Have you ever wondered why a specific part of your body hurts—especially when doctors have no clear explanation?
Or why, despite doing everything “right,” you just can’t seem to lose weight?

That was me. For years, I carried a deep ache in my upper back, between my shoulder blades. Years of physiotherapy and countless doctor’s appointments helped, but the ache was still there. I was desperate. I started to look at it from a different angle and realized that it wasn’t just muscle strain. It was emotional weight—over-responsibility, guilt, and the emotional burdens I unknowingly carried for others. I wanted to help, to fix, to hold space for everyone. And my body held it too. Until it couldn’t.

Pain Is Not Always Just Physical

Our bodies speak a language many of us were never taught to understand. A lowered head, rounded shoulders, or constant back pain might seem like posture issues, but what if they also reflect years of emotional suppression or attempts to make ourselves small—or safe?

As I began to explore emotional healing, I encountered the work of Alexander Lowen, founder of Bioenergetic Analysis. He believed the body physically shapes itself around our emotions, trauma, and beliefs. His famous line, "The body never lies," struck me deeply. According to Lowen, chronic muscular tension is the physical manifestation of suppressed emotional experience, often linked to early developmental trauma [1].

Weight as Protection

For years, I struggled with my weight. I tried everything - healthy eating, exercise, tracking macros, calorie control. Nothing worked. Eventually, I gave up, thinking it would never change.
And then I changed my job—and the weight began to melt away.

That shift made me reflect deeply. In my previous role, I constantly felt I needed to protect myself. I had to be “stronger,” “tougher,” more “visible.” Subconsciously, my body responded by making itself larger.

According to Recall Healing, a method developed by Dr. Gilbert Renaud, the body can store unresolved emotional conflicts as physical symptoms. In this approach, excess weight may be connected to themes of protection, safety, or invisibility [2].

Once I left that environment and no longer needed to feel guarded or dominant, the weight began to fall away—without any extra effort. My body no longer needed the armour.

Connecting the Dots

My body clearly showed me the missing piece of the puzzle. My emotions, experiences, and feelings had a direct impact on how I felt and how my body responded to my life. It became a fascinating journey to explore other health issues and research similar experiences.

Recall Healing, letting-go techniques, and bioenergetic practices suggest that physical symptoms are related to unresolved emotional conflicts—and that healing those emotional wounds can bring physical relief [2][3].

For example, chronic pain or unexplained health issues may stem from unacknowledged grief, repressed anger, or fear rooted in early childhood or even inherited trauma. Excess weight, in particular, is often linked to a lack of safety, the need for space, or internalised shame [4].

This doesn’t mean emotions are the sole cause of illness—but they are often an overlooked contributor.

Listening to the Body

We hold our bodies in specific ways because of our fears, beliefs, and past emotional wounds. Over time, tissues adapt and conform to support our emotional state. This is why the body becomes, as Lowen said, a "walking autobiography."

When we repress emotions like anger or sadness, they don’t disappear—they get stored in the body. In my case, years of putting others’ needs first, suppressing frustration, and pushing through exhaustion turned into physical pain and chronic tension.

So, What Can We Do?

The most important step is awareness—tuning in to your body with compassion and kindness. Listening to its aches and signals without anger or frustration. Appreciating the work it does and the strength it holds, even when it doesn’t feel that way.

Then, find what works for you on the path to healing.
You might explore practices like:

- Breathwork

- TRE® (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises) [5]

- Craniosacral therapy

- Conscious movement / somatic experiencing

Or perhaps, like me, you’ll resonate more with Lowen’s approach—using physical expression such as crying, punching a pillow, or free movement to release trapped energy.

Whichever technique you choose, remember: therapy plays a vital role. In a safe, supportive space, we can begin to explore the roots of emotional holding patterns and gently release them. Many clients are astonished to discover how much grief, fear, or shame has been quietly living in their bodies for years.

Final Thoughts: Your Body Knows

If you’re dealing with chronic pain, persistent tension, or unexplained weight issues, please know this: your body is not failing you.
It’s protecting you.
It’s carrying a story that deserves to be heard.

When we stop fighting our bodies and start listening to them, healing becomes possible—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually too.

You are not broken.
Your body remembers.
And it’s inviting you to remember, too.

References & Suggested Reading

Lowen, A. (1975). Bioenergetics: The Revolutionary Therapy That Uses the Language of the Body to Heal the Problems of the Mind. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan.

Renaud, G. (2012). Recall Healing: Unlocking the Secrets of Illness. Bio-Bel.

van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.

Pert, C. B. (1999). Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel. Scribner.

Berceli, D. (2008). The Revolutionary Trauma Release Process: Transcend Your Toughest Times. Namaste Publishing.