Do You Feel Tension in Your Shoulders? Could It Be Suppressed Emotions?
Have you ever noticed that after a stressful day, your shoulders feel stiff, as if carrying an invisible burden? Perhaps your jaw tightens involuntarily when faced with a challenging situation, or your heart starts beating faster without an obvious reason? We often assume this is just stress or fatigue, but these bodily signals can run much deeper—they may be suppressed emotions buried in the subconscious, quietly building up and seeking a way to break free. Bioenergetics is both a science and an art that helps recognize these signals, release pent-up emotions, and restore harmony between body and mind. In this article, we will reveal how bioenergetics can become the key to emotional freedom, offer practical methods backed by science, and invite your body to speak—are you ready to listen?
What Is Bioenergetics? Alexander Lowen’s Work on the Connection Between Body and Emotions
Bioenergetics is a therapeutic approach that unites body and mind, asserting that our emotions, experiences, and even childhood traumas are reflected in the physical body. Its pioneer, Alexander Lowen, developed bioenergetic analysis in the mid-20th century, building on the work of his mentor, Wilhelm Reich. Lowen, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, observed that his patients’ emotional issues often manifested through posture, muscle tension, and breathing patterns. In his book *The Language of the Body* (1958), he argues that the body is like an emotional map: suppressed anger might tense the jaw, sadness might constrict the chest, and fear might stiffen the pelvis.
Lowen emphasized that many of us learn to suppress emotions in childhood because they are deemed “unacceptable.” For example, a child forbidden from expressing anger might start tensing their shoulders or jaw to “hold back” the emotion. Over time, this tension becomes chronic, forming what Lowen called “character armor”—muscle tension patterns that block the natural flow of energy in the body. The goal of bioenergetics is to release this energy through physical work, breathing, and emotional openness, allowing a person to feel alive, spontaneous, and emotionally free once again. Lowen’s work laid the foundation for modern body psychotherapy, and his methods are still used worldwide to help people uncover deeply buried emotions and let them go.
How Do Emotions Affect the Body? The Basics of Psychosomatics
Psychosomatics is the science that explores how emotions impact the physical body. According to Lowen, every emotion carries its own energy, which, if unexpressed, accumulates in the body as tension. For instance, anger often causes tension in the jaw or shoulders—perhaps you recognize this when, faced with frustration, you instinctively clench your teeth or raise your shoulders. Sadness can compress the chest, hindering deep breathing, while fear often tightens the pelvic area, limiting movement and sexual energy. These patterns are not random—they reflect how our bodies attempt to “cope” with emotions we consciously suppress.
Science supports this connection. A 2017 *Journal of Psychosomatic Research* study showed that chronic muscle tension, particularly in the shoulders and back, is often linked to suppressed anger or anxiety. Another 2020 *Frontiers in Psychology* study revealed that people prone to suppressing emotions are more likely to suffer from digestive issues, headaches, or even heart problems. This is explained by the fact that suppressed emotions cause persistent stress, activating the sympathetic nervous system—the “fight or flight” mode. Prolonged stress increases cortisol levels—the stress hormone—which can trigger inflammatory processes in the body, weaken the immune system, and even affect heart health.
Lowen also highlighted the importance of breathing. When we are emotionally blocked, our breathing becomes shallow, limiting oxygen supply to muscles and organs and further intensifying tension. For example, someone suppressing sadness might involuntarily “hold their breath,” restricting chest movement, which over time can lead to chronic fatigue or even depression. Bioenergetics teaches us to recognize these patterns and consciously change them, allowing the body to “speak” and release what has been suppressed for years.
Practical Techniques: Breathing Exercises, Movement, or Bioenergetic Sessions?
Bioenergetics offers specific methods to release suppressed emotions stored in the subconscious through the body. Here are some practical techniques that can help you right now:
1. Radionics: Application of Biopatterns and Harmonization of Energetic Structures Radionics, based on the principles of subtle energy, can be a powerful tool for releasing emotions by harmonizing energetic structures. Using specially created biopatterns—energetic templates encoded in radionics devices—you can balance the body’s energy centers, such as chakras, and restore emotional stability. For example, a biopattern for the heart chakra (Anahata) can help release suppressed sadness or grief, while a biopattern for the solar plexus chakra (Manipura) can liberate anger or frustration. The process is simple: consult a radionics specialist for analysis and harmonization or choose biopattern-infused products.
This method helps remove energetic blocks that hinder emotional release, for example, by restoring balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which often become imbalanced due to chronic stress. During a radionics session, you might feel warmth, tingling, or emotional relaxation, and over time—greater emotional clarity and inner peace.
2. Bioenergetic Breathing Breathing is the foundation of bioenergetics because it directly affects our emotional state. Lowen argued that deep breathing opens the body and allows emotions to surface. Try this exercise: stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, slightly bend your knees to relax your body. Close your eyes and breathe deeply through your mouth, imagining the air flowing all the way to your pelvic floor. As you exhale, let out a sound—it could be a sigh, a shout, or even a cry. Repeat this for 5–10 minutes. A 2021 *Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies* study showed that deep breathing exercises reduced chronic muscle tension by 35% among participants over 4 weeks, also lowering anxiety levels.
3. Movement Therapy: Release Tension Through the Body Movement is another powerful way to release suppressed emotions. Lowen developed exercises to relax specific body areas. For example, to release anger stored in your shoulders, try the “bioenergetic strike”: stand, clench your fists, and rhythmically “strike” the air in front of you, letting out a sound like “Aaaah!” This helps relax the shoulder girdle and express suppressed anger. To release sadness, try the “bow position”: stand, slightly arch your back, extend your arms backward, and breathe deeply, opening your chest. This exercise helps liberate the chest area and allows sadness to emerge through tears or sighs.
4. Bioenergetic Sessions: Working with a Specialist Bioenergetic sessions with a certified therapist can be highly effective. During sessions, the therapist helps identify patterns of bodily tension and guides you through exercises to release emotions. For example, a therapist might ask you to stand in a pose that opens the pelvic area while discussing childhood experiences related to fear or shame. Such sessions often trigger strong emotional reactions—crying, laughter, or even anger outbursts are natural, as the body finally gets a chance to release what has been suppressed. A 2019 *International Journal of Psychotherapy* study showed that after 10 bioenergetic sessions, 70% of participants reported reduced anxiety and improved emotional well-being.
5. Grounding Exercise: Returning to Grounding Since emotions often disconnect us from our bodies, grounding exercises can help restore that connection. Stand barefoot on the ground (ideally on grass or sand), close your eyes, and imagine your feet as roots penetrating the Earth. Breathe deeply, feeling tension from your shoulders, chest, or pelvis “drain” into the ground. This exercise is especially helpful if you feel fear or insecurity, as it strengthens your connection to the Muladhara chakra—the grounding center.
Scientific Context: Research on Neuroplasticity and Stress Hormones
The effectiveness of bioenergetics is not just theory—it is supported by scientific research. One of the core principles of bioenergetics is neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change and adapt to new experiences. A 2022 *Nature Reviews Neuroscience* study showed that regular breathing and movement practices, as used in bioenergetics, promote the formation of new neural connections in the prefrontal cortex—the area responsible for emotion regulation. This means that bioenergetic exercises not only release suppressed emotions but also teach the brain new, healthier ways to manage them.
Research on stress hormones also confirms the benefits of bioenergetics. When we suppress emotions, our bodies produce cortisol—the stress hormone—which, when prolonged, triggers inflammatory processes, weakens the immune system, and contributes to chronic conditions like hypertension or depression. A 2020 *Psychoneuroendocrinology* study showed that body therapies, such as bioenergetics, reduced cortisol levels by 25% among participants over 6 weeks, also improving their sleep quality and emotional state. Additionally, bioenergetic breathing enhances parasympathetic nervous system activity—the “rest and digest” mode—which reduces stress and allows the body to relax.
Another key aspect is the release of oxytocin, the “love hormone.” When suppressed emotions are released during bioenergetics—such as through crying or laughing outbursts—the body produces oxytocin, which boosts trust, connection with others, and emotional security. A 2021 *Frontiers in Human Neuroscience* study revealed that body therapies involving physical contact or emotional openness increased oxytocin levels by 20% among participants, reducing anxiety and strengthening social bonds.
Conclusion: Your Body Speaks—Are You Ready to Listen?
Your body is not just a physical structure but an archive of emotions, holding the story of your life. Tension in your shoulders, a stiff jaw, or restless breathing—these are not random symptoms but the language of your body, trying to tell you what you may not want to hear. Bioenergetics offers a path to this language: through breathing, movement, and conscious body work, you can release suppressed emotions stored in the subconscious, restore energy flow, and feel the joy of life again. Science confirms that these methods not only reduce stress and cortisol levels but also alter brain structure, helping us become more emotionally resilient.
Are you ready to hear your body? Try at least one of these techniques—deep breathing, bioenergetic movement, or a grounding exercise—and observe how your well-being changes. Perhaps this will be the first step toward the emotional freedom you’ve long sought. Your body knows the way—let it guide you.
Sources and Recommended Literature
- Lowen, A. (1958). *The Language of the Body*.
- 2017 *Journal of Psychosomatic Research*: Study on muscle tension and emotions.
- 2020 *Frontiers in Psychology*: Impact of emotion suppression on physical health.
- 2021 *Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies*: Effect of breathing exercises on muscle tension.
- 2019 *International Journal of Psychotherapy*: Effectiveness of bioenergetic sessions.
- 2022 *Nature Reviews Neuroscience*: Neuroplasticity research.
- 2020 *Psychoneuroendocrinology*: Impact of body therapy on cortisol levels.
- 2021 *Frontiers in Human Neuroscience*: Oxytocin release during body therapies.
- Lowen, A. (1975). *Bioenergetics: The Revolutionary Therapy That Uses the Language of the Body to Heal the Problems of the Mind*.
- Reich, W. (1942). *The Function of the Orgasm*.
- Levine, P. A. (1997). *Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma*.
- Van der Kolk, B. (2014). *The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma*.
