The idea that trauma can be “stored” in the body isn’t just a wellness concept—it’s supported by neuroscience and somatic psychology. When the brain perceives danger, the body activates the fight-or-flight response, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
The American Psychological Association states that chronic stress can keep the nervous system in a heightened state of survival long after the threat has passed. When this happens over and over again, as in ongoing trauma, the body may hold patterns of tension, especially in muscles that help with protection and movement, like the hips [1].
The Science Behind the Mind–Body Connection
Emotions aren’t just experienced in the mind; they trigger measurable physical reactions throughout the nervous system. When you feel fear, grief, or stress, the brain signals the body through networks like the autonomic nervous system, releasing hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
Research has shown that prolonged emotional stress can influence heart rate, muscle tension, digestion, and even immune function. The body doesn’t simply react to emotions; it becomes part of how those emotions are expressed and processed [2].
While the concept might sound complex, most people have experienced the mind–body connection in everyday life. Common examples of the mind-body connection include:
- Butterflies in your stomach before a presentation
- A racing heart when experiencing fear or anxiety
- Tears or a lump in the throat when feeling grief or heavy emotion
- Blushing or sweating in socially stressful situations
Why Is Trauma Often Stored in the Hips?
The hips are connected to the psoas muscle, sometimes called the body’s “survival muscle.” The psoas runs from the lower spine through the pelvis to the femur and activates when the body prepares to run, curl inward, or brace for impact.
Researchers in somatic trauma, such as Bessel van der Kolk, have written extensively about how unresolved trauma can remain expressed through the body’s musculature and posture [3]. When the nervous system repeatedly activates but never fully resolves that stress response, the psoas and surrounding hip muscles can remain chronically tight or guarded.
For many people, this shows up as hip stiffness, discomfort during deep stretching, or even unexpected emotional release during activities like yoga or somatic therapy. In simple terms, the body remembers experiences the mind hasn’t fully processed, and the hips are one of the places that memory can quietly live.
How Emotions Get Stored in The Body
Neuroscience has also begun to explain how emotional experiences can influence the body at a cellular level.
In the 1980s, neuroscientist Candace Pert studied molecules called neuropeptides, which act as chemical messengers between the brain and the rest of the body. Her research showed that these molecules help carry emotional signals through the nervous system, linking what we feel mentally with physical responses in the body [4].
So emotions are partly electrical and partly chemical. When we experience something stressful, joyful, or frightening, the brain releases signaling molecules that travel through the bloodstream and bind to receptors on cells throughout the body [4].
Signs Your Body May Be Holding Unresolved Trauma
Many people live with unresolved trauma for years without recognizing it. They may simply think they are “always stressed,” prone to anxiety, or dealing with physical discomfort that seems to have no clear cause.
Trauma can come from many experiences, such as childhood adversity, loss, accidents, chronic stress, or domestic abuse, and the body often adapts by tightening, guarding, or staying hyper-aware of potential threats [5].
Some signs that the body may still be holding on to trauma are:
- Pain in the lower back or hips
- Tension in the neck and shoulders
- Clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth
- Shallow breathing or chest tightness
- Chronic headaches or migraines
- Feeling disconnected from your body
How Trauma-Informed Movement Supports Emotional Regulation
Trauma-conscious movement helps people slowly reconnect to their bodies and release stress and tension. Practices involve regulating and slowing down the nervous system, making everyday stress or negative emotions easier to regulate and process [6].
Practices that help release trauma from the body include:
- Trauma-informed yoga: Slow, intentional movements can help relax tight muscles (especially around the hips and spine) while signaling safety to the nervous system.
- Breathwork: Deep, controlled breathing turns on the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body get out of fight-or-flight mode.
- Somatic therapy: This type of therapy is all about paying attention to how your body feels and letting go of tension that has built up from past experiences.
- Walking: Repetitive motion can help regulate the nervous system and reduce stress hormones in the body.
- Body scanning or mindfulness: Focusing on how your body feels can help you find where you’re holding tension and slowly relax those areas.
- Stretching the hips and lower back: Gentle stretches that focus on the psoas and hip muscles may help release stress-related tension that has been there for a long time.
- Dance or expressive movement: Free movement and rhythmic dance can help release stored tension, process emotions, and reconnect people with their bodies in a safe, creative way.
Trauma-Informed Healing Practices at Maple Mountain
Our staff and leadership understand the powerful impact trauma can have on the lives of the patients we serve. At Maple Mountain Mental Health and Wellness, we are committed to following the principles of trauma-informed care to address the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of our clients.
Our PTSD and complex trauma inpatient treatment combines evidence-based therapies, including EMDR, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, and Somatic Experience, with integrated wellness activities to release trauma in the body, such as art, music, dance, and trauma-informed yoga.
We work with you to address the individual and collective impacts of trauma to achieve lasting emotional growth and well-being. Contact our admissions team today to regain control and begin your healing journey.
Sources
[1] APA. 2024. Stress effects on the body.
[2] Wohleb, E. (2024). Looking Back to Move Forward: Research in Stress, Behavior, and Immune Function. Neuroimmunomodulation, 31(1), 211–229.
[3] Bessel van der Kolk. The Body Keeps The Score. 2014.
[4] Foss L. (1999). The necessary subjectivity of bodymind medicine: Candace Pert’s molecules of emotions. Advances in mind-body medicine, 15(2), 122–134.
[5] Treatment Improvement Protocol. 2014. Understanding The Impact of Trauma. Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services.
[6] Baumann, N. et al. (2021). Somatic experiencing – effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review. European journal of psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929023.
