The hippocampus converts short term memories into long term memories, but did you know that even if a memory hasn’t been converted, your body can still hold that memory? This is known as Somatic Memory Your body also holds emotion.
In the 17th Century a mind / body divide was popularised which heavily influenced the direction of Western Medicine. It also led to stigma around mental health issues. The connection between mind and body is becoming better researched as time goes on in our society. The Body Keeps the Score (Bessel van der Kolk) and The Body Remembers (Babette Rothschild) explore at length the impact of holding trauma and emotion somatically.
The memory and emotion trapped in the body remain unprocessed and unresolved. They can lead to unhealthy attempts to cope or habits that you wish you could stop and don’t understand. They can lead to unhealthy relationships or obstaining from relationship altogether. Self harm, food and substance abuse, OCD and anxiety disorders, jealousy and insecurity can all result from emotions held in the body.
They may feel like a lump in the throat, a heaviness in the chest, a tightness in the diaphragm or an emptiness in the gut. You may have tuned out altogether from them. Or they may present as physical manifestations such as:
Chronic Headaches, muscle soreness, back & neck pain
Heartburn, constipation & IBS
High blood pressure & increased heart rate
Impaired immune system
Nightmares, disrupted sleep & insomnia
Deep and powerful shifts can result from turning towards and working with the body that can help you identify and begin to meet unmet childhood needs, start to heal past trauma, and unearth deep routed untrue beliefs about yourself like I’m not lovable, I’m flawed, it’s my fault, I’m not enough, I have no worth. Feelings of guilt and shame can arise as can unresolved grief.
I work with emotions in the body within the safe container of counselling & psychotherapy, and / or Conscious Connected Breathwork in a safe and confidential environment.