An Introduction to Body Memory
By Jonathan Tripodi, BA, BS, NCTMB
"It has been discovered that recurrent physical conditions
and dysfunctions can be caused by body memory
that has accumulated for years."
What is body memory?
Simply stated, body memory is past experiences stored in the body as memory.
What kind of experiences are you referring to?
DNA carries the memory of your ancestors while the connective tissues and fluids of your body contain the memories of your life since conception. Although there are many types of experiences, they are all composed of similar information which the body records including physical movements, sensation, emotion, thought and perception.
I have never heard of body memory. Is it something new?
The term body memory is new. The concept of past experiences being stored in the body dates back to the early 1900’s. Current medical and scientific research is providing breakthrough discoveries that describe the body as a an advanced communication system, completely interconnected and functioning as one system.
In the field of biomedicine and biophysics, the body’s unified system
is being referred to as “a living matrix” - capable of storing the information
from a lifetime of experiences in the form of energy.
How does body memory develop?
That is the question that pioneers in mind-body medicine are exploring right now. What has been discovered is that your body converts the physical sensations, emotions, and psychological impressions of an experience into vibratory patterns which are received by the cells of the body’s – primarily within connective tissue.
How does energy become stored as body memory?
A chain of events occurs almost simultaneously, as every system in the body responds to an experience that you perceive to be overwhelming or threatening. Your nervous system sends electrical currents to your muscles so that you can either confront the threat or move away from it.
When you are unwilling or unable to confront or move away from a threat, you freeze.
The freeze response coincides with changes in the human energy field that surrounds and interpenetrates your body. (11) These changes immobilize and store the energetic blueprint of the experience in your body. When you come out of the freeze response, the energy that was stored is released and circulated throught he body.
It seems quite a stretch to believe that an experience which happened years ago can still be stored in my body. How can that happen?
Great question! In general, the reason you carry body memory for so long is because the freeze response remains on "autopilot," keeping the energy of your experiences stored. Even though the threatening or overwhelming experience has passed, unconsciously you continue to protect yourself from it.
In his book Waking the Tiger, Phd. psychologist and trauma specialist Peter Levine states that although most animals come out of the freeze response and discharge stress immediately after a threat has passed, humans can remain in the freeze response and carry the stress of the past in their body for years, even a lifetime.
What are the symptoms of body memory?
Initially, body memory causes your muscles to tense, and over time, the surrounding connective tissue hardens and restricts. The longer body memory has been stored, the harder, tenser and more restricted your body will feel.
As body memory accumulates, the tensions multiply and become stronger. When you are unable to adapt successfully to these added tensions, symptoms develop.
The most common symptoms of body memory are movement problems, spasm, pain, mal-alignment of the spine and joints, headaches, stress, phobias and recurrent emotional challenges. It takes energy to suppress body memory, especially the emotional component, and so fatigue is often experienced. Michael Ryce, Ph.D., author of "Why is This Happening to Me Again," believes that as much as 90% of our personal energy is used to suppress Body Memory.
How do I know if I have body memory?
Anywhere in your body that feels tense, tender, painful or hard is a likely indicator that you have body memory, especially those parts of your body that have felt that way for a long time. Chronic fatigue, anxiety or emotional challenges are also indicators of body memory.
Think back to when you felt overwhelmed by an injury, trauma, surgery, or an exceptionally stressful event or time in your life. Then, you can appreciate the fact that you have survived many challenging experiences.
The question really isn't if you have body memory, but how much and to
what degree is this stored energy affecting the way you look, move, think & feel.
Can I release body memory?
Yes, but release is the second phase of body memory transformation. There are four phases.
Phase 1: Recall
Recall is when you become aware of or feel the physical sensations, emotions, perceptions, movements or positions of a past experience.
Phase 2: Release
The release phase occurs when a person begins to come out of a protective response to a past experience which allows the stored bioenergy from the experience to circulate. When in the release phase, a person will experience one or more of the physiological activities below.
- A Change in the rate or depth of breathing
Twitching, shaking or spontaneous muscle contractions
- Temperature changes
- Spontaneous movement of the body
- Vocalization of sounds or words
- The body becomes still or motionless
- An image of a past event flashes inside the minds eye
During the release phase, a person consciously embodies and releases the physical sensations and/or emotions of a suppressed experience. Sometimes the body will assume the actual positions of past injuries, abuse or trauma, an experience referred to as "positional" memory release. The positions can also be symbolic - representing a suppressed feeling, desire or belief. Psychological memory of a specific event does not always occur. More often, a release of accumulated physical stress or stored emotions is all that is needed.
Phase 3: Integration
Integration is when the mind processes the information that was released and the body re-organizes into a more balanced stable posture. Integration occurs naturally and automatically after a release.
After a release of body memory, the mind and body are fertile for new programming. The integration phase involves sending new, positive, healthy messages to yourself about what is true about you, your past and what is possible for you to create in your life. Integration can be supported and enhanced with counseling, journaling or quiet time alone.
Also after a release, every structure in your body including bones, muscles and organs are free to move into a new alignment now that the protective tension of body memory has been released. Strengthening, flexibility and movement exercises are essential for your body to learn how to maintain movement and a balanced, stable posture. Energy levels and metabolism often increase during or after the integration phase.
Phase 4: Resolution
Resolution occurs last when you have released the protective fears and stored energy from a past experience or experiences and created new mind-body programming. It represents a completion and acceptance of the past and the beginning of a new, creative state of mind, health and mobility.
So, resolution is about completing an experience?
Yes! And completing an experience involves experiencing it fully. Experience is "energy"! It is the energy from your past that is stored in your body. Once felt, released and integrated, one is able to heal, grow, change and evolve.
Can I heal from body memory on my own or do I need a special kind of therapy?
Body memory transformation is a natural, innate ability we are all desigend to experience, but most of us need help releasing the need to survive, ie. the freeze response, that is preventing this self-healing process.
Keep in mind that body memory is created out of a need to survive. It occurs automatically and unconsciously. Most of us have adapted to being in survival mode for years. So, it is beneficial to seek help so you can become aware of your protective tensions. This awareness begins the whole healing process and is the first step towards releasing body memory.
The connective tissue restrictions that develop from long term body memory can be difficult to release on your own. Yoga can help, but most of us will need to be treated by a therapist who specializes in the release of connective tissue.
What therapies treat body memory?
Most all therapies directly or indirectly treat body memory, but to varying degrees. Here are some general indicators that body memory is being treated.
1. The therapy supports you to develop an awareness of the freeze response active in your body
2. The therapy supports a release of the freeze response and suppressed emotions.
3. The therapy supports a release of connective tissue restrictions.
4. The therapy incorporates active listening and guidance.
5. The therapy includes home exercise instruction for flexibility, strengthening and movement reeducation.
Keep in mind that body memory cannot be forced to release, only supported. The presence of body memory indicates that you are protecting yourself from a past experience that you perceive to be threatening or overwhelming. Underlying this protection is fear. Even with the best intentions, techniques that force a release cause you to protect even more.
More important than technique are the qualities of the therapist treating you. To be effective in treating body memory, a therapist must be sensitive, supportive, patient, persistent, aware, non-judgmental and actively resolving his own body memory. Most importantly, you will need to find a therapist you can trust.
Resolving body memory does not occur by accident.
It takes courage, trust, support, patience, persistence and time.
As a therapist, how do you treat body memory?
After years of training and experience treating body memory, I developed the Body Memory Recall approach, or BMR for short. BMR is an integration of my training which includes Myofascial Release, Myofascial Unwinding, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Therapeutic Touch. I combine these modalities with therapeutic dialogue, customized exercise training, and movement reeducation to support the complete healing process of body memory.
You cannot completely resolve body memory until you fully feel, release and integrate it.
It is an amazing process that reminds us how sensitive we truly are, and that our ability to
heal and transform stressful experiences
is as powerful as our ability to survive it.
 Author: Jonathan A. Tripodi, BA, BS, NCTMB specializes in the treatment of body memory at Global Healing Therapies & Seminars in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is a certified provider of education by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and teaches his Body Memory Recall approach nationwide. He earned his bachelors degree in movement and sports science in 1991 from Purdue University and a bacherlors degree in physical therapy in 1992 from the University of Evansville.
References & Suggested Reading
- The Body Electric, by Robert O. Becker, M.D. & Gary Selden
- Molecules of Emotion, by Candace B. Pert, Ph.D.
- Waking the Tiger, by Peter A. Levine
- Job's Body, by Deane Juhan, M.A., M.T.
- Myofascial Release: the Search for Excellence, by John F. Barnes, P.T.
- Core Energetics, by John C. Pierrakos, M.D.
- Chinese Healthway Newsletter, Number 101, Spring 2000
- Cranial Sacral Therapy, by John E. Upledger, D.O., F.A.A.O.
- Hameroff, Stuart R. (Summer 1994). 'Quantum Coherence in Microtubules: A Neural Basis for Emergent Consciousness?'. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 1, No.1, pp91-11
- Light Emerging, by Barbara Ann Brennon
- Somato-Emotional Release, by John E. Upledger, D.O., F.A.A.O.
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