Is Trauma Really “Held in the Body”?
You’ve probably heard the phrase: “Trauma lives in the body.”
Recently, someone told me they felt like their body was “holding onto trauma and just won’t let it go.” It’s a powerful way to put words to a real experience — but what does it actually mean?
Your Nervous System as Protector
From the time you were a tiny baby, your nervous system has been working around the clock to keep you safe. It doesn’t ask for your permission, and you don’t have to think about it. It simply does its job.
When it senses danger, your body knows how to respond. It can:
Fight – mobilize strength to defend
Flight – move you away from danger
Freeze – shut down or become still
Fawn – appease to keep yourself safe
Your heart rate changes. Muscles tighten. Hormones surge. Breath shifts. Posture adapts. All of this happens without conscious effort. It’s your body’s brilliant design for survival.
What Gets “Held” in the Body
Here’s the key: your nervous system learns. It remembers.
If something in the present moment reminds your body of something dangerous from the past, your nervous system may respond the same way it did back then — even if you are safe now.
So is trauma literally stored in your muscles? Not quite. Trauma isn’t a substance that gets stuck inside you. What’s “held” is a pattern — your body’s memory of protection.
Muscles can feel tense or braced, not because trauma is lodged there, but because your nervous system has trained them to stay ready just in case.
When people say “trauma lives in the body,” this is what they’re pointing to: the way your body carries forward adaptive survival responses, even long after the threat has passed.
Why Healing Happens in Both Mind and Body
This is why healing isn’t only about talking through your story. Yes, it’s deeply valuable to understand and process what’s happened with a therapist. But it’s equally important to listen to the story your body is telling you.
Your body carries signals — subtle shifts in breath, posture, sensation, and energy — that reveal how safe it feels. Learning to notice and respond to those signals with compassion is part of teaching your nervous system: “This moment is different. I don’t have to brace the same way anymore.”
Many people find that body-based work is a natural complement to therapy. While therapy supports you in making meaning, this kind of practice helps you increase your capacity, your “window of tolerance,” and your ability to hold your own experience without overwhelm.
An Invitation: Coming Home to Your Body
This is the heart of the course I teach, Coming Home to Your Body.
Over twelve weeks, we move slowly and gently, at your own pace, to:
Notice and understand the signals your body is giving you
Expand your window of tolerance
Build tools for meeting yourself with compassion and safety
Offer your nervous system a grounded, loving presence — perhaps for the first time
This isn’t talk therapy. We won’t be sharing trauma histories. Instead, we’ll be practicing how to listen to the body — and how to lovingly speak back.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to welcome you in.