Book Review | Waking the Tiger

Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine is a must-read for trauma healing.

This powerful book explores how trauma lives in the body and offers a drug-free approach to release it through somatic practices. It dives deep into both severe shock trauma (like accidents or loss) and chronic stress from long-term situations, showing how each type of trauma h impacts our bodies and minds.

Levine emphasizes how cultures with healing rituals address trauma directly, while in our culture, we’re taught to push through pain with a "stiff upper lip." This repression causes trauma to root deeply in our bodies, manifesting as anxiety, chronic pain, or other symptoms.

Revisiting this book (yes, I have read it three times!) reminded me of my own healing journey stemming from childhood trauma, autoimmune issues, and chronic stress. Somatic trauma release is a core part of every conscious connected breathwork session I lead. It helps transform pain by bridging the gap between contraction and expansion—just as Levine describes. Breathwork allows for powerful emotional release and true connection to our body’s innate wisdom to heal.

This book reaffirmed my passion for creating safe spaces where people can gently open their trauma boxes, without having to be superhuman. It’s about healing from the inside out, one breath at a time.