The theme of this study is ‘What the nature of somatic/psychological experiences reported by trauma survivors through movement education is.' The problems of this study are: first, to investigate the relation between the somatic characteristics of trauma survivors and their movements and second, to study on the process of their life changes and the meaning of their experiences reported by them through participating in the movement class. Five study participants, among the educators who participated in the Korean Tamalpa Institute’s program, “Remembering the Body” from June to December of 2013, conducted the narrative study from January to March of 2014. Through this study, first, it was found out that the trauma survivors, due to their physiological responses by traumas, had tended to unconsciously block senses arisen in the somatic area and the areas of emotion and perception had been also blocked therefore the sphere of their lives had become limited. Second, they reported that, as the circulating relations among the soma, emotion and perception in the trauma survivors started to develop, they realized the soma, emotion, thinking, relationships, and other life’s contexts such as that in workplace were all connected and changes occurred in them simultaneously. Third, through movement education, the trauma survivors obtained new somatic experiences and they discovered some points where the somatic movement experiences at the studio could be integrated into the metaphoric movement experiences in their lives. Fourth, when the responses by traumas occurred, they understood the traumas’ physiological theory, not by verbal expressions, but through movement.

This study aims to understand Somatic Experiencing® which is a trauma healing technique through the senses of the body, and how humans are neurophysiologically connected to the autonomic nervous system in the process of recognizing the senses and react to survival. I examine whether it has an emotional release and how the trauma can be healed through the senses of the body. To this end, I investigate the survival and defensive behavior of wild animals, which is the core concept of Peter Levin's trauma healing, and discuss in terms of neurophysiology. As a result, I identify the physical implications of somatic experience based on neurophysiology. First, trauma is something that can be experienced willingly and is a natural and normal part of life. Second, for trauma healing, the intervention of the brain's neocortex is important. Through neocortical intervention, it is possible to focus on the body sensations and integrate the three-layered brain structure. Third, activation of the vagus nerve, which is closely related to our emotional response and social relationship, plays an important role in bringing about stabilization.