When the Body Speaks: Understanding How Organs, Emotions, and the Nervous System Communicate

Discover how the body’s organs, emotions, and nervous system communicate, how emotional distress can manifest as physical pain, and how therapy supports whole body healing.

What If Symptoms Are Messages

Have you ever noticed that stress seems to settle in a particular part of your body? Tightness in your chest during grief. A knot in your stomach during anxiety. Chronic pain that persists even after medical tests come back normal.

You may find yourself wondering:

Why does my body react this way to emotional stress?

Can unresolved trauma contribute to physical symptoms?
Why do some illnesses affect mood, energy, or relationships so deeply?
Is my body trying to tell me something I have not yet understood?

Modern neuroscience and integrative psychology increasingly point toward a truth long recognized in somatic traditions. The body is not a collection of isolated parts. It is an interconnected system in constant communication with itself.

The Body as a Living Timepiece

Imagine the body as a beautifully complex timepiece. Each organ functions like a precisely calibrated gear, moving in relationship to every other part. When one gear shifts, even subtly, the entire system adjusts.

The heart, lungs, digestive organs, endocrine system, immune system, and brain are in continual dialogue through neural pathways, hormonal signaling, and autonomic regulation. This communication allows the body to maintain balance, adapt to stress, and respond to the environment.

When trauma, chronic stress, or illness disrupts one part of this system, the effects ripple outward.

The Nervous System as the Master Regulator

At the center of this timepiece is the nervous system. It coordinates communication between organs, interprets internal and external signals, and determines whether the body is oriented toward safety or threat.

The autonomic nervous system regulates:

     — Heart rate and blood pressure
    — Digestion and elimination
    — Immune responses
    — Hormonal release
    — Muscle tension and pain perception

When the nervous system is chronically activated due to trauma or ongoing stress, organs may remain in a state of prolonged tension or dysregulation.

How Emotional Distress Can Affect Organs

Emotions are not abstract experiences. They are physiological events that involve changes in heart rate, muscle tone, breathing patterns, and hormonal activity.

For example:

     — Chronic anxiety can alter gut motility and contribute to digestive distress
    — Prolonged grief can impact immune functioning and energy levels
    — Sustained anger or helplessness may increase muscle tension and pain sensitivity

These responses are mediated by neural circuits that connect the brain, the vagus nerve, and the internal organs. Over time, emotional distress can contribute to physical symptoms that feel mysterious or frustrating.

The Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Body Memory

The amygdala evaluates threat and safety. The hippocampus encodes memory and context. Together, they influence how the body responds to current experiences based on past ones.

When trauma is unresolved, the nervous system may respond to present-day stress as if the original threat is still happening. This can lead to organ-specific responses such as chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, or chronic tension without a clear medical cause.

The body remembers what the mind may not consciously recall.

When Physical Injury Affects Emotional Well-Being

The relationship between body and mind is bidirectional. Just as emotional distress can impact organs, physical illness or injury can affect mood, identity, and relational functioning.

Chronic pain, autoimmune conditions, or organ damage can contribute to:

     — Depression or anxiety
    — Irritability and emotional withdrawal
    — Changes in self-image or sexuality
    — Strain in relationships

Neuroscience shows that inflammation, pain pathways, and hormonal changes influence neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation. This is not imagined distress. It is biology.

Pain as a Communication Signal

Pain is often the body’s way of signaling that something requires attention. Acute pain protects us from injury. Chronic pain, however, can reflect a nervous system that remains on high alert long after tissue healing has occurred.

In trauma-informed care, pain is approached not as an enemy but as information. What is the nervous system trying to communicate? Where might regulation be interrupted?

This perspective does not dismiss medical evaluation. It expands understanding.

The Viscera and Emotional Experience

The body’s vital viscera, including the heart, lungs, liver, stomach, intestines, and kidneys, are richly innervated by the autonomic nervous system. They respond dynamically to emotional states.

For instance:

     — The heart responds to emotional arousal through changes in rhythm

     — The lungs adjust breathing patterns based on safety cues
    — The gut produces neurotransmitters that influence mood

This ongoing interplay illustrates why emotional and physical health cannot be separated.

Trauma as a Systemic Disruption

Trauma is not merely an event. It is a disruption in the body’s ability to regulate itself. When trauma occurs, the entire system may reorganize around survival.

Over time, this can lead to patterns of tension, pain, fatigue, or illness that feel disconnected from any current stressor. In reality, the system learned to operate under threat and has not yet been guided back toward balance.

Therapy as System Realignment

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, therapy is viewed as a process of realigning the system rather than suppressing symptoms.

Trauma-informed and somatic therapies work with the nervous system to restore communication between the brain and body.

This includes:

     — Increasing awareness of bodily signals
    — Supporting autonomic regulation
    — Processing unresolved emotional experiences
    — Strengthening internal safety and coherence

As regulation improves, organs often experience reduced strain.

Why Insight Alone Is Not Enough

Understanding the mind-body connection intellectually does not automatically restore balance. The nervous system requires experiential interventions to learn safety through sensation, relationship, and regulation.

This is why body-based and nervous system-informed therapies are so effective in addressing symptoms that do not respond to cognitive approaches alone.

Restoring Harmony in the Timepiece

When the body’s internal timepiece is supported, gears begin to move more smoothly. Tension softens. Pain may lessen. Emotional responses become more flexible.

This does not mean eliminating all discomfort. It means restoring communication and responsiveness so the system can adapt rather than remain stuck.

The Body Is Communicating

The body is not malfunctioning when it expresses pain or emotional distress. It is communicating. Each organ, each sensation, each emotional response exists in relationship to the whole.

By listening with curiosity and compassion, and by engaging therapies that honor the nervous system’s role, it becomes possible to restore balance and coherence within this remarkable system.

Reach out to schedule a complimentary 20-minute consultation with our team of therapists, trauma specialists, somatic practitioners, or relationship experts, and start working towards integrative, embodied healing today. 

📞 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 

1) Damasio, A. (1999). The feeling of what happens: Body and emotion in the making of consciousness. Harcourt Brace.

2) Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton.

3) Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). Why zebras don’t get ulcers (3rd ed.). Henry Holt and Company.

4) van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.

Why the Scent of Pine Feels So Comforting: The Neuroscience Behind Nature, Memory, and Holiday Mood

Feeling stressed or low during the holidays? Learn why the scent of pine boosts mood, how smell connects to memory and emotion, and how the nervous system finds comfort through association.

When the Holidays Feel Heavy Instead of Joyful

For many people, the holiday season brings more than celebration. It can bring overwhelm, grief, loneliness, family tension, or a quiet sadness that's hard to explain.

You might find yourself asking:

Why do I feel emotionally overloaded this time of year?
Why do certain memories feel stronger during the holidays?
Why does something as simple as a scent suddenly shift my mood?

Then you walk past a pine tree, open a box of ornaments, or light a candle that smells like evergreen, and something softens. Your breath deepens. Your body relaxes just a little.

This response is not accidental. It is rooted in neuroscience.

The Unique Power of Smell on the Brain

Smell is the only sense that travels directly to the brain's emotional and memory centers without first being filtered through the thalamus. When you inhale a scent, it moves straight to the amygdala and hippocampus, structures involved in emotional processing, threat detection, and memory storage.

This area is sometimes referred to as the amygdala hippocampal complex or the primary olfactory cortex. It is why scent can evoke emotional responses faster than conscious thought.

Unlike sights or sounds, smell bypasses logic and goes straight to feeling.

Why Pine Smells Especially Comforting

The scent of pine itself is not inherently calming in the same way a sedative might be. What matters most is association.

For many people, pine is linked to:

     — Holiday traditions
    — Family gatherings
    — Warmth and ritual
    — Childhood memories
    — Feelings of safety and togetherness

Over time, the brain learns to associate the aroma of pine with these emotional states. When the scent appears, the nervous system responds as if the associated experience is happening again.

Your body remembers before your mind does.

Memory, Emotion, and the Nervous System

The hippocampus plays a central role in linking sensory input to autobiographical memory. When a scent like pine activates the hippocampus, it often brings emotional context with it.

At the same time, the amygdala evaluates whether an experience feels safe or threatening. If pine has been paired with positive experiences, the amygdala sends a signal of safety rather than alarm.

This combination can reduce stress responses, lower physiological arousal, and promote a sense of calm.

Why This Matters During the Holidays

The holiday season is a time when emotional memory networks are already highly activated. For individuals with trauma histories, family stress, or unresolved grief, the nervous system may feel overloaded.

This can show up as:

     — Irritability or emotional numbness
    — Increased anxiety
    — Depressive symptoms
    — Exhaustion or withdrawal
    — Difficulty sleeping

Scent-based associations offer a gentle way to support nervous system regulation when words or logic feel insufficient.

Scent as a Grounding Tool for Stress and Depression

Because scent engages the nervous system directly, it can be a powerful grounding tool during moments of overwhelm.

The smell of pine can help:

     — Anchor attention in the present moment
    — Interrupt rumination
    — Evoke feelings of familiarity and comfort
    — Support parasympathetic nervous system activation

This does not mean pine will resolve deeper emotional pain. It can, however, create a brief internal pause where the body feels slightly more resourced.

The Role of Association in Emotional Regulation

Our brains are meaning-making organs. Emotional responses are shaped by learned associations rather than objective reality.

This is why one person might feel comforted by pine while another feels neutral toward it. It is not the scent itself. It is the story the nervous system has attached to it.

Therapy often works by helping individuals identify, understand, and reshape these internal associations.

When Scent Brings Up Mixed Emotions

It is important to acknowledge that pine does not feel comforting for everyone. For some, holiday scents can activate grief, loss, or painful family memories.

This, too, is a nervous system response rooted in association. There is nothing wrong with your reaction if a scent brings sadness rather than calm.

In therapy, these reactions are explored with compassion rather than judgment.

Using Scent Intentionally for Nervous System Care

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we often encourage clients to work with the nervous system intentionally rather than cognitively forcing themselves to feel better.

Scent can be part of this approach.

You might experiment with:

     — Placing fresh pine branches in your home
    — Using pine or evergreen essential oils mindfully
    — Taking walks in nature where conifers are present
    — Pairing scent with grounding practices like slow breathing

Over time, these pairings can strengthen associations of safety and presence.

Scent, Trauma, and the Body

Trauma is stored not only as memory but as sensation. Smell can access these layers without requiring verbal processing.

For individuals who feel emotionally flooded or disconnected during the holidays, scent-based grounding can offer an entry point to regulation that feels gentle and accessible.

This does not replace trauma therapy. It complements it.

Why Simple Sensory Experiences Matter

In a culture that often prioritizes cognitive solutions, sensory regulation is frequently overlooked. Yet the nervous system responds to sensory input before conscious thought.

Simple experiences like scent, warmth, and rhythm can have meaningful effects on emotional well-being.

The scent of pine reminds us that healing and comfort do not always come from insight alone. Sometimes they come from felt experience.

How Therapy Helps Deepen These Processes

While scent can provide momentary relief, therapy helps address the underlying patterns that contribute to seasonal stress and depression.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we integrate neuroscience-informed, trauma-focused, and somatic approaches to support lasting nervous system change.

This work helps individuals understand why certain times of year feel heavier and how to care for themselves with greater compassion and intention.

Moments of Safety and Connection Matter

The mood boosting power of pine is not magic. It is memory, association, and nervous system learning working together.

When the scent of pine brings comfort, your brain recognizes a familiar pattern of safety and connection. During seasons of stress or emotional complexity, these moments matter.

By understanding how sensory experiences shape emotional states, we gain tools to support ourselves more gently and effectively.

Reach out to schedule a complimentary 20-minute consultation with our team of therapists, trauma specialists, somatic practitioners,  relationship experts, or parenting coaches and start helping your teen work towards integrative, embodied healing today. 

📞 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

Herz, R. S. (2004). A naturalistic analysis of autobiographical memories triggered by olfactory, visual, and auditory stimuli. Chemical Senses, 29(3), 217–224.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton.

van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.

Soudry, Y., Lemogne, C., Malinvaud, D., Consoli, S. M., & Bonfils, P. (2011). Olfactory system and emotion: Common substrates. European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases, 128(1), 18–23.