Podcast Summary

Podcast: 10% Happier with Dan Harris

Episode: How To Regulate Your Nervous System For Stress, Anxiety, And Trauma | Peter Levine
Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Dan Harris
Guest: Dr. Peter A. Levine, creator of Somatic Experiencing (SE)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the science and practice of Somatic Experiencing (SE), a body-based therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine to help people regulate their nervous system and process trauma, stress, anxiety, and chronic pain. Dr. Levine, a pioneer in trauma research and therapy, offers practical exercises, shares personal stories, discusses how SE differs from talk therapy, and outlines why increased body awareness is critical for healing. Dan Harris acts as both interviewer and "guinea pig," personally participating in some SE exercises during the episode.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction to Somatic Experiencing (SE)

• What Is SE?
  • SE is a therapy focusing on tuning into and regulating bodily sensations to process trauma, not just talking about events or feelings.
  • The approach emerged out of Levine's observation that trauma is stored in the body, not just the mind, and manifests as chronic tension or pain ([06:48]).

“We sometimes think of trauma as being psychological, but it’s very much somatic...it registers in our body, and we can change that.”
—Peter Levine [09:12]

• Physiological Basis:
  • Levine explains the role of the vagus nerve as a channel between gut sensations and the brain, informing our sense of safety or threat ([09:41]).
  • 80% of the vagus nerve is sensory, conveying signals from the gut to the brain.

2. Practical SE Techniques

The "Vu" Sound Exercise ([11:59]–[17:38])

• How it Works:
  • Take a deep breath, exhale with a "vu" sound from the belly, and notice sensations.
  • This practice helps shift bodily sensations from "gut-wrench" to warmth and relaxation.
• Rationale:
  • Ancient vocal/sounding techniques regulate the nervous system and have stood the test of time.
• Dan’s Experience:
  • Despite self-consciousness, Dan feels physical warmth and relaxation after two breaths.

“I felt immediately like warmth roll over my shoulders and down into my guts.”
—Dan Harris [16:03]

• Levine’s Response:

“You were opening to these good sensations rather than the gut wrench sensations. Sometimes you can switch out of this fairly quickly, but not always...especially when we have a lot of early childhood trauma.”
—Peter Levine [16:12]

Releasing Shoulder Tension ([21:22]–[23:24])

• Exercise:
  • Slowly raise and tense the shoulders, then release and notice any sensations, repeating as needed.
  • Aim: Unlock bracing patterns held in the body (often related to persistent pain or trauma).
• Immediate Effect:

“It’s the same onrush...a feeling of warmth from that very simple move.”
—Dan Harris [22:28]

Affirmations to Reinforce Presence ([23:24]–[24:43])

• Dan Repeats:
  • "I'm alive." / "I'm alive and I'm real."
  • Purpose: Moves awareness from thinking to being grounded in the body.

3. SE vs. Talk Therapy ([24:25]–[26:16])

• SE works ‘bottom-up’, focusing first on physical sensations, then progressing to emotions and thoughts.
• Talk therapy often stays in the conceptual or verbal realm, which limits its effectiveness for trauma that is neurologically and physically ‘locked’ in the body.

“Just talk therapy alone, without reference to the body, I think can be limited and...can take a long, long time to work.”
—Peter Levine [24:43]

4. How SE Heals Trauma ([26:35]–[31:03])

• Trauma is a disorder of disembodiment, leading to dissociation and fragmentation.
• The key is gently reconnecting with bodily sensations, unlocking "stuck" survival responses (fight, flight, freeze) ([31:11]).
• Interoception (body sense) is the growing research field underlying these techniques: simply being aware of your heartbeat can improve health outcomes ([29:17]).

5. SE Practices for Everyday Life ([36:41]–[41:13])

• Body-Focused Meditation:
  • Levine praises walking meditation and sensing movement as gateways to body awareness ([36:41]–[37:55]).
• Connecting Dreams and the Body:
  • Write down dreams and tune into associated body sensations—sometimes your unconscious points toward where “aliveness” or wounds reside ([38:08]).
• Practice for All:
  • Even if you don’t believe you have trauma, these practices enrich life.

“It can enrich all of our lives, any of our lives. And it is, I believe, the royal route in working with the effect of trauma.”
—Peter Levine [38:08]

6. Scientific Validation ([41:13]–[43:22])

• Studies, notably in Israel, show that as few as six SE sessions can yield significant, lasting drops in trauma symptoms ([41:21]).
• SE is applied beyond individual therapy—to children’s first aid, family counseling, and more.

7. The Ripple Effect: Healing the World ([43:35])

• Individual healing creates “nodes” of healing that can spread.
• Moving personal trauma through the body helps heal relationships and even collective wounds:

“Until we find peace within ourselves, within our bodies, we'll never find peace with each other.”
—Palestinian therapist participant (as recounted by Levine) [46:27]

8. Addressing Resistance and Fear ([47:21]–[49:13])

• Many people fear “reoccupying” their bodies due to the pain stored within.
• SE uses “titration” and “pendulation”:
  • Touch the pain in small doses, oscillate between contraction and expansion, never overwhelming the person.

9. Personal Story: Levine’s Autobiography of Trauma ([49:30]–[57:42])

• Levine describes his own childhood trauma—a Mafia-related assault and rape.
• Healing came not by dwelling in traumatic memories but by first reconnecting with embodied moments of love and joy (like his parents’ toy train surprise).
• Shame and lack of empathic support amplify trauma, but with guidance, even deep wounds can heal.

“Trauma is not so much or not just what happens to us, but rather what we hold inside in the absence of that present empathetic other.”
—Peter Levine [56:53]

10. Imagination and Mystical Perspectives ([57:53]–[65:12])

• Levine recounts mystical experiences (dreams involving Einstein) that guided his work, illustrating the interplay between imagination and healing.
• Embracing imagination supports creativity in science and therapy.

11. Practices for Fortification and Facing Mortality ([68:10]–[73:06])

• Recalling embodied experiences of love and connection can fortify us during difficulty and even in the face of death.
• Levine acknowledges not knowing what happens after death but trusts that “what we inhabit and embody in life” follows us in some way.

“If you believe that that’s a possibility, I think you’ll find that.”
—Peter Levine [68:10]

12. Takeaways, Resources, and Closing Thoughts ([74:11])

• Levine’s Books:
  • "An Autobiography of a Healing Journey"
  • "Waking the Tiger"
  • "In an Unspoken Voice"
  • "Trauma and Memory"
• SE Therapist Directory: somaticexperiencing.com (therapists trained worldwide).

Memorable Closing Quote

“May you stand tall and walk in beauty.”
—Peter Levine [65:05]

Notable Quotes by Segment (with Timestamps)

Introduction to Why the Body Matters

• “It can create long-term damage... but it’s very much somatic. We can change that. We can shift that.”
  —Peter Levine [09:12]

On SE vs. Feeling Weird

• “Who cares whether it feels weird?”
  —Dan Harris [14:02]

Practice of the “Vu” Sound

• “Let the breath and the sound all the way out.”
  —Peter Levine [15:02]

Affirmation and Embodiment

• “I’m alive and I’m real.”
  —Dan Harris [23:42]

On Interoception and Healing

• “It’s only by connecting to the body that we can unlock it.”
  —Peter Levine [29:17]

On the Collective Impact of Healing

• “Until we find peace within ourselves... we’ll never find peace with each other.”
  —Levine recounts a Palestinian therapist [46:27]

Important Timestamps

| Time | Topic / Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:36 | What is Somatic Experiencing? | | 09:41 | Explanation of vagus nerve and body/brain communication | | 11:59 | Introduction and guidance of the "Vu" exercise | | 16:03 | Dan’s live sharing of his “Vu” practice sensations | | 20:43 | Description of additional SE techniques | | 21:47 | Shoulder tension release exercise | | 24:25 | SE vs. Talk Therapy | | 26:35 | How SE heals trauma; role of dissociation | | 31:03 | Connection to fight/flight/freeze survival responses | | 36:41 | Body-oriented meditation, walking meditation | | 41:13 | Research and scientific basis for SE | | 47:21 | Why some people fear re-inhabiting their bodies | | 49:30 | Levine’s own trauma history and healing journey | | 57:53 | Imagination, dreams, and mystical imagery in the healing process | | 68:10 | Reconnecting to moments of joy & support to fortify in times of difficulty/mortality | | 74:11 | Levine’s book recommendations and closing resources |

Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways

• Trauma is not just psychological—it lives in the body.
• Sensations are the gateway to transformation. Simple practices (vocalization, movement, affirmations) can “reset” the nervous system.
• You don’t have to be a trauma survivor to benefit—body awareness practices enrich everyone’s life.
• Healing happens gradually and collectively: by healing ourselves, we can help heal others.
• Imagination, dreams, and body sensations are all legitimate tools for healing.
• SE is evidence-based: Clinical studies show robust improvements with even brief interventions.

For SE resources, therapist look-up, books, and more, visit somaticexperiencing.com.

“May you stand tall and walk in beauty.”