173: Recognizing & Touching Trauma (with Dr. Peter Levine) Listener Favorite

173: Recognizing & Touching Trauma (with Dr. Peter Levine) Listener Favorite

June 24, 2026 · 53 min · Episode 174

About this episode

Til Luchau and Dr. Peter Levine discuss how trauma is held in the body and how practitioners can effectively recognize and address it.

🎙 Recognizing & Touching Trauma (with Dr. Peter Levine) By popular demand! Originally aired as Episode 108, Til’s conversation with Dr. Peter Levine quickly became one of our most listened-to episodes ever — and it’s easy to hear why. The developer of Somatic Experiencing®, bestselling author of Waking the Tiger, and student of Ida Rolf shares how trauma lives in the body, how hands-on practitioners can recognize it, and how we can be most helpful when it shows up on our tables. Whether you missed it the first time or you’re ready for a second listen, this one rewards a revisit. ✨ Topics:• How bodyworkers can recognize trauma as it’s held in the body — bracing, breath holding, and the “snapshot” of past responses• The vagus nerve and gut-brain feedback loops: why 80% of its fibers carry signals from body to brain, and how to send the “all clear”• What wild animals and NASA astronauts taught Dr. Levine about resilience and bouncing back• Why pushing too hard backfires: “talking to the shoulders” with patient, supportive touch instead of forcing change• Dr. Levine’s evolving view that Ida Rolf was “largely correct” about fascia — and how nervous system and tissue work fit…

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