Trauma Recovery Through the Breath – A Somatic Approach

Gopa Sharma
Apr 22
4 min read

Trauma Isn’t What Happened—It’s What Got Stuck Inside

When we hear the word trauma, we often think of something extreme—a natural disaster, a violent event, a life-threatening experience. And while those can absolutely cause trauma, the truth is more nuanced, more personal, and more widespread than we often realize.

Trauma is not defined by the event itself—it’s defined by how our system experienced the event.

What may seem “small” to one person could be profoundly overwhelming to another. A child left crying alone, a harsh word from a loved one, the constant need to be perfect to receive love—these too can be traumatic if they exceed our capacity to cope or process.

Trauma is not the story of what happened. Trauma is the imprint it left behind—in your body, your breath, your nervous system, and your beliefs about yourself.

It’s the emotional energy that didn’t get to move through. It’s the shaking that was suppressed, the tears that were swallowed, the anger that had no safe place to go, the truth that had to be hidden to stay safe or loved.

When our system doesn’t feel supported to process an experience, the survival energy gets trapped. We freeze. We dissociate. We disconnect from the body. And though the moment may pass, the imprint remains—quietly shaping how we live, love, react, and protect ourselves.

You might recognize it as:

Always needing to stay busy or productive
Feeling numb or emotionally flat
Startling easily or feeling hyper-vigilant
Chronic muscle tension, headaches, or digestive issues
Feeling like your reactions are “too much” or out of proportion
Avoiding conflict, shutting down in relationships, or struggling with intimacy

These are not personality flaws. They are the echoes of trauma living in the body. They are intelligent responses that once kept you safe—and are now asking to be witnessed, honored, and released.

Understanding the Autonomic Nervous System: How We Survive

To truly understand trauma—and how to heal it—we need to understand the language of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This intricate system runs beneath our conscious awareness, controlling essential functions like heart rate, digestion, breathing, and our ability to feel safe or threatened.

At its core, the ANS is designed to keep us alive. It’s constantly scanning our environment and relationships for cues: “Am I safe?” or “Am I in danger?”

This scanning happens through what’s known as neuroception—the body’s unconscious ability to detect safety or threat. Based on this input, the ANS responds through one of several pathways:

Fight or Flight (Sympathetic Activation)

If the body senses danger, it activates the sympathetic nervous system. This is your high-alert state—your heart races, breath quickens, blood pumps to your limbs. You might feel anxious, restless, angry, or hyper-aware. This response is essential in real emergencies—but when trauma becomes stuck, we can live here chronically. Constantly bracing, even when nothing is wrong.

Freeze or Shutdown (Dorsal Vagal Response)

When fight or flight isn’t possible—like in childhood trauma or overwhelming situations—the body may choose freeze. This is the dorsal branch of the parasympathetic nervous system. Here, we go numb. Detached. Exhausted. We may feel foggy, dissociated, or disconnected from our bodies. It’s not weakness—it’s biology. This state is the body’s way of playing dead to survive.

Fawn (Appease or Please)

Less talked about but equally important is the fawn response. This often emerges in relational trauma. It looks like:

People-pleasing
Avoiding conflict
Over-functioning in relationships
Losing your boundaries to stay connected

It’s a brilliant way the nervous system tries to secure safety through connection, especially when we’ve learned that love was conditional.

Regulation and Safety (Ventral Vagal Connection)

When we feel safe, supported, and connected, we’re in the ventral vagal state—our system’s version of “home.” We feel calm but energized. Present but relaxed. Able to think clearly, connect with others, and express emotion without fear. This is where healing happens.

Breathwork as a Somatic Tool for Trauma Healing

When trauma lives in the body, healing must also come through the body.

While talking about our experiences can bring insight and clarity, trauma is not just a story we remember—it is a sensation we carry, a pattern wired into our nervous system, a breath held in fear that was never fully exhaled. That’s why one of the most powerful paths to healing isn’t found in more thinking—it’s found in feeling, in the body, through the breath.

Breathwork is a somatic practice. That means it works with the body—not against it or in spite of it. It doesn’t require you to retell your trauma, rehash your pain, or even consciously know what’s stored within. It meets you exactly where you are—with compassion, presence, and permission to release at your own pace.

Why Trauma-Informed Matters

Not all breathwork is trauma-informed. Intense techniques without proper containment can overwhelm the system and retraumatize rather than heal. That’s why I hold space with gentleness, respect, and attunement.

At Breathe of Love, we move at the pace of the body. We listen. We pause. We offer consent. We co-regulate. We celebrate tiny shifts as massive victories.

Because this work isn’t about pushing you into catharsis—it’s about inviting your body back into relationship with itself.

You Are Not Too Much. You Are Not Too Late. You Are Not Alone.

So many of us carry shame about our trauma response. We ask, “Why can’t I get over it?” or “Why am I still stuck?”

But trauma isn’t about weakness. It’s about how deeply we loved, how sensitive we were, and how hard we tried to stay connected in a world that didn’t always feel safe.

You are not broken. You are holding. And now—breath by breath—you can begin to let go.