How the Body Remembers: Understanding Trauma Through Touch

When I first heard the idea that trauma could be stored in the body, I’ll admit—my initial reaction was: “No way.” It just sounded… strange. I’d always assumed memories lived in the brain, and that was the end of the story.

And of course, our brains do store memories. But the truth is, so do our bodies—not in the form of facts and timelines, but as sensations. This is what’s known as somatic memory—the body’s way of remembering experiences, especially when those experiences were too overwhelming for the brain to process at the time.

My First Encounter with Somatic Memory

I had my first real introduction to this concept during a massage session—only I wasn’t the one giving it. While receiving work on my lower back from a trusted RMT, a memory I had completely blocked out surfaced without warning. It was a surprising and emotional moment, but I felt safe. Thankfully, I was also seeing a psychotherapist at the time, and together we gently explored the memory and its emotional impact.

The truly remarkable part? In processing that memory, the chronic tension and pain I’d been carrying in my head and neck for years finally began to ease. It was a turning point, and it sparked a deep curiosity in me about how compassionate touch can support healing—not just physically, but emotionally and neurologically.

How the Body Stores Trauma

When we experience something positive—like receiving a dream birthday cake—our senses help us take in the full experience. You might remember the bright colours, the smell of the frosting, the joy in your chest. Your brain, especially the hippocampus, organizes all that information into a coherent story: “On my sixth birthday, I got a unicorn cake with white icing. It tasted like cotton candy. I was so happy.”

But when something traumatic happens—a car accident, a fall, an assault, or even chronic stress—the process is very different. The body still takes in all the sensory details (a pounding heart, a clenched jaw, numb limbs), but the amygdala, the brain’s threat detector, goes into high alert. When this happens, the hippocampus can’t do its job properly. The event isn’t stored as a clear story—it’s stored as fragments of sensation and emotion.

These fragments often don’t fade like regular memories. Instead, they stay lodged in the body—sometimes as chronic pain, sometimes as muscle tension, sometimes as reactivity or numbness. This is the essence of somatic memory.

A Case from the Treatment Room

I see this all the time in my work.

One patient, for instance, would begin to breathe more rapidly and experience trembling in his hand any time I worked on his forearm. There was no pain, and he had specifically asked for the area to be addressed—yet his nervous system was clearly responding to something deeper.

Rather than diving into the story, we focused on gently increasing his awareness—what we call exteroception (being aware of the room, the table, the sounds around us) and interoception (noticing the sensations inside his body, like the tingling in his hand). In doing so, he suddenly remembered being in a car accident as a child.

We didn’t talk much about the event itself. He simply stayed with the sensations, allowing them to rise and resolve in their own time. As the trembling eased, he exhaled deeply—and a muscle in his upper back, tight for as long as he could remember, finally released.

Healing Isn’t Just in the Mind—It’s in the Body

For many of us, understanding that trauma can be stored in the body brings relief. It explains the random aches, the tight jaw, the heavy chest we couldn’t explain. More importantly, it opens up new pathways for healing—ones that don’t rely solely on talking about the past.

Through massage therapy, somatic practices, and collaborative care with mental health professionals, the body can begin to release what it’s been holding. And when that happens, the results aren’t just physical. Many people experience a deeper sense of wholeness, calm, and connection—to themselves and to the world around them.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever felt like your body is holding something you can’t quite explain, you’re not alone. You don’t need to have all the answers or even a clear memory to begin healing. Sometimes, simply noticing what your body is telling you—within a safe, supportive environment—is the first and most powerful step.

If you would like Carolyn’s support with healing from past trauma, either physical or emotional, you can book a trauma-informed somatic massage here.