about thinking more—it’s about moving differently. 

  

Expression Through Dance: The Path of Soul Dancing 

Soul dancing isn’t about perfect steps or polished routines—it’s about ditching the performance and letting your body tell the truth. You’re not here to impress; you’re here to express. 

  

This kind of movement strips away the pressure to "get it right" and invites you to move how you actually feel. Think of it less as dancing and more as emotional exhaling. 

  

When you stop worrying about how it looks and start tuning into how it feels, something shifts. You stop editing. You stop pretending. And that’s when the real release happens. 

  

This isn’t a dance class where someone counts you through eight steps. Soul dancing is led by your emotions, guided by rhythm, and fuelled by whatever’s been sitting in your chest, your gut, or that tension you keep mistaking for “bad posture”. 

  

You move not because you have to, but because you can’t not. The music acts like a key, unlocking parts of you that might’ve been boxed up for years. 

  

Here’s how dance helps break those emotional deadlocks:  

•  It bypasses the brain's overthinking loop and speaks directly through the body.  
•  It creates space to feel without needing to explain or justify anything.  
•  It physically shakes up stuck energy, letting it shift and release naturally.  

As your body responds to rhythm, emotions that were trapped begin to surface—not in a dramatic, overwhelming way, but more like a slow, steady unravel. 

  

That inner tightness begins to ease. Your breath deepens. Suddenly, you’re not just moving—you’re processing. You reconnect with parts of yourself that have been muted or ignored, and in doing so, you begin to soften into presence. 

  

There’s something incredibly healing about doing this in a room with others. No one’s watching, but everyone’s witnessing. 

  

That shared energy—raw, unfiltered, and unapologetic—can be just as therapeutic as the movement itself. It’s a reminder that feeling deeply isn’t something to hide; it’s something to honour. 

  

Regularly showing up for this kind of dance does more than offer momentary relief. It builds emotional stamina. 

  

You learn to listen to your body’s cues before they become symptoms. You learn to feel without flinching. And you walk away—not drained, but lighter, clearer, and more in tune. 

  

Turns out, the body doesn’t just store emotions—it knows how to let them go. You just have to give it the floor. 

  

Feel Lighter, Freer, And More Alive With Our Dance With Your Soul Classes 

Turns out your body’s not just holding your keys and your to-do list—it’s also hoarding a backlog of emotions you haven’t had time to deal with. 

  

Stress, grief, frustration, even joy that never got expressed? Yep, it all finds a corner to curl up in—until you give it an exit strategy. 

  

  When you move with purpose (and a bit of rhythm), the internal clutter starts to shift. You stop carrying it in your shoulders, your hips, and your jaw. 

  

Add music, a supportive space, and the freedom to move however the moment demands? That’s where things really start to transform. It’s simple, it’s powerful, and it’s surprisingly fun. 

  

If that sounds like something your nervous system would appreciate, JOIN us every Tuesdays,Thursdays & Saturdays  

  

It’s a 90-minute class designed to help you shake off the stuck stuff and make space for more ease, clarity, and joy.

 No dance experience needed—just bring your body, your curiosity, and maybe some grippy socks. 

  

Questions? Ideas? Want to make sure your song request gets in? 

  

Drop us a line at [email protected] or give us a call on +44 7735 835902. 

  

Let your body say what words can’t. You might be surprised by what it’s been dying to tell you.