How Breathwork Heals Trauma & Sets You Free From The Pain Of Your Past
Breathwork can help you heal trauma, regulate your nervous system, and finally feel free. Discover how this body-based practice transforms deep emotional pain.
Trauma Lives in the Body, Not Just the Mind
We’ve been taught to think of trauma as a memory or a mental illness. But that’s only part of the picture.
Trauma isn’t just what happened to you. It’s what happened inside of you as a result. And more importantly—it lives in the nervous system, in your tissues, in your breath.
That’s why talking about it doesn’t always help. You can’t think your way out of trauma. You have to feel your way through it. And that’s where breathwork steps in.
The Somatic Power of the Breath
Breathwork is not a mindset shift. It’s a body-led intervention.
When you breathe consciously—especially with connected, rhythmic breath—you access deep layers of the nervous system, the ones where trauma hides. This is called somatic healing, and it works from the body upward to the brain.
Your breath is the bridge between your subconscious and your conscious, your trauma and your truth.
How Breathwork Unlocks Stored Emotional Pain
Here’s what’s wild: when you go through something traumatic, your body doesn’t always finish the process of responding. It gets stuck in fight, flight, or freeze mode. That energy stays trapped.
With breathwork, you move energy, not just oxygen.
You unfreeze what was frozen.
You complete what was interrupted.
You might feel:
A sudden wave of sadness
Your body shaking or sweating
Emotions you can’t name rising up
That’s not regression. That’s release.
What Happens During a Trauma-Release Breathwork Session
Every session is different, but here’s what you might experience:
Crying without knowing why
Tingling or muscle tension (especially in the hands and jaw)
Memories or images surfacing spontaneously
A deep, wordless sense of peace or clarity afterward
You don’t need to understand it for it to work.
You just need to stay with your breath.
Real Talk—It’s Not Always Pretty, But It’s Worth It
Let’s be honest: healing isn’t always a Zen Instagram moment.
Sometimes (a lot of the time) it’s sweaty, shaky, and raw.
But breathwork gives you the safety and space to go there—without words, without judgment.
It’s one of the few healing tools where you don’t need to retell your story to transform it.
Neuroscience Backs It Up
Breathwork activates the vagus nerve, the key to calming your system and getting you out of survival mode.
According to Polyvagal Theory, trauma healing requires:
Safety
Rhythm
Regulation
Breath gives you all three.
Studies from institutions like Stanford and Harvard show breath-based practices can:
Lower cortisol levels
Decrease anxiety
Rewire emotional responses
This isn’t guesswork. It’s science meeting ancient wisdom!
From Freeze to Flow When You Begin To Reclaim Your Nervous System
When you’ve been through trauma, you live in “freeze.”
You feel numb, disconnected, stuck.
Breathwork restores flow—the ability to feel, respond, and move freely again.
It’s like defrosting your soul.
You don’t just feel more relaxed.
You feel more you.
Breaking Free From Generational and Personal Trauma Cycles
Breathwork doesn’t just heal your pain. It can stop it from repeating across generations.
Trauma is inherited. So is healing.
When you breathe through your wounds, you don’t pass them down.
You model regulation, resilience, and emotional sovereignty for your children, your relationships, your lineage.
Simple Breathwork Practice to Begin Releasing Trauma
Try this right now (lying down or seated):
Inhale through the mouth for 4 counts.
Exhale through the mouth for 4 counts.
No pause. Just circular, connected breath.
Do this for 3–5 minutes.
My Tip, set an alarm clock so your mind isn’t on time and just focus on your breath until you hear it go off.
If emotions come, welcome them.
If nothing happens, that’s fine too.
You’re practicing presence—and that’s powerful.
Who This Isn’t For (And Why That’s OK)
Breathwork is potent. If you’re in acute trauma or psychiatric crisis, this may not be the first step.
Always check with a trauma-informed practitioner if:
You have a history of psychosis or seizures
You are pregnant
You’ve never done inner work before and feel overwhelmed
This practice isn’t about force. It’s about readiness.
I am a trauma informed practitioner and tailor my 1:1 sessions to meet the direct needs of the client which includes trauma release sessions which are specifically curated to safely release trauma.
You Don’t Have to Relive It to Release It
This is one of breathwork’s biggest gifts! I am not kidding, this is where it gets really good.
You don’t need to retell or relive your worst moments to release their hold.
You just breathe.
Your body knows what to do. It is about surrendering and trusting your body, your practitioner and your breath. As I always say, you have to breathe it to believe it!
Stories of Liberation: What People Say After Breathwork
“The most INCREDIBLE breathwork experience, I find conscious breath work so powerful”
—Bebe, Cotswolds
“Naomi is very experienced breathwork facilitator and I was able to release lots of emotions during her session.
Breathwork is so POWERFUL and TRANSFORMATIONAL! I really recommend Naomi”
—Naomi, London
“Naomi’s breathwork sessions are so powerful! You honestly do have to breathe it to believe it. The shift is unreal!!.”
—Cassie, Westerham
The Breath Is Always With You—You Just Forgot How to Use It
You don’t need a guru. You don’t need permission.
You just need to remember:
Your breath is your birthright.
It can break chains.
It can unlock your voice.
It can set you free.
If you are called to explore the power of your breath please get in touch and book a free call and let’s chat!