The Trauma Lodged in Your Body - And How to Release It

Trauma is not what happens to you; trauma is what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you. 

-Gabor Maté

The Trauma Lodged in Your Body - And How to Release It

The woman sat in her therapist's waiting room, panic rising in her chest. In a few minutes, she would relive the darkest moments of her past, dredging up memories that made her hands shake and her stomach clench. She didn't know if she could go through with it. But she was here on the advice of a friend, who swore this therapist had "healed" her with strange and unnerving methods.

When she entered the office, the therapist explained his approach: the key to overcoming trauma lies not in the mind, but in the body. Our painful experiences are lodged in our tissues and nerves, trapped in the prison of memory, he said. His methods involved touch, sounds, and sensations to unlock these bodily remnants of the past.

At first, she scoffed at the idea. But then he began. Gentle pulses of sound vibrated through her body as he placed his hands on her head. She recalled the accident that claimed her child years ago - but this time felt a release, as if a knot had come untied inside her chest. He guided her with a drumbeat to follow the sensations, loosen her breath. She trembled as emotion flooded through - then felt real peace for the first time in over a decade.

The breakthroughs grew stronger in each session. She unlocked preverbal trauma from infancy she never realized was there. She overcame triggers and learned to stay grounded in her body. Most of all, she began to trust in its wisdom - to know on an intuitive level that she was healing. Her hands were steady, her sleep sound, her laughter genuine. She had gotten her life back.

Photo credit: Austin Schmid @Unsplash

The methods may seem strange, but the results stand up to scrutiny. Somatic psychology contends we hold more wisdom in our bodies than our minds alone. Traumatic memories bind us in places beyond words - so in places beyond words, we must heal. This is a truth as old as instinct, known to mavericks who wouldn't rest until they delivered survivors from the prison of the past. The message is simple: listen within. Your whole self longs to be free.

To healing and wholeness,

Albert

PS: I've compiled some of the most powerful techniques for trauma recovery I've studied over the years into our Core Skills Trauma Certificate Progrram. This program provides step-by-step practices for:

• Releasing trapped emotions through body awareness meditation

• Rewiring PTSD responses in your nervous system using specific visualizations and mantras

• Transforming triggers into reminders of your resilience through focused awareness exercises

• Accessing the inherent wisdom in your senses to overcome anxiety and depression

• And more...

These practices saved my life, and my mission is to share them with as many people as possible. Our bodies, minds, and souls deserve to heal. Let's begin today. Here's to the life you were always meant to live.

Photo credit: Averie Woodard @Unsplash