Understanding PTSD and Its Impact
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects about 6% of Americans at some point in their lives, with 5% experiencing it in any given year—equivalent to roughly 13 million people in 2020. Women are twice as likely as men to develop PTSD (8% vs. 4%), largely due to the types of trauma they experience, such as sexual violence. Veterans, particularly those deployed to war zones, also face significantly higher rates of PTSD than civilians.1
But what exactly is PTSD, and how does it differ from trauma itself? Trauma is an emotional or psychological response to distressing events like natural disasters, abuse, accidents, or combat. These events often bring feelings of fear, helplessness, and stress. While trauma is a natural response, PTSD is a mental health disorder that develops when those reactions don’t subside and begin to interfere with daily life.
What Changes in the Body for Someone with PTSD: The Mind-Body Connection and Stress
The link between the mind and body is central to how we process and react to stress. Research has shown that chronic stress doesn’t just affect our mental state—it has a tangible physical impact. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline surge during traumatic events, and when the body remains stuck in this heightened state, it can lead to serious health problems. Over time, this constant activation of the stress response can disrupt key systems, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and immune dysfunction.2
How Does PTSD Affect the Brain?
PTSD changes the way the brain handles stress. Normally, our body’s stress response helps us stay alert and ready to handle danger. For someone with PTSD, however, this system is overactive, reacting to harmless situations as though they’re threats. This makes it hard for the brain to turn off the stress response, creating a constant state of heightened anxiety. Over time, this can lead to issues like trouble sleeping, depression, memory problems, and difficulty managing emotions. The stress builds on itself, making it harder for someone to feel calm and safe.3
How Does PTSD Affect the Body?
PTSD isn’t just a mental health issue—it also takes a toll on the body. The physical effects of PTSD can show up in two ways: short-term and long-term problems. In the short term, reminders of trauma might cause a racing heart, sweating, trembling, nausea, muscle tension, pain (like headaches or back pain), or trouble breathing. These reactions are temporary but can be frightening and uncomfortable. In the long term, PTSD has been linked to serious health issues like high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, and chronic pain. People with PTSD may not always realize their physical symptoms are tied to their past trauma, and chronic pain can sometimes act as a painful reminder, worsening PTSD symptoms or leading to depression and substance use.4
The Body Keeps the Score by Dutch psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk is a highly insightful book for anyone interested in understanding the mind-body connection and how trauma affects our biology. Through the stories of trauma survivors, van der Kolk combines scientific research and philosophical insights to explore the complex neurobiology of PTSD and its lasting impact on the brain and body. In his book, van der Kolk explains that trauma leaves a lasting imprint on the brain, body, and mind. To truly recover, individuals must learn to reconnect with their bodies and feel safe in their own skin again. Van der Kolk emphasizes that real change happens when the body learns that the danger has passed and can live fully in the present.
During an interview with Penguin Random House about his book The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kolk emphasized that a key challenge in trauma recovery is learning how to regulate oneself.5 He explained that this innate capacity can be activated through practices such as breathwork, physical touch, movement, and rhythm-based activities like yoga, tai chi, or dancing. Unfortunately, these methods are often underutilized in medical and educational settings.
How Yoga Therapy Can Help
Yoga therapy is a powerful tool for PTSD recovery because it addresses two core challenges: the overactive stress response and the disconnection between the mind and body. Controlled breathing, mindfulness, and gentle movements help calm the autonomic nervous system, signaling to the brain that the body is no longer in danger. This reduces the fight-or-flight response and creates a sense of balance and safety.
For many with PTSD, identifying bodily sensations can be difficult—a condition known as alexithymia. Yoga teaches individuals to observe these sensations without fear or judgment, fostering emotional regulation and reconnecting the mind and body. Regular practice can also reduce physiological arousal, improve heart rate variability, and even promote changes in brain function, such as reducing the size of the overactive amygdala.6
Our Yoga Therapy Framework for Working with Trauma
Our approach to trauma recovery through yoga is based on:
Creating Safety in the Body – Calming the overactive stress response is essential for healing. By practicing grounding techniques, deep breathing, and mindful movement, individuals learn to cultivate a sense of physical and emotional safety.
Developing Agency and Comfort in Making Choices – Trauma often strips away a person’s sense of control. Yoga encourages decision-making by allowing individuals to choose what feels right for their bodies, whether that means adjusting a posture, modifying a breathwork exercise, or simply resting. For example, asking, “What posture feels good in my body?” fosters autonomy and self-awareness.
Reconnecting with the Self and Others – Trauma can create a deep disconnection from one’s own body and from the world around them. Yoga facilitates reconnection by encouraging presence, mindfulness, and gentle engagement with bodily sensations. This process not only helps individuals rebuild trust in their bodies but also supports them in forming healthier relationships with others.
By integrating these principles, yoga becomes more than just a physical practice—it becomes a path toward healing, empowerment, and self-discovery.
Moving Forward
PTSD takes a heavy toll on both the mind and body, but understanding the connection between the two is a crucial first step toward healing. Practices like yoga, along with evidence-based treatments like EMDR and trauma-focused CBT, offer hope for managing symptoms and finding relief.
If you’re considering yoga as part of your recovery journey, our team at Yoga Therapy Associates offers private, one-on-one yoga therapy sessions in a confidential setting. Our yoga therapists can help you reconnect with your body and teach you tools to manage PTSD symptoms that you can use alongside psychotherapy and medication. Contact us for a free phone consultation, or learn more about our yoga therapists. For group classes, seek out trauma-informed yoga instructors who understand PTSD and can guide you safely through the practice. Healing is a journey, but with the right tools and support, it’s possible to reclaim your mind, body, and sense of self.
This information is not intended as medical advice but rather as insights into strategies that have helped others and may be helpful for you. Always consult with a qualified professional to determine the best approach for your individual needs and circumstances.
- National Center for PTSD. (January 15, 2025). Common reactions to trauma. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_adults.asp ↩︎
- Chandola, T., Brunner, E., & Marmot, M. (2006). Chronic stress at work and the metabolic syndrome: prospective study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 332(7540), 521–525. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.38693.435301.80 ↩︎
- BrightQuest Treatment Centers. (February 6, 2019). How PTSD affects the brain and the body (and how long-term treatment can help). BrightQuest. Retrieved from https://www.brightquest.com/blog/how-ptsd-affects-the-brain-and-the-body-and-how-long-term-treatment-can-help/ ↩︎
- Guina, J. (n.d.). PTSD: Expert Q&A. Psychiatry.org. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/expert-q-and-a ↩︎
- Van der Kolk, B. (n.d.). The body keeps the score. Bessel van der Kolk, MD. Retrieved from https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score ↩︎
- PTSD UK. (n.d.). How yoga can help ease PTSD symptoms. Retrieved from https://ptsduk.org/how-yoga-can-help-ease-ptsd-symptoms/ ↩︎
