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Somatic Healing

Somatic Experiencing Meets Breathwork: What the Science Really Shows About Healing Trauma in the Body

When trauma is trapped in the body, a deep breath can feel impossible. A 2017 clinical trial proved Somatic Experiencing restores balance. Here's how gentle, trauma-safe breathwork mirrors the science to relax the chest and reset your nervous system.

Daniel Jurzynek

• 6 min read
Abstract neon nervous system graphic with title text “Somatic Experiencing + Breathwork: Science of Trauma Healing."

Why “just breathe” isn’t always helpful

Imagine a heavy band across your chest. You feel it even before you can explain it. You try and try and no matter what, you just can’t get a full inhale. Your heart is racing, your throat tightens, and all of a sudden it feels impossible to breathe, even though every test says your lungs are fine. 

One of the most reported ways that trauma shows up in your body is exactly like this. Not as a frantic mind or stressful memories, but as breath that feels blocked, a tight chest, frozen muscles, and a nervous system in fight or flight mode looking or danger to protect you from. 

This is why “just take a deep breath” doesn’t help, “duh, if I could take a deep breath, I would”.

This mismatch is exactly what Somatic Experiencing (SE) is here to solve. And scientific research shows it works. 

What the research found

In 2017, SE was tested in a randomized controlled trial by researchers. The participants were adults suffering from PTSD, they received 15 weekly SE sessions. The Study - Brom et al., Journal of Traumatic Stress, DOI: 10.1002/jts.22189 

👉 Curious how this connects to everyday recovery? Read The Vagus Nerve: Your Body’s Built-In Recovery Switch to see how slow exhalations tap into the same system.

The results were quite impressive:

  • PTSD symptoms were significantly reduced compared to the control group.
  • Depression symptoms improved as well. 
  • The effects were large (Cohen’s d ranging from 0.94-1.26), showing actual impact, not some small statistical shifts.
Infographic summarizing Somatic Experiencing clinical trial results: 15 weekly sessions, PTSD symptoms reduced, depression improved, large effect sizes showing strong real-world impact.
In research terms, a “large effect size” means the therapy made a big, noticeable difference in people’s lives. The 2017 SE trial didn’t just show small statistical changes, participants experienced strong, real-world improvements in PTSD and depression.

What does this mean? A simple act of bringing awareness to body sensations and not focusing on the story that caused the trauma helps to reduce stress and restore the body’s natural regulation. 

And here is where breathwork can make a huge impact. 

Breathwork and SE share the same foundation:

  • Start with bringing awareness, not force or control.
  • Work with the body’s sensations, don’t resist them.
  • Be gentle, use small shifts (like extending the exhale) rather than trying to “fix everything” in one sitting. 

Note: the word “titrate” refers to a concept in somatic experiencing (SE) therapy and it means to gradually and carefully control the level of emotional intensity or arousal, allowing yourself to process traumatic experiences without becoming overwhelmed.

Here is a 3–5 Minute Breath Practice Inspired by Somatic Experiencing Principles

In the 2017 SE trial they used therapy sessions, not what I'm about to show here. This practice is not SE. But it's built on the same foundation: awareness, gentle pacing, and longer exhales to signal safety.

Sit or lie comfortably. Place one hand on your chest and one on your belly.

  1. Inhale gently through your nose for 4-5 seconds.
  2. Exhale softly through your mouth for 6-8 seconds.
  3. As you breathe, gently anchor your attention in your feet, your hands, or the sound of your breath.
  4. Repeat for 3-5 minutes, letting your body guide the pace.
Somatic Breath Reset Protocol infographic with breathing steps: inhale 4–5 sec, exhale 6–8 sec, ground attention, repeat 3–5 min.
Inhale
04:00
Pattern
Minutes

👉 If you want a breath picked for your exact state, try the Breath Match Quiz. In 30 seconds it chooses a safe starting breath for you to try.

Bringing it into your life

To heal, you don’t need to re-live your trauma. The 2017 SE trial proved that. It requires bringing awareness to the body and offering subtle, safe ways to settle. 

👉 If this feels familiar, you might also like Feeling Wired but Tired? Breathwork Might Be the Reset Your Nervous System Needs.

In my opinion breathwork is the perfect tool to do just that when done with caution and gentleness. Even a brief breathwork practice, during a stressful workday, or right upon waking, can remind your system that safety is possible. 

Realistically, there is nothing wrong with you. Your body was just doing its best to protect you. Now you can give it a nudge to a gentler path to recovery.

👉 Download the Parasympathetic Reset Guide to keep a simple, evidence-based protocol on hand for the next time your chest feels tight.