D136

Somatic Self-Regulation

BD11 Body & Somatic
Derived LayerMML-2

Version v1.2.4

Definition

The ability to regulate one’s state through bodily mechanisms (breath, relaxation, rhythm, posture, movement), improving calm, clarity, and stability.

Poles

Each HES element is a spectrum, not a category: the Low and High poles describe how it presents at its two extremes, while the Reference marks the typical, everyday middle. The poles map variation across the range — neither end is inherently better or worse.

Low Pole

The body runs the person: stress triggers tension, dysregulated breathing, agitation; limited skill to restore baseline.

High Pole

Rapid, clean return to functional baseline using somatic tools; can downshift arousal and stabilize focus reliably.

Reference

Has one or two techniques but they are inconsistent or only work in mild conditions.

Measure

Primary: Recovery — speed and completeness of returning to functional baseline after arousal/stress via somatic methods.

Measuring Methods

“Stress → regulation” protocol: time-to-normalization (self-report + physiology: HR, breathing, HRV) + restoration of performance on a brief cognitive task.

Empirical Anchor

Somatic self-regulation / body-based regulation; biofeedback; somatic experiencing (Levine, 1997); interoceptive regulation.

Notes

Overlaps with Composure (D018) and Emotional Self-Regulation (D019), but D136 specifies the somatic channel of regulation.

Citation

APA

Human Elements System. (2026). Somatic Self-Regulation (HES Passport D136, v1.2.4). hestable.com. https://hestable.com/passport/D136

BibTeX

@misc{hes_D136, author = {{Human Elements System}}, title = {{Somatic Self-Regulation}}, year = {2026}, note = {HES Passport D136, v1.2.4}, howpublished = {\url{https://hestable.com/passport/D136}} }