How to Use Somatic Healing for Trauma Recovery

Trauma isn’t just something that lives in your mind—it’s something your body holds onto too. However, your body can also be your gateway to healing. Somatic techniques—body-based methods that help you reconnect with your sensations—are a powerful way to release trauma, regulate your nervous system, and start feeling more like yourself again.

In this post, we’ll break down what somatic techniques are, why they work, and even give you some practical exercises you can try at home. I’ll also share how my brain training program, The Recovery Code brings all of these tools into one simple, step-by-step system that helps you retrain your brain, regulate your nervous system, and recover from chronic symptoms—including those tied to trauma.

What Is Trauma—and How It Shows Up in Your Body

When we think about trauma, most of us picture scary events or emotional upheaval. But trauma isn’t always a single big event—it can be chronic stress, childhood experiences, or ongoing pressure that keeps your body and brain in a state of fight, flight, or freeze.

Your nervous system remembers. Even if your mind has “moved on,” your body can stay on high alert, holding tension in your muscles, shallow breathing, tight shoulders, or even gastrointestinal distress. Some people feel a constant sense of unease, irritability, or hyper-vigilance. Others might notice difficulty sleeping, pain, or a sense of being “stuck” emotionally.

Trauma changes the way your nervous system responds to the world. It can make harmless situations feel threatening, keep your stress hormones high, and create patterns that make recovery feel impossible. But here’s the empowering part: just as trauma rewires your nervous system, you can use intentional body-based techniques to retrain it—and that’s where somatic methods come in.

What Are Somatic Techniques?

“Somatic” comes from the Greek word soma, which simply means “body.” Somatic techniques are methods that help you reconnect with your body sensations to release tension, reset your nervous system, and process stored trauma.

Think of it like giving your nervous system a gentle “reset.” These practices help you notice where you’re holding stress, breathe through it, and move energy that’s been trapped in your body. Somatic work isn’t about reliving trauma or diving back into painful memories—it’s about creating a sense of safety and regulation in your body first, which then supports emotional healing.

Some of the most popular somatic methods include:

• Somatic Experiencing (SE): A structured approach to gradually release trauma from the nervous system.

• Breathwork: Using slow, intentional breathing to calm the nervous system.

• Mindful movement: Gentle yoga, stretching, or other movement to release tension.

• Body scanning & awareness: Paying attention to sensations in different parts of your body.

• Touch or self-soothing techniques: Using gentle pressure, massage, or even hugging yourself to signal safety to the nervous system.

The goal of all these techniques is the same: to help your body feel safe again so your nervous system can come out of survival mode. And when these methods are combined with structured brain retraining, like what I teach in The Recovery Code, they become even more effective. You’re not just learning exercises—you’re training your brain and nervous system to respond differently to stress, trauma, and chronic symptoms.

How Somatic Techniques Heal Trauma

Trauma lives in your nervous system, and your nervous system controls how your body responds to stress, fear, and even pain. When trauma is unresolved, your body can stay in a constant state of alert—muscles tense, heart racing, stomach upset, emotions on edge. Somatic techniques work by helping your body experience safety and release that stored tension.

Here’s what happens when you use somatic techniques:

1. Your nervous system learns safety: Through gentle awareness, grounding, and regulated breathing, your nervous system starts to recognize that certain situations aren’t dangerous.

2. Stress patterns get released: Chronic muscle tension, shallow breathing, and physical discomfort begin to ease as your body lets go of the fight-flight-freeze response.

3. Emotions can flow more freely: As your body relaxes, pent-up emotions like fear, sadness, or anger can surface in a manageable, healing way.

4. Your mind and body reconnect: Trauma often creates a disconnect between your mind and body. Somatic techniques help you rebuild that trust, giving you a sense of agency over your responses.

When these techniques are paired with a structured program like The Recovery Code, you can take a holistic approach: using somatic exercises to calm the body, combined with guided brain retraining exercises to rewire your nervous system and reduce chronic symptoms. This system simplifies what might otherwise feel overwhelming, helping you create real, lasting change.

Step-by-Step Somatic Exercises You Can Try at Home

Here are a few beginner-friendly exercises to start reconnecting with your body and calming your nervous system. You don’t need special equipment—just a quiet space and a willingness to pay attention to your body.

1. Grounding With Your Feet

• Sit or stand comfortably.

• Press your feet into the floor and notice the sensations: the weight, pressure, contact points.

• Imagine roots growing from your feet into the earth.

• Take 5–10 deep breaths, feeling stability with each inhale and exhale.

2. 4-7-8 Breathing

• Inhale through your nose for 4 counts.

• Hold your breath for 7 counts.

• Exhale through your mouth for 8 counts.

• Repeat for 3–5 cycles.

• This simple rhythm signals your nervous system that it’s safe to relax.

3. Progressive Muscle Release

• Starting at your toes, tense each muscle group for 5 seconds, then release.

• Move slowly up through your legs, abdomen, shoulders, arms, and face.

• Notice the difference between tension and release.

4. Body Scan

• Lie down or sit comfortably.

• Slowly move your attention from your feet to your head.

• Notice sensations without judgment: warmth, tingling, tension, or ease.

• Simply observing sensations helps regulate your nervous system and build awareness.

5. Gentle Movement or Stretching

• Use yoga poses, tai chi movements, or gentle stretches.

• Focus on how your muscles feel, not how “perfect” the pose looks.

• Allow your body to move in ways that feel safe and comfortable.

Tip: Start with 5–10 minutes a day. Consistency is more important than duration. Over time, your nervous system will begin to recognize these practices as safety signals.

When to Seek Guidance and Support

While somatic exercises are wonderful tools, severe or complex trauma may require guidance from a trained professional. Somatic therapists, hypnotherapists (that's me!), or Pain Reprocessing Therapy practitioners (also me) can provide structured support and help you navigate difficult sensations safely.

Professional support is especially important if:

• You experience flashbacks or overwhelming emotions during exercises.

• Trauma has significantly affected your daily functioning.

• You want deeper, structured work for long-standing trauma.

Even if you’re working with a professional, these exercises can complement your sessions and give you tools for daily regulation.

Final Thoughts

Trauma can feel like it lives in your body, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck there. Somatic techniques are a gentle, compassionate way to reconnect with your body, release tension, and teach your nervous system that safety is possible.

Start small. Try one or two exercises consistently. Notice the subtle shifts in your body and mind. Over time, these simple, body-based practices can create lasting relief, not only physically, but emotionally and mentally too.

Programs like The Recovery Code combine these somatic practices with structured brain retraining, giving you a complete roadmap to calm your nervous system, release chronic tension, and recover from symptoms that have been holding you back. It’s a simple, easy-to-follow system designed to guide you step by step, so you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

Your body is not just where trauma lives—it’s also where your healing begins. By paying attention, moving gently, practicing self-compassion, and following a structured approach, you can reclaim a sense of safety, balance, and wholeness.

Next Steps

If you’re ready to take the next step in healing, check out The Recovery Code—our guided program that integrates somatic exercises, nervous system regulation, and brain retraining into one simple, practical system. Or, try our free 5-Minute Nervous System Reset to start experiencing relief today.