11/20/2025
For years, massage therapists and other bodyworkers have noticed something interesting: when you work on the body, emotions can bubble up. Someone might tear up for no clear reason, get the shakes, feel waves of heat, or suddenly remember something they hadn’t thought about in ages. All of that is completely normal.
These reactions aren’t “made up,” and they’re not just about energy work either. Research today backs up what somatic therapists have been saying for a long time: the body really does hold on to the physical effects of stress and emotion, and hands-on work can tap into those systems. You may have heard the phrase, “The issues are in the tissues”- and there’s a lot of truth in it. Healing isn’t always just physical. When tension that’s been stuck in the fascia or muscles finally lets go, people often describe feeling clearer, calmer, and more grounded.
And what shows up during a session isn’t random. It’s your nervous system speaking in its oldest, most honest language.
