3 Physical Signs Your Body is Releasing Trauma
Have you ever wondered if your body is actually healing from past wounds? As a somatic experiencing practitioner, clients start their healing journey with me oftentimes asking, “How will I know if this is working? How can I tell if my body is actually releasing trauma?”
These are beautiful questions that show you’re refining your understanding of healing and deepening your relationship to your body’s wisdom. The truth is, our bodies are extraordinary and incredibly intelligent and they speak to us constantly – we just need to learn their language.
After working with hundreds of clients over the past fifteen years, I’ve observed that there are distinct physical signs your body is releasing trauma. These signs of releasing trauma can feel mysterious, even unsettling at times, but they’re actually profound indicators that your nervous system is doing the deep work of healing. Let me share with you the three most common physical signs I see when the body begins to release stored trauma.
1. Spontaneous Shaking, Trembling, or Vibrations
One of the most telling signs your body is releasing trauma is the appearance of involuntary shaking or trembling. You might notice your hands quivering during a quiet moment, your legs shaking while you’re lying down, or even full-body tremors that seem to come out of nowhere.
This isn’t something to fear – it’s actually your nervous system’s natural way of completing interrupted trauma responses. When we experience traumatic events, our bodies often get stuck in a state of activation, holding that survival energy in our tissues. These spontaneous movements are signs of trauma leaving your system.
You might experience:
• Gentle vibrations in your limbs
• Rhythmic shaking in your torso
• Trembling that starts in one area and moves through your body
• A sensation of “electricity” moving through you
This is particularly common among adults who are processing childhood trauma. These signs of childhood trauma in adults often manifest as the body finally feels safe enough to complete what it couldn’t during the original experience.
2. Temperature Changes and Sweating
Another powerful indicator that your body is releasing trauma is sudden temperature fluctuations. You might find yourself feeling intensely hot one moment and cold the next, breaking out in sweats without physical exertion, or experiencing what I call “trauma sweats” – a different quality of perspiration that feels like your body is literally releasing something.
These temperature changes happen because trauma release affects your autonomic nervous system, which controls body temperature regulation. As your system recalibrates, you might experience:
• Hot flashes followed by chills
• Night sweats during deep sleep
• Sudden warmth spreading through your body
• Feeling cold in a warm room, or overheated when it’s cool
These are profound signs of trauma in adults who are doing the courageous work of healing. Your body is literally metabolizing parts of your system by thawing the freeze and cooling down areas that have been in chronic hyperactivation.
3. Natural Emotional Expression and Releases
The third major sign your body is releasing trauma is experiencing natural emotional releases that arise organically from your body. These might be gentle tears that seem to come from nowhere, or waves of emotion that feel different from your usual emotional responses. When working with a somatic experiencing practitioner it is common to come in contact and to express emotions that are repressed in the body such as fear or anger.
These releases don’t need to be dramatic or intense to be healing. In fact, some of the most profound trauma release happens through subtle emotional expressions that bubble up naturally when your nervous system feels safe. You might experience:
• Gentle tears that flow without force or effort
• Quiet emotional waves that move through your body organically
• Crying that feels more like a release than a reaction
• Emotions arising from your body rather than your thoughts
• A sense of something shifting or moving through you during these moments
• Feeling lighter or more spacious afterward
It’s important to understand that trying to force emotional release often comes from the mind rather than the body’s natural wisdom. When we push for big emotional expressions, we can actually inhibit our healing process. True somatic release happens when we allow rather than force, when we trust our body’s timeline rather than our mind’s expectations.
These natural emotional releases are especially common signs of childhood trauma in adults. Often, we learned early that our emotions weren’t safe or welcome. When your nervous system finally trusts that it’s safe to feel, these stored emotions can surface gently to be processed and integrated. If you’re ready to gently reconnect with your body and release the trauma your body is carrying, you can explore working with me here.
is Trauma holding you back?
Are you feeling stuck in life, disconnected, or somehow not yourself? Or maybe you carry a sense of unease in your body, struggling with anxiety or a feeling that something isn’t quite right.
As a somatic experiencing practitioner I specialize in helping people process and release stored trauma through gentle yet effective methods.
Download my FREE guide “Get Unstuck! The Truth About Body Trauma and How to Break Free’ and learn how to create the future you deserve.
What These Signs Mean for Your Healing Journey
Understanding these signs your body is releasing trauma can be incredibly validating. Often, my clients are surprised when they start experiencing these physical responses and oftentimes try to make sense of what is happening. The most important thing to know is that your body has enough trust and safety to release and metabolize the trauma.
These physical manifestations are signs of trauma in adults who are courageously turning toward their healing rather than away from it. They indicate that your nervous system is moving from a state of chronic survival into regulation and repair.
Creating Safety for the Release Process
When you notice these signs of releasing trauma in your body, the most important thing you can do is create safety for the process. This means:
• Moving slowly and gently through your day
• Drinking plenty of water to support the detoxification process
• Getting extra rest when your body asks for it
• Practicing gentle movement like walking or stretching
• Surrounding yourself with supportive, understanding people
Remember, these physical responses are temporary. They’re your body’s way of completing old trauma cycles and returning to a state of natural regulation.
Trust Your Body’s Wisdom
Your body holds incredible wisdom about what it needs to heal. These are signs that your body is releasing trauma and is an invitation to deepen into trust – trust in your body’s innate healing capacity and trust in the process itself.
If you’re recognizing these signs of trauma in your own experience, know that you’re not alone. This is sacred work, and every tremor, every temperature change, every moment of natural emotional release is your body’s way of saying, “I’m finally safe enough to heal.” The path of trauma resolution isn’t always comfortable, but it is profoundly transformative. Your body knows how to heal – these physical signs are simply proof that the process is already underway.
Whether you’re working with signs of childhood trauma or more recent experiences, remember that healing is possible. Your body is your greatest ally in this journey, and learning to recognize and honor these signs of releasing trauma is an essential part of reclaiming your wholeness.
If you’re experiencing these physical signs and feel called to support your healing journey with somatic work, I invite you to reach out. Sometimes having a trusted guide who understands the language of trauma release can make all the difference in feeling safe enough to let your body do its profound healing work. Learn more here.
Brianna Anderson, SEP
I’m here to help you heal so you can begin to live the life of your dreams
My private practice specializes in helping people who have endured trauma, resolve the symptoms out of their body, mind & spirit so they can feel comfortable in their skin, find inner peace and live the desires of their heart.
I am based out of South Orange County, Ca and offer online therapy sessions. Whether you are just starting your healing journey or ready to try something new, I am here to help.