The Psychology of Stored Emotions in the Body
It Happened to Me in a Packed Yoga Class
I was lying in pigeon pose, breathing slowly, eyes closed. No intense music, no racing thoughts. But suddenly, there it was: a knot in my throat, tightness in my chest… and silent tears. It was as if my body was speaking a language I didn’t fully understand.
If you’ve ever cried during yoga or felt an unexpected emotional wave during practice, you’re not alone. In fact, it’s more common than most people realize, and it actually makes a lot of sense.
Let’s explore why yoga can make you cry and what’s really happening beneath the surface.
Your Body Has a Memory
For decades, we believed that emotions live only in the brain. But newer research shows something deeper: your body remembers, especially the experiences you never got to process fully.
Stress, grief, anxiety, and trauma don’t just affect your thoughts. They shape how you hold your body, how you breathe, and how you move.
“Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies.”
- Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score
That quote hit me hard. It helped me understand why certain yoga poses or breathwork can unlock something we didn’t even realize was there. Sometimes, it's not about reliving a memory, it's simply tension that’s finally letting go.
What’s Happening in the Nervous System
When we experience overwhelming events or chronic stress, our body shifts into fight, flight, or freeze mode, part of our autonomic nervous system’s built-in survival system.
The problem? Many of us never get the chance to release that survival energy. It lingers.
Yoga, particularly slow or breath-centered practices like yin yoga or restorative yoga, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the "rest and digest" state. That’s when your body finally gets the message: you’re safe now.
You might notice:
Sighing
Trembling or shaking
Tingling sensations
Crying or emotional release
This shift is real. According to Dr. Stephen Porges, creator of Polyvagal Theory, deep breathing and gentle movement stimulate the vagus nerve, helping us transition out of survival mode and into healing.
Your Muscles Might Be Holding Emotions Too
Beyond your nervous system, your muscles and fascia (the connective tissue around your muscles) may also hold unprocessed emotions.
Ever notice how your shoulders tighten when you’re stressed? Or how your jaw clenches when you're fighting tears? That muscle memory is real.
Stretching these areas, especially through yoga, may not just release tightness, but emotion too.
Researcher Robert Schleip suggests that stretching fascia may stimulate parts of the nervous system tied to emotional memory.
That explains why certain poses, especially hip openers, can feel surprisingly emotional.
The Psoas: The Body’s Emotional Junk Drawer
One muscle in particular comes up again and again in discussions of emotional release in yoga: the psoas.
This deep muscle connects your spine to your femurs and plays a key role in the body's stress response. It tightens when you’re bracing for impact, emotionally or physically.
It’s also linked to your diaphragm, which controls your breath. This makes it a powerful emotional storehouse.
Stretching the psoas in poses like:
Pigeon pose
Lizard pose
Bridge pose
...can trigger a wave of unexpected emotions. And that’s not weakness, it’s release.
Yoga as a Practice of Feeling and Healing
Yoga is unique because it doesn’t just target your body or mind, it works with both. It invites you to:
Slow down
Notice
Breathe
Be present
That presence creates space for emotions to rise, not as a breakdown, but as a breakthrough.
Somatic therapist Peter Levine says trauma is “stuck” energy. Body-based practices like yoga and breathwork help us release that energy, without reliving the trauma.
That’s why yoga can be a powerful complement to therapy, not a replacement, but a partner in healing.
What To Do If You Cry During Yoga
First and most importantly: let it happen.
There’s nothing wrong with you. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, it might be a sign that something healthy is happening.
If you feel emotional during class:
Come back to your breath
Shift into child’s pose or a gentler version of the posture
Ground yourself by feeling your hands, feet, or the mat
Give yourself space after class, maybe through journaling, rest, or a quiet walk
Talk to a trauma-informed yoga teacher or therapist
If it happens frequently or feels overwhelming, consider working with a somatic therapist or a body-centered mental health professional.
Therapist Orders: You’re Not Falling Apart, You’re Letting Go!
Crying during yoga may feel surprising or even uncomfortable, but it’s often a sign that your body is finally feeling safe enough to release what it’s been holding.
You don’t need to understand it all in the moment. Just know that your body knows how to heal.
So the next time your eyes well up during a pose, remember:
You’re not weak. You’re not broken.
You’re letting go, and that’s something worth honoring.
Resources:
Koch, L. (1997). The Psoas Book. Guinea Pig Publications.
Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the tiger: Healing trauma. North Atlantic Books.
Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
Schleip, R. (2003). Fascial plasticity – a new neurobiological explanation. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 7(1), 11–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1360-8592(02)00067-0
Van der Kolk, B. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books.
Harvard Health Publishing. (2019). The psoas muscle may be triggering your anxiety. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-psoas-muscle-may-be-triggering-your-anxiety
Yoga Journal Editors. (2021). Why You Cry During Yoga. Yoga Journal. https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/why-you-cry-during-yoga/
Crying During Yoga!
Emotional release in yoga
Yoga Trauma Healing
Somatic yoga
Nervous System Regulation Yoga
Fascia emotional release
Why do people cry in yoga
Psoas and emotions
