You think you can bury the past? Maybe in your head. You can push the memories down, ignore the flashbacks, and keep a stone face when the heat is on. But your body? Your body is a rat. It sings like a canary.
It remembers everything. Every close call, every betrayal, every long night waiting for the other shoe to drop—it’s all stored in your muscles.
Look at yourself in the mirror. Check your stance.
- Are your shoulders hiked up to your ears?
- Is your jaw locked tight enough to snap a bolt?
- Are your fists clenched even when you’re sleeping?
We call that “The Armor.” In our line of work, you put it on to survive. You stay hyper-vigilant because you have to. But here is the hard truth: If you never take the armor off, it starts to rust. It becomes a cage. That tightness isn’t protecting you anymore; it’s suffocation. It’s the physical weight of the trauma you’re carrying.
You can’t talk your way out of tight muscles. You have to physically work the tension out of the wire.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. You aren’t the type to roll out a mat and light some incense. Neither am I. But this isn’t about becoming a gymnast. This is about nervous system regulation. It’s about signaling to your body that the war is paused so you can actually sleep.
It’s called somatic release or as we like to refer to it, Trauma Recovery Yoga. It’s the mechanics of getting the “fight or flight” energy out of your tissue so you don’t burn out your engine.
You wouldn’t drive a getaway car with the parking brake on. Don’t try to live your life with your muscles locked in panic mode.
Field Maintenance: 3 Drills You Can Do in the Safe House
You don’t need a studio, you don’t need spandex, and you definitely don’t need an audience. You can do these right now, in your living room, with the blinds drawn. Consider this your daily tune-up.
1. The Jaw Breaker (Releasing the Clench)
Most of you walk around with your teeth ground together like you’re expecting a punch to the chin 24/7. That tension travels right down your neck and into your shoulders.
The Move: Open your mouth as wide as it goes. Stretch it. Now, stick your tongue out (yeah, you look ridiculous, nobody’s watching). Let out a loud exhale—a sigh, a groan, a roar, I don’t care. Just let the noise out.
The Intel: This hacks the vagus nerve. It tells your brain you aren’t currently being hunted.
2. The Bunker (Child’s Pose)
When the world gets too loud, you go to ground.
The Move: Get on your knees on the floor. Spread your knees apart but keep your big toes touching. Sink your hips back onto your heels. Reach your arms out forward on the floor and put your forehead on the ground/rug.
The Intel: This protects your vitals. It’s a primal position of safety. Stay there for two minutes. Breathe until you feel your lower back expand.
3. The Gravity Assist (Legs Up the Wall)
This is the heavy artillery for insomnia or high anxiety.
The Move: Lie on your back with your butt scrunched right up against the wall. Swing your legs up so they are resting vertically against the wall. Your body makes an “L” shape. Put your hands on your stomach.
The Intel: This drains the blood (and the adrenaline) out of your legs and forces your heart rate to slow down. It’s the off-switch for your nervous system.
One last thing.
This conversation stays between us. We do this work in the shadows. If I catch any of you snitching to the other families that The Capo knows what a “Downward Dog” is, you’re gonna be scrubbing the floors of the Safe House with a toothbrush.
Capisce?
Donward doggy lmao definetly the giggle i needed tonight