When I first picked up Bessel van der Kolk’s *The Body Keeps the Score*, I expected a clinical explanation of trauma. What I found instead was something far more powerful: a book that not only explains the science of trauma, but also speaks to the lived experience of what it means to carry it in both mind and body.
I found words that named things I had carried in silence for years — the way trauma doesn’t just live in memory, but in the body itself.
The Body Doesn’t Forget
Van der Kolk explains that trauma leaves an imprint on our nervous system. Even when the event is long over, the body continues to act as if the danger is still present. I understood this immediately.
There have been moments when, on the outside, everything was calm and safe — yet inside my body, my heart raced, my stomach knotted, and my muscles braced for impact.
It used to frustrate me. I told myself to “just get over it,” but my body wouldn’t cooperate.
Reading that my mind and body were not broken, just trying to protect me, was both heartbreaking and relieving. It meant I wasn’t weak — I was human.
Beyond Talk Therapy
Another powerful insight is that healing from trauma is not only about talking through the past. While therapy and words can help us make sense of experiences, trauma recovery often requires working with the body directly.
Approaches like yoga, breathwork, EMDR, or somatic exercises allow the body to release stored tension and relearn what safety feels like.
In those quiet moments of connecting with my body, I’ve felt a kind of release — small, subtle shifts that reminded me that healing doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it’s just a deep exhale, a loosening of the grip, a reminder that safety is possible.
A Message of Hope
What struck me most in van der Kolk’s work is his message of hope. Trauma can shape us, but it doesn’t have to define us forever.
Our brains and bodies are capable of change, and with compassion, support, and the right tools, healing is possible.
For anyone who has lived through trauma, this reminder is powerful: your brain is not your enemy. It has been trying to protect you, even if its methods no longer serve you.
By listening to both mind and body, we can move toward a greater sense of peace and wholeness.
For me, the biggest shift has been learning to see my body not as the enemy, but as a witness — one that has carried me through the worst and is still trying to protect me.