Trauma doesn’t just live in your memories—it lives in your body. You may feel it in a racing heart, a frozen sense of numbness, or a tightness in your chest that appears out of nowhere. Even when the event is long past, your nervous system can continue to react as if the danger is still present.
This is why healing trauma requires more than just thinking it through. It requires engaging with the body, listening to its signals, working with the nervous system, and gently unwinding the patterns that keep us stuck. This is what Somatic Trauma Informed coaching and healing is about.
In this blog, we’ll explore how trauma gets stored in the body, practical nervous system regulation techniques you can try, and how a somatic coaching approach can support your healing journey.
What Does It Mean When Trauma Is “Stored in the Body”?
Trauma isn’t only about what happened—it’s about what your body experienced. When you’re faced with overwhelming stress, the nervous system shifts into survival mode:
Fight/Flight: mobilizing energy to confront a threat or escape from danger
Freeze/Fawn: shutting down, disconnecting when escape isn’t possible, or pleasing as a way to stay safe
If these survival responses don’t get completed, the body may stay stuck in a loop. That unprocessed stress response becomes what we call trauma stored in the body.
The Science Behind Stored Trauma
When you experience trauma, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These chemicals prepare you for immediate action. However, if the threat response doesn’t complete its natural cycle, these stress chemicals can remain elevated, and your nervous system stays on high alert.
The polyvagal theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, helps explain this phenomenon. Your vagus nerve—the longest nerve in your body—plays a crucial role in regulating your nervous system’s response to stress. When trauma occurs, the vagus nerve can become dysregulated, keeping you stuck in survival states even when you’re objectively safe.
Where Is Trauma Stored in the Body?
Trauma is held in the nervous system and tissues of the body. It can show up as:
* Chronic muscle tension or pain, especially in the neck, shoulders, jaw, and hips
* Headaches, migraines, or tension headaches
* Digestive issues including IBS, nausea, or stomach pain
* Chronic fatigue or exhaustion despite adequate rest
* Racing thoughts, anxiety, or panic attacks
* Feeling shut down, numb, or emotionally detached
* Difficulty breathing deeply or feeling like you can’t catch your breath
* Sleep disturbances, insomnia, or nightmares
* Hypervigilance or constantly scanning for danger
Common Areas Where Trauma Manifests
* The Jaw and Throat: Often hold unexpressed emotions or suppressed words. You might experience teeth grinding, jaw clenching, or difficulty swallowing.
* The Chest and Diaphragm: Store feelings of grief, anxiety, and fear. This can manifest as shallow breathing, chest tightness, or a sense of pressure.
* The Stomach and Gut: Known as the “second brain,” the gut holds emotions and stress. Trauma can disrupt the gut-brain connection, leading to digestive issues.
* The Hips and Pelvis: Store deep emotional pain and stress, particularly related to safety and survival. Many people experience hip tightness or lower back pain.
How Somatic Therapy Works
Beyond Talk Therapy
Traditional talk therapy often focuses on understanding what happened. While insight is valuable, it doesn’t always resolve the body’s lingering responses. Somatic therapy works differently. It brings attention to the body’s sensations, breath, and movement.
Somatic therapy or coaching works by helping people tune into physical sensations connected to trauma, allowing the nervous system to safely process and release stuck survival responses. This bottom-up approach addresses trauma where it’s stored—in the body—rather than only processing it cognitively.
Most Important Principles of Somatic Healing
Awareness of Sensations: Noticing tightness, warmth, tingling, or other sensations without judgment
Completion of Stress Cycles: Allowing fight, flight, or freeze energy to safely resolve
Restoring Regulation: Moving from hyperarousal (anxiety, panic) or hypoarousal (numbness, shutdown) into balance
Titration: Working with small amounts of activation at a time to prevent overwhelm
Resourcing: Building internal and external supports to maintain stability
Integration: Building resilience and trust in the body’s wisdom
Different Somatic Approaches:
* Somatic Experiencing (SE): Guided awareness of sensations to release trauma, developed by Peter Levine
* TRE (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises): Neurogenic shaking to discharge stress from the body
* Breathwork: Using the breath to calm or activate the nervous system
* Movement Work: Yoga, dance, or mindful movement to restore flow and connection
* EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): While primarily a therapeutic technique, it incorporates somatic awareness
* Hakomi: Mindfulness-based somatic psychotherapy focusing on present-moment experience
Nervous System Regulation Techniques
Your nervous system is always scanning for safety and threat—a process called neuroception. By learning how to regulate it, you create the conditions for trauma to heal. Here are some gentle somatic trauma healing techniques you can explore:
1. Grounding Through the Senses
Look around the room and name five things you see, four things you feel, three things you hear, two things you smell, and one thing you taste
Feel your feet on the ground, noticing pressure and texture
Drink a glass of cold water slowly, paying attention to the temperature and sensation
Hold an ice cube or cold object to activate the present moment
Run your hands under warm water while noticing the temperature
These techniques anchor you in the present, signaling to your nervous system that you’re safe right now.
2. Pendulation
Notice a part of your body holding tension (tight jaw, clenched stomach). Then shift awareness to an area that feels neutral or at ease (hands, feet, or breath). Slowly move attention back and forth between these areas. This helps the body release stored survival energy without overwhelm by teaching your nervous system that you can move between states of activation and calm.
3. Breath Awareness
Inhale gently through the nose for a count of 4-5
Hold briefly for 2 seconds
Exhale slowly through the mouth for 6-8 seconds, making the exhale longer than the inhale
This activates the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the “rest-and-digest” state. The extended exhale sends a signal to your brain that you’re safe, which helps calm your entire system.
4. Micro-Movements
Trauma can lock the body in stillness or collapse. Small, mindful movements help discharge stuck energy safely:
Roll your shoulders slowly, noticing the sensation
Shake out your arms or hands gently
Perform gentle neck stretches
Push your palms against a wall to complete the “fight” response
Practice gentle twisting movements in your spine
5. Co-Regulation
Our nervous systems heal in connection. Human beings are wired for social engagement, and our nervous systems naturally regulate with others:
Sit with a supportive person in comfortable silence
Make gentle eye contact with someone you trust
Synchronize breath with a partner
Engage in activities that promote connection, like walking side by side
Allow yourself to be seen and heard by safe people
6. Voo Breathing
This technique directly stimulates the vagus nerve:
Take a deep breath in
On the exhale, make a “voo” sound (like “moo” with a V)
Feel the vibration in your chest and throat
Repeat 5-10 times
The vibration helps activate the ventral vagal system, promoting calm and social engagement.
The Role of a Somatic Coach in Trauma Healing
A somatic coach helps you learn how to listen to your body, regulate your nervous system, and safely process stored trauma. Unlike a therapist who may focus on diagnosing or analyzing past events, a somatic coach emphasizes present-moment awareness, practical tools, and nervous system education.
What to Expect in Somatic Coaching
In my coaching practice, I guide clients to:
* Notice subtle body signals before they escalate into full activation
* Use grounding and regulation practices tailored to their unique needs
* Release old survival patterns gently, at their own pace
* Build resilience and confidence in their body’s ability to heal
* Develop a personalized toolkit for daily nervous system regulation
* Understand their window of tolerance and how to expand it safely
Healing doesn’t happen by pushing harder—it happens through gentle presence, curiosity, and trust in the body’s wisdom. This is not about forcing change but about creating conditions where healing naturally unfolds.
The Difference Between Somatic Coaching and Therapy
While both are valuable, somatic coaching focuses on:
* Education about the nervous system
* Building practical skills for regulation
* Forward-focused action and empowerment
* Body-based awareness and movement
* Creating sustainable daily practices
Therapy may involve diagnosis, deeper psychological processing, and treatment of mental health conditions. Many people benefit from both approaches simultaneously.
FAQs About Somatic Trauma Healing
Can the Body Really Remember Trauma?
Yes. The nervous system stores unprocessed survival responses in what’s called implicit or procedural memory. Even when you don’t consciously recall an event, your body may respond with tension, panic, or shutdown when triggered by similar circumstances, sensations, or emotions.
How Long Does Somatic Trauma Healing Take?
There’s no fixed timeline. Some people feel shifts after a few sessions, while others need longer. Healing depends on the severity of trauma, the length of time it’s been stored, your support systems, and your body’s readiness. Complex trauma that occurred over extended periods typically requires more time than single-incident trauma.
What’s the Difference Between Somatic Therapy and Talk Therapy?
Talk therapy emphasizes cognitive understanding and narrative processing. Somatic therapy focuses on body sensations, nervous system regulation, and completing interrupted survival responses. Many people benefit from combining both approaches, as they work synergistically to heal trauma on multiple levels.
Can I Do Somatic Healing at Home?
Yes, you can start with simple practices like grounding, breathwork, and gentle movement. These foundational techniques are safe for most people. However, for deeper healing—especially with complex trauma—working with a trained somatic practitioner or coach provides guidance, safety, and accountability. A professional can help you navigate intense sensations and ensure you don’t become overwhelmed.
Is Somatic Healing Safe for Everyone?
Somatic practices are generally safe, but certain considerations apply. People with severe dissociation, active psychosis, or recent trauma may need to work with a licensed therapist first. Always work within your window of tolerance and stop if practices feel overwhelming. The goal is to build capacity gradually, not to push through distress.
How Do I Know If I Have Stored Trauma?
Common signs include unexplained physical symptoms, emotional reactivity that seems disproportionate to situations, difficulty relaxing or feeling safe, chronic tension or pain, sleep issues, and patterns of shutting down or becoming activated easily. If you suspect stored trauma, a somatic coach or therapist can help you explore this safely.
Conclusion: Healing Trauma Through the Body
Trauma is not a life sentence. Even if your body has been holding onto pain, fear, or numbness for years, healing is possible. By working with the nervous system instead of against it, you can release stored trauma and reclaim a sense of safety and wholeness.
Somatic trauma healing is not about revisiting the past or reliving painful experiences—it’s about restoring balance in the present. With the right tools and support, your body can learn to feel safe again. Your nervous system has an innate capacity to heal when given the proper conditions.
The journey of healing is unique for everyone. It’s not linear, and it requires patience, compassion, and trust in your body’s innate wisdom. Small, consistent practices can create profound shifts over time.
If you’re ready to explore this journey, I invite you to learn more about my somatic coaching approach, where we work gently with your body and nervous system to create lasting healing and resilience. Together, we can help your body release what it’s been holding and guide you back to a sense of safety, presence, and wholeness.
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