What We Can Learn from Dr. Gabor Maté About Trauma and Breathing

Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned physician and trauma expert, has dedicated his career to understanding how trauma shapes our mental and physical health. His groundbreaking work sheds light on how unresolved trauma can manifest as chronic stress, illness, and emotional imbalance. One area where his insights deeply resonate is in the connection between trauma and breath.

Breathwork, a practice of conscious breathing, has emerged as a powerful tool for trauma healing—a connection that aligns closely with Dr. Maté’s understanding of how the body holds and expresses emotional pain. Let’s explore how his teachings illuminate the role of breath in processing and healing trauma.

Trauma Lives in the Body

Dr. Maté emphasizes that trauma isn’t just about what happens to us—it’s about what happens inside us as a result. Trauma disrupts the mind-body connection, trapping stress and emotional pain in the nervous system. Over time, this can manifest as anxiety, chronic tension, fatigue, and even illness.

When we experience trauma, our body naturally tightens and constricts as a survival mechanism. This constriction often leads to shallow, restricted breathing. Without realizing it, many people live in a chronic state of holding their breath or breathing just enough to survive, not thrive.

The Breath-Trauma Link:

• Trauma causes chronic tension and constriction in the body, limiting full, free breathing.

• Shallow breathing keeps the body stuck in “fight-or-flight” mode, activating the sympathetic nervous system.

• Suppressed emotions and stress can be physically held in the chest and diaphragm, restricting breath even further.

Breathing as a Pathway to Healing

Dr. Maté teaches that healing trauma requires reconnecting with the body and addressing the emotional wounds beneath our physical symptoms. Breathwork does exactly that. By consciously engaging with our breath, we begin to soften the layers of tension and defense mechanisms that trauma has built within us.

How Breathwork Supports Trauma Healing:

1. Regulates the Nervous System:

Deep, conscious breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, shifting the body out of “fight-or-flight” and into “rest-and-digest.” This calms the body, reducing anxiety and stress.

2. Releases Stored Emotions:

Breathwork creates space for suppressed emotions to surface and release. This gentle, somatic process allows the body to process emotions that may have been trapped for years.

3. Restores Mind-Body Connection:

Conscious breathing grounds us in the present moment, reconnecting the mind with the body—a vital step in healing trauma, according to Dr. Maté.

4. Creates Safety in the Body:

Trauma often makes the body feel unsafe. Slow, intentional breathing signals safety to the brain, helping the body release tension and rebuild trust in itself.

Dr. Gabor Maté’s work reminds us that healing trauma requires us to reconnect with our bodies and address the deep emotional wounds we carry. Breathwork offers a powerful, accessible way to begin that process. By consciously breathing, we can soften the armor that trauma has built, regulate our nervous system, and slowly create space for healing.