We often think of trauma as something that happens to us — an event, a situation, a chapter of our lives that we hope to forget. But what if trauma isn’t just something we remember?
What if it’s something our bodies remember, too?
That’s the central message of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking book, The Body Keeps the Score — a powerful reminder that trauma doesn’t just live in the mind. It lives in the nervous system, in muscle tension, in breath patterns, in the gut, and in the way we carry ourselves through the world.
And if trauma lives in the body… then healing must happen there, too.
Trauma Isn’t Just a Memory — It’s a Response
When something overwhelming happens — whether it’s a major event or a series of small, chronic stressors — the body often responds in ways designed to protect us: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.
These responses get encoded into our nervous system. Even long after the threat is gone, the body acts like it’s still there:
- You tense up when someone raises their voice
- You can’t sleep, even when you’re exhausted
- You dissociate or shut down in stressful situations
- You overreact to minor triggers without knowing why
That’s not weakness. That’s survival.
But it also means that talking about trauma isn’t always enough to heal it.
Why Traditional Talk Therapy Isn’t Always Enough
Talk therapy can be incredibly helpful — it offers insight, clarity, and a safe space to process. But trauma often bypasses language altogether. It’s stored in the body in a non-verbal way.
That’s why you can understand your trauma intellectually and still feel stuck.
Because healing doesn’t just happen through words. It happens through regulation, reconnection, and safety in the body.
Enter: Somatic Practices.
What Are Somatic Practices?
“Somatic” comes from the Greek word soma, meaning the body. Somatic practices are techniques that help you reconnect with your body, regulate your nervous system, and process stored emotions physically — not just mentally. They work from the bottom up (body → brain), rather than the top down (brain → body).
How Somatic Practices Support Healing
Here’s what somatic work can do:
- Help you feel safe in your body again
- Regulate your nervous system (calm fight/flight/freeze responses)
- Process emotions that words can’t reach
- Rebuild a sense of agency and empowerment
- Reconnect you to yourself and others with presence
Somatic Practices to Try
Here are some ways to start reconnecting with your body and begin healing from the inside out:
1. Grounding Techniques: Grounding helps bring you into the present moment and back into your body.
- Feel your feet on the floor
- Hold an object and focus on its texture
- Place your hand on your chest and take 3 slow breaths
2. Somatic Breathwork: Your breath is directly linked to your nervous system. Try:
- Inhale for 4 counts
- Hold for 2
- Exhale slowly for 6 counts
- Repeat 5–10 times
This can shift you from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest.
3. Movement-Based Practices: Emotions and trauma often get stuck in the body. Movement helps release them.
- Gentle yoga or stretching
- Shaking out your arms and legs (literally shaking off tension)
- Walking with intention (feeling your feet, your breath, the rhythm)
4. Body Scans & Somatic Awareness: This is about tuning in without judgment.
- Notice where you’re holding tension
- Ask: What sensations are here right now?
- Breathe into those areas with curiosity, not force
5. Touch & Self-Soothing: The body responds to warmth and gentle contact. Try:
- Placing your hand over your heart or belly
- Wrapping yourself in a blanket
- Self-massage or tapping your arms lightly
It’s not silly — it’s science.
Final Thoughts: Your Body Isn’t Betraying You
If your body reacts in ways you don’t understand — shutting down, panicking, going numb — it’s not broken. It’s not failing you. It’s protecting you.
And now, it’s asking for your attention.
Healing isn’t about getting rid of the past. It’s about creating safety in the present. Somatic practices invite you to come home to your body, one breath, one movement, one moment at a time.
You don’t have to heal overnight.
But if the body keeps the score, then the body also holds the key — not just to survival, but to wholeness.
Start there.