Have you ever experience an intense emotion upon hearing a song, perhaps reminding you of a first dance or smelling a certain scent that reminded you of a beloved aunt? Maybe seeing seagulls squawking at the seashore brings back a feeling you had during vacations at the beach. They would probably all be good things and bring up positive emotions, perhaps even a tear or two.

The same thing happens with touch, although it is a bit more complicated. In brief, the physical body tends to hold in memories. These memories can be good or bad. They are especially true if the physical body has experienced trauma or injury concurrently with an intensely emotional event or trauma. The body will often protect itself by creating a chronic tension that can sometimes be released during a massage therapy session. This physical release connects to the brain and the emotions, which rise to the surface of consciousness and come out in various ways. Crying is just one way the body releases. It could also come through intense shaking of the whole body or even laughter.