16/09/2025
Kinesiology can help release stored emotions and lead to better health and wellbeing. Contact me to book a session ✨️
Trauma Lives in the Body as Well as the Mind
Modern neuroscience and psychobiology reveal that traumatic memories are not confined to the brain alone. When a person experiences extreme stress, the body floods with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This “fight or flight” response changes heart rate, breathing, and immune activity. If the trauma is unresolved, these patterns can linger, becoming imprinted in muscle tension, connective tissue, and even organ systems. Over time, this can manifest as chronic pain, digestive issues, autoimmune conditions, or persistent fatigue, even when the mind isn’t consciously recalling the event.
Research on the brain–body connection explains why. Traumatic stress alters the autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, keeping the body in a state of hyperarousal or numbness. This can lead to ongoing inflammation and disrupted communication between the brain and the gut, heart, or immune system. Neuroimaging studies show that trauma reshapes key brain regions like the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, but the impact extends into the vagus nerve and peripheral nerves that regulate the organs. In other words, the body “remembers” what the conscious mind might try to forget.
This understanding helps explain symptoms seen in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma: unexplained aches, migraines, digestive troubles, or sudden anxiety triggered by smells or sounds. These aren’t imagined—they are biological echoes of real experiences. It also supports therapies that involve both mind and body. Approaches like somatic experiencing, yoga-based trauma therapy, EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), and breathwork aim to calm the nervous system and release stored tension.
Healing requires more than talking about the past. Practices that combine gentle movement, mindful breathing, and body awareness can help the nervous system relearn safety. Nutrition, adequate sleep, and supportive relationships further guide the body back to balance. While memories cannot be erased, the way the body responds to them can change, allowing people to feel more grounded and resilient.
Understanding that trauma is a whole-body experience is key to lasting recovery. Caring for both mind and body helps turn painful imprints into pathways for healing and strength.
