Do Somatic Exercises Really Release Trauma? What the Science (and Experience) Say
Can the Body Really Release Trauma?
You’ve probably heard the phrase “the body stores trauma.” It’s one of those ideas that gets repeated everywhere, but do we truly understand what it means?
The idea is that trauma isn’t only something that happens in your mind — it’s also something your body remembers.
When we go through something overwhelming, the body instinctively protects us by tightening, bracing, or shutting down. If that protective response never fully completes, tension can stay trapped in our muscles, fascia, and nervous system.
Somatic exercises work with that natural physiology — helping the body finish what it once had to hold back. They’re not about reliving the past or forcing a release. They’re about creating enough safety for the body to let go and find calm again.
Somatic Movement: Listening to the Body’s Wisdom
Somatic simply means “of the body.” Somatic exercises are gentle, mindful movements that help you tune into internal sensations — what’s often called interoception. Rather than focusing on performance or strength, they help you notice how your body actually feels from the inside.
Through awareness and small, intentional movements, you begin to retrain the nervous system, to soften guarding patterns, and restore balance.
Some examples include:
Breath awareness and full-body breathing
Gentle stretching and micro-movements
Body scanning and mindful rest
TRE® (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises) — a structured approach that uses the body’s natural shaking reflex to discharge stored tension
Somatic work invites you to listen instead of control. As trauma specialist Bessel van der Kolk famously explained, the body keeps the score — meaning it holds the memory of stress and survival long after the mind has moved on. Somatic practices give that body memory a way to change.
How Trauma Gets Stored — and Why It Stays
When something frightening or stressful happens, your body reacts instantly. Your heart races, breathing changes, and muscles tighten — preparing you to fight, run, or freeze. This is the survival response, guided by your nervous system.
If you escape or resolve the threat, the body naturally discharges the energy and returns to calm. But if you can’t — for example, if you’re immobilised, shocked, or under chronic stress — the process remains unfinished.
That unspent energy becomes held in the tissues:
Muscles stay tight and ready.
The fascia (the body’s connective web) thickens and loses fluidity.
The nervous system keeps scanning for danger even when you’re safe.
You might feel this as neck or jaw tension, pelvic tightness, shallow breathing, anxiety, or exhaustion that never really lifts.
Somatic exercises work because they help the body complete those survival cycles gently and safely. Instead of pushing through the story, they let the body unwind it through movement, tremor, and breath — a bottom-up reset rather than a top-down command.
TRE® (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises): Shaking as a Natural Reset
TRE® was developed by Dr David Berceli, who noticed that after extreme stress, animals and humans naturally tremble. This shaking isn’t weakness — it’s the body’s built-in way to discharge tension and restore balance.
Through a series of simple, fatigue-based movements, TRE® gently activates this tremor reflex. The body begins to shake or vibrate in a rhythmic way, releasing muscular tension from deep within. As the tremors flow, the nervous system shifts from a state of fight-or-flight into rest and repair.
In a guided TRE® session, you stay fully conscious and in control — the body decides how much to release. Many people describe feeling calmer, lighter, and clearer afterwards, as if their whole system has had a reset.
As a qualified TRE® provider in Scotland, I guide clients through these sessions one-to-one or in small groups, combining somatic awareness, breathwork, and gentle integration afterwards to help the release settle safely.
Book a TRE® session in Edinburgh
From Tension to Trust: What You Might Experience
Every session feels a little different. Some people experience small tremors in their legs or belly; others feel gentle waves of warmth or emotion. You might sigh, yawn, laugh, or cry — all natural signs that your nervous system is shifting gears.
The most common feedback I hear? A deep sense of calm and connection.
One of my clients summed it up beautifully:
“I didn’t realise how much my body was holding until I felt it let go. Afterwards, I felt calm — but also alive in a way I hadn’t for years.”
That’s the essence of somatic release — not a dramatic purge, but a subtle return to safety and vitality.
What Research and Experience Reveal
Modern neuroscience helps explain why this works. Psychologist Stephen Porges, who developed Polyvagal Theory, showed that our sense of safety is shaped by the vagus nerve — a communication line between body and brain. When we shake, breathe deeply, or move rhythmically, we send the message “I’m safe now” back up that line.
Similarly, somatic therapist Peter Levine observed that wild animals naturally discharge stress through shaking after a chase or threat — preventing trauma from being stored. Humans, however, tend to suppress those instincts. Somatic exercises like TRE® give us permission to do what nature intended.
Research and lived experience both show that when the body can express what it’s been holding, the results ripple outward:
Better sleep
Reduced anxiety
Easier movement
Improved digestion and focus
A deeper sense of peace
In my own practice, I’ve watched clients’ faces soften, their breath deepen, and their posture change within minutes. The science backs it — but the experience is what truly convinces people.
Simple Steps to Begin Your Journey
If you’re curious about somatic work but not sure where to start, here are a few gentle ways to begin:
Breathe consciously. Take slow, steady breaths and notice how your body responds. Does your belly, rib cage, or chest move most?
Notice without judging. Sensations like warmth, tingling, or restlessness are just information — your body’s way of communicating.
Try small movements. Rock gently, stretch, or sway to music. Let your body choose the rhythm.
Don’t force it. This work is about allowing, not effort. The body leads — you follow.
Seek support. Working with a certified provider can help you feel safe enough to explore deeper releases.
I like to dance like nobody’s watching, I feel fantastic afterwards.
If you’d like to experience TRE® or Somatic Release for yourself, I offer sessions both in person and online throughout Scotland.
Healing Is a Return to Safety
Releasing trauma isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about remembering what’s already within you — your body’s natural ability to reset, rest, and recover.
When you give your body the space to move, tremble, and breathe freely again, it doesn’t just let go of tension — it reclaims trust.
And that’s where true healing begins: not in reliving the past, but in coming home to yourself — calm, connected, and alive. Contact us today to find out more.
