Underwater Primal Scream Release as Collective Healing

By Michelle Gallagher Escobar

During Covid, after a particularly hard day, I stepped into the shower and let out a scream. A full, raw, primal scream.

I startled my dogs. I startled my husband. But most of all, I startled myself.

Why did this feel so good?

Why did it feel so necessary?

Why did it also feel... dangerous??

In that moment, I realized how profoundly silenced I had become. Not by choice, but by years of holding, suppressing, and being told that women should stay composed, controlled, and quiet.

And so, Underwater Primal Scream Release was born.

Why We Scream

I brought the underwater scream release to the next three retreats.

It became a welcome, cathartic experience for those who needed it.

The release was collective. The shift in energy was palpable.

(And for the record, 911 was not called.)

I believe women should be able to express their rage, grief, and wildness anywhere and anytime. But I also recognize the dangers. Society is not yet ready for women’s unapologetic emotions. Words like hysterical and crazy are still used to shame women who speak up or speak out.

That’s exactly why we reclaim it.

The Science of Release

Screaming underwater offers a powerful, embodied release.It allows us to discharge what has been held too long.

According to Dr. Rebecca Semmens-Wheeler, speaking to the BBC:

“Screaming can help you release difficult emotions, it can bring a sense of community, it can be empowering, and it can be a form of therapy. Another benefit of screaming with others, especially for women, could be a reclamation of the right to express emotions in the face of long-standing judgments from society.”

She also notes how the medical and psychological fields often dismiss women’s expressions of pain and emotion....a truth many of us have lived firsthand.

Sacred, Safe, and Sovereign

At Wild Women Hawai‘i retreats and immersions, whenever water is present, the option of underwater scream release is usually offered, depending on the group.

It’s never required. It’s not performative.

It’s simply an invitation.

A chance to release. To be witnessed. To be free.

In reclamation and wild, natural belonging,

Michelle

Note: I wrote this blog almost 2 years ago and then hid it away in my drafts because I was afraid of it being seen as too intense. I was afraid of scaring women away. It's almost funny because if you've met me, you know I am a relatively calm and quiet person by nature. Here's to being Woman and not being afraid.

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