Pain to Joy: Healing Trauma and Chronic Pain

Most people think of pain as something physical, an ache in the back, tension in the shoulders, or a stabbing sensation in the gut. But science shows that the same receptors in the brain process both physical and emotional pain. This means that the lingering ache in your body might actually reflect unresolved trauma stored in your nervous system.

Why Pain Persists

When we brace against unpleasant feelings or sensations, we interrupt the natural feedback loop between the brain and our muscle spindles. This disconnect makes it harder for the body to self-heal, often creating ongoing pain. Over time, protective patterns of bracing outlive their purpose and turn into chronic pain.

Trauma expert Dr. Peter Levine explains:
“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.”

In other words, pain often represents unfinished survival responses. Unless consciously released through the body, these patterns can stay stuck in the body and nervous system.

The Link Between Trauma and Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is not “all in your head,” it’s a reflection of the body’s wisdom trying to protect you. Common signs include:

  • Persistent aches and tension

  • Stomach upset or digestive issues

  • Sharp, stabbing, or twinging pains

  • Feeling constricted or “held tight” in certain areas

These symptoms can be invitations to get “gut-connected” and listen to our bodies more deeply.

Dr. Stephen Porges, founder of Polyvagal Theory, reminds us:
“Trauma compromises our ability to engage with others by replacing patterns of connection with patterns of protection. Safety is the treatment.”

Healing requires restoring safety, body connection, and regulation in the nervous system.

Simple Somatic Practices to Reconnect

Here are a few gentle steps you can start today:

  1. Name the sensation. Is it aching, stabbing, or constricting? Awareness creates space for change.

  2. Invite micro-movements. Explore small, subtle movements in the area of pain to restore flow.

  3. Release outward. Imagine sending the pain and related energy off your body instead of pulling it in.

  4. Build safety. Focus on grounding, calming breath, or supportive environments that signal safety to your system.

  5. Practice compassion. Self-kindness activates the ventral vagal state, the part of your nervous system wired for joy and connection.

Rewiring Pain Into Joy

Thanks to neuroplasticity, the brain can rewire itself over time. The same networks that reinforce chronic pain can, with consistent gentle practice, also support wellbeing and joy. Healing is not linear, you can experience both pain and joy along the way.

To build resilience and expand inner joy, try focusing on:

  • Safety: Establish both internal and external feelings of safety

  • Stabilization: Build nervous system regulation skills

  • Integration: Process traumatic experiences gradually

  • Growth: Expand your capacity for pleasure and trust in your body

  • Connection: Strengthen relationships and community ties

  • Purpose: Engage in meaning and contribution beyond yourself

 

Joy Is Your Birthright

Small moments of pleasure, resource, and connection matter. Over time, they rebuild your well~being and restore nervous system resilience.

Joy is not something you need to earn, it is your birthright that naturally arises when you feel safety, body connection and live within a healthy environment.

If you would like to explore the somatic integration of pain more deeply, feel free to join our monthly somatic integrations or reach out for a one-on-one somatic session to support healing at its roots!

Healing our Ancestors’ Hidden Trauma

The Hidden Trauma in Your DNA

Have you ever felt emotions or body sensations that didn’t seem to belong to you? Surprisingly, science and somatic therapy suggest they might not. Instead, they could be echoes of your ancestors’ unspoken stories, living on through you.

In fact, recent research and somatic wisdom reveal that trauma doesn’t just stop with one generation. Instead, it ripples forward, shaping our nervous systems, behaviors, and even our DNA expression. In other words, the body is more than flesh and bone, it’s an archive of memory, storing what hasn’t yet been resolved.

How Ancestral Trauma Lives in the Body

Somatic pioneer Dr. Peter Levine, founder of Somatic Experiencing, shares a remarkable story from his family. When his mother was eight months pregnant with him, she nearly drowned in a New York lake. By sheer coincidence, Albert Einstein happened to be there and saved her life.

At first, this story may sound like just an extraordinary family tale. However, Dr. Levine later discovered that he carried the imprint of this near-death experience in his body. During somatic explorations, he felt waves of terror, helplessness, and survival shock that didn’t match his personal history. Eventually, he traced these sensations back to his mother’s brush with death in the womb.

Therefore, as Dr. Levine explains, “Our bodies can carry the unfinished stories of those who came before us. When we listen, we don’t just heal ourselves, we bring peace to our ancestors as well.”

 

The Science of Inherited Trauma from our Ancestors

Furthermore, modern science backs up these insights. Dr. Rachel Yehuda, a leading researcher at Mount Sinai, has shown that trauma can alter gene expression through epigenetics. For example, her studies found that children of Holocaust survivors had changes in their stress-regulating genes, which impacted cortisol levels and emotional resilience.

Moreover, other studies confirm this ripple effect:

  • Grandchildren of women pregnant during the siege of Hama in Syria showed altered genetic markers decades later.

  • Trauma during pregnancy can change serotonin transporters and immune cell function, thereby shaping the developing brain.

  • Childhood trauma leaves epigenetic marks that are linked to psychiatric, neurological, and immune issues later in life.

As a result, trauma doesn’t only shape your story, it can rewrite your biology, as well as that of your descendants.

A Sacred Responsibility

Consequently, healing ancestral trauma is not just self-work. Instead, it reverberates through time. As Grandmother Rita Pitka Blumenstein reminds us, “When we heal ourselves, we heal our ancestors. We heal our descendants.”

Therefore, this work requires compassion and pacing. Not all body memories are meant to be rushed into clarity. Indeed, some are lifelong companions, teaching us reverence for the lineage we carry.

 

Somatic Practice: Meeting Your Ancestors in the Body

Finally, here’s a simple practice to begin exploring ancestral stories in a safe, grounded way:

  1. Find Stillness – Sit or lie down somewhere quiet. Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly.

  2. Breathe with Intention – Inhale slowly, feeling your breath move into your belly. Exhale gently, releasing tension. Repeat for a few minutes.

  3. Invite the Lineage – Silently ask: “Is there a story my body is carrying from my ancestors?” Notice what arises: an image, sensation, emotion, or memory.

  4. Stay Curious, Not Forceful – Whatever comes, acknowledge it with compassion. You don’t need to analyze. Simply allow it to be seen and felt.

  5. Ground Yourself – When ready, place both feet firmly on the ground. Imagine roots extending into the earth. Take a deep breath and thank your body for what it shared.

This practice, therefore, opens a doorway, not just to personal healing, but to the collective integration of your family line. By remembering our ancestors and listening to the wisdom in our bodies, we can transform inherited trauma into resilience, connection, and even grace. In the end, your healing is never just yours, it’s a gift across generations.

✨ What message or resource do you feel your ancestors have handed down to you today?

If you would like to work one-on-one to support somatic intergenerational trauma integration, please feel free to click here.

To watch a brief video about this blog, click here.

To learn more about the transmission of intergenerational trauma through Dr. Yahuda’s work, click here!