What Is Your Body Still Holding Onto?

Yesterday, I worked with a new client during their very first somatic session. As part of my intake process, I asked if they had ever been in a car accident. They told me about an accident that happened 20 years ago—a moment when their car spun out and was hit from the side.

As they described it, their body instinctively began to move in the same way it had during the crash. Their somatic memory—the body’s way of storing experiences—was replaying the impact. I reflected back to them what I was noticing: that during the collision, everything on their left side had clenched and shortened. They confirmed that this was exactly what had happened.

When I asked them to stand, it became clear—the left side of their body was still holding the imprint of that trauma. Their head tilted left, their body pulled tighter on that side. They had lived with this for decades, never connecting it to the accident. Although they weren’t experiencing specific pain on the left, they did report ongoing neck and back pain.

The Wisdom in the Body

This is one of the things I love about somatic work. Yes, I guide and provide insight, but I also learn from every client I work with. The body itself becomes the teacher. In this case, my client’s body revealed that parts of them had been frozen—mentally, emotionally, and physically—since that day 20 years ago.

As we worked together to release the tension, muscles began to soften not just around the neck and skull, but all the way down their left side. With that release came waves of emotion and memory. They described vivid recollections of the accident, but also of that period of their life. I shared what I was sensing—that parts of them had remained unintegrated all these years—and as I spoke, tears welled in their eyes. The emotional energy that had been locked away began to move.

By the end of the session, they felt lighter, freer, and more at ease in their body. They hadn’t even realised how much they were holding until it finally began to let go.

The Layers We Carry

This experience isn’t unique. Even after years of yoga, somatics, or other practices, we all have blind spots—unconscious contractions, hidden layers of holding that we may not even be aware of. These often link back to unresolved experiences, emotions, or moments in life where something was too overwhelming to fully process.

That’s the beauty of this work: it’s an ongoing journey. There’s no limit to how embodied and whole we can become as we learn to listen to the messages of our bodies.

An Invitation to Reflect

I share this story because many people don’t fully know what somatics really is. They may have heard the term, or tried a few movements, but haven’t yet experienced the deeper transformations that happen when we release what’s been unconsciously stored in the body.

So, I invite you to pause and ask yourself:

• What might my body still be holding onto?

• How might it be asking for my attention?

• In what small way can I offer myself compassion, patience, or tenderness today?

Pain, tension, or discomfort—whether physical, mental, or emotional—are often signals from the body. They are invitations to listen more deeply.

Experience Somatics for Yourself

If you’re curious about somatic work, there are many ways to explore. I offer hands-on sessions in Buffalo, and I also travel to California for retreats and workshops. Even one session can shift the way you experience your body and reconnect you to a sense of freedom and ease.

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Your body has been speaking to you all along—you just may not have known how to listen. Somatic work is the bridge.