Lauren Dummit-Schock 4/24/25 Lauren Dummit-Schock 4/24/25

Embodied Healing: How Yoga and Movement Deepen Somatic Therapy

Embodied Healing: How Yoga and Movement Deepen Somatic Therapy

Experiencing symptoms of trauma or nervous system dysregulation? Discover how integrating yoga and movement into somatic therapy can support emotional regulation, embodiment, and healing at the root level.

When Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough

Have you ever felt like you’ve intellectually processed your trauma, but your body still carries it? Do you find yourself easily overwhelmed, shutting down in conflict, or chronically exhausted despite doing "the work"?

That’s because trauma isn’t just a memory—it’s a physiological imprint. The nervous system remembers. And true healing often requires more than talking.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we help clients address trauma, addiction, intimacy issues, and nervous system dysregulation through an integrative, body-based lens. One of our most powerful tools? Incorporating yoga and movement into somatic therapy.

Why the Body Needs to Move to Heal

Unresolved trauma disrupts the body’s natural regulation system. It can keep the nervous system stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. This results in:

– Chronic anxiety or emotional reactivity

– Numbness or disconnection from the body

– Digestive and immune system issues

– Difficulty feeling safe in relationships

Research in neuroscience and somatics shows that movement helps process and release trauma stored in the body’s tissues and nervous system.

Movement creates new patterns. It teaches the body that safety, presence, and connection are possible.

The Role of Yoga in Somatic Therapy

Yoga is more than stretching or mindfulness. When offered in a trauma-informed way, it becomes a gateway to embodied awareness and emotional regulation.

Trauma-Informed Yoga Supports:

– Interoception (awareness of internal body sensations)

– Vagal tone (the strength of the vagus nerve, which regulates stress)

– Self-regulation through breath, posture, and presence

– Safe exploration of boundaries and agency

Yoga postures help release stored tension, while breathwork and mindful attention calm the limbic system and increase activity in the prefrontal cortex—the brain’s center for regulation and decision-making (Van der Kolk, 2014).

Types of Movement That Support Somatic Healing

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we use multiple movement-based modalities to support nervous system health:

1. Trauma-Sensitive Yoga

– Focuses on choice, invitational language, and body autonomy

– Encourages slow, grounding movements to restore safety and presence

2. Somatic Movement

– Gentle, intentional movements that help discharge stored trauma responses

– Used to support stuck patterns in the body or soothe hyperarousal

3. Dance and Free Movement

– Helps express and release emotions nonverbally

– Facilitates access to joy, vitality, and empowerment

4. Breath-Informed Movement

– Syncing breath with movement activates the parasympathetic nervous system

– Reduces anxiety, lowers heart rate, and deepens body-mind connection

Common Questions We Hear:

“Why do I feel like crying after yoga?”
Movement accesses parts of the nervous system that words often can’t reach. As tension releases, emotions that were held in the body may surface.

“Is this just another fitness trend?”
No. Trauma-informed yoga and somatic movement are clinically backed, neuroscience-informed practices used in therapeutic settings worldwide (Porges, 2011).

“What if I feel numb or disconnected from my body?”
That’s exactly where somatic movement can help—by gently rebuilding the bridge between sensation and self.

What Healing Through Movement Can Look Like

– Feeling safer in your own skin

– Responding to triggers with curiosity instead of reactivity

– Reclaiming access to pleasure, play, and full expression

– Regaining trust in your body’s cues

– Cultivating resilience from the inside out

Healing doesn’t just happen in your head. It happens in your breath. Your posture. The way you move through space.

When the body is invited into therapy, the whole system begins to shift.

Why We Integrate Movement at Embodied Wellness and Recovery

We believe the body is not just the site of trauma; it’s also the site of healing. Our team combines somatic therapy, EMDR, yoga therapy, and psychoeducation to support our clients in:

– Regulating their nervous systems

– Releasing stored trauma

– Restoring connection to self and others

– Rebuilding intimacy from a place of safety

Whether you’re working through trauma, intimacy issues, anxiety, or addiction, movement can be a profound ally on the path to healing.

You Deserve to Feel at Home in Your Body

Your symptoms are not signs of weakness. They are messages from a body that has been trying to keep you safe. With gentle movement, breath, and support, your system can learn something new.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we’re here to support you on your path to recovery—one breath, one movement, one moment of awareness at a time. Reach out today to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with our team of top-rated somatic practitioners, trauma specialists, recovery coaches, or relationship experts.

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References:

Emerson, D., & Hopper, E. (2011). Overcoming Trauma through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body. North Atlantic Books.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.

Lauren Dummit-Schock 4/4/25 Lauren Dummit-Schock 4/4/25

Think EMDR Is Only for Trauma Survivors? Here’s How It Helps with Anxiety, Perfectionism, and More

Think EMDR Is Only for Trauma Survivors? Here’s How It Helps with Anxiety, Perfectionism, and More

Think EMDR is only for PTSD or abuse? Think again. EMDR therapy is a powerful tool for healing attachment wounds, anxiety, perfectionism, body image struggles, and even money blocks. Discover how this neuroscience-backed therapy can transform your emotional health.

Think EMDR Is Only for War or Abuse Survivors? Think Again.

When you hear the word trauma, what comes to mind?
Combat veterans. Abuse survivors. Catastrophic events.

But what if your trauma doesn't look like that?
What if you’re silently suffering from chronic anxiety, perfectionism, a painful breakup, or money shame—and no one has ever called it “trauma”?

You’re not alone—and yes, EMDR therapy can help.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in treating both “big T” and “small t” traumas—those everyday emotional injuries that often go unseen but deeply shape your nervous system, beliefs, and relationships.

What Is EMDR—And How Does It Actually Work?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a highly effective, neuroscience-based therapy that helps people process and integrate distressing memories and emotional patterns.

Originally developed to treat PTSD, EMDR works by using bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements or tapping) to activate both hemispheres of the brain while revisiting unresolved emotional experiences.

This process allows your brain to “digest” unprocessed memories, resolve emotional blocks, and replace negative beliefs with healthier, adaptive ones.

“Small T” Trauma: The Invisible Injuries That Linger

While “big T” trauma refers to life-threatening events, “small t” trauma includes the chronic, cumulative, or subtle experiences that dysregulate your nervous system and shape your sense of safety, self-worth, and identity.

Examples include:

– Repeated criticism or emotional neglect in childhood

– Being shamed for expressing emotions
– Breakups that left you questioning your worth
– Feeling like love had to be earned
– Constant pressure to be perfect or high achieving
– Financial instability or inherited beliefs around money

These experiences don’t need to be extreme to be traumatic. They live in your body, distort your beliefs, and fuel anxiety, shame, and self-sabotage.

The Neuroscience of EMDR and Emotional Healing

Your nervous system remembers.

When something painful happens—especially if you were too young to process it or lacked emotional support—your brain stores that experience in a “frozen” state. Triggers in the present moment can then reactivate the original fear, shame, or powerlessness.

This is why:

– A colleague’s tone can make you feel like a scolded child
– A dating rejection spirals into “I’m not lovable.”
– Looking at your bank account floods you with anxiety and guilt

EMDR targets these emotionally encoded experiences and, through dual attention stimulation, helps your brain complete the healing cycle. It rewires how your nervous system responds and reshapes your core beliefs.

As Siegel (2012) explains, integration—the linking of differentiated parts of the brain—is the foundation of mental health. EMDR facilitates this process.

What EMDR Can Help You Heal—Beyond PTSD

EMDR is a powerful tool for healing non-traditional traumas that still have a profound emotional impact.

✔️ Attachment Wounds

– Heal the internalized belief that “I’m not enough” or “I’m too much.”
– Reprocess early experiences of neglect, abandonment, or inconsistent caregiving
– Learn to feel safe in relationships and trust emotional connection

✔️ Breakups and Relationship Trauma

– Unhook from obsessive thoughts about an ex
– Process betrayal, loss, or relational patterns rooted in childhood
– Shift from shame and blame to clarity and self-compassion

✔️ Chronic Anxiety and Hypervigilance

– Target the root causes of your nervous system’s overdrive
– Address unmet needs for safety, control, and certainty
– Reclaim your calm and clarity

✔️ Body Image and Shame

– Process experiences of body-based bullying or criticism
– Release internalized appearance standards or weight trauma

Learn to relate to your body with compassion instead of punishment

✔️ Perfectionism and Burnout

– Heal the internalized voice that says, “You’re only worthy if you’re achievin.”
– Reprocess experiences of conditional love or high parental expectations
– Begin to rest without guilt and live without constantly proving yourself

✔️ Money Blocks and Financial Shame

– Address inherited beliefs like “money is bad,” “I’ll never have enough,”

– Heal the emotional charge around debt, spending, or financial mistakes
– Build new, empowered neural pathways for abundance and stability

Why Traditional Talk Therapy May Not Be Enough

Talk therapy can provide insight, validation, and coping skills, but when your trauma lives in the non-verbal, emotional brain, words alone often can't reach it.

EMDR bypasses the logical brain and goes straight to the root, allowing you to feel different, not just think differently.

As Parnell (2013) emphasizes, trauma is not simply a memory—it is a lived experience stored in the nervous system, EMDR helps you shift from survival to safety.

You Don’t Have to Be in Crisis to Heal

If you’ve ever thought:

– “I know it wasn’t abuse, but it still really hurt.”
– “Why can’t I get over this breakup?”

– “Why do I feel so anxious all the time?”
– “I should be grateful, but I still feel empty.”
– “I’m tired of trying to be perfect.”

Tthen EMDR might be the missing piece.

How We Use EMDR at Embodied Wellness & Recovery

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we offer trauma-informed, somatic, and attachment-focused EMDR for a wide range of concerns—not just PTSD.

Our clinicians are trained in:

– Attachment-Focused EMDR
– Somatic integration and resourcing
– EMDR for complex trauma, anxiety, and emotional wounds
– Personalized EMDR intensives for accelerated healing

Whether you're processing long-standing patterns or seeking clarity after a recent emotional upheaval, we offer compassionate, neuroscience-backed care tailored to your individual needs.

EMDR is for anyone carrying invisible pain. You don’t need a diagnosis to deserve healing.

✨ Ready to explore how EMDR can help you heal and grow?
🧠 Book a consultation with one of our trauma-informed therapists.
🌱 Learn about our personalized EMDR intensives.
📍 Available in Los Angeles, Nashville, and virtually.

Reach out to schedule your free 20-minute consultation with our team of top-rated EMDR providers or somatic practitioners and begin your path to healing today.