How do I know if I have trauma stored in my body?

When it comes to trauma stored in the body, people usually ask me two questions.

The first is: How do I know if I have trauma stored in my body? The answer to that one is, you do. We all do. Trauma is a part of life and we’ve all got stuff.(Even if you don’t remember it.)

It’s why our shoulders are tight and our backs ache. It’s why we get weekly massages and go to therapy. It underlies most chronic health conditions and makes them worse. Trauma isn’t always about the Big Events. Yes, those count. Of course they do.

But so does having a distant mother (who likely had her own trauma). Cultural shaming (hello women who were constantly told to be quiet, be small, not take up space).

Toxic work environments. Not being heard. Microaggressions. And of course the ever prevalent accidents, injuries, falls out of trees and off horses, broken legs, cracked ribs, etc, etc, etc.

So, you’ve got some trauma. You don’t have to call it that, but it’s there, okay?

Now the second question: what do we do about it?

This is the part I love. SO MUCH of the conversation surrounding trauma in our culture boils down to discussing the narrative -- what’s your story?

That’s important, BUT…

it doesn’t get to the biological roots. These parts of our bodies are up to 500 million years old and they frankly don’t give a flying unicorn fart about your story.

So that’s where I come in.

We can “talk” to these ancient parts of you -- the parts where fear, stress and trauma are stored -- through movement and sensation, which form the language of your nervous system.