How to Release Trauma From the Body Naturally

Published December 20, 2023

There’s no denying that when talking about trauma, many people choose to remain silent. It used to be in the shadows. Everyone knew it was there, but no one made an effort to spark discussion. 

The power of social media is unmatched, in our opinion. The pandemic came along, and trauma was coerced into the limelight. Suddenly, people rely on each other to find ways to relieve their emotional pain. Social isolation, financial worries, or grief, among other saddening events, can have lasting impacts. 

These traumatic events can also leave you feeling shocked, hopeless, and weak to cope. You may also feel incapable of dealing with the emotions popping up. You may push them off and bury them. 

The thing is, when trauma isn’t processed, it lingers. Unprocessed trauma is stored in our nervous system. These trapped ‘issues in your tissues’ damage our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. 

Let’s have a heartfelt discussion of how to release trauma from the body. We’ll define it, how it is stored and healing from it. We’ll also talk about all the trauma release exercises that work and sign your body is releasing trauma. Let’s heal; let’s start. 

What Is Trauma?

Trauma is an emotional or physical response to a stressful, frightening, or disturbing incident or series of events. It has a lasting adverse influence on your mental and physical well-being. Nearly everyone has faced some form of trauma in their lives. 

In a 2015 survey of nearly 69,000 adults, 70% reported a traumatic event. Over 30% reported four or more. 

Some examples of traumatic experiences are: 

• War
• Natural disasters
• Sexual or physical assault
• Death of a loved one
• Witnessing death or severe injury
• Serious illness
• Severe automobile accident
• Domestic abuse

The experiences above are often called the “Big T” traumas. These are most often connected with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) condition. The condition affects around 8% of Americans. 

Yet, trauma can also come from other distressing events that impact your ability to cope. These are: 

• Breakups
• Divorce
• Long-term emotional abuse
• Bullying
• Losing a job
• Injuries
• Financial worries

 These are often defined as “little t” traumas. They may not make the mark for getting a PTSD diagnosis. Yet, it doesn’t detract from the emotional damage they can cause. 

If you have accumulated enough “little t” traumas, it may harm you just as much, if not more, of the big ones. 

How Trauma Is Stored in the Body?

Experts affirm that trauma impacts our brain and body. It causes the nervous system to stay on high alert. It urges us always to be ready to face the next threat. 

Trauma is not physically held in our bones or muscles. Instead, the need to shield oneself from perceived threats is trapped in our brain’s memory and emotional centers. These are the hippocampus and amygdala. It activates the body whenever a situation reminds the person of the traumatic events. 

Many people persist in feeling the impacts of trauma. It is known as post-traumatic stress. It goes on for years after the disturbing event takes place. Trauma may show up in the body as: 

• feeling easily overwhelmed
• feeling “on edge.”
• muscle tension
• chest tightness
• trouble sleeping
• nightmares
• memory issues
• brain fog or difficulty focusing
• anxiety and avoidance
• depression
• dissociation

Trauma can also worsen medical conditions like chronic pain. Headaches too. 

Experiencing trauma can narrow your window of tolerance. It is the sweet spot where you feel like you can overcome stressful situations without them becoming too much. It is known as your distress tolerance. Trauma is one component that can shrink your window of tolerance. 

Traumatic events activate our body’s fight-or-flight system. Our heartbeat and blood pressure rise. Our digestion slows down. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline skyrocket. Our body seems to fight for our life or run away fast. 

How Trauma Affects the Brain?

Trauma can perform alterations in our brains. Research discovers that people with PTSD have a smaller hippocampus. It is the memory center of our brain that is sensitive to stress. PTSD patients also have a more active amygdala. It is the part of our brain that processes emotions such as fear. 

Another way trauma affects the brain is by dysregulating the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal-axis. It plays a vital part in the stress response. Flight or fight mode is meant to be short-term. Yet, traumatic events can cause the body to get stuck in emergency mode. It creates a state of hypervigilance. It may also eventually lead to adrenal burnout. 

How Trauma Affects the Body?

Emerging data suggest that trauma doesn’t just affect the brain; it affects cells too. Recent studies show that stem cells can store your tissue’s memories. Those “issues in your tissues” may damage your physical and emotional health. 

Harvard Health reports that unprocessed trauma can make you more at risk for several health conditions. These are heart attack, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. 

If traumas are buried long enough, they may be somatized. They can manifest as physical sensations. For one, they can be chronic pain. 

Trapped emotions can harm our well-being. Releasing them can have equally dramatic effects. 

One profound example of this is the phenomenon of radical remission. Dr. Kelly Turner, author of Radical Remission, is behind it. She studied over 1,500 terminally ill cancer patients. She found that many people who experienced radical remission credited releasing past trauma and emotional baggage. It becomes crucial to their healing. 

Healing From Trauma

Healing from trauma is a process that will demand time, patience, and understanding. It’s crucial to allow yourself to feel your emotions. Do not minimize them. This acceptance is vital to recovery. It’s also expected to experience complicated feelings, such as anger, along the way, 

Trauma Release Exercises

The tips and tools below help release stored trauma from your body. Keep in mind releasing trauma can be intense. Emotions or memories may bubble up to the surface. They may feel overwhelmed. Some are downright scary. 

Some people feel comfortable navigating their trapped emotions on their own. Yet, others thrive with some outside help. Trust yourself. Suppose you think you’d benefit from the support and guidance of a well-trained therapist. Do so. Get it before letting it loose. 

1. Make friends with your feelings. 

If you want to heal it, choose to feel it. It may be easier said than done. We all know that emotions such as fear, sadness, and shame can be ultra painful. Many people may run from them, too, as the pain feels too much to bear. Yet, this avoidance tactic often generates anxiety. 

But, what you resist, persist. Don’t push uncomfortable feelings; get curious about them. Just witness whatever you’re feeling without judgment. Seeing yourself without judgment and gracing kindness to your personal growth is critical. It helps you heal from trauma. 

Research shows that even the tiny act of naming your emotions can decrease their intensity. Everything will shift once you start approaching your feelings with curiosity instead of fear. 

2. Slow down and be still. 

You can’t be aware of your feelings if you’re constantly in motion. Slow down and be present in your body. Resist the urge for unending distraction with noise, screen, and never-ending to-do list. Find time to be still in a safe space. Observe what comes up. 

It might be as simple as sipping a cup of tea. Take a bath. Journal. Meditate. Spend time in nature. The more you slow down, the more aware you’ll be of the emotions simmering under the surface. 

3. Move your body 

While being still is crucial for releasing trauma, movement is, too. Movement truly is medicine. Exercise aids your body to burn off adrenaline. It also releases endorphins. It calms the nervous system. It relieves stress. 

Yoga is proven to be an effective intervention for relieving PTSD symptoms. It also improves overall well-being. If yoga is not your thing, just get your body moving still. Go for a walk. Ride a bike. Dance. 

4. Try breathwork 

Breathwork is an intentional method of breathing. It aids the body to relax by bypassing your conscious mind. Trauma can overstimulate the body’s sympathetic nervous system. Breathwork settles it down. 

Intentional breathing may support processing stored thoughts, emotions, and memories. It also often brings emotional catharsis for many. 

5. Emotional freedom technique 

Also known as tapping. Emotional Freedom Technique involves tapping energy meridian points along the body. All while focusing on an issue or memory. In doing so, you balance your energy system. You release emotional pain. 

6. Bodywork 

You’ve likely heard stories of people bursting into tears during a massage. Maybe you’ve experienced this yourself. Many bodyworkers believe that your fascia can become clogged by traumatic events and trapped emotions. Fascia is the connective tissues in our body. 

Myofascial release is a type of massage. It relaxes your fascia by finding restricted areas of the body. It unwinds that tissue. It’s not uncommon for memories and emotions to surface during a session. 

7. EMDR Therapy 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy technique. It is often employed to treat anxiety and PTSD. It involves rhythmic eye movements while recalling traumatic experiences. This combo changes how the memory is stored in the brain. It can permit you to process the trauma fully. 

Research affirms it. It has been found that EMDR provided substantial relief from emotional distress. It was more effective than trauma-based cognitive behavioral therapy. 

8. Sound & Vibrational Healing 

Sound healing has become all the rage in the health and wellness world. It involves the use of vibration. From tuning forks, to singing bowls and gongs. It relaxes the mind and body. 

The human body is 75% water. It makes us the perfect conductor for vibration. Sound healing uses instruments to emit specific pulses to reattune the body and release trapped emotion. It relieves tension, anxiety, and depression. It betters general well-being. 

9. Network Spinal Analysis 

Network spinal analysis (NSA) is a chiropractic technique. It uses gentle touches on the spine. It also helps release tension and stored trauma in the nervous system. It is gentle, allowing the client to feel safe enough to let go. 

NSA is also exceptional in growing one’s self-awareness. It helps you to be more in tune with your body. 

10. Somato Respiratory Integration 

Trauma causes many people to disconnect from their bodies. But remember, you’ve got to feel it to heal it. Somato-respiratory integration (SRI) is a system of healing that uses the power of breath. It teaches you to tune in to your body. It involves a series of breathing exercises that help you merge with your body to melt any lingering stress, tension, or stagnation. 

11. Cognitive processing therapy 

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a standard therapy option for healing trauma. It assists in helping individuals to pinpoint and challenge unhelpful or irrational thoughts and narratives linked to a traumatic event. It also teaches skills to counter or lessen the emotional dysregulation that is related to past trauma. 

CPT is strongly encouraged for treating PTSD. 

12. Prolonged exposure therapy 

Prolonged exposure therapy teaches people to approach trauma-associated memories and feelings gradually. The person can learn that these memories are not menacing as time passes. They don’t need to avoid them. 

13. Somatic Experiencing 

Somatic Experiencing was built by a renowned trauma researcher and author Peter A. Levine. It is thought to help one recognize trauma symptoms. It also assists in crafting resources to overcome them. Finally, how to safely revisit memories for processing. 

14. Certain types of talk therapy 

Aguirre says talk therapy can help you discover a powerful awareness of how trauma has influenced multiple areas of your life. It includes: 

• mental health
• physical health
• relationships
• core beliefs
• world view

Talk therapy lets you untangle thoughts, feelings, and sensations tied to past trauma. It creates awareness of how the traumatic event shows in your behaviors and ways of thinking. 

Signs Your Body Is Releasing Trauma

1. Improved changes in physical health 

With the release and healing of trauma comes a cut in cortisol levels. Cortisol negatively affects our health. When healing happens, our health improves. You will begin to feel healthier and stronger. 

2. Decreased self-doubt 

When you meditate, you’ll notice an increase in self-confidence and worth. 

You will begin to trust yourself and your decision-making skills. 

3. More compassion 

You will feel more compassion for yourself. Also, your inner child and your identity. A change in perspective and improvement in mental health will eventually manifest in more compassion for yourself and others. 

4. Unexplained crying 

You release trauma, too, by crying spontaneously. Often, crying for no reason, too. It happens because our body has stored so much hurt, pain, memories, and stress. It comes out in tears when it starts to release and heal. 

5. Improved quality of sleep 

This is a massive sign that your body is releasing and healing trauma. Sleeping better and longer without nightmares or terrors. Your mind is calming and releasing stress. Thus, you slumber better. 

6. Recognizing triggers and boundaries 

As your body releases and is healing, you’ll start acknowledging your triggers. In turn, avoid them. You’ll also craft boundaries so recovery continues. 

7. Facing and owning your emotions 

During the process of letting go of your past trauma, you’ll gain the bravery to face your emotions and own them. 

8. Your purpose and passion for living returns 

You’ll find a new purpose, determination, and passion for living. 

9. Improved mental health 

All the negative mental health aspects that come with the heavy burden of trauma will be alleviated. You’ll feel freer, happier, and more stable. You’ll also view yourself, life, and others more positively. 

10. Your interpersonal relationships improve. 

The negative impact of trauma and the mental health issues it brings will start to subside. You’ll be aware of how your interpersonal relationships are going more smoothly. They’ll improve every day. 

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Release Trauma From the Body Naturally

1. How do you get out of a trauma response? 

Grounding techniques. These aids bring you back to the present moment. It takes you away from traumatic memories or intense emotional reactions. It may mean focusing on your breathing. It may be touching something physical, like a piece of fabric or furniture. It may be describing what you see around you in detail.

2. Does trauma ever go away? 

Trauma does not necessarily ever go away entirely. Yet, the power its memories hold can diminish as time passes. Healing from trauma often involves confronting and understanding the traumatic experiences. 

3. How do I know if I have trauma? 

Recognizing signs of trauma in oneself can be challenging. Yet, several symptoms could indicate its presence. These signs can be physical, emotional, or psychological. Physical signs could be difficulty sleeping, rapid heartbeat, unexplained aches and pains, and being startled easily. Emotional and psychological signs often include confusion, sadness, anxiety, agitation, and numbness. One could also experience dissociation.

4. What part of the body is trauma stored?

Trauma is not stored in a defined physical part of the body. Instead, it impacts the brain. It can manifest in various physical ways. The experience of it can result in alterations in brain structure and function. It is mainly related to fear response, emotion regulation, and memory encoding and retrieval. 

Navigating life with trauma is never easy. It can sabotage how we live and connect with ourselves and our loved ones. It can impact us in all ugly ways. Yet, it can be released and overcome. You must be conscious of knowing that trauma is never bigger than you. 

Author Tracy Gorman

I am Tracy Gorman, an experienced writer dedicated to producing compelling and informative content. With a deep understanding of diverse subjects such as lifestyle, beauty, and wellness, I create valuable articles for everyone.