Hanuman: The Somatic Being of Devotion and Love

In a world frozen in fear and frantic in pace, Hanuman emerges not just as a mythic hero but as a somatic archetype—a living, breathing expression of what it means to be emotionally free, energetically alive, and deeply rooted in the body. When the body remembers its power, the jump of faith and devotion is effortless, and love flows freely.

Hanuman, the God of epic strength and unfathomable devotion to Lord Ram is often depicted in mid-leap — his body extended across the sky, muscles alive with purpose, heart anchored in his unfathomable love for his Lord. But behind this divine spectacle is something profoundly spectacular and humbling, immensely somatic, something every human being can relate to for Hanuman is not merely a mythological marvel- he is a living map of the regulating body, the healing body, the devotional body. He is what the body becomes when it is no longer exiled from its source. To encounter the Hanuman within yourself is to witness what happens when nervous system regulation merges with sacred purpose and big love. He is the archetype of somatic integration — where instinct, emotion, breath, memory, and service align into heroic coherence.

In the Ramayana, when Hanuman is asked to leap across the ocean from India to Lanka to find Sita, he hesitates at first — not because he lacks the power, but because he has forgotten it due to a curse. But Jambhavan, the wise bear reminds him, and the curse loses its power over Hanuman. This is the essence the remnant of trauma: the body’s natural brilliance obscured by amnesia and self-doubt. Only when he is reminded of his true nature does he leap — effortlessly, gracefully, instinctively. The ocean he leaps over is symbolic of the dorsal vagal state — a state of shutdown, helplessness, and collapse. Hanuman’s leap is akin to the nervous system moving out of freeze, through regulated mobilization, into purpose-driven action. This is not a leap of adrenaline — it’s a leap of alignment.

Hanuman’s tail is a somatic symbol of latent energy. Like the serpent of kundalini, it coils, flows, lashes, and ignites. When his tail is set on fire in Lanka, it does not harm him — instead, it becomes a purifying agent. Fire, here, is the transformational heat of repressed trauma moving through the spine. The tail also is an extension of the autonomic nervous system — it curls in fear, flicks in alertness, and extends in joy. In trauma, the “tail” of the spine tucks and energy remains obscured. But Hanuman teaches that when devotion lights the body from within, even our most contracted places become the fuel for liberation. An easy Somatic Experiencing® practice to do is to close the eyes and bring attention to the tailbone and notice the sensations there. How does it feel? Heavy or light? What do u notice about the end of your spine? Is there any sensation moving?

Hanuman’s unwavering love for Rama is not sentimental. It is embodied orientation. His breath, heartbeat, and muscular tone all align to one signal- selfless service. In somatic language, we might call this ventral vagal attunement to a sacred another. His system is organized around love and his deep dedication for Ram. Devotion, in this sense, becomes a regulating force. It brings coherence to the body and mind. Hanuman does not act from willpower — he acts from resonance. He doesn’t strain- he responds. When the body loves something bigger than itself, it regulates. Devotion is the ultimate co-regulation. The ultimate nectar to merge with the Divine.

When Lakshmana is injured and Hanuman must fetch the healing herb Sanjeevani, he doesn’t waste time deciphering which herb it is — he lifts the entire Dronagiri mountain. This act is a profound somatic metaphor. He doesn’t get stuck in the prefrontal overthinking. He listens to his gut, his breath, and his urgency. He moves. This is what healthy masculine energy looks like in the body — action without collapse or aggression. Hanuman does not grasp control; he holds what needs holding. His musculature is not armoured, but alive and brimming with willing service. His fascia is mouldable and full of vibrancy.

The yogic posture- Hanumanasana (the front split) is a somatic re-enactment of his leap across the ocean. In this asana you stretch the psoas, open the pelvis, and become the bridge—between trauma and love, between exile and return. While doing the asana, the pelvis will tremble. This is the body shaking off trauma stored in the spine and hip flexor muscles. It helps to repeat this affirmation while doing the asana- “I open my hips. I trust my body to let go.” This is yoga, as a form of emotional architecture and fascial manoeuvre- a trauma release exercise.

There is a moment in the Ramayana where Hanuman rips open his chest to reveal Rama and Sita dwelling in his heart. This is not just a metaphor of love — it is a map of embodiment. To tear open the chest is to let love be engraved in the tissues and to let one’s identity become porous. Hanuman’s chest is not made of steel. It is made of trust. When he opens it, he is saying — “I have nothing to protect, only something to serve.” The heart hence when softened, becomes a shrine.

Hanuman is not reactive. He responds from a settled body. This is what trauma healing through Somatic Experiencing® gives us-not perfection, but presence. Not performance, but perception. Not reactivity but ability to respond.

To be like Hanuman is not to be heroic. It is to be available. Hanuman is not only a God we must worship. He is a memory body we must remember. Hanuman represents a nervous system that knows what it must serve and to do it with love, with faith and uttermost devotion. In a traumatized world, Hanuman is there to remind us that -The body is sacred. The leap is always possible. The heart can be left open. You are safe.

You don’t need a golden crown or to know how to jump far and high or have a fiery tail to be Hanuman. You only need devotion. Devotion to honouring the miracle of creation that dwells inside you. You only need to find Ram inside you. Jai Siya Ram.