EP: 168 Unlearning tension: how to actually let your body relax with Aimee Takaya

You know that tension in your neck right now?Or that tightness in your stomach you’ve grown so used to that you barely notice it anymore?

Yeah—this one’s about that.

In my latest podcast episode, I had the absolute joy of speaking with Aimee Takaya, a brilliant Hanna Somatic Educator who helps people unwind the patterns of chronic tension we’ve unknowingly been carrying for years.

Her approach isn’t about pushing through pain or forcing your body into submission. It’s about teaching your nervous system that it’s finally safe enough to let go.

And let me tell you—I actually felt my own neck tension release in real-time during our conversation. It was wild.

What If Your Tension Is Just Muscle Memory?

Aimee shared that what we call “chronic tension” is often our body’s way of holding onto old experiences—car accidents, stress, childhood conditioning, or moments we couldn’t process at the time.All of that gets encoded in our nervous system and expressed through the way we move… or don’t move.

It’s not about weakness or lack of willpower. It’s your body remembering. Protecting. Holding on until it knows it’s safe.

Here’s What We Dive Into

· Why pushing harder or stretching more can sometimes reinforce pain patterns· How your body’s resistance might actually be serving a valid purpose· The difference between clenching and true functional movement· Why being “bad at sports” as a kid might have been a nervous system issue, not a skill one· The accumulative magic of consistent somatic practice—and why it’s foundational, not optional· How water therapy and somatics together create this dreamy, parasympathetic state of rest and safety· The power of co-regulation, especially for practitioners and caregivers who hold space for others

For the Ones Who’ve Been Holding It All Together

This conversation is especially for my highly sensitive, people-pleasing humans—the ones who’ve been white-knuckling their way through life, bracing against every unknown.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly pushing against your own nature just to keep it together… this episode will meet you right where you are.

Because your body doesn’t need to be fixed.It just needs to remember what safety feels like again.

Listen to the full episode here