Reclaiming the Body: Trauma, Energy & Inner Wisdom with Coloma Muro | ANEW Ep 94

In this deeply moving second half of our conversation, ANEW Insight Podcast host Dr. Supatra Tovar welcomes back author, psychotherapist, researcher, and women’s empowerment coach Coloma Muro for a profound dialogue on trauma healing, body consciousness, and the liberation found in reconnecting with our internal wisdom.

In Part 2, Coloma expands on her unique integrative approach, grounded in neuroscience, mindfulness, somatic therapy, tantra, and energy psychology. She explains how trauma is more than a psychological wound—it's a somatic experience, often stored as trapped energy in the body’s nervous system. Coloma introduces the concept of “Intimacy Within,” a body-based framework that empowers individuals to reclaim their power, awaken their senses, and dissolve shame through conscious connection to self.

You’ll learn:

• How trauma responses like fight, flight, freeze, and fawn manifest physically and emotionally
• Why breathwork is essential in regulating the nervous system and unlocking stored trauma
• How somatic practices and energy realignment (including work with the root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras) restore balance and vitality
• The damaging effects of patriarchal expectations on both women and men, especially regarding productivity, emotional suppression, and bodily disconnection
• The profound consequences of menstrual repression, dieting, overwork, and ignoring intuitive body cues
• How women can reconnect with their cycles, needs, and emotions to reverse burnout and prevent chronic illness
  
  
  

Dr. Tovar and Coloma also explore how primatology and conservation biology inform our understanding of collective healing, emergent intelligence, and interconnected systems. The conversation touches on neural plasticity, adaptive behaviors, and how small changes in the body and environment can catalyze massive transformation.

Toward the end of the episode, Coloma shares her exciting plans to relocate to Bali, where she’ll continue her mission of facilitating retreats and guiding global communities through holistic healing. Her upcoming Embodied Awakening Retreat in Bali (December 4–10) is a transformative opportunity for anyone seeking reconnection with body, breath, and being.

This conversation is an invitation to turn inward, listen deeply, and trust your body’s wisdom. Whether you're healing from trauma, burned out from hustle culture, or seeking a gentler way of living, this episode will leave you inspired and empowered.

🔗 Learn more about Coloma’s work at www.colomamuro.com
📲 Follow her on Instagram: @mindfulnesslovetherapist
🌴 Explore her Bali retreat and coaching offerings now

🎧 Subscribe to the ANEW Insight Podcast and never miss an episode that feeds your mind, body, and spirit.
📚 Check out Dr. Tovar’s book Deprogram Diet Culture and enroll in the course at

Thank you for joining us on this journey to wellness. Remember, the insights and advice shared on the ANEW Body Insight Podcast are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine. To learn more about the podcast and stay updated on new episodes, visit ANEW Body Insight Podcast at anew-insight.com. To watch this episode on YouTube, visit @my.anew.insight. Follow us on social media at @my.anew.insight on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads for more updates and insights. Thank you for tuning in! Stay connected with us for more empowering stories and expert guidance. Until next time, stay well and keep evolving with ANEW Body Insight!

Transcript

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:00

Welcome back to the ANEW Insight podcast. We are back for the second half of our interview with author, psychotherapist, researcher, and women's empowerment Coach Coloma Muro Coloma. Welcome back.

Coloma Muro: 0:01

It is a very interesting question. My mission I'm gonna start here. My mission is to deliver individuals precisely from past conditioning and programming. And I found that when I was working as a therapist, clients handed the power to me. I was the authority that validated their experiences, right? And at the root of personal freedom, there is a reclamation of one's power. So I use the, the principles that we talked about on the first part of our episode together about mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and body fullness to help the client find or create Intimacy Within. Intimacy Within is an embodied concept. Meaning it is an approach to building relationships that honors and respects the power of the body. And I'm saying that because that has to do with how I view trauma and how we can heal it. Intimacy Within at the end of the day comes or draws on the ancient principles of tantra, which emphasize working with energy to deepen a more profound connection connection with everything that is including the connection with self. To briefly what tantra means. Tantra in Sanskrit means weaving or expansion. And this practice helps us develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationships by weaving together all aspects, body, mind heart and spirit into a unified experience. And now it's where I'm gonna go into explaining how this helps me help clients heal from trauma. The foundation of my or my approach revolves, as I said, around helping clients connect deeply with themselves and others through our bodies in a conscious way. It's about learning how to be present with arises without judgment or expectations. Trauma is stuck energy in our body. When we experience overwhelming events, our nervous system can become dysregulated, Trapping, survival energy, what we know as fight, flight, or freeze. And these unresolved energies manifest as anxiety, dissociation, emotional numbness, or physical tension. And so my perspective invites individuals to explore life fully by embracing all of their experiences, physical, emotional, and spiritual without repression or shame. And by integrating mindfulness, as we mentioned, energy work and somatic awareness, I help unlock deep seated trauma and open the door to inner freedom. I can tell you how I do that more or less, or we It is a very interesting question. My mission I'm gonna start here. My mission is to deliver individuals precisely from past conditioning and programming. And I found that when I was working as a therapist, clients handed the power to me. I was the authority that validated their experiences, right? And at the root of personal freedom, there is a reclamation of one's power. So I use the, the principles that we talked about on the first part of our episode together about mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and body fullness to help the client find or create Intimacy Within. Intimacy Within is an embodied concept. Meaning it is an approach to building relationships that honors and respects the power of the body. And I'm saying that because that has to do with how I view trauma and how we can heal it. Intimacy Within at the end of the day comes or draws on the ancient principles of tantra, which emphasize working with energy to deepen a more profound connection connection with everything that is including the connection with self. To briefly what tantra means. Tantra in Sanskrit means weaving or expansion. And this practice helps us develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationships by weaving together all aspects, body, mind heart and spirit into a unified experience. And now it's where I'm gonna go into explaining how this helps me help clients heal from trauma. The foundation of my or my approach revolves, as I said, around helping clients connect deeply with themselves and others through our bodies in a conscious way. It's about learning how to be present with arises without judgment or expectations. Trauma is stuck energy in our body. When we experience overwhelming events, our nervous system can become dysregulated, Trapping, survival energy, what we know as fight, flight, or freeze. And these unresolved energies manifest as anxiety, dissociation, emotional numbness, or physical tension. And so my perspective invites individuals to explore life fully by embracing all of their experiences, physical, emotional, and spiritual without repression or shame. And by integrating mindfulness, as we mentioned, energy work and somatic awareness, I help unlock deep seated trauma and open the door to inner freedom. I can tell you how I do that more or less, or we It is a very interesting question. My mission I'm gonna start here. My mission is to deliver individuals precisely from past conditioning and programming. And I found that when I was working as a therapist, clients handed the power to me. I was the authority that validated their experiences, right? And at the root of personal freedom, there is a reclamation of one's power. So I use the, the principles that we talked about on the first part of our episode together about mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and body fullness to help the client find or create Intimacy Within. Intimacy Within is an embodied concept. Meaning it is an approach to building relationships that honors and respects the power of the body. And I'm saying that because that has to do with how I view trauma and how we can heal it. Intimacy Within at the end of the day comes or draws on the ancient principles of tantra, which emphasize working with energy to deepen a more profound connection connection with everything that is including the connection with self. To briefly what tantra means. Tantra in Sanskrit means weaving or expansion. And this practice helps us develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationships by weaving together all aspects, body, mind heart and spirit into a unified experience. And now it's where I'm gonna go into explaining how this helps me help clients heal from trauma. The foundation of my or my approach revolves, as I said, around helping clients connect deeply with themselves and others through our bodies in a conscious way. It's about learning how to be present with arises without judgment or expectations. Trauma is stuck energy in our body. When we experience overwhelming events, our nervous system can become dysregulated, Trapping, survival energy, what we know as fight, flight, or freeze. And these unresolved energies manifest as anxiety, dissociation, emotional numbness, or physical tension. And so my perspective invites individuals to explore life fully by embracing all of their experiences, physical, emotional, and spiritual without repression or shame. And by integrating mindfulness, as we mentioned, energy work and somatic awareness, I help unlock deep seated trauma and open the door to inner freedom. I can tell you how I do that more or less, or we It is a very interesting question. My mission I'm gonna start here. My mission is to deliver individuals precisely from past conditioning and programming. And I found that when I was working as a therapist, clients handed the power to me. I was the authority that validated their experiences, right? And at the root of personal freedom, there is a reclamation of one's power. So I use the, the principles that we talked about on the first part of our episode together about mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and body fullness to help the client find or create Intimacy Within. Intimacy Within is an embodied concept. Meaning it is an approach to building relationships that honors and respects the power of the body. And I'm saying that because that has to do with how I view trauma and how we can heal it. Intimacy Within at the end of the day comes or draws on the ancient principles of tantra, which emphasize working with energy to deepen a more profound connection connection with everything that is including the connection with self. To briefly what tantra means. Tantra in Sanskrit means weaving or expansion. And this practice helps us develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationships by weaving together all aspects, body, mind heart and spirit into a unified experience. And now it's where I'm gonna go into explaining how this helps me help clients heal from trauma. The foundation of my or my approach revolves, as I said, around helping clients connect deeply with themselves and others through our bodies in a conscious way. It's about learning how to be present with arises without judgment or expectations. Trauma is stuck energy in our body. When we experience overwhelming events, our nervous system can become dysregulated, Trapping, survival energy, what we know as fight, flight, or freeze. And these unresolved energies manifest as anxiety, dissociation, emotional numbness, or physical tension. And so my perspective invites individuals to explore life fully by embracing all of their experiences, physical, emotional, and spiritual without repression or shame. And by integrating mindfulness, as we mentioned, energy work and somatic awareness, I help unlock deep seated trauma and open the door to inner freedom. I can tell you how I do that more or less, or we Yes. So again, I teach people the power of their body consciousness and. And I help them cultivate intimacy within as a way to own their worth. So instead of just talking, I include breath work, which I use as a bridge between the conscious and the subconscious. Trauma survivors often hold shallow or restricted breath patterns signaling a constant state of vigilance. So breath work practices help regulate the nervous system and shift emotional states and really stored trauma. I also teach. practices meaning gentle, mindful movement to help individuals reclaim their bodies safely. This is key as trauma often creates disconnection between the body and the mind leading to numbness or dissociation. So through meditation, visualization, and other techniques, we can return these centers back to balance, helping dissolve shame, fear or anger and fostering a renewed sense of vitality and empowerment, and

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:07

And I'm telling you that, that that breath work exercise is like mind blowing. Literally it's mind blowing and it's taking all the trapped energy that, you know, tends to sit in the lower three chakras. And I know that sounds woo woo to some people out there, but I tell you, it is one of the most powerful exercises that you can do to release this trapped energy.

Coloma Muro: 0:08

Regardless of the gender, we all have. Feminine and masculine energies within us and neglecting the part of us that feels, which is the feminine, is extremely damaging to our overall health and to how we live our lives. Simple example of how we become disenfranchised from our bodies is by relying on external sources to tell us how our bodies are doing. And this is what I most get. I get clients that have gone to multiple doctors trying to figure out where the source of their pain is or how to fix their pain, and ultimately they are, they go to the doctor to, to check if they're healthy. But you know, once, like this doesn't prevent illnesses. Check exams don't prevent illnesses. What prevents illnesses is actually to turn inwards and listen to our bodies instead of going to someone else to tell us how we are doing. So, you know when, by the time that our medical exams tell us that we are not healthy, you know, we are past the line, we need to take a step back and reconnect. To how we feel, how our bodies are doing. These, at the end of the day is, is what I get. Like people come to me when they have cancer when they have autoimmune diseases, you know, when they are very advanced in their physical illnesses. And you know what I do, the work that I do with them is to take them back and let's, let's reconnect with, with our bodies to understand, to work with mindfulness, body fullness neuroplasticity, all these concepts that we've. Talked about. I can give you another example of, particularly you asked me about women. So, men, for example, men need six to seven hours of sleep. Women need eight to nine or 10 hours. Our bodies are different than men's. And in this society, which is overly masculine you know, we try to be men, women try to be men. All the studies made on fasting are made with men. So, you know, if we already are neglecting our emotions and we stress our bodies even more by dieting or over exercising or overworking or not sleeping, the hours that our bodies need to sleep, that is where our bodies complain and we start having diseases. Most of my clients, for example, have neglected their menstrual cycles at some point in their lives to keep up with their work. From using IUDs to taking Ibuprofen, and again, pretending that we don't have, cycles not only damages our psyche as we keep telling ourselves that is wrong, to have them or to be a woman, basically, it causes so much pain in our bodies. To how we feel, how our bodies are doing. These, at the end of the day is, is what I get. Like people come to me when they have cancer when they have autoimmune diseases, you know, when they are very advanced in their physical illnesses. And you know what I do, the work that I do with them is to take them back and let's, let's reconnect with, with our bodies to understand, to work with mindfulness, body fullness neuroplasticity, all these concepts that we've. Talked about. I can give you another example of, particularly you asked me about women. So, men, for example, men need six to seven hours of sleep. Women need eight to nine or 10 hours. Our bodies are different than men's. And in this society, which is overly masculine you know, we try to be men, women try to be men. All the studies made on fasting are made with men. So, you know, if we already are neglecting our emotions and we stress our bodies even more by dieting or over exercising or overworking or not sleeping, the hours that our bodies need to sleep, that is where our bodies complain and we start having diseases. Most of my clients, for example, have neglected their menstrual cycles at some point in their lives to keep up with their work. From using IUDs to taking Ibuprofen, and again, pretending that we don't have, cycles not only damages our psyche as we keep telling ourselves that is wrong, to have them or to be a woman, basically, it causes so much pain in our bodies. Yes. So that's what I'm saying. It's like, oh, we're like overstressing our bodies and. If like, that's not a way to live. Women, when women come to me, it's because they are sick or they don't wanna live the life that they're living anymore. They're so burned out, they can't keep up. And by the way, patriarchy also, negatively impacts men. They are completely disconnected from themselves because of the repression of their own feminine. they have had to suppress their emotions to fit into a social model that doesn't work for the people. It's a model that benefits corporations, that fits capitalism and that sustains itself actually through telling people that we are not enough as we are, that we don't have enough, that we have to look a specific way that we have to do this or do that. Right? And at the end of the day, this is the root of all addictions.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:13

You are so right, like, oh my gosh, and this is, I talk about this all the time. We live in a world that tells us we can't trust our bodies. We can't trust what's going on. We have to listen to all the experts out there and follow this diet in order to fit into this paradigm. And you guys, if you don't know me by now, diets don't work. And it's just this wonderful, natural, intuitive process that if you really tune into it, you don't have to listen to anybody. I tell people when they come in my door that I want by the end of their treatment, for them to never need to listen to me or anyone else again, that they are their own best expert. Now I really, I wanna get into primatology. Okay. Like, this is fascinating. Tell me about your research in neuroscience and primatology, and how that informs your understanding of human behavior and relationships.

Coloma Muro: 0:16

You'll have to cut me off here because there's, this is a very deep question. Everything I've studied and experienced configures would how I perceive life today. Neuroscience and primatology were the introduction of understanding the non-linearity of nature. It, it's a complex, a complex topic, so I, I will try to simplify. Psychology is a study from a, you know, from a very westernized perspective like pathologizing everything and trying to find steps to heal X, Y, and Z. my master's in primatology was conservation research based, meaning that we studied models to analyze patterns in nature to predict future outcomes that has to do with conservation, but at the, all, all, all these models that we studied, which are mathematical and computer based study patterns, which is what neuroscience does as well. And so both fields observe systems and make predictions considering the interconnectedness of everything. So these two disciplines, both neuroscience and primatology, gave me a holistic framework for understanding human behavior and relationships as both interconnected systems where small changes lead to significant outcomes. In, in other words, like by integrating, insights from ecosystem dynamics and neural networks. So the, our ecosystem around us is a little how our brain functions and our body functions as well. Everything is interconnected and we are adaptive animals, we adapt climate shifts, the brain rewires itself in response to experiences, and so trauma, stress, or environmental changes reshape neural pathways just as going back to the conservation or the primatology aspect of what I was studying is like how deforestation or pollution, for example, alter ecosystems. This gives me a broader understanding of how we can reshape, our own behavioral patterns combining or using an intuitive approach to healing. Like for example, and that's what I can dive very deep, but I'm gonna, I'm trying to make it very simple. The, the patterns like flocks of birds, they, the birds don't cognitively think, I'm gonna move to the right, I'm gonna move to the left. They there's an emergent intelligence. Where no single bird controls the system. It's, it's a complex behavior that arises from the group, right? And we see that in cultural shifts, in relationships and in collective actions. So there's an outcome that it's greater the individual action. It's called what we would call emergence. Yeah. Emerging intelligence. And I've used this understanding to improve social dynamics, leadership and cooperative behaviors in corporate, for example. But to come back to your question it my understanding and studies in primatology and also I worked at the zoo, I was I, I can see behaviors, emerging behaviors from the interaction of the parts that are playing a role in the emergent behavior, if that makes sense. It's a complex so,

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:20

conservationist and little fun fact, you guys. I was like, Ooh, I love her and I need to know everything about her. So Coloma tell us. What are your, what's the future you're leaving us? Which makes me sad. Really makes me sad that you're leaving and we hopefully, I, I would love it for, for us to meet in person before you go, so I can be like, oh, that's her.

Coloma Muro: 0:22

No, you're good. Now. Everybody knows it's, it's great. Like my mission revolves around, as I said, contributing to collective healing and I wanna nurture it and protect it. And I feel called to moving to Bali. And as we've been talking all along in this podcast, I'm following the inner guidance. And inner guidance cannot be grasped by intellectual alone. It's gonna be at the end of the year, the December 4th till the 10th. It's my sixth grade retreat, and it's gonna include yoga, somatic practices mindfulness practices, different types of healing modalities, and yeah, I, I'm, I probably will be leading more so you can come at any, but yeah, the next one is gonna be in December and I.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:24

Hey, she's accessible everyone. Oh my gosh. Please get to know Coloma more. I, I, I really wanna have you back on at some point to pick your brain some more because you are absolutely iridescent and just so intelligent and just wise beyond your years glowing. And Can I go on and on? You're amazing. So everyone please just, you know, give this person some love. Oh my gosh seriously, it's a date. Thank you and thank you for tuning into the ANEW Insight podcast. I'm looking forward to my next exciting interview and hopefully it's as incredible as this one. I am sure it will be. I will see you all next time. Thanks Coloma.