In the 1960s, psychiatrist Aaron Beck developed a cognitive model that revolutionized psychology. Its central aim was to illustrate how thoughts, behaviors, and identity form an intimate and interconnected cycle. For instance, habitual negative self-talk might lead to behaviors of withdrawal or avoidance, which then reinforce a sense of low self-worth. Over time, this cycle shapes our identity, convincing us that we are unworthy or incapable. Beck’s approach laid the foundation for modern cognitive therapy, demonstrating how distorted thinking leads to negative emotional and behavioral patterns, which then reinforce an ever-more fixed identity.
What we often don’t realize is that this cognitive cycle is mirrored in the body. The tension held in our shoulders, neck, or jaw doesn’t just appear in moments of acute stress. It is a chronic response to the underlying beliefs and thought patterns we carry with us every day. The body stores these tensions, silently reinforcing the mental loops we’ve created, even when the mind isn’t actively aware of them.
This tension holds unspoken beliefs and patterns that influence how we behave and perceive ourselves. By focusing on the body, we can disrupt this cognitive cycle through a different access point — one that works on the level of sensation rather than thought.
### The Body as a Source of Nonverbal Insight
Unlike the mind, which is constantly narrating, analyzing, and categorizing experiences through words, the body communicates in a different language. It reveals insight through subtle energetic processes — tension, relaxation, temperature shifts, or vibrations within the body. These sensations are not just fleeting physiological reactions but indicators of our internal state, reflecting thoughts and emotions often hidden from conscious awareness.
When we pay attention to how the body feels, we gain access to a deeper form of wisdom: the realization that physical tension doesn’t just impact our behavior; it shapes our very identity. Someone who carries persistent tension in their chest may identify as anxious, closed off, or hypervigilant. However, by using the body as a medium for insight, we can begin to see how this identity was formed and how it is reinforced daily through physical sensations.
By becoming aware of these patterns and slowly releasing them, we create the possibility for new identities to emerge. At Elahni, we summarize this through our tagline: Story Follows State, meaning our mental narrative is determined by the quality of our physiological state. If the body is no longer holding the same chronic tension, thoughts and behaviors associated with that tension can also begin to shift. Over time, this can lead to a redefinition of identity — one that is more aligned with the relaxed, open, and flexible state we aim to cultivate through embodied practices.
The magnitude of training this awareness is immense — it carries the potential for our ability to release, viscerally and tangibly, the tension we no longer need to carry.
### Using the Body to Break the Cognitive Cycle
If thoughts, behaviors, and identity reinforce each other in Beck’s model, interrupting this cycle at the level of the body can be a powerful way to change. Here’s how:
1. Sensation Tuning: Instead of relying solely on cognitive awareness, we can begin by scanning our body for physical sensations — tightness, warmth, discomfort, ease. These sensations provide nonverbal feedback that can indicate our emotional or mental state. The more we practice tuning into these bodily cues, the more we can recognize patterns that arise alongside particular thoughts or behaviors. The practice of Yoga Nidra and Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) help train our ability to tune into this subtle somatic messaging.
2. Softening Tension Through Small Shifts: When we notice areas of chronic tension, we have an opportunity to release them intentionally. Small shifts — like consciously relaxing your shoulders, unclenching your jaw, or deepening your breath — can have profound effects on your emotional and mental state. Combined with the 3 C’s — commitment, consistency, and compassion — these small shifts serve as a powerful entry point for reprogramming the cognitive cycle by directly altering the way we interact with the physical world.
3. Hormetic Practices: Hormetic practices are controlled stressors that stimulate the body’s ancient survival mechanisms, enhancing resilience and adaptation by engaging systems like thermoregulation, metabolic control, and stress response. Practices such as deliberate heat (sauna) and cold exposure (ice bath), resistance training, and fasting engage the body directly, allowing us to activate these primal systems that regulate survival and adaptation. Through these practices, we can bypass the mind’s verbal processing and tap into a more intuitive understanding of ourselves. By working with the body’s innate wisdom, we can uncover insights that verbal thought alone might miss.
### The Power of Contrast: Shifting Patterns Through Sauna and Ice Bath
Sauna and ice bath practices provide a unique way of entering and breaking the cognitive-behavioral cycle from the physical side. Here’s how these practices work:
1. Releasing Chronic Tension in the Sauna: The sauna’s heat penetrates deep into the muscles, encouraging the release of chronic tension that has built up over time. This relaxation is not just physical; as the body softens, the mental patterns associated with that tension can also begin to loosen. By creating space for the body to unwind, we create space for new thoughts and behaviors to emerge. Over time, the relaxation cultivated in the sauna helps interrupt the loop of negative thoughts and reinforcing behaviors that keep us locked into a particular identity.
2. Heightening Awareness in the Ice Bath: The ice bath, on the other hand, forces us into a state of immediate bodily awareness. The intense cold heightens every sensation, making it impossible to ignore where tension is held or how the body responds to stress. This practice teaches us to remain present with discomfort and to consciously engage with our breathing faculties. By doing so, we not only soften chronic tension but also rewire how we respond to challenging emotions or stressful situations, creating new behavioral patterns.
3. Integrating Contrast for Lasting Change: The combination of sauna and ice bath — heat and cold, tension and release — mirrors the ebb and flow of mental and emotional states. As we move between these contrasting extremes, we train the body and mind to handle stress and recovery more efficiently. This process breaks the habitual patterns that have become ingrained in our bodies and minds, allowing us to reshape our identity over time. Rather than approaching change purely through thought, we use the body as a vehicle for transformation, disrupting old cognitive and emotional loops.
### From Tension to Intention
Chronic tension held in the body is not simply a physical issue; it is a manifestation of the thoughts and emotions that continuously cycle through Beck’s cognitive model. Over time, this tension becomes part of how we see ourselves — whether as anxious, rigid, or burdened. But by prioritizing the critical role of the body, we can begin to break this pattern by directly addressing the physical side of the equation. As the body releases tension, the underlying thoughts and behaviors tied to that tension also start to shift.
While Beck’s model traditionally emphasizes changing thoughts to shift behavior and identity, embodiment practices provide a powerful alternative entry point into this cycle. By working with the body’s nonverbal wisdom — its chronic tension, breath patterns, and physical responses — we can unlock new insights and create lasting change. These practices offer more than just physical recovery; they provide a pathway to transform deeply ingrained mental and emotional patterns, ultimately allowing us to break free from the cognitive loops that shape our identity while giving us the keys to create new realities.
