Rock-a-bye, anxiety: How rocking yourself like a baby can balance your body and mind 

In my previous career as a fashion stylist, I developed an unusual habit of retreating under my office desk during moments of intense stress, rocking myself until it felt safe to emerge. This performance anxiety would, unfortunately, follow me into the bedroom, where I’d be unable to sleep no matter if I lay upon cooling memory foam, ate melatonin gummies, or had Harry Styles whisper a bedtime story into my ear. Strangely, I learnt to rock myself side to side like an infant instead, which quickly put my mind at ease because of its rhythmic movement. I call it my “I’m just a baby” technique, but others in both real and reel life call it restorative rocking.

“Restorative rocking would be best described as a somatic technique that could help with relaxation and emotion regulation,” says Charlotte Song, a Clinical Psychologist at The Other Clinic who works with both adolescents and adults in treating concerns such as depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, grief and loss, etc. According to her, it can be a coping mechanism for distress, though she adds that its effectiveness depends on the individual’s struggles and if they find it suits their needs, as well as their commitment to the practice.

Such a practice doesn’t just yield results like immediately turning off the lights in one’s brain. It even helps put the spotlight on physical or mental issues. At Core Fitness Physiotherapy & Pilates, structural integrator, senior pilates instructor and Schroth Method therapist Hayson Ho explains that in the context of myofascial therapy, rocking involves the gentle swaying of a specific body region to manipulate restricted tissue. For instance, clients may be guided to slowly rock their head at a rhythmic pace, which “helps stretch and relieve tension in the fascia”, the connective tissue that envelops muscles and other structures in the body.” 

Likewise, Lecia Ang, a Senior Gyrotonic & Pilates instructor, Craniosacral Therapy and Reiki Practitioner at Core Fitness’ clinic, defines rocking movements in her practice as “gentle, circular motions that mirror the natural rhythms found in the body”, which in turn, aids in releasing tension and creating a sense of ease for the regulation of the nervous system. And when one attends her class, no matter their age or fitness abilities, they walk away with confidence in their physical capabilities and the development of a grounding and soothing internal rhythm. 

The body keeps the score

For those who like to “troubleshoot” themselves in attempts to reconnect with their body, rationalising issues on their own can only go so far. Daphne Chua, the Founder of Somatic Therapy Asia, instead believes that it’s not enough to look at the body in parts as it is to holistically do so as an eco-system. A typical therapy session with her first involves an assessment of everything from one’s health history, lifestyle, and developmental background to stress factors before she can “uncover their nervous system baseline and subconscious holding patterns that lead to physiological responses”

“We address more systemically rather than just the area that has the loudest voice. For example, shoulder tension is oftentimes related to gut issues and/or a sub-optimal lymphatic build-up, in which case, rocking would help with drainage and restore vitality,” says Chua. And she’s not the only one taking notes about how the body keeps the score in ways we can’t immediately identify. Ho believes that the chest region continuously stores anxiety, stress and trauma, which causes them to “hollow in and contract” at the first face of fears and worries, whereas Ang posits that such emotions show up from the neck down as tension, pain, and postural changes. 

Common areas, according to Ang, include the jaw, neck, and shoulders, where the muscles tighten and cause stiffness and discomfort. It also affects the lower back and hips, the latter of which holds emotional stress derived from trauma. And if you’ve been eating poorly owing to nausea or cramps, it’s because the gut and brain are closely connected.

These holding patterns — the way we sit, stand, walk, lounge, eat, or even sleep — are all related to our physiological systems like the digestive, immune, circulatory, myofascial, and skeletal/muscular systems, according to Ang, who notes that this primary clinical focus differentiates her work from others.

“We look at what the body wants to express vis-a-vis the needs and/or intentions that the client addresses as the anchor point to start from” before she establishes a baseline using a somatic body scan through the form of guided meditation that she references post-assessment. It ranges from a shift in physiology, muscle tone, and nervous system state and guides her in her therapy’s potential to heal.

Holding sway

So comes the big question: how effective is restorative rocking? While Song points out there’s limited research on the technique itself, she directs us to others on similar somatic practices and breathing exercises that have shown promising results. These methods are believed to engage the parasympathetic nervous system. “In short, when we are distressed, the flight-or-fight response is triggered, and the sympathetic nervous system is activated. Using these techniques can kickstart the parasympathetic nervous system to calm the body and signal to the brain that there is no danger.” Or otherwise, a way for the body to “release calming dopamine when one focuses on the neck region of the brain” says Ho who connects the region to our part of the brain associated with sensory-motor coordination.

Rocking, too, has evidence that it stimulates the vestibular system (our body’s built-in balance and movement sensor located inside our inner ear) in a “repetitive, rhythmic manner that can exert a calming effect”, according to Tan who, even goes on to say that babies naturally do it to calm down whereas individuals with autism commonly do so to self-soothe.” 

Such individuals often do it because of “stims”, according to Michelle Tan, a clinical psychologist at The Other Clinic who helps clients explore their early childhood experiences to nurture self-compassion and growth, using mainly through psychodynamic and CBT approaches. “Stims”, also known as self-stimulatory behaviour, are repetitive movements that autistic individuals “naturally do to calm themselves”.

Studies on rocking chair therapy have also been shown to reduce anxiety and depression in the elderly with dementia and reduce alcohol cravings for people with substance use disorder, adds Tan, but in practice, rocking, which is just one of many somatic movement exercises, can promote interoceptive awareness —the ability to tune into bodily sensations— by stimulating sensory nerves and resetting the nervous system to a more relaxed state

Chua points out that rocking techniques are accessible to nearly everyone who can connect with the natural rebounding of their myofascial matrix. While everyone possesses this matrix, “trauma imprints and holding patterns can sometimes inhibit the ability to fully engage with it”. To address this, Chua explains that hands-on manual therapy (bodywork), along with movement practices or yoga (kinesthetic: your body’s “movement sense”; proprioception: your “internal GPS”; and interception; your body’s “feedback system”) work to rewrite these patterns. This process helps to create a shift in the nervous system baseline, allowing you to feel both internally and outwardly better. 

The idea of such movements that are gentle, rhythmic, and sometimes involve deep and controlled breathing promotes what Ang also calls “a rest and digest” state that allows for heightened selfawareness. Also, once one enters such a state, it helps them to “approach personal difficulties, like divorce or setbacks, with greater patience, resilience, and acceptance”.

But from what Tan knows about rocking as a self-soothing strategy, she speculates that while it would “benefit anyone who wants a body-based way to manage their anxiety”, its restorative properties are limited by one’s ability to find a suitable time and space to do so. 

Rolling over

Ang’s preferred protocol for doing it at home is doing it gently by rocking the pelvis forward and back or swaying the hips and spine sideways while seated on a chair. “It is an excellent way to introduce the practice without overwhelming your body. It is important to emphasise fluid, circular movements and breath coordination,” she says.

Chua offers a different approach depending on one’s needs. Sometimes, she makes patients rebound on a gym ball to connect with gravity and create “a sense of easeful rhythm and momentum without having to over-contract muscular strength”—a technique she applies through all the different sessions she offers, be it bodywork or movement therapy or rehab. 

On the contrary, Tan does not apply rocking to her practice. She instead teaches deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and how to visualise a calming place, as it can be more easily done in public spaces. “Imagine if you needed to calm yourself before a big presentation or meeting at work; it’s not as convenient,” she says, especially nothing that neurodivergent individuals who naturally engage in “stimming” often feel pressured to mask these asks in public as it’s seen as socially unacceptable.

And like all practices, whether physical or mental, Song believes that one has to start small for an increased chance of becoming a habit. “Find a small pocket of time in your day and try it for a minute every day. Once the practice becomes a habit and you are consistent in practising it, then you can increase the amount of time spent on the exercise or technique.”