The Body’s Wisdom: How It Protects You in Times of Fear
Have you ever felt your body take charge, guiding you through fear or danger without your conscious control? This remarkable ability—often called body memory or the body’s wisdom—reveals the resilience encoded within us. Let me share a personal story that brought this truth to life and explore how it connects to the body’s response in trauma.
A Ski Slope Lesson: The Power of Body Memory
Years after my last ski trip, I found myself at the base of a mountain, fresh from a quick refresher course. Eager to test my rusty skills, I ventured onto the green slope, only to tumble the moment I stepped off the ski lift. Floundering in the snow, I struggled to stand, realizing my fellow beginners had already sped off. With no lift to carry me back down, I had to ski.
The descent started gently, but as my speed surged, panic crept in. My mind urged me to slow down, and I stiffened, resisting the momentum. Yet, a deeper instinct whispered to soften, to trust. It was a tug-of-war between fear and intuition. After another fall, a kind skier checked on me before gliding away. Shaken but determined, I reattached my ski, took a deep breath, and continued.
Halfway down, something extraordinary happened. As the speed intensified, my body executed a smooth, precise turn I hadn’t planned. I was stunned. Could my body, after 40 years, still remember how to ski? This was body memory at work—a long-buried skill resurfacing to guide me safely down the hill with a grace I didn’t know I had.
This experience revealed the power of body memory, where learned skills lie dormant, ready to protect us. But what happens when the body responds to protect us in moments of trauma?
The Body’s Response in Trauma: Survival in Action
As a trauma-informed practitioner, I’ve worked with survivors of sexual abuse and assault—men and women alike—who often feel shame or guilt for how their bodies reacted in crisis. Some froze, unable to move. Others fawned, instinctively yielding to de-escalate danger. These trauma responses are not failures but powerful survival strategies driven by the body’s wisdom.
The Freeze Response: A Lifeline in Crisis
A freeze response is an involuntary survival mechanism, rooted in the ancient wiring of our nervous system. When fight or flight feels impossible, the body may “play dead” or even trigger fainting to protect itself. This isn’t weakness—it’s the body’s last resort to keep you safe, acting faster than conscious thought can process.
The Fawn Response: A Strategic Escape
Sometimes, the body chooses a fawn response, softening or submitting to diffuse a threat. Trauma expert Peter Levine, in his book In an Unspoken Voice, describes a woman facing an attempted assault. With a knife at her throat, her body instinctively leaned toward her attacker, creating a split-second opportunity to push him off and escape. What seemed like submission was a brilliant, intuitive act of survival.
Healing Through the Body’s Wisdom
These somatic responses—freeze, fawn, fight, or flight—are the body’s way of protecting us in moments of overwhelm. Yet, trauma can leave these responses stuck, causing distress or disconnection. Levine’s work shows us how to transform these automatic reactions into conscious agency. By tuning into somatic memory—the body’s stored sensations and emotions—we can process unexpressed feelings from trauma with curiosity and compassion. As Levine says, “Pleasure, curiosity, and trauma response cannot coexist.” Through pleasure-oriented bodywork, we create a safe space for survivors to reconnect with their body’s wisdom, rediscover agency, and explore what feels good.
Embracing Your Body’s Resilience
Whether it’s navigating a ski slope or surviving a traumatic event, your body holds an incredible capacity to protect you. Body memory helps us recall learned skills, while somatic responses shield us in danger. As a trauma-informed practitioner, I know the body can feel unsafe for some. My goal is to create a trusting space where you can explore your body’s resilience and reclaim the power within.
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