{"id":1874,"date":"2025-06-13T15:08:22","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T15:08:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/?p=1874"},"modified":"2025-06-13T15:10:05","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T15:10:05","slug":"the-shape-youre-in-and-why-its-not-your-fault","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/the-shape-youre-in-and-why-its-not-your-fault\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf31 The Shape You\u2019re In (and Why It\u2019s Not Your Fault)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udf31 The Shape You\u2019re In (and Why It\u2019s Not Your Fault)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are not broken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are shaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And your shape makes complete sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I talk about this all the time in sessions, because it\u2019s one of the most common things I see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know what I want\u2026 so why does my body shut down when I try to move toward it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might know\u2014logically, intellectually, beautifully\u2014that you want to show up with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That you want to lead in your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or be more present with your kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or speak your truth in a relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then something in your body says\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You freeze. You go blank. You bolt. You crumble. You overwork. You please.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then maybe you judge yourself, or spiral, or think, \u201cWhy can\u2019t I just DO the thing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Let Me Introduce You to Your Shape<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In somatic work, we use the word soma to describe your whole self\u2014your body, your nervous system, your emotions, your longings, your beliefs, your survival strategies, your spiritual self, your patterns. It\u2019s the constellation of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And your soma has a shape\u2014not just physical, but energetic, emotional, and relational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s the shape you learned to take in order to get your needs met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was shaped by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Family systems<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>School rules and punishments<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Religion or culture<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Race, gender, class, body size, ability<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Political and social pressures<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>All the ways you learned: \u201cThis is how I stay safe. This is how I belong. This is how I survive.\u201d<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your nervous system learned all that way before your thinking brain could make sense of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It adapted brilliantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And now\u2026 you want something more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Problem Isn\u2019t&nbsp;You\u2014It\u2019s the Old Shape<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve done the therapy. You\u2019ve got your affirmations. You\u2019re journaling and setting intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But when it\u2019s time to speak up in a meeting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or say no in a conversation that matters?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or show up publicly in your truth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Something in your soma ducks out. Goes stiff. Gets panicky. Wants to disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s not a character flaw. That\u2019s the shape of your survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it also might be outdated. That shape\u2014though once wise and necessary\u2014may no longer serve who you\u2019re becoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So What Do We Do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t bulldoze the shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t bypass it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t force a \u201cbetter\u201d one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We get curious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When do I feel most alive?<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What does that feel like in my body?<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What gets in the way?<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And we practice. Gently. Together. In little moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because you can\u2019t think your way into a new shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You feel your way there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>This Is Especially Important Now<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this world\u2014this particular moment in history, with so many systems in crisis and so much pressure on all of us\u2014it\u2019s really hard to stay regulated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The external stressors are real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The injustice is real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The financial uncertainty is real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the exhaustion? Also very real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of us\u2014especially those in marginalized or underestimated bodies\u2014carry shapes that were necessary. Still are, in some spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we hold all of this with care. This is not just personal work. It\u2019s systemic, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And still\u2014we begin with you, here, now, in this body, learning a new way forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Shape You\u2019re Becoming<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So here\u2019s what we practice at Rise Up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tracking what happens in your body when you move toward what matters<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Naming the shape you\u2019re in (without shame)<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Practicing new ways of being in real time\u2014so that you can choose a different shape, over time<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We build new neural pathways\u2014not by force, but by repetition and care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We practice being the shape that aligns with your values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That makes space for your longings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That allows you to belong to yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Up Next: The Grab Practice \ud83d\udc4b<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Next week I\u2019ll walk you through a Grab Practice\u2014a somatic exercise I learned through the Strozzi Institute that helps us feel into our current shape and practice responding differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s one of my favorite tools to use in sessions, and I\u2019ll show you how to adapt it for home practice too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Until then\u2014be gentle with your shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It got you here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s no small thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With love, curiosity, and breath,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Katie @ Rise Up Bodymind<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83c\udf31 The Shape You\u2019re In (and Why It\u2019s Not Your Fault) Let\u2019s start with this: You are not broken. You are shaped. And your shape makes complete sense. I talk about this all the time in sessions, because it\u2019s one of the most common things I see: \u201cI know what I want\u2026 so why does [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-healing","category-somatics"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1874"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1877,"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1874\/revisions\/1877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/riseupmassage.com\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}