Walking with the Scanner: A Somatic Practice for Inner Safety
When It’s Hard to Slow Down, Even for a Walk
You tell yourself you’ll go outside in five minutes. But then your phone lights up. You check a few things. Scroll. Open a few tabs. Time stretches, and your body stays still. It’s not that you don’t want to walk. It’s that something inside you doesn’t feel quite ready.
If you often find yourself stuck in mental loops before doing something simple, like going for a walk, this post is for you. You’re not alone in this. Many people who’ve experienced chronic stress, trauma, or burnout find the transition from mental activity to embodied presence especially hard.
This hesitation isn’t laziness. It’s protection. At Tidal Trauma Centre, we work with clients who feel this friction daily: the resistance that shows up just before movement, stillness, or self-care. And one of the parts we often meet is what we call the Scanner.
Who Is the Scanner?
The Scanner is an internal part that forms to keep you safe by anticipating what could go wrong. She’s fast, alert, and thorough. She nudges you to double-check messages, scan your environment, or gather more information before taking action. Her job is to keep you one step ahead of discomfort or danger.
This part of you likely developed in a time when it wasn’t safe to relax or drop your guard. Stillness may have been paired with threat. Presence may have felt overwhelming. So instead, you stayed busy. You stayed sharp. You stayed scanning.
The Scanner is not the problem. She’s an adaptation. She learned to keep your system from collapsing by keeping it moving. And while her strategies may no longer be needed, her intentions still come from care.
A Somatic Walking Practice That Invites Safety
Instead of fighting the Scanner, what if you brought her with you? What if you gave her a new job, one rooted in presence, not panic?
This somatic practice blends Internal Family Systems (IFS) with gentle embodiment to help your system experience safety in motion. It doesn’t require stillness or silence. Just curiosity, permission, and a willingness to move.
Step 1: Greet Her
Gently name the part: "Hi, Scanner. I see you. You’ve been working hard." Let her know she doesn’t need to fix anything. You’re safe. You’re here.
Even saying this out loud can help the body shift. Notice if your shoulders drop, your breath deepens, or your chest softens.
Step 2: Give Her a Role
Rather than shutting her down, offer her something to observe:
Look with soft eyes: Notice colours, light, texture.
Track the body: Can she notice your breath, your shoulders, your steps?
Find a soul image: Invite her to find one small moment worth remembering.
Step in rhythm: Left, right. Inhale, exhale. Let her move with you.
You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to begin.
Why This Practice Works
From a trauma-informed lens, the Scanner is a protector that hasn’t yet learned that the environment has changed. Your body might be in safety, but that part still remembers a time when it wasn’t.
Somatic walking paired with compassionate parts work offers a new relational contract: You’re leading now, not surviving. You’re walking, not fleeing. And she’s allowed to come with you, not in charge, but not rejected either.
This practice isn’t about getting calm. It’s about building trust. One step at a time. Every walk becomes a quiet chance to prove that it’s okay to be in your body now.
Therapy That Meets All Your Parts
At Tidal Trauma Centre, we honour all of your internal protectors, the fast ones, the avoidant ones, the high-functioning ones. Our therapists are trained in IFS, EMDR, somatic, and attachment-based approaches that help you reconnect with your body in a way that feels safe, not forced.
You don’t need to change overnight. You just need support that meets you at your current pace. Even one session can help you begin to notice your patterns with more compassion.
Ready to Work with Your System, Not Against It?
You don’t have to silence the parts of you that hesitate, scroll, or analyze. You can build new relationships with them, gently and at your own pace.
Contact us or fill out a New Client Form to be matched with one of our therapists. If you're ready, book a free consult or appointment today.
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A protector is a part of your system that works to prevent harm emotionally, relationally, or physically. These parts often show up as overthinking, tension in the chest, shallow breathing, or racing thoughts. Therapy helps you build a respectful relationship with them, rather than trying to override or eliminate them.
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Not quite. This practice includes mindful elements, but it's grounded in parts work. Instead of pushing away distraction, it includes the distracted part with curiosity and care, giving it something nourishing to do.
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Intuition tends to feel calm, clear, and grounded. The Scanner often feels urgent, fast, or hyper-alert. It may flood you with "what ifs" or have a harder time settling. In therapy, we explore the difference so you can lead from clarity, not confusion.
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Yes, with guidance and support. Many clients begin by noticing their parts in daily life and building dialogue through writing, art, movement, or rituals like this one. Over time, self-trust and internal collaboration grow.
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Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, psychological, or mental health advice. It is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.