From Freeze to Freedom: How Reconnecting with Your Body’s Instincts Can Heal Trauma

Trauma traps us in a state of arrested survival. When the body cannot complete its natural defense responses, the energy remains locked, creating symptoms and suffering. But nature offers a blueprint for healing. Observe a bird that has been stunned by collision. It trembles, shakes, and slowly regains balance, releasing the trauma energy and returning to flight.

Wild animals instinctively discharge trauma through shaking and trembling, completing the cycle that humans often interrupt. A polar bear, sedated for relocation, awakens with prolonged tremors that restore its nervous system. These biological rhythms are essential for recovery.

Healing trauma involves reconnecting with these instinctual processes. By cultivating the felt sense—a subtle, bodily awareness—we can gently access and release trapped energy. This non-verbal, holistic sensation integrates body and mind, providing the foundation for transformation.

Simple practices such as mindful sensing, gentle movement, and attention to bodily rhythms support this process. The journey requires patience and respect for the body's pace, avoiding rushing or forcing change.

By embracing our animal nature, we reclaim the primal wisdom that sustains life and healing. This path leads from freeze to freedom, restoring vitality and wholeness.

Stay tuned for the next blog, where we explore how embracing our instinctual brain and orienting responses deepen our recovery.