The Body Keeps the Score: A Contemplative Reading Guide
Explore Bessel van der Kolk's groundbreaking work on trauma, healing, and the body through a contemplative lens.
The Body Keeps the Score reveals how trauma reshapes the brain, mind, and body—and offers pathways to healing through neuroscience, somatic practice, and compassionate inquiry. This chapter-by-chapter reading guide invites you to engage with van der Kolk's insights through contemplative reflection, embodied practices, and curated book recommendations.
About This Guide
Each chapter exploration includes:
- A contemplative summary of key themes
- Reflections on the body's wisdom and trauma recovery
- Practices for integration (breathwork, somatic awareness, journaling prompts)
- Related titles from our collection to deepen your journey
Chapter Index
Part One: The Rediscovery of Trauma
Chapter 1 - Lessons from Vietnam Veterans
Chapter 2 - Revolutions in Understanding Mind and Brain
Chapter 3 – Looking into the Brain: The Neuroscience Revolution
Part Two: This Is Your Brain on Trauma
Chapter 4 – Running for Your Life: The Anatomy of Survival
Chapter 5 – Body-Brain Connections
Chapter 6 – Losing Your Body, Losing Your Self
Part Three: The Minds of Children
Chapter 7 – Getting on the Same Wavelength: Attachment and Attunement
Chapter 8 – Trapped in Relationships: The Cost of Abuse and Neglect
Chapter 9 – What's Love Got to Do with It?
Chapter 10 – Developmental Trauma: The Hidden Epidemic (coming soon)
Part Four: The Imprint of Trauma
Chapter 11 – Uncovering Secrets: The Problem of Traumatic Memory (coming soon)
Chapter 12 – The Unbearable Heaviness of Remembering (coming soon)
Part Five: Paths to Recovery
Chapter 13 – Healing from Trauma: Owning Your Self (coming soon)
Chapter 14 – Language: Miracle and Tyranny (coming soon)
Chapter 15 – Letting Go of the Past: EMDR (coming soon)
Chapter 16 – Learning to Inhabit Your Body: Yoga (coming soon)
Chapter 17 – Putting the Pieces Together: Self-Leadership (coming soon)
Chapter 18 – Filling in the Holes: Creating Structures (coming soon)
Chapter 19 – Rewiring the Brain: Neurofeedback (coming soon)
Chapter 20 – Finding Your Voice: Communal Rhythms and Theater (coming soon)
Epilogue – Choices to Be Made (coming soon)
Explore the Full Book - The Body Keeps the Score
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