#somatichealing

What Trauma Actually Does To The Brain: An Educational + Deep Dive Into the Nuerobiology of Survival

2/9

When people say trauma “rewires your brain,” it’s not metaphor. It’s neurology.

Understanding trauma’s impact on the brain helps to demystify our reactions — and lift the weight of shame. Trauma survivors often ask, “Why am I like this?” The answer is: because your brain adapted perfectly to danger. Let’s break this down.

Chemically Speaking: What changes?

1.Cortisol & Adrenaline Override

Trauma floods your system with stress hormones, primarily cortisol and adrenaline.

This is useful short-term: it sharpens reflexes and numbs pain. But in chronic trauma? These chemicals get stuck on high.

🔸Result: Hypervigilance, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, poor digestion, high heart rate, emotional flooding.

2. Neurotransmitter Dysregulaion

Repeated trauma interferes with:

Serotonin (mood stability)

Dopamine (pleasure & motivation)

Norepinephrine (alertness)

Oxytocin (trust and bonding)

🔸Result: Depression, low energy, difficulty feeling joy, trouble connecting with others or yourself.

3. Histamine & Immune System Overreaction

Many trauma survivors experience mysterious allergies or sensitivities. That’s because trauma activates mast cells and increases histamine, which is meant to fight threats—but in trauma, the body starts treating life like one big emergency.

🔸Result: Skin flare-ups, food sensitivities, digestive issues, headaches, overeating.

Structurally Speaking: What gets rewired?

Amygdala (Fear Center)

The amygdala becomes overactive. It constantly scans for threat — even when you’re safe.

🔸You feel: Startled easily, overwhelmed by crowds, panicked by “nothing.”

Prefrontal Cortex (Logic & Decision-Making)

This part shrinks with chronic trauma exposure, making it harder to regulate emotion or make clear decisions.

🔸You feel: Scattered, impulsive, like your thoughts run too fast or not at all.

Hippocampus (Memory & Context)

This structure gets damaged by cortisol, shrinking over time.

You may struggle to remember things clearly—or feel hijacked by memory fragments or body sensations.

You feel: Disoriented, like past and present blur, or like your body “remembers” things you can’t explain.

You are not broken.

You’re adapted.

If you’ve:

Lost your appetite or have food aversions

Felt “frozen” when trying to make a simple decision

Reacted strongly to sound, smell, texture or light

Needed rigid routines just to feel okay

..your brain is doing exactly what it was trained to do.

Trauma isn’t just emotional pain. It’s a full-body reprogramming for survival.

The Good News: Neuroplasticity

The brain is not fixed. Healing is possible.

With:

Trauma-informed therapy (EMDR, somatic work, IFS)

Regulation practices (breath work, safe ritual, or co-regulation)

Nutrition and movement, when accessible

..your brain begins to rewire itself back toward safety.

Every time you listen to your needs, rest, hydrate, name your truth, or say no—you’re re-parenting your nervous system.

Instead of:

“Why am I like this?”

Try:

“What did I survive that made this necessary?”

Let this serve as both science and sacred permission.

To be soft. To be patient.

To be a body learning how to come home again.

do you ever feel a physical tremor in your center when life feels chaotic, or a literal tightness in your throat when you try to speak your truth? do you spend your life reading about your "difficult" astrological placements, feeling like they are a list of excuses for why you are stuck?

the existence of planets is not limited to the sky in an astronomical sense. birth charts provide data on a mathematical plane, but your chakras carry the integration of those energies within your body.

this is celestial anatomy the bridge between mathematical data and biological reality.

if you have planets in detriment or fall, these are not blocks. they are invitations to a specialized expertise. they are areas that require special attention to refine their "unique languages" into their most sophisticated form.

the somatic shift:

your sun (solar plexus): transmute your willpower into physical stamina. learn to stand tall within your own center, regardless of external chaos.

your moon (sacral chakra): stop treating your sensitivity as a glitch. learn the art of feeling as a conscious discipline and mother yourself with genuine tenderness.

your venus (heart chakra): dismantle the walls around your heart. realize that you do not have to "do" anything to be loved; your worth is inherent.

your mercury (throat chakra): disperse the sensation of constriction. hear your own inner voice and start using your words as bridges rather than weapons.

healing isn't about making the pain disappear, it's about changing your relationship to it. a birth chart is a living, breathing totality. a useful shift happens when the question moves from “why did this happen to me?” to “how do i live with this in a healthier way now?”

stop using your astrological placements as an alibi. stop overthinking your stars and start feeling them in your bones.

celestial anatomy: the complete somatic astrology guide

this 80-page comprehensive manual combines birth chart analysis with custom yoga asanas and sacred rituals to help you move the energy out of your mind and into your body.

available as a digital guide in my shop: 80 pages of depth.

When life feels heavy, we reach for more. More information… more structure… more solutions.

But the body doesn’t need more input. It only needs… less noise.

Water has a way of quieting us. Its rhythm slows down something inside.

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Relatable? : Reblog = 🤍

The experience of passing through an ayahuasca ceremony is always a long journey across several dimensions, yet only a few of them are accessible to our description. One of these dimensions is the bodily one, which receives little attention, both in specialized literature and the books. Here I deliberately attempt to address it using terms drawn from body-oriented psychotherapy—something I did not encounter even once during the entire two years I spent living in the Amazonian selva. Although many curanderos most likely intuitively understand much of what will be described below, it would simply not occur to them to explain it this way, due to cultural differences in how these processes are perceived.

So, if we look at the ayahuasca ceremony through the dimensions of our physical and astral bodies, we will undoubtedly see that the astral body—the body of emotions and dreams—becomes extraordinarily mobile. Of course, it cannot truly leave us, yet at times it does seem to create its own double and travel far beyond the boundaries of the maloca. Considerable attention is given to this in the curanderos’ own descriptions of ceremonies.

What happens to our physical body during the ceremony, however, tends to remain outside the field of careful observation, or else is interpreted superficially. And yet ayahuasca may be the only entheogen that works with such intensity and intimacy upon our most precious vessel.

The human body and its energy holding patterns can be mapped in many ways. Wilhelm Reich did this work long ago, and the seven zones he identified still offer a simple way of understanding muscular armor. Reich described in great detail what blockages in each of these zones signify and how to work with them. These blocks exist, to varying degrees, in every one of us. Moreover, they do not merely restrict us—they also serve an organic protective function, without which we would quite literally collapse at our own feet.

The issue lies elsewhere: these blocks can become excessively rigid, creating imbalance, stagnation, and, as a consequence, a loss of connection with parts of ourselves—and ultimately with the energy of love and the capacity to experience orgasmic pleasure from life itself.

While the medicine works with the body as an integrated whole, it remains valuable to distinguish the specific zones and processes through which it acts, as each person experiences them with varying intensity.

Thus, there are seven possible blocks we carry within ourselves as unconscious ways of regulating sensitivity: the ocular block, the jaw, the throat, the chest, the diaphragm, the abdomen, and the pelvis.

The Ocular Block

The ocular block is associated with an unwillingness to see the truth, a denial of one’s own feelings, and a deep undercurrent of mistrust and control. This block encompasses the area of the eyes, the forehead, the back of the head, and the bridge of the nose. It may manifest as a tense or empty gaze, narrowed and squinting eyes, mental fog, or twitching eyelids.

The most powerful way the ocular block is released is, of course, through tears. During ceremony, they may appear in various combinations together with other releases. But quite often they simply begin to flow on their own. Most commonly this happens at the very beginning of the ceremony (since release always moves from top to bottom). Many years ago, this was my first area of work, and so every one of my ceremonies began with unstoppable crying that was not emotionally grounded in any way. Tears would simply pour from my eyes; there was a slight burning sensation, the sinuses would become congested—but there was neither sorrow nor joy. Pure physiology. And yet after these tears, my eyes felt weightless and more vivid. 

The Jaw Block 

The jaw blocks aggression, strong feelings, requests for help, crying— all unspoken words and emotions that have already been recognized but not voiced. It manifests through a clenched jaw, teeth grinding during sleep, difficulty in self-expression, and various dependencies (food, smoking, and so on). The jaw block is one of the most common, rigid, and painfully resistant to intervention in the body-oriented therapist’s office. It is shaped not only by childhood trauma, but also by cultural and social conditioning. For this reason, almost everyone encounters it during ceremony. The medicine works with this block in a completely different way than therapists do. The lower jaw relaxes to such an extent that it becomes almost impossible to hold it in place. It seems to melt downward from the face, often accompanied by abundant salivation. The jaw block is connected to the pelvic block. As is well known, when lovers kiss, the opening of the mouth is mirrored below, as the pelvic region fills with blood. Accordingly, during ceremony, alongside salivation in the oral cavity, a similar, metaphorical “salivation” often occurs in the sexual organs of women. At first, yawning appears—strong, deep, all-pervading. Then the jaw relaxes, grows heavy, flows downward together with the chin, and becomes generously lubricated with saliva. This may be accompanied by mild or sometimes more pronounced vibrations in the area of the chin or lower lip - a true sign of the jaw block releasing itself.

The Throat Block

If in the jaw we block what we have already consciously recognized but cannot yet articulate, then in the throat block our feelings and emotions have not even reached the level of understanding. As in the previous blocks, anger and protest may become lodged here—but so can love. This block manifests as stiffness in the neck, a suppressed voice, coughing, or the sensation of a lump in the throat.

In traditional body-oriented therapy this block is not given as much attention as, for example, the chest or diaphragmatic blocks. In the shamanic medicine, however, it is of immense importance—along with the “periphery” of this zone, namely, our voice. The throat and neck are among the most delicate and sensitive areas of the body. This zone is the primary conduit of energy from the heart to the head. Here, feelings can become blocked, never reaching the mouth or the eyes—or never finding their way into words or awareness.

During ceremony, this area of the body undergoes a profoundly deep, and often sweet, release. Physiologically, it is experienced as a numbness of the vocal cords, which gradually gives way to a sensation of radiating warmth in the throat area; the cords themselves become hot and unusually elastic. The throat opens and breathes. The vocal range expands by at least an octave and a half. Singing during ceremony brings immense pleasure and takes place through the entire body rather than through the vocal cords alone. Yet it is the throat that conducts this current of energy, having undergone a deep release.

The Chest Block

The chest block is considered one of the most important in any spiritual practice—and rightly so, for it is here that our most powerful generator of electromagnetic energy is localized. It encompasses the chest, shoulders, and shoulder blades. This is where our deepest feelings are held: love, sorrow, trust, intimacy. When this block is constricted, it is felt as heaviness in the chest, emptiness, shallow breathing, and a difficulty with openness at certain moments.

What happens to this zone during ceremony is always an all-encompassing sensory experience—orgasmic in the most cosmic sense of the word. The ribcage burns with such intensity that it feels as though a fire could be lit upon it. Moreover, one can distinctly sense both the force of this burning and its vast reach, stretching far past the boundaries of the maloca.  At the same time, the arms and hands —being the primary periphery of the chest block—also become hot. They literally begin to ring, sensing the etheric energy of space as if almost palpable.

Because energy moves from bottom to top, it is often the release of the heart that amplifies sensations in the upper zones: trembling of the jaw, tears, the fluttering of the eyelids. Here tears always come with deep feelings, and laughter may come too. 

The Diaphragmatic Block

Body-oriented therapists pay particular attention to the next block, known as the diaphragmatic block, which encompasses the solar plexus and the upper ribs.

It conditionally divides the body into two parts—upper and lower—which, in a deeper interpretation, correspond to want and must, the unconscious and the conscious, the animal and the human, pleasure and morality, orgasm and love. Conflict in this zone is ubiquitous for the modern person of Western civilization. It is therefore unsurprising that its release can be particularly difficult, and the body’s most effective instrument for this process is intense vomiting.

Speculations that vomiting during ceremony only serves to cleanse the stomach or expel energetic entities are entirely unfounded. Anyone with experience of ceremonies knows that for some people vomiting is unbearably difficult and brings great torment no matter the length of their prior diet.  All gagging and vomiting reflexes during ceremonies (as well as during subsequent procedures) primarily engage with this very block—the one that allows us to breathe fully, both literally and metaphorically, and to conduct vital force freely through the body. Nine years ago, in my first ceremony, I vomited with fierce, uncontrollable spasms, though my stomach yielded nothing but water. I will never forget that first breath afterward. 

The Abdomen Block

The next block encompasses the abdomen and lower back. Here, impulses of “I want” that rise from the pelvic area can become blocked at the diaphragm. A tense abdomen, a sore lower back, and digestive issues are, among other things, manifestations of blockages in this area. It is not hard to see that spasms of the internal organs and bowel movements during ceremony are not merely processes of physical cleansing—they also reflect the release of this block. This zone can also manifest through an incredible spectrum of bodily sensations in the abdominal region, so intense that they can even provoke anxiety and fear. The abdomen is intimately connected to our sense of basic security.

The Pelvic Block

Finally, the pelvic block encompasses the pelvis, hips, and buttocks. This is where our sexuality, joy, aggression, and vitality are stored. A blocked pelvis may appear as a profound sense of disconnection from the world around you, difficulties with intimacy and orgasm, tension in the pelvic area, cold feet. Many pseudo-adepts of Kundalini yoga believe that activating energy here brings profound liberation. However, as my cherished mystic-philosopher Sri Aurobindo, as well as Reich, emphasized, true release should occur from top to bottom, not the other way around. Otherwise, emotional vortices blocked for years rise from the bottom upward, often producing unpredictable effects: loss of center, and sometimes even a temporary flirtation with madness. During ceremony, the work with the energies of the pelvic block is always felt very intensely. Many participants describe “dancing legs.” Curanderos tend to interpret this mythologically—as the spirit of the medicine dancing—while others prefer a transpersonal perspective, suggesting it resembles a regression to an infantile state, when a baby kicks and wriggles its legs. Without fully endorsing or rejecting either view, I want to stress that this is exactly how the pelvic block begins to release, together with its peripheral zones: the knees and feet. Often, this occurs simultaneously with the release of the jaw. The legs move unpredictably, kicking and trembling in a childlike way, and then begin to flow. The deep muscles of the pelvis seem to smooth out, and a strong warmth is felt in the genital area, sometimes resembling tickling. Occasionally, this is accompanied by all the physiological signs of arousal, including natural wetting in women, yet entirely free from any erotic intention. The tips of the feet seem to receive currents from the center (the pelvis), becoming increasingly sensitive: the release of blocked energy always flows from the center outward to the periphery. Abundant sweating is also very normal while the medicine is active.

The sequence and the intensity with which the blocks in these seven zones are unpacked during ceremony is entirely individual and can vary greatly. Yet it can be said with certainty that in the first ceremonies, everyone experiences their bodily processes as equally challenging. Metaphorically, this work can be imagined as an orgasmic curve—the build-up of tension in a particular zone to a peak, in order to trigger its release. In modern approaches, there are body-oriented therapists who favor a gentler, more gradual engagement with a person’s processes, placing emphasis on conscious choice and self-regulation rather than on energetic release. I have no doubt that, for some, such a paced approach is indeed more suitable—but this is rarely how the medicine works. On the contrary: it offers no mercy, and the ability to remain centered emerges only after the first, essential blocks have been cleared.

Learn more from the book:

Your Body Was Designed For This.

There’s a reason being barefoot on the earth feels different.

Your body picks up on it immediately.

Not just mentally…

physically.

When your feet make contact with natural ground, your system receives:

• texture

• temperature

• pressure

• subtle electrical signals

All of that becomes input for your nervous system.

And your body responds.

Muscles adjust.

Balance shifts.

Your system starts to organize.

This is why:

• walking barefoot feels calming

• being in nature changes your state

• your body settles without you forcing it

Because your system recognizes natural input.

Not screens.

Not constant stimulation.

Something real.

Something steady.

You don’t have to “make” your body relax.

Sometimes…

you just have to put it back

in the environment it understands.

The Saturnian Freeze: Why Your "Laziness" Is Actually Unprocessed Grief

I once sat across from a client who apologized for being lazy. She had not left her bed in four days. But when I read her body like an ancient text — not the DSM, the soma — I saw no lethargy. I saw a funeral in progress.

We call it executive dysfunction. The alchemists called it nigredo: the blackening that precedes all transformation. Your "laziness" is not a character flaw. It is Saturn's freeze, the cosmic insistence that you stop producing so your grief can finally speak. In somatic terms, the body has entered a sacred stillness; the nervous system is not shut down, it is processing what the mind refused to bury properly.

Capitalism taught you that stillness is sin. But the old texts knew better: the witch who cannot rise from her bed is not cursed. She is uninitiated in her own mourning. The freeze is a psychic opening, not a closing. The energy you think you have lost is not gone — it is underground, feeding roots you cannot yet see. I mapped this exact pattern — the freeze, the grief beneath the guilt, and the ritual to thaw it — in Garden of the Mind. Forty pages of citations, somatic protocols, and the clearing ritual your spirit is waiting for. Link in bio.

https://shortlink.uk/1v84p

"Physical technique, body parts, or gear come way, way later – because enjoyable sex is about feeling safer in your body."

"All kinds of people have sex. All kinds of people find ways to enjoy themselves. And, when we talk about exploring sexuality – as intersex people, specifically – we also have to be honest about the unique pains we might face."

"I want to avoid clichés and fake optimism. Sex can be hard. Intersex people face a lot of bias and social weirdness. There’s no easy recommendation for a subject so big – especially not one that cuts across differences like race, class, culture, sexual orientation⁠, and geography."

Hans Lindahl's new piece explores sexual experiences for intersex folx and discusses the connection between feeling safe in the body and having pleasurable sex. As Hans put it "you’re guaranteed to learn at least one new thing about what you like or dislike" from any sexual experience so turn to this piece if you're looking to learn more about sexuality and practices to promote somatic healing as an intersex person.

Find it here!