Breathwork, the Nervous System, and Epigenetic Trauma: Healing the Body Through Somatic Practices 2024
In recent years, there’s been a growing interest in how the breath can be used to heal the mind, body, and spirit, especially in the context of trauma and stress. Breathwork, which involves consciously controlling the breath to regulate the body’s functions, is gaining recognition as a powerful tool in addressing nervous system dysregulation and even epigenetic trauma. Somatic practices, which focus on the body’s role in emotional healing, have shown remarkable results in helping people release deeply stored trauma.
In this post, we’ll explore the connection between breathwork, the nervous system, and how trauma—both personal and inherited—can be stored in the body. We’ll also discuss the role of epigenetic trauma and how somatic therapies can help release these traumas for greater emotional and physical well-being.
What is Breathwork?
Breathwork refers to various practices that use breath awareness and control to influence physical, emotional, and mental states. In many ancient traditions, the breath is seen as the essence of life—referred to as prana in yoga or qi in Chinese medicine. Science now confirms what these traditions have long known: breathing patterns have a profound effect on our health, particularly when it comes to managing stress, anxiety, and trauma.
By changing how we breathe, we can influence the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and respiratory rate. Breathwork offers an accessible and powerful way to regulate our body’s stress responses, calm the mind, and facilitate deep emotional healing.
The Nervous System: The Breath’s Powerful Impact
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is divided into two primary branches: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). These two systems are often referred to as the “fight-or-flight” and “rest-and-digest” systems, respectively.
- Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): When we are stressed, anxious, or feel threatened, the SNS kicks into high gear. This system is responsible for the classic “fight, flight, or freeze” response. It prepares the body for action by increasing heart rate, redirecting blood flow to the muscles, and quickening the breath. However, when the SNS is chronically activated due to prolonged stress or trauma, it can lead to ongoing issues such as anxiety, insomnia, digestive problems, and high blood pressure.
- Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): The PNS is the body’s way of hitting the reset button. When activated, it promotes relaxation, slows down the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and encourages deep, restorative breathing. Breathwork, particularly slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing, stimulates the vagus nerve, which is a key player in activating the PNS. This is why practices like yoga and meditation place such a heavy emphasis on breath control—by consciously shifting our breathing, we can calm our nervous system and bring ourselves back into balance.
Trauma and the Body: How Stress is Stored
When we experience trauma—whether from a car accident, childhood abuse, or even an ongoing toxic relationship—it affects both the mind and the body. Trauma is not just a mental or emotional issue; it also leaves a physical imprint on the body. This is where somatic therapy comes in.
Somatic therapy recognizes that the body holds onto stress and trauma, sometimes for years or even generations. Traumatic experiences trigger the fight-or-flight response, which, if not properly processed, can lead to chronic tension, pain, and even illness. This unprocessed trauma becomes stored in the body’s tissues, contributing to nervous system dysregulation and emotional suppression.
- Muscular tension: Have you ever noticed how your shoulders tense up when you’re stressed or how anxiety can make it hard to breathe deeply? Trauma often manifests as chronic muscle tension, particularly in the chest, shoulders, neck, and lower back. This tension can restrict breathing, causing us to take shallow breaths, which further activates the stress response.
- Chronic pain: Many people who suffer from chronic pain, such as headaches, neck pain, or back pain, may be dealing with unresolved trauma stored in the body. This pain can persist even when there is no obvious physical cause, often baffling both patients and healthcare providers.
- Nervous system dysregulation: Trauma can also keep the body stuck in a state of hyperarousal (constantly on edge) or hypoarousal (numb, disconnected). People with unresolved trauma may find themselves alternating between feeling hypervigilant and anxious and feeling emotionally numb or dissociated. This can lead to a host of problems, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and difficulties in relationships.
Epigenetic Trauma: Inherited Stress
The idea that trauma can be passed down through generations is not just a metaphor—science is beginning to show that trauma can be passed down biologically through changes in gene expression. This phenomenon is known as epigenetic trauma.
Epigenetics refers to changes in gene expression that don’t involve alterations in the DNA sequence itself. These changes can be triggered by environmental factors, including stress and trauma. For example, studies have shown that children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors exhibit signs of trauma, even though they didn’t directly experience the events their ancestors did.
In essence, traumatic experiences can leave a biological imprint, altering the way genes are expressed and predisposing future generations to heightened stress responses, anxiety, and depression. This doesn’t mean that trauma is a life sentence—it means that by addressing both the psychological and physical aspects of trauma, we can heal not only ourselves but also break the cycle for future generations. You can read more about epigenetics here.
Breathwork and Somatic Therapy: Tools for Healing Trauma
Because trauma is stored in the body, it makes sense that the body must play a role in healing it. Somatic therapies, which include modalities like yoga, bodywork, and breathwork, aim to release the stored tension and emotional blockages caused by trauma. These practices work by creating a bridge between the mind and body, allowing us to process and release emotions that may have been suppressed for years.
Breathwork as a Somatic Tool
Breathwork is a particularly powerful tool for trauma healing because it gives us direct access to the nervous system. By consciously controlling our breath, we can calm the nervous system, release stored tension, and create a space for repressed emotions to surface. It can also help with mindfulness practice, read more here.
Certain types of breathwork, such as holotropic breathwork or pranayama, are designed to bring people into altered states of consciousness where they can access deeply buried emotions and memories. In these states, people may re-experience traumatic events, but in a safe and controlled way, allowing them to process and release the emotions associated with the trauma.
Reprogramming the Nervous System
Breathwork doesn’t just help release trauma—it also helps reprogram the nervous system. By regularly practicing breathwork, we can increase vagal tone, which refers to the strength of the vagus nerve’s ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. A stronger vagal tone means we’re better able to calm ourselves down in stressful situations and return to a state of relaxation more quickly.
Over time, this helps us shift from a trauma-induced state of constant stress or emotional numbness to a state of balance and emotional resilience.
Healing Trauma and Building Resilience
Trauma, whether it’s personal or inherited, leaves a lasting impact on both the mind and body. However, through breathwork and somatic practices, we can begin to release this trauma, reprogram our nervous system, and build emotional resilience. By focusing on the body’s natural healing abilities and the power of the breath, we can move towards greater well-being, not just for ourselves, but for future generations as well.
If you’re interested in learning more about how breathwork and somatic therapy can help with trauma healing, contact us today. Together, we can begin the journey of healing the body, mind, and spirit.
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