Healing Trauma Stored in the Body: What Science and Spirit Say

The Silent Imprint: How Trauma Lingers in the Body

According to trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, trauma isn’t just a memory - it’s a body memory. It alters the nervous system, muscle tension, hormones, even how we breathe. This is why talk therapy alone sometimes isn’t enough.

The trauma gets trapped not just in the mind—but in the muscles, fascia, breath, and nervous system. And healing requires going deeper than words.

What Science Says: The Body Keeps the Score

• The Amygdala Goes on High Alert: This fear center stays hypervigilant after trauma, even when no danger is present.
• Cortisol Floods the System: Prolonged stress hormones cause inflammation, fatigue, and immune issues.
• Muscles Remain Braced: Without release, the body holds tension in the neck, shoulders, hips, and jaw.
• Breath Becomes Shallow: Chronic trauma patterns often restrict diaphragm function and reduce oxygenation.

Trauma isn’t just remembered. It’s relived—physically—until it’s processed and released.

What Spirit Says: Ancient Paths to Deep Healing

Long before neuroscience, ancient cultures knew trauma affected the body and spirit. Their healing practices mirror what science is now proving:

• Breathwork (Pranayama, Qi Gong Breathing): Clears blocked energy and calms the nervous system.
• Somatic Movement (Yoga, Dance, Martial Arts): Helps release muscular tension and restore flow
• Shamanic Practices & Energy Healing: Clear trauma from the energetic field.
• Journaling & Ritual: Externalize inner pain and affirm transformation.
• Sacred Sound & Chant: Vibrational healing helps dislodge stuck emotion fro

These traditions invite us not just to understand trauma - but to transform it at every level: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

Tools That Bridge Science and Spirit

Here are powerful, integrative tools for healing trauma stored in the body:

• Somatic Therapy: Body-based psychotherapy that listens to physical sensation and movement.
• TRE® (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises): Uses tremoring to release stored tension.
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Rewires trauma memory pathways.
• Breathwork: Activates the parasympathetic nervous system and clears energetic blocks.
• Therapeutic Yoga & Movement: Regulates the vagus nerve and restores body connection.
• Guided Journaling: Offers emotional processing and clarity.
• Energy Healing & Reiki: Balances the subtle body and promotes peace.
• Sound Healing & Chant: Uses frequency to access and dissolve trauma patterns.

How to Start Your Healing Journey

If you feel like something is “off,” trust your body. You’re not broken. You’re holding onto an experience that needs release.

Here are 3 ways to begin:

1. Breathe Consciously for 5 minutes a day. Try a simple 4-7-8 breath to calm your system.

2. Move Your Body Gently—try yin yoga or even free - form dance to access trapped energy.

3. Write It Out. Ask yourself: Where in my body do I feel this pain? What does it want to tell me?

From Dr. Roni: Healing is not just about remembering. It’s about finally feeling safe enough to let go.