Trauma and Healing: Somatic Practices

"The Body Keeps the Score" — this phrase, which became the title of psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk's bestseller, reflects a fundamental discovery of modern psychology: trauma is stored not only in memory but also in the body. Muscle tension, chronic pain, breathing difficulties, and sleep disturbances can all be somatic imprints of experienced stress, violence, or emotional suppression.

When a person faces a threat, the nervous system activates the "fight, flight, or freeze" response. If this energy is not discharged (and in situations of chronic violence or suppression, discharge is impossible), it remains "locked" in the body. Muscles tense, breathing becomes shallow, and the body enters a state of constant readiness for danger. Over time, this leads to chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, and psychological disturbances.

Body-oriented therapy (somatics) works with these patterns directly. Somatic Experiencing, developed by Peter Levine, helps gradually "discharge" energy trapped in the body through conscious attention to bodily sensations. Trauma-sensitive yoga creates a safe space for restoring the connection with the body. TRE (Trauma Releasing Exercises) uses the body's natural capacity for tremoring to release muscular tension.

The path of healing from trauma is not a linear process. It requires patience, safety, and professional support. But the first step can be simple: place your hand on your chest, take a slow exhale, and tell yourself: "I am safe right now." Your body hears you.