Somatic Self-Compassion Tree of Practices and Neurochemicals

Self-compassion practices respond to cortisol spikes by introducing a wellbeing neurochemical into our system. Self-compassion means helping ourselves to feel safe, special, and rewarded by calling on our system’s capacity to create a sense of wellbeing through oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine.

Old Habits

It’s not too difficult to identify habitual practices that we turn to, to tend to cortisol spikes. Examples of automatic responses to cortisol include:

• Overeating or staying up too late working on emails to get the reward of dopamine.
• Staying in a relationship with someone we don’t like to get oxytocin.
• Trying to one-up someone to get serotonin.

New Somatic Self-Compassion Habits from the SSC Tree of Practices

Rather than always responding to cortisol spikes with habitual responses that aren’t aligned with our values, we can choose new practices to encourage wellbeing neurochemicals. Once we understand what our need is, and which neurochemical is lacking, we can choose a practice from the SSC Tree of Practices (below) that is both good for our long-term and short-term sense of wellbeing.

• When we feel lonely and lacking in the connection of oxytocin, we might invite that neurochemical into our system through yoga, dance, lovingkindness, listening to music, or offering ourselves soothing touch.
• When we feel disappointed and lacking in the reward of dopamine, we might invite that neurochemical into our system through savoring, self-inquiry, studying something meaningful, walking meditation, or practicing gratitude.
• When we feel unimportant and lacking in the special feelings we get from serotonin, we might invite that neurochemical into our system through mindfulness meditation, dance, yoga, or listening to music.

Our self-compassion practice is most easeful and effective when we feel inspired by it. And there are many ways to practice self-compassion, some of which we are already doing.

You’re invited to take a look at the Somatic Self-Compassion Tree of Practices below for ideas for specific self-compassion practices that tend to specific forms of neurochemical stress. See if you are inspired by any of these ways of offering self-compassion to yourself.

Roots

The roots of the SSC Tree of Practices are the Elements for our practice. In each moment we can check in with the 3 SSC Touchstones that help us with an Element of SSC practice:

• “What do I feel?” is the Touchstone of Affectionate Awareness.
• “What do I need?” is the Touchstone of Courageous Connection.
• “What can I do?” is the Touchstone of Radical Response.

Main branches

The seven main branches are the neurochemicals we need to feel safe (serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins). When we feel stress, we can identify which neurochemical is lacking, through asking ourselves what we need, and focus on encouraging that into our system to relieve our stress.

Smaller branches

Once we’ve identified which neurochemical will address our need, we can choose a practice to tend to that need. Choosing practices that we enjoy are a great way to self-regulate in the moment. During times we are not stressed, we might also explore new practices to find out if they resonate for us.

Learning about practices

Below is a list of wellbeing neurochemicals with some associated practices from the Somatic Self-Compassion Tree of Practices. You can use this list, and follow the links for each practice, to find ways to meet a need when you feel a spike in cortisol.

The field of neuroscience and contemplative practices is still developing, so research has not been done on all practices with regard to all neurochemicals. The list below reflects the results of my research to date.

Dopamine

• Contemplative Arts
• Dance
• Gratitude
• Journaling
• Labyrinth Walking
• Mindfulness Meditation
• Music
• Pilgrimage
• Retreat
• Savoring
• Self-Inquiry
• Singing
• Study
• Vigils
• Visualization
• Walking Meditation
• Yoga

Endorphins

• Crying Meditation
• Dance
• Labyrinth Walking
• Laughter Yoga
• Mindfulness Meditation
• Singing
• Walking Meditation
• Yoga

Oxytocin

• Bearing Witness
• Body Scan
• Closing
• Council Circle
• Dance
• Deep Listening
• Dialogue
• Lovingkindness (you can find Somatic Lovingkindness here)
• Music
• Retreat
• Self-Talk
• Silence
• Soothing Touch
• Storytelling
• Tending
• Yoga

Serotonin

• Dance
• Mindfulness Meditation
• Music
• Retreat
• Yoga