Your body's nervous system carries the alarm, and it is also where we can retrain it after trauma

Trauma changes how the body reacts, and those reactions are real. Current research suggests the body is where the brain’s predictions of danger are expressed and tested. That makes it one of the most useful places to retrain the nervous system after trauma, especially when the work also reaches the memory and what it has come to mean.

Many people arrive at therapy with a clear sense of where their trauma lives. It is in the tight chest, the clenched jaw, the stomach that drops when a door slams. Often they have read that trauma is stored in the body and needs to be released, and they have already put real effort into stretching, yoga, breathwork and movement.

That effort deserves respect. Bodily distress after trauma is real, and learning to notice it is a skill. In my practice, though, I often see the same pattern. Movement brings relief for an hour or a day, and then the reactions return with the next reminder. The memory itself, and the conclusions attached to it, stay much as they were.

This article explains why that happens, drawing on recent work about how the brain predicts threat, and what it means for therapy. The short version is in the title. Your body carries the alarm, and it is also one of the best places we have to retrain it.

Is trauma stored in the body?

Trauma leaves measurable changes in how the body responds, but there is no good evidence that traumatic memories are held in muscles, fascia or other tissue apart from the nervous system. A meta-analysis comparing adults with and without PTSD across resting, startle and trauma-reminder studies found that the most consistent differences were higher heart rate, stronger facial muscle responses when people recalled their own trauma, and skin conductance responses that were slower to settle (Pole, 2007).

These reactions are real, and they are responses. The body reacts to a reminder because the brain has already registered the reminder as dangerous. I looked at the idea of trauma being stored in the body in more detail in my review of The Body Keeps the Score. This article picks up where that one finished, with what the body’s role means for treatment.

What does it mean that your body carries the alarm?

It means the body is where the brain’s prediction of danger is expressed and checked. Predictive processing, an influential account of how the brain works, proposes that the brain is constantly forecasting what will happen next and adjusts when its forecasts turn out to be wrong.

In 2026, Steven Kotler, Michael Mannino, Glenn Fox and Karl Friston published an opinion article in Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience applying this idea to trauma. They propose that trauma leaves the brain overconfident in its predictions of danger. When a reminder appears, the brain forecasts threat, the heart races and the chest tightens, and the brain then reads those sensations as evidence that the danger is real. The authors describe this as circular inference. In their account, the body acts as a messenger in the loop, while the brain’s predictions keep the threat alive.

This is a theoretical article. The authors state plainly that their central claim, that PTSD involves a loss of flexibility in large-scale brain networks, has not yet been tested directly. It is a promising model that fits a good deal of existing evidence, and it remains a model.

The clinical meaning is still useful. If the alarm is a prediction, recovery involves giving that prediction new information, and bodily sensations are often the very evidence the brain is relying on.

Why does stretching help, and why is it sometimes not enough?

Movement, breathing and stretching can settle arousal, and many people find them a valuable part of looking after themselves. Small trials of body-based approaches for PTSD have reported encouraging results. In a randomised trial of 64 women whose PTSD had not responded to earlier treatment, 52% of women in the trauma-informed yoga group no longer met criteria for PTSD by the end of the study, compared with 21% in a health education group (van der Kolk et al., 2014). Somatic Experiencing has also shown positive results against a waitlist in a trial of 63 people (Brom et al., 2017).

These are small studies, and they do not show why people improved. They also leave a practical gap. When movement happens well away from reminders of what happened, the alarm is never tested. The brain keeps predicting danger because nothing has given it reason to update.

Movement can also become a way of keeping the memory at a distance. Cognitive models of PTSD describe how strategies that ease distress in the moment, such as avoiding reminders or taking extra precautions, can keep PTSD going because they stop a person from learning that the memory belongs to the past (Ehlers & Clark, 2000). In a study of people who had been physically or sexually assaulted, avoidance and safety-seeking measured within four months of the assault predicted more severe PTSD six and nine months later (Dunmore et al., 2001).

None of this is a reason to stop. It is a reason to give the movement a new job.

How can you retrain your nervous system after trauma?

The body is most useful for retraining when it is used to test the brain’s predictions while a memory or reminder is present. Research on exposure therapy suggests that new learning is strongest when an experience clearly contradicts what a person expected to happen (Craske et al., 2014). The body is often where that contradiction is first felt. Your heart races, you stay with the sensation instead of escaping it, and the outcome you predicted does not arrive.

The best-supported trauma treatments already work this way. The Australian PTSD Guidelines, developed by Phoenix Australia and approved by the NHMRC, strongly recommend cognitive processing therapy, trauma-focused cognitive therapy, EMDR, prolonged exposure and trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (Phoenix Australia, 2020). These treatments include the body. EMDR asks people to notice bodily sensations alongside the memory, and its protocol includes a body scan phase in which any remaining physical disturbance is processed while the person holds the memory in mind (Shapiro, 2018).

Meaning matters too. In a study of 268 people receiving cognitive therapy for PTSD, weekly changes in how people interpreted the trauma predicted later reductions in symptoms, while symptom changes did not predict later changes in interpretation (Kleim et al., 2013). Changing what the memory means appears to be one of the active ingredients.

What does this look like in therapy?

In therapy, retraining the alarm usually combines noticing bodily sensations, testing what they predict, and working directly with the trauma memory and its meaning. The mix is adapted to each person, and it often includes the following elements.

• We map your own loop together, starting with what you notice in your body when a reminder appears, then what you predict will happen, what you do next, and what that stops you learning.

• Before staying with a sensation, you name what your body is predicting, and afterwards we check what actually happened.

• If stretching or slow breathing helps you stay present, we can use it while you approach a memory, so it supports the learning instead of only following it.

• Trauma-focused work helps the memory take its place in the past and revises conclusions such as “I am not safe anywhere” or “it was my fault”.

• Brief, validated questionnaires let us see together whether the approach is changing your symptoms.

The pace is agreed together. Some people, particularly those with complex trauma histories, spend time building skills for managing distress before working directly with memories. You can read more about what progress looks like in complex PTSD treatment.

Should I stop yoga, breathwork or other body-based practices?

No. If a practice helps you feel steadier, keep it. The useful question is whether it is the whole plan. Your preferences about therapy matter, and the research supports taking them seriously. A meta-analysis of 53 studies involving more than 16,000 clients found that accommodating client preferences was associated with fewer people leaving therapy early and with better outcomes (Swift et al., 2018).

Good therapy builds on what already helps you, and it is honest about what the evidence suggests is likely to help further. For many people, that means keeping their body-based practices and adding trauma-focused work alongside them.

What can I try between sessions?

One small step is to notice the loop as it happens. The next time your body reacts to a reminder, pause and name the prediction in plain words, such as “my body is telling me something bad is about to happen”. Then notice what you do next, and what actually follows. The aim is to collect information your brain can use, and the feeling is allowed to stay while you do.

If this feels overwhelming, treat that as a sign to do it with support. A psychologist can help you set the pace. The Window of Tolerance and Psychology of Fear pages on this site explain some of these ideas in more detail.

Your body has been doing its job, raising the alarm each time your brain predicted danger. Recovery involves giving that alarm better information, and much of that information arrives through the body. Movement and breath can stay part of the plan, and they tend to do most when they sit alongside therapy that reaches the memory and what it has come to mean.

Key terms in this article

Predictive processing is a theory that describes the brain as constantly forecasting what will happen next, then updating when sensory information shows the forecast was wrong.

Circular inference describes a loop in which the brain predicts danger, the body becomes aroused, and the brain then treats that arousal as proof that the danger is real.

Trauma-focused therapy refers to psychological treatments that work directly with trauma memories and their meaning, such as cognitive processing therapy, trauma-focused cognitive therapy, EMDR and prolonged exposure.

Trauma therapy at Behavioural Edge Psychology

Dr Sarah Fischer provides individual therapy for adults affected by trauma, in person in Caulfield South and St Kilda and by telehealth across Victoria. Therapy may be funded through WorkCover, the TAC or victims of crime assistance, depending on your circumstances. To ask about an appointment, contact the practice.

Frequently asked questions

Is trauma stored in the body?

Trauma changes how the body reacts, including heart rate, muscle tension and the startle response, and these changes can be measured. There is no good evidence that traumatic memories are held in muscles or fascia separately from the nervous system. Current research suggests the brain keeps predicting danger, and the body carries out and signals that prediction.

Why does my body react to reminders when I know I am safe?

Knowing you are safe and your threat system predicting safety are two different processes. After trauma, the brain can become overconfident that danger is likely, so a reminder sets off a racing heart or tight chest before you have time to think. Those sensations can then feel like proof that something is wrong, which keeps the cycle going.

Do body-based therapies such as yoga or Somatic Experiencing help PTSD?

Small randomised trials of trauma-informed yoga and Somatic Experiencing have reported encouraging results, and many people find body-based practices calming. The evidence base is much smaller than for trauma-focused psychological therapies. Body-based practices can be a useful addition, particularly when they help you approach trauma memories in therapy.

What are the recommended treatments for PTSD in Australia?

The Australian PTSD Guidelines, developed by Phoenix Australia and approved by the NHMRC, strongly recommend trauma-focused psychological therapies. These include cognitive processing therapy, trauma-focused cognitive therapy, EMDR, prolonged exposure and trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy. Your psychologist can talk with you about which approach suits your situation.

Should I stop yoga or stretching while I am in trauma therapy?

No. If a practice helps you feel steadier, it can stay part of your routine. Talk with your psychologist about how the practice is working for you, and whether it could be used during therapy to help you stay present while approaching difficult memories.

How long does trauma-focused therapy usually take?

It varies. Structured treatments such as cognitive processing therapy are often delivered over about 12 sessions. People with complex trauma histories, or with other difficulties alongside PTSD, often need longer. Progress is best reviewed regularly with your psychologist using brief symptom measures.

About the author

Dr Sarah Fischer is Principal Psychologist at Behavioural Edge Psychology. She holds a PhD and a Master of Psychology, is endorsed by the Psychology Board of Australia in organisational psychology, and is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society. She works with adults experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression and work-related psychological injury. AHPRA registration PSY0001719709.

Last reviewed 7 November 2026

This article provides general information and is not a substitute for individual assessment or treatment. If you need support right now, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 000.

References

• Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel-Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K., & Ross, G. (2017). Somatic experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled outcome study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(3), 304–312. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189

• Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006

• Dunmore, E., Clark, D. M., & Ehlers, A. (2001). A prospective investigation of the role of cognitive factors in persistent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after physical or sexual assault. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 39(9), 1063–1084. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(00)00088-7

• Ehlers, A., & Clark, D. M. (2000). A cognitive model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 38, 319–345.

• Kleim, B., Grey, N., Wild, J., Nussbeck, F. W., Stott, R., Hackmann, A., Clark, D. M., & Ehlers, A. (2013). Cognitive change predicts symptom reduction with cognitive therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(3), 383–393. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031290

• Kotler, S., Mannino, M., Fox, G., & Friston, K. (2026). The body does not keep the score: Trauma, predictive coding, and the restoration of metastability. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 20, Article 1812957. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2026.1812957

• Phoenix Australia. (2020). Australian guidelines for the prevention and treatment of acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and complex PTSD. Phoenix Australia, Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health.

• Pole, N. (2007). The psychophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 133(5), 725–746. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.5.725

• Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

• Swift, J. K., Callahan, J. L., Cooper, M., & Parkin, S. R. (2018). The impact of accommodating client preference in psychotherapy: A meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(11), 1924–1937. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22680

• van der Kolk, B. A., Stone, L., West, J., Rhodes, A., Emerson, D., Suvak, M., & Spinazzola, J. (2014). Yoga as an adjunctive treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 75(6), e559–e565. https://doi.org/10.4088/JCP.13m08561