When the Body Speaks - by Liz Tenuto (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

For readers of The Body Keeps the Score and What Happened to You?, trauma-informed practitioner and Instagram phenomenon "The Workout Witch," Liz Tenuto, presents the ultimate guide to using somatic exercise to release tension, regulate the nervous system, and facilitate healing, drawing on her 15 years of experience teaching somatic healing.

Liz Tenuto's When The Body Speaks is a comprehensive guide to understanding how trauma and stress are stored within the body--and how somatic exercises can provide a powerful tool for healing. Defined as the study of the body as perceived from within, somatics emphasize internal sensory awareness and lived experiences as crucial for understanding and healing from tension, stress, and trauma. Written as an easy-to-digest primer, Tenuto explains the science of somatics, while offering simple, fully illustrated exercises to release tension through somatic practice.

Long-term stress and unresolved trauma can manifest in a host of ways--sleep issues, fatigue, muscle tension, digestive problems, cognitive difficulties, and numerous psychological conditions. By focusing on the body's innate capacity to heal, Tenuto teaches readers how to use movement to address these issues, allowing the nervous system to move from dysregulation to a state of homeostasis.

A survivor of childhood and adolescent trauma, Liz Tenuto began struggling with ailments like chronic pain and insomnia. After visiting doctor after doctor, she decided to learn more about somatic exercises--and it changed her life. Twenty years later, Liz is a trauma-informed practitioner with degrees in psychology and somatics, with millions of followers around the world. In her first book, Liz offers not only practical exercises and a deeper understanding of how the mind and body interact, but a pathway for self-compassion, empowerment, and a more fulfilling life.

Review Quotes

"This isn't just a book. It's a mirror for anyone who's survived narcissistic relationships. It puts language and understanding to what I've felt for so long. The validation in these pages is life-changing and the somatic exercises are incredibly healing." - Rosanna Arquette, actress and activist
"Liz has helped millions of women connect to their bodies, relieve pain, and change their lives--this book has the ability to do the same for you." - Tori Dunlap, founder of Her First $100K and New York Times bestselling author of FINANCIAL FEMINIST
"When the Body Speaks flips the healing script. It is not about mindset shifts or morning routines. It is about learning to speak the language of your own body. Liz Tenuto blends science, story, and soul to reveal how stress, anxiety, and even ambition live in our muscles, our breath, and our posture, and how to finally release what has been holding us back. If therapy helps you understand your story, this book helps you feel it and let it go." - Danielle Robay, journalist and host of QUESTION EVERYTHING
"Liz Tenuto's promise to us is that a reclamation of life is possible after trauma. And that it will not only help heal our dysregulated minds but our compromised bodies too. When the Body Speaks is nothing short of sublime somatic sorcery." - Sara Hirsh Bordo, award-winning filmmaker and author of AUTOIMMUNITY AND THE GOOD GIRLS
"A gentle, empowering guide to somatic healing, When The Body Speaks reconnects readers with their bodies' wisdom. It teaches how to release stored tension and rediscover inner safety and resilience with warmth and insight in a way that every survivor (including myself) needs and deserves. This book is a pure gift to you and your inner child." - Kimberly Shannon Murphy, author of GLIMMER