Trauma and the Body: Understanding How It’s Stored and How to Release It

What Is Trauma and How Does It Impact the Body?

Trauma is typically defined as an overwhelming experience that leaves an individual feeling helpless, frightened, or out of control. These experiences can range from acute trauma (such as a natural disaster or violent attack) to chronic trauma (such as ongoing neglect, abuse, or systemic oppression).

According to Dr. Peter Levine, trauma is stored in the body as a result of the nervous system’s response to threat. When we face a traumatic event, the nervous system’s fight-or-flight response is activated. This response is designed to help us survive in the face of danger by either fleeing from the threat or fighting to defend ourselves. However, when the threat cannot be resolved or escapes the body’s capacity to react appropriately (for example, in cases of freeze or dissociation), the energy of the trauma can become trapped in the body.

The body responds to trauma through physical sensations like tight muscles, shallow breathing, or digestive issues, but it can also manifest through emotional and psychological states, including anxiety, depression, or numbness. Over time, unresolved trauma can lead to a variety of symptoms, from chronic pain and tension to flashbacks and dissociation.

Dr. Peter Levine’s Work on Somatic Experiencing

Dr. Levine’s Somatic Experiencing method is grounded in the idea that trauma isn’t just stored in the mind but in the nervous system and the muscles of the body. In his groundbreaking book Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, Dr. Levine explains that when we are unable to discharge the energy from a traumatic experience (such as running from a predator or fighting to defend ourselves), the nervous system becomes dysregulated. This dysregulation can cause the body to stay stuck in a perpetual state of heightened alertness, as if the trauma is still happening in the present.

Somatic Experiencing is based on the premise that by tuning into the body and gently processing the stored trauma through awareness, breath, and movement, we can release the trapped energy and restore balance to the nervous system.

How Trauma Gets Stored in the Body

When trauma occurs, the body’s automatic responses can get disrupted. Instead of returning to a state of equilibrium, the body may remain in a state of hyperarousal (when the nervous system is constantly on edge) or hypoarousal (when the body becomes numb and disconnected).

Dr. Levine describes how animals in the wild, after facing a traumatic event, will often engage in shaking or trembling as a way to release the trapped energy and return to balance. For humans, however, this natural release process is often blocked by cultural and social conditioning that encourages us to “hold it together” or “move on” before fully processing the emotional and physical impact of trauma.

The trauma becomes stored in the tissues, muscles, and nervous system. Areas of the body can become chronically tight, restricted, or in pain, creating a pattern of physical holding that mirrors emotional and psychological distress. Over time, this holding can lead to the development of physical ailments, such as back pain, headaches, digestive issues, and even autoimmune disorders.

The Role of Somatic Practices in Healing Trauma

To release trauma from the body, we must reconnect with it—an important concept in Dr. Levine’s work. Somatic practices such as body awareness, breathwork, and gentle movement can help us become more attuned to the areas where trauma has been stored, allowing us to begin to release it safely.

1. Body Awareness

One of the first steps in healing trauma is to develop a deeper awareness of the body. This means paying attention to where you feel tension, discomfort, or numbness. When we’re disconnected from the body, we tend to ignore these sensations, but acknowledging them can be the first step in releasing trauma.

Somatic Experiencing encourages people to tune into their bodies by focusing on physical sensations, allowing them to surface without judgment. By becoming aware of where trauma is stored (often in areas like the shoulders, chest, and abdomen), we can begin to gently work with it rather than suppress it.

2. Breathwork

Breath is a powerful tool for releasing trauma. Shallow, erratic breathing is often linked to the fight-or-flight response, and it can keep the body in a state of tension. Dr. Levine emphasizes the importance of slow, deep, and conscious breathing as a way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and shift the body out of its stress response.

Breathing deeply into the diaphragm can help release stored tension in the body and bring calm to the nervous system. By consciously focusing on the breath, we can begin to re-establish a sense of safety and slowly release the grip of trauma.

3. Movement and Shaking

In Somatic Experiencing, one of the most effective ways to release trapped trauma is through gentle movement or shaking. As Dr. Levine notes, shaking is a natural response to trauma in animals, and we can benefit from it as well. Movement allows the body to discharge the pent-up energy associated with the traumatic experience, helping to restore a state of balance.

Breathwork combined with movement is particularly powerful for trauma healing. Deep, rhythmic breathing can help release the muscle tension that accumulates during trauma, while gentle, flowing movements help dislodge the stored emotional energy from the body. This integrated approach can be incredibly effective in promoting the release of trauma, allowing the energy to move and dissipate in a controlled, conscious way.

Breathwork encourages the body to become more flexible and fluid, which helps overcome the tightness that trauma often causes in the body. Shaking or even simple stretching, in conjunction with mindful breathing, can help restore a natural flow of energy through the body.

The Path to Healing: Releasing Trauma for Good

Healing from trauma is a process, and it requires patience, self-compassion, and a commitment to the body. Dr. Levine’s Somatic Experiencing method provides a way to gently and effectively work through the stored trauma in the body, releasing the physical and emotional tension that holds us back.

By incorporating practices such as body awareness, breathwork, and mindful movement, we can begin to release trauma at its root and restore the natural flow of energy within the body. When we allow ourselves to feel, process, and move through our experiences, we open the door to healing, transformation, and emotional freedom.

If you’re feeling the effects of stored trauma in your body, remember that you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. With the help of somatic practices and by engaging in the body’s natural healing process, you can release trauma and begin to reclaim your sense of safety, vitality, and peace.