How to Identify and Heal the Emotions Stored Inside You
Body Story: How Do Emotions Show Up in Our Body and What is Your Body Story?
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There are parts of your story you’d rather not share. Hidden chapters. Silent struggles. Often, these chapters involve our bodies. The vessels that carry the narrative of our lives. Have you ever wondered, “How do emotions show up in our body?”
Your body silently stores and expresses the stories you haven’t spoken out loud. But the good news? Your story isn’t finished yet.

How Emotions Show Up in Our Body
Our bodies communicate emotions vividly, often more honestly and profoundly than our words ever could. Think about the times you’ve felt stressed: your shoulders instinctively rise, bearing an invisible weight of responsibility. When fear creeps in, it lodges itself deep within your stomach, creating that familiar knot, an ache that seems to anchor you to anxiety. Shame doesn’t simply pass through it grips your chest tightly, constricting your breath, forcing your posture to shrink inward, almost as if you’re trying to become invisible.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, in his groundbreaking work The Body Keeps the Score (2014), explores the undeniable connection between our emotional experiences and physical bodies. His extensive research reveals that emotional traumas don’t merely fade away; instead, they find refuge deep within our bodies, manifesting years later as chronic pain, heightened anxiety, and persistent physical tension. These unresolved emotional burdens can remain embedded in our muscles, joints, and even nervous system, silently influencing our health long after we’ve consciously forgotten the initial event.
Our bodies remember everything, even the stories our minds desperately seek to forget. Each ache, pain, and sensation can be a silent testament to unresolved emotional experiences.
Our personal stories profoundly shape our identities, decisions, and relationships. According to psychologists James Pennebaker and Joshua Smyth (2016), when emotional narratives remain unresolved, they don’t merely linger quietly. They manifest physically, influencing our health, interactions, and perceptions of the world. Unaddressed stories of pain and trauma can perpetuate cycles of dysfunction and emotional distress. But, when we courageously confront and process these hidden stories, we set in motion a transformative healing process that impacts not only our emotional well-being but our physical health as well. Confronting these narratives isn’t just emotionally liberating; it’s physically restorative.
Our bodies remember everything, even when we consciously try to forget.

What is Your Body Story?
Your body story is a powerful narrative composed of your physical and emotional experiences. Just like a book, your body carries characters, conflicts, plots, and even twists. Perhaps the antagonist in your story is chronic illness, shame about your appearance, or past trauma. Maybe the setting was your childhood home, a critical remark from someone you loved, or a painful experience you’ve been silently carrying.
Consider the key parts of any story:
- Characters: Who influenced your body image and self-perception? Family? Friends? Media?
- Setting: Where were you when you first felt shame about your body?
- Plot: What event triggered your feelings of inadequacy?
- Conflict: What struggle do you continue to carry physically and emotionally?
- Theme: What belief has shaped your view of your body?
- Mood: How does your body feel right now—tense, relaxed, fearful, hopeful?
The beauty is that every story can experience a plot twist.

Does the Cover Tell the Whole Story?
We often judge books and ourselves by their covers. We use metaphorical fig leaves, just like Adam and Eve, to hide the places we’re ashamed of (Genesis 3:7). These fig leaves might be clothing choices, makeup, filters, achievements, or excessive busyness. These covers might offer temporary relief, but they don’t heal the underlying narrative.
Just as 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God’s interest in our stories goes far deeper than surface appearances.
How Does a Story Impact Us?
Our personal stories profoundly shape our identities, decisions, and relationships. Psychologists note that unresolved emotional narratives lead to physical and emotional complications, impacting how we interact with the world (Pennebaker & Smyth, 2016). But when we bravely confront these stories, we initiate a healing process that transforms not just our minds, but our bodies too.
Offering a Plot Twist
The greatest plot twist is allowing God, the original author, to rewrite your body story. Radical individualism tempts us to believe we’re the sole authors of our lives. But God’s Word reminds us: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
You can surrender your pen to Him. Imagine replacing shame with redemption, anxiety with peace, and insecurity with divine confidence. When God authors your story, every chapter, painful or joyful, serves a higher purpose.
Achievement Identity and Your Value
Our culture often equates value with achievements, appearance, and external validation. We strive for approval, hoping our successes will rewrite the narrative of inadequacy. Yet, God’s truth stands firm:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5).
You were valuable before you accomplished anything. Your virtue is not tied to your achievements but to your identity as God’s beloved.
What is God’s Story About You?
The most crucial part of your body story isn’t merely the scars you’ve accumulated or the victories you’ve earned. It’s about the depth and intensity of God’s love for you. Psalm 139:14 beautifully encapsulates this divine truth:
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
God’s perspective of your body story is not one of shame, guilt, or inadequacy. Rather, He views your body as His intentional masterpiece, crafted meticulously and lovingly designed with profound purpose. Your story every scar, every triumph is something He delights in redeeming, transforming what was once painful into something powerfully beautiful.
Are You Ready to write the new chapter of Your Story?
Today, consider embracing your body story. The messy, complicated, yet profoundly beautiful narrative it is. Instead of carrying the weight of emotional burdens alone, invite God into your journey of healing. Allow His love to penetrate the wounds you’ve tightly held onto. Imagine the freedom that awaits when you release the burdens you’ve carried for so long, trusting in God’s promise of redemption. Your story isn’t set in stone; it’s open to transformation. You have the opportunity to write a new chapter to your narrative, guided and empowered by God’s grace and truth.
Call to Action:
Join “Reclaim Your Temple” – embark on a transformative 12-week journey that integrates faith, fitness, and emotional healing. Together, in a supportive community, rewrite your body story grounded in God’s truth. [Learn More and Register Here]

Attend the RW Health Summit – immerse yourself in two empowering days crafted to radically transform your understanding of health, wholeness, and your identity in Christ. Experience deep, transformative healing alongside others committed to this sacred journey. [Discover More Here]

References
- Pennebaker, J. W., & Smyth, J. M. (2016). Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain. Guilford Press.
- Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
- Bible Gateway. (n.d.). New International Version Bible. https://www.biblegateway.com/