Trauma Isn’t Just in the Mind: Why Your Body Holds the Score

Your Mind May Forget. But Your Body Doesn’t.

You’re safe now.

But your heart races when someone raises their voice.Your body stiffens when someone gets too close.You can’t sleep, even when you're exhausted.

You keep asking yourself: “Why am I like this?”

You’re not overreacting.You’re not broken.Your body is remembering.

Trauma doesn’t only live in memory. It lives in muscles, breath, posture, digestion, and nervous system responses. Even if you can’t recall exactly what happened, your body keeps the score.

What Does It Mean That the Body “Holds the Score”?

The phrase became well-known through Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s book The Body Keeps the Score—and it captures a fundamental truth:

Trauma is not just a story about the past. It's a physiological imprint in the present.

When your body doesn't get a chance to recover after a stressful or overwhelming experience, it stores that unprocessed energy. This can lead to long-term patterns of tension, numbness, anxiety, or collapse—even when things seem “fine” on the outside.

How Trauma Gets Trapped in the Body

When you face a real or perceived threat, your nervous system automatically responds with:

• Fight – get big, angry, loud

• Flight – escape or avoid

• Freeze – stop, go still, shut down

• Submit – appease, collapse, disconnect

If you're able to return to safety, your body completes this response cycle. But if the threat was ongoing—or you had no way out—your system never fully resets. Instead, it stays in survival mode.

Over time, this can show up as:

• Chronic pain or muscle tension

• Digestive issues or autoimmune symptoms

• Anxiety, brain fog, or fatigue

• Emotional numbness or hyperreactivity

• Feeling unsafe or "on edge" for no clear reason

Signs That Trauma May Be Stored in Your Body

Trauma isn't always a big, dramatic event. It can be subtle, relational, or cumulative—and still leave lasting marks.

Here are common signs of stored trauma:

• You feel disconnected from your body or emotions

• You’re easily overwhelmed by sound, light, or people

• You go numb, dissociate, or freeze under stress

• You overreact to small triggers—and feel shame after

• You cry during yoga, massage, or meditation

• You have physical symptoms with no clear medical explanation

• You’re tired but wired—unable to relax or sleep deeply

If this sounds familiar: you’re not dramatic or weak. You’re responding to something real—something your body hasn’t forgotten.

Why Talk Therapy Alone May Not Be Enough

Talk therapy helps us understand our stories. But trauma isn't only stored in thoughts—it's stored in nervous system patterns, muscle memory, and sensory triggers.

To truly heal, we need to include the body.

Somatic therapies like Somatic Experiencing (SE), TRE, or trauma-informed yoga allow you to slowly reconnect with your body’s signals, release trapped survival energy, and build safety from the inside out.

As Dr. Peter Levine says:

“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.”

Somatic Tools to Begin Releasing Trauma (Gently, at Your Pace)

You don’t need to dig up the past to begin healing. Your body already knows what it needs. Try one of these simple practices:

1. Body Scan with Compassion

Lie down or sit. Bring awareness to your feet, legs, belly, chest… just notice. No judgment. Let sensations arise and pass.

2. Grounding Touch

Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly. Breathe softly. Feel the warmth and pressure of your hands.

3. Gentle Shaking or Movement

Stand with soft knees. Let your arms and legs bounce or tremble lightly. This mimics how animals discharge stress.

4. Humming or “Voo” Sound

Make a deep humming or “voo” sound on your exhale. This vibrates the vagus nerve and supports regulation.

5. Orienting to Safety

Look around the room slowly. Let your eyes land on something calming. Remind your body: "I am here. I am safe enough now."

The Science Behind Somatic Trauma Healing

Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls whether you're in survival or regulation. When trauma gets stuck, your ANS can remain dysregulated—even when your mind thinks you're safe.

Somatic tools help:

• Rebuild interoception (body awareness)

• Complete unfinished survival responses

• Regain nervous system flexibility (the ability to shift between states)

• Create felt safety in real time—not just intellectual insight

You’re Not Broken. You’re Adaptive.

Everything your body did to survive made sense.But it may be time to teach your system something new: you’re safe enough now to exhale.

Healing isn’t about “fixing” yourself. It’s about gently reclaiming connection with your body, your boundaries, and your breath.

You don’t need to be ready.You just need to be curious.

Free Somatic Healing Resource

💌 Download my free PDF: 5 Somatic Tools to Calm Your Nervous System. Gentle, research-based tools for when you're anxious, frozen, or overwhelmed.

Curious About Somatic Therapy? Let's Connect.

If this post resonates, and you’re wondering whether somatic therapy might help—I'd love to hear from you.

I work with clients facing complex trauma, nervous system dysregulation, and mind-body disconnection, both online and in-person.

📆 Book a free 15-minute consultation to explore if we’re a good fit.

FAQ: Quick Answers to Common Questions

Can trauma really live in the body even if I don’t remember it?

Yes. Trauma is stored in the nervous system’s patterns—not only in memory. Somatic work focuses on present-moment sensations, not recall.

What are body-based trauma therapies?

These include Somatic Experiencing (SE), TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises), Polyvagal-informed work, and trauma-informed yoga or movement.

Will I have to relive the trauma?

No. Somatic healing focuses on safety and present-moment awareness, not reliving the past. You go at your own pace, with support.

Citations & Resources

• Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score

• Levine, P. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma

• Porges, S. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory

• Dana, D. (2018). The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy