Joe Hudson taught Ali Abdaal a simple somatic trick: raising the chin cuts off access to emotions, while lowering the chin increases it. When Ali tried to feel into his money fear, his chin instinctively rose—his body’s automatic defense against feeling. When he lowered his chin, the sensation immediately became stronger.
Joe noted this is one of the two primary physical mechanisms people use to block emotions (the other being jaw clenching). This is why the stereotypical “narcissistic” posture involves the chin raised—it’s literally a physical position that prevents feeling. When someone is “looking down their nose” at you, they are also looking away from their own emotional experience.
The practical implication is profound: if you want to access what you’re feeling, lower your chin. If you notice your chin rising during a conversation, you may be unconsciously protecting yourself from an emotion that’s trying to surface. The body’s postural choices aren’t random—they’re emotional regulation strategies.
Related Concepts
- Muscles constrict to block feeling
- Dissociation as double-edged sword
- Interoception makes emotional work easier
- Love and sorrow share the same body