WTF Just Happened? Help for Trauma's Aftermath
/All is going well until it’s suddenly NOT.
Whether you were involved in a car accident, a fall, or any other health crisis, suddenly you’ve gone (usually subconsciously) from “I am safe and all is well” to (very consciously) “WHAT THE F**K JUST HAPPENED?”
You’re not sleeping well, your digestion is doing funny things, your thoughts are RACING, and you’re on high alert, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
My sweet friend, I know that cycle well. And I can help.
Trauma is no respecter of persons. It skips no one, it favors no one. The reality is that life is full of surprises, and some of them might be more than we can handle in the moment. I would define trauma as the individual experience of something that is overwhelmingly scary and/or painful. It’s a broad definition, which I feel is needed when we talk about trauma.
It’s important to note that what is traumatic for one person may not be for another. Traumas cannot be compared. There isn’t one worse than another or more favorable to experience than another.
And when talking about healing trauma, there’s no one size fits all approach. It’s very much an individual process, which sometimes makes finding help frustrating.
Who do you call when your mind and heart are racing, you can’t trust your body, and your world feels like it’s caved in?
Friends and family can lend support, and sometimes they aren’t an appropriate resource. They might “over care” or be triggered themselves, which could leave you feeling alone with your trauma.
Talk therapy is wonderful, and it leaves out the physiological component of healing. Sometimes talking about what happened helps and sometimes it doesn’t, which can leave you feeling frustrated that you’re doing something but not making the progress you want.
Books, apps, and YouTube videos are great—they can teach you to meditate and breathe, they can guide you through practices and skills—and they lack the personal touch, the relationship, that facilitates healing. In a relationship with a healing professional, you receive attuned attention and care that is all about you.
Consider Yoga for Trauma as a resource on your healing journey.
Healing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It truly takes a village to heal trauma, which means every single thing I mentioned above might be a part of your journey. Friends, family, therapists, books, apps, videos are all wonderful elements along the way. I recommend whatever supports your healing. And there’s more.
When I found yoga, I was shattered. I noticed immediately after my first practice that all the thoughts in my head calmed down. I was able to breathe deeply and think clearly. I felt calm and peaceful. Almost 14 years later, yoga still works for me. It works for veterans, CEOs, teachers, attorneys, students, inmates, addicts, physician, nurses, therapists, and anyone who practices with earnestness consistently over a long period of time. And it can work for you.
Yoga is a system of practices that support optimal health, and through those practices you can reclaim your mind and body. Practices include:
Working with the breath
Movement or postures
Meditation / mind training
Guided imagery / visualization
Lifestyle choices
Yoga is like having a giant tool kit for healing. Working with a private yoga teacher is like having someone help you know how, when, where, what, and why to use those tools. Because practices can target an over-stimulated nervous system and shift the fight-flight-freeze response to rest and digest, yoga can be incredibly effective in developing emotional self-regulation and building resilience capacity.
Once you turn down the heat and put out the fire, healing can begin.
If you’d like to learn more about how yoga for trauma can help you, call me today for your free 15-minute consultation.