Author: JayaHollohan

Have you ever flinched when someone touched your shoulder, or felt your chest tighten for no obvious reason? These reactions aren’t “all in your head”—they’re stored in your body. Known as body memories, these sensations are imprints left by unresolved trauma, encoded not in words, but in our tissues and nervous system responses.

Through somatic therapy, we can begin to rewrite traumatic memory—not by erasing the past, but by inviting the body into feeling, integrating and writing a new script for how we would like to live now.

What Are Body Memories?

Body memories are implicit, wordless experiences that live in the nervous system. You might notice them as:

• A sudden freeze response during conflict

• Startling easily at loud voices or unexpected touch

• Persistent muscle tension or shallow breathing under stress

These are not flaws. They are survival strategies. Your body, doing its best to protect you, encoded trauma responses to help you avoid harm. The problem is that these protective patterns can get stuck, keeping you living a loop from the past, where the body still feels like the trauma is happening now.

Trauma Is Timeless—Until We Rewrite It

Unlike the mind, the nervous system has no sense of time. Without completing or healing thwarted fight, flight, or freeze (FFF) responses, trauma becomes “timeless.” That’s why something that happened years ago can still feel urgent, raw, and present, and we often reenact these unintegrated memories in our present in an unconscious attempt to heal them.

As trauma expert Peter Levine says:

“Conscious, explicit memory is only the tip of a deep iceberg… The submerged strata of implicit experience (or unconscious) move and motivate us in ways the conscious mind can only imagine.”

This is why talk therapy, while powerful, may not always be enough. The body remembers, even when the mind has moved on.

How Trauma Gets Stored in the Body

During a traumatic event, stress hormones flood the brain, disrupting the hippocampus (which organizes explicit memory) and ramping up the amygdala (which governs emotional memory). The result? Instead of a coherent narrative, we’re left with sensory fragments—sounds, smells, body sensations—frozen in time.

Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk explains:

“Traumatic experiences create powerful, isolated sensory fragments… fixed and static… carved into the brain, body, and psyche.”

These imprints don’t update easily. Without somatic or other related mind-body based therapies, they can continue to drive physical and emotional symptoms for years.

Rewriting Memory with Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy reconnects you with the language of your body—sensation, breath, movement, and our felt or “gut sense”. It creates a bridge between the past and the present, helping you:

• Recognize your body’s trauma signals without judgment

• Invite in new bodily sensations

• Re-pattern your nervous system over time

This isn’t about reliving trauma. It’s about rediscovering what safety feels like. Feeling into the body and reimagining new possibilities of our felt sense, images or movements, and embodying them, can create small shifts that repeated over time begin to rewire your body’s sense of safety. For example, relaxing your shoulders by 1%, taking one deep breath every hour, placing your hand over your heart when feeling overwhelmed, naming one sensation that feels good and anchoring it with a breath or gesture.

These shifts additionally support vagus nerve tone, aid in nervous system regulation, and help your body to update its story.

Your Body is Ready to Heal

Your body is not broken—it’s communicating about past experiences that are looking for healing now. Somatic therapy doesn’t bypass the mind; however, it does invite the body into the conversation. Rewriting traumatic memory is the process of reclaiming your body’s capacity for safety, joy, and connection, one sensation, breath, or completed impulse, at a time.

Ready to see what’s possible when you support new body memories to take root and guide life?

Join our Monthly Somatic Integrations, where we practice the rewiring of what our body knows into the potentials of what it yearns to be.

To explore this theme more in a brief video, plus a related somatic exercise, please click here!

There are many ways of being stuck, e.g. Breath, gut-brain connection, in our body. When our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) gets stuck on “on”, Fight/Flight (FF) or hyperarousal, or “off”, Freeze (F) or hypoarousal, due to childhood adversity, acute or complex traumas, life can feel very overwhelming. If we’ve been stuck on “off” or “functionally frozen” for most of our lives, we miss feeling a range of emotions, participating (collapsed), having sustained close relationships, good digestion, sleep etc. If we’ve been stuck on “on” in hyperarousal, we may miss the subtlety of presence, feel irritated often, unable to rest, sleep, digest, or inhibit our emotional and behavioural responses. When we are not stuck in either of these states, we are free to hang out in our Parasympathetic Nervous System in rest and digest mode and enjoy the ease that it brings.

Our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is working 24/7 to help us to distinguish which of these 3 states is appropriate at any given time and to provide appropriate responses to safe and unsafe situations: 1) Parasympathetic – safety; 2) Sympathetic – Fight/Flight – danger; or 3) (Parasympathetic) Freeze – life-threat.

To integrate our biggest traumas in life, we need to gain the capacity to feel into and track the uncomfortable sensations from the FFF, and express the meanings and emotions of our experiences in words. This helps to discharge bound survival energy related to both stuck states, and connects us to internal resources to experience flow again. Gaining capacity to do this brings more aliveness and vitality into our bodies and we start to look, feel and behave differently, e.g. posture opens and aligns itself, facial nerves begin to relax, we become guided from our guts, and make more life-enhancing choices.

When you feel into your body now, which one of these states do you think you primarily get stuck in when stressed or if a traumatic event happens? Hyperarousal (Fight/Flight) or hypoarousal (Freeze)?

Ultimately, any stuckness related to these states is a reflection of how safe/unsafe we feel/have felt, and forms an underlying foundation for our feelings and emotions, often from our developmental years. We can always choose to strengthen our capacity to feel into our bodies now and build more internal resources to help to meet any remaining stuckness with our attention and somatic movement, so that it can begin to shift and we can begin to thrive in all ways.

Click here for a brief video on how to know if you are a Fight/Flight or Freezer and what to do!

I am in the midst of a 3 week Panchakarma cleanse, including diet, Ayurvedic medicines, rituals (Pujas) and body treatments in South India. The Centre is gorgeous, enveloped by mountains, covered in palm trees, with an incredibly auspicious energy that is healing us all in all ways.

The other night, the Ayurvedic Doctor gave a talk on the 3 principles for life’s happiness. Ayurveda teaches that to have a good life, we need to be in right relationship with 3 things: 1) our Soul; 2) the 5 elements; and 3) Divinity.

I mused on and greatly appreciated the wisdom of this 5,000 year old Indian health and life science.

I was also very inspired by the cross-over with Somatic Therapies, which encourage much of the same!

1) We help people to reunite the fragments of the psyche and/or Soul through body-based techniques that have fragmented during trauma so that they can reconnect to their Souls; 2) We help people to return their stress physiology and nervous system regulation back to how nature intended, pre-trauma; and 3) We often help people to reconnect to the Self or Spirituality that lies beyond trauma, to invite greater meaning beyond what has happened to us, as well as a relationship to the Divine.

These fundamental principles of human health and happiness are quite Universal, whether we are drawing on ancient or more modern wisdom. It is up to us to continue to reconnect to them so that we can find ourselves where we want to be.

If you could use some help with reconnecting to yourSelf through body-based techniques and somatic trauma integration, feel free to reach out to book a Somatic session online and/or join one of my upcoming Somatic Trainings. Your life can only become more vital, and your body your greatest home.

Your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is a remarkable network that runs behind the scenes of daily life. It governs the functions we don’t consciously control, like breathing, digestion, circulation, hormone release, and immune responses. Within it are different branches that determine how we respond to the world around us, whether through calm connection, mobilization, shutdown, or appeasement.

When we understand how the ANS works, we begin to see that many of our emotional, physical, and relational challenges are not flaws or failures. They are simply our body’s best attempts to keep us safe.

The Branches of the ANS

1. Ventral Vagal (VV) – Safety, Connection & Social Engagement

The ventral vagal branch of the parasympathetic nervous system is active when we feel safe, grounded, and connected. It helps regulate our heart rate, lungs, digestion, voice, and even the muscles in our face and middle ear.

When this system is online:

• Our face is open, warm, and expressive.

• Our voice has melody, depth, and flow.

• We feel grounded in our body and open to others.

• We are curious, playful, and creative.

This is our natural “rest and connect” state. It’s also the state that supports healing, repair, and resilience.

2. Sympathetic – Fight or Flight

When social engagement doesn’t work—when we sense danger—the body turns up the dial through the sympathetic nervous system. This prepares us for action:

• Fight: Anger, irritability, jaw clenching, fists tightening, narrowed eyes, or urges to lash out. Breath becomes shallow or held. Cortisol and adrenaline flood the system.

• Flight: Anxiety, urgency, restlessness, fidgeting, trembling, or feeling like you “just need to get out.” Breathing is quick and shallow, legs and arms feel charged to move.

Sympathetic activation isn’t bad—it helps us survive danger. But when it’s chronic, it can erode our health, leaving us stuck in hyperarousal.

3. Dorsal Vagal (DV) – Freeze & Collapse

If fight or flight doesn’t resolve the threat, the body may move into freeze or shutdown through the dorsal vagal branch. This is an ancient survival response designed to conserve energy and “play dead” until the danger passes.

Signs of dorsal vagal shutdown include:

• Numbness, collapse, exhaustion, or paralysis.

• Shallow breathing, low oxygen, pallid complexion.

• Dissociation, fogginess, or feeling “not here.”

• Muscles become heavy, limp, or without tone.

At one end, the dorsal vagal system supports rest and digest. At the other, it protects through immobilization.

4. The Fawn Response – Appease to Survive

In addition to fight, flight, and freeze, trauma experts have identified a fourth survival response: fawn.

The fawn response arises when neither fighting, fleeing, nor freezing feel safe or effective. Instead, the body learns to survive by appeasing, placating, or over-accommodating others in order to avoid conflict with them or harm from them.

Signs of fawning may include:

• Difficulty saying no or setting boundaries.

• Automatically agreeing to keep peace, even at personal cost.

• Hyper-attunement to others’ needs while ignoring your own.

• Feeling safe only when pleasing or being accepted.

Though often overlooked, fawning is common—especially in those who grew up with unpredictable caregivers or environments where their safety depended on keeping others happy.

Health & the Nervous System

All of our body’s focus ultimately comes back to survival. When the ANS is chronically stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, the body has less capacity to repair itself. Systems like digestion, immunity, and cardiovascular function are put on hold. Over time, this contributes to inflammation, autoimmunity, pain syndromes, and even neurodegenerative conditions.

Research, including the work of Dr. Gabor Maté, shows that high levels of early stress and trauma (measured by ACE scores—Adverse Childhood Experiences) correlate strongly with later physical and mental health challenges.

As you read this, notice your own body:

• Do you feel warmth, openness, and ease (ventral vagal)?

• Are you restless, tense, or activated (sympathetic)?

• Do you feel foggy, numb, or heavy (dorsal vagal)?

• Do you notice a pull to “manage” or appease (fawn)?

Simply observing is the first step toward regulation.

If you feel tight or constricted, try softening your gaze or looking at something pleasant in your environment. If you feel frozen or numb, gently move your eyes, shoulders, or spine. If you notice fawning, pause and ask: “What do I need right now?”

These small acts invite your system back toward balance: towards the ventral vagal state of safety and connection.

✨ Welcome to your Autonomic Nervous System!
By understanding its language, we learn to work with it, rather than against it, and open the door to healing, resilience, and freedom.

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body–mind approach to healing trauma that focuses on helping people reconnect with and befriend their bodies. Instead of asking clients to re-tell or relive painful memories, SE uses the body as the gateway to healing, guiding individuals toward safety, regulation, and resilience.

In SE, clients are guided to notice and gently explore their bodily experiences, which fall into three main categories:

• Interoceptive – internal sensations (such as heartbeat, breath, gut feelings)

• Proprioceptive – awareness of where the body is in space

• Kinesthetic – awareness of movement, both big and small

By working with these subtle sensations, SE helps people gradually shift from states of overwhelm or shutdown into balance and regulation, without forcing them to confront traumatic memories head-on.

Unlike stress, which is the body’s temporary response to challenge, trauma develops when the nervous system is unable to return to a state of regulation. As Dr. Peter Levine, the founder of SE, explains: trauma isn’t defined by the event itself, but by how our nervous system responds to it.

That’s why two people may experience the same situation but walk away with very different outcomes—one regulated, one traumatized. Developmental history, early attachment, social support, and biological sensitivity all shape how we experience and integrate overwhelming events.

The autonomic nervous system (ANS)—which includes the sympathetic (fight/flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest, freeze) branches—can sometimes respond paradoxically, activating both systems at once and creating dysregulation. SE works directly with these patterns, allowing the nervous system to “renegotiate” trauma by safely releasing the bound survival energy that got stuck in the body during moments of overwhelm.

How SE Works

Through gentle awareness practices, guided exploration, and sometimes touch (always with consent), SE helps people:

• Discharge incomplete fight/flight responses

• Come out of freeze states and reconnect with vitality

• Regain a sense of safety in their body

• Build resilience and regulation in daily life

Over time, this restores the body’s natural rhythm and helps both mind and body return to a state of balance.

The Science Behind SE

Research has increasingly demonstrated the effectiveness of SE:

• Brom et al. (2017) – After 15 weekly SE sessions, participants reported significant decreases in PTSD symptoms and depression.

• Andersen et al. (2017) – In a study of PTSD and chronic pain, SE combined with treatment-as-usual led to significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and fear of movement compared to treatment-as-usual alone.

• Natural disaster survivor studies – SE interventions have shown lasting benefits, with participants reporting less arousal, intrusion, and avoidance. Eight months later, 90% noted significant improvement or were symptom-free.

These findings show that SE is not only powerful in reducing trauma symptoms, but also effective in supporting resilience and recovery across diverse populations.

Trauma can make us feel disconnected from ourselves, from others, and from life. SE offers a gentle yet profound path back to wholeness, helping the body resolve what was once overwhelming and return to a state of safety and vitality.

By learning to listen to the body and trust its wisdom, healing becomes possible—one sensation, one breath, one moment of safety at a time.

I recently completed Dr. Peter Levine’s Eye of the Needle Part 2 training in San Diego, which focuses on the integration of near-death experiences (NDEs). This training was both deeply moving and eye-opening, offering profound insights into what happens when the body, psyche, and spirit are brought to the threshold between life and death.

What Are Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences?

NDEs can arise from a broad range of circumstances, including:

• Cardiac arrest and heart attacks

• Serious accidents or injuries

• Surgeries and use of anesthetics

• Suffocation or near-drowning

• Life-threatening illness or poisoning

• High fevers

• Birth conditions involving lack of oxygen (anoxia/hypoxia)

• Coma or concussion

• Episodes of extreme emotional distress

Many peak experiences, moments of heightened awareness and transcendence, can also resemble NDEs, even when physical danger isn’t immediately present.

Closely related are Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs), in which people perceive themselves as leaving or floating outside their physical body. These may occur during medical crises (such as surgery or cardiac arrest) or spontaneously, often leaving people uncertain how to make sense of what happened.

At their core, NDEs and OBEs are profound psycho-physiological events, not merely hallucinations or mental illness. They occur when a person is close to death or in a crisis so intense that the nervous system moves beyond its ordinary bounds of functioning.

The phrase eye of the needle refers to this liminal, transitional state between life and death. Biologically, it is similar to thanatosis, a state of shock or immobility in which the body “plays dead” as a survival response. In this place, voluntary activity ceases, and the nervous system hovers between collapse and transcendence.

Dr. Levine describes it as a space where the boundaries between existence and non-existence blur—an experience that is both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

Common Features of NDEs and OBEs

While every near-death or out-of-body experience is unique, research and personal accounts show that people often report:

• A sense of peace, tranquility, or bliss

• A life review or reliving of key memories

• Feelings of omniscience or hyper-awareness

• Separation from the body (floating above oneself, watching from outside)

• Emotional detachment or loss of fear

• A sense of unity with the cosmos

• Transcendence of the physical realm

• Entering a void or state of “nothingness”

For many, these experiences feel deeply real and transformative, yet paradoxically destabilizing when they return to everyday life.

Trauma and Polarities: Heaven and Hell Realms

NDEs and OBEs often involve a passage through extreme states:

• Freeze, pain, and terror (the “hell realm”)

• Dissociation or absence of sensation, followed by bliss, peace, or oneness (the “heaven realm”)

Without integration, people may find themselves stuck in one polarity or oscillating between both. This can leave them confused, disoriented, or disconnected from life.

A 2019 study published by Eureka Alert/AAAS revealed that one in ten people worldwide report having had a near-death experience, with 95% of out-of-body experiences occurring in medical settings. This shows just how common yet under-discussed these phenomena really are.

Unintegrated NDEs and OBEs can profoundly affect day-to-day living—impacting physical health, mood, relationships, and spiritual well-being. The nervous system, once overwhelmed, may stay dysregulated, leaving a person vulnerable to anxiety, depression, or physical symptoms.

Through Somatic Experiencing® (SE) and Dr. Levine’s Eye of the Needle framework, the body is supported to:

• Release bound survival energy held in freeze states

• Gradually reconnect with sensations and emotions in safe ways

• Reconcile the polarities of terror and bliss into a coherent whole

• Return to regulation of the autonomic nervous system

This allows people to not only survive an NDE or OBE but to integrate it as a source of wisdom, resilience, and transformation.

Returning Through the Needle

When we are able to “pass through the eye of the needle” and reinhabit our bodies, life becomes more grounded, vibrant, and meaningful. The gift of an NDE or OBE lies not just in touching transcendent states, but in bringing that perspective back into embodied living—into our relationships, choices, and presence with the world.

This is my wish for us all: that no matter how close we come to the threshold, we find our way home again—fully alive, deeply human, and open to life’s unfolding mystery.