Trauma

What is trauma?

Trauma is any event that overwhelms our nervous system and our ability to cope with it. What distinguishes trauma from stress is that when we are confronted with a stressful situation, our nervous system goes into fight-or-flight mode and is able to fight and defend ourselves, or flee and withdraw from the stressor. Once we escape the stress, our body and nervous system return to balance.

With trauma, we cannot fight or flee. When we are overwhelmed by the situation, we freeze, and the nervous system's survival energy remains trapped in our body, making us feel hypervigilant and unable to relax. This survival energy can linger in our system for years.

Trauma is not what happened to us, but rather how our nervous system processed what happened to us. Trauma is more than just having bad memories. When trauma is stored in our body, it is a physiological response to survive.

Yet, many people with trauma in their bodies often don't realize this, partly because they haven't received a diagnosis. All they know is that they feel stressed, anxious, or hypervigilant, and that's not surprising.

Trauma is stored in the body. It's the clenching of our jaws, the tension in our neck and shoulders, the tightness in our chests, and the pain in our lower backs. Trauma is the sleepless nights, the increased heart rate, the feeling of panic, and the nervous feeling in our stomachs. It's the part of us that's easily startled by loud noises or sudden movements. It's the feeling of being on edge, always on edge, the feeling that something bad is going to happen. It could be the inner critic or the voice in our head that tells us we're shameful, pathetic, weak, or not good enough. Trauma is the feeling of being disconnected from our bodies, stuck in our heads, and numb or lost in our own world.

Above all, trauma is an energy that won't leave us alone, an energy that wants to come out and remains dormant until then.

Yoga therapy is a wonderful tool for moving trauma through the body, especially when done mindfully and intentionally. A consequence of trauma is that we disconnect from our bodies and shut down our ability to feel. Paradoxically, connecting with our bodies and learning to feel is crucial for healing trauma.

During Yin Yoga Therapy®, we work with parts of our bodies involved in our nervous system's fight-or-flight response. Reaching these parts and penetrating those deeper layers takes time; it's a slow and subtle process. Many people become frustrated because they struggle to allow that stillness; they don't feel direct action, for example, in the form of stretching. They then try to force this feeling by moving deeper into poses, overstretching, and pushing themselves beyond their limits. They often seek out stronger or more aggressive forms of yoga, but releasing trauma doesn't work that way. Strong and aggressive stretching does not contribute to creating safety in the body and will only continue to suppress the trauma. Trauma cannot be forced out of the body; it only releases when the nervous system feels safe.

We create this sense of safety by subtly moving energy through our bodies through certain postures and pranayama (breathwork), combined with mindfulness and meditation.

One of the most important features of yoga is pranayama, or breathwork. Our breath is the key to our nervous system because the vagus nerve runs through our diaphragm. The way we breathe influences how we feel and sends a powerful message to our nervous system that we are safe. The vagus nerve is responsible for activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the part of our nervous system responsible for rest, recovery, and relaxation).

Yoga breathing techniques have a wide range of health benefits, and each offers its own qualities and serves its own purpose. Breathwork is gaining popularity as a way to biohack our nervous system. But not all breathwork is suitable for people with trauma. Not all techniques are suitable for people with trauma and should not be used arbitrarily. Each pranayama, like every asana, has certain benefits and certain contraindications, and these are addressed.

When used incorrectly, certain techniques can be counterproductive.

For example, holding the breath can mirror the freeze response, which is not ideal for releasing certain traumas.

Overbreathing and hyperventilation mimic stress. reaction, which can trigger more stress.

Aggressive breathwork, circular breathing, holotropic breathing, and hyperbreathing can create an altered state of consciousness in people without trauma. However, if we have trapped survival energy in our system, this type of breathing can cause it to surface more, but remain trapped, making us feel more agitated and experiencing unwanted emotions.

At Yogatherapie Dordrecht, I use various breathing techniques and carefully consider which techniques are used at which time during the process, ensuring they can contribute positively to recovery. I teach you how to practice the exercises (asana, pranayama, and/or mindful meditation) safely and mindfully at home for lasting positive and relaxing results.

I believe there is no quick fix when it comes to processing trauma. The best approaches to healing trauma are slow, subtle, and create safety in our nervous system.

Healing the nervous system is not a top-down approach. Instead of using our minds and thoughts, we connect with the wisdom of our bodies and nervous systems. Our bodies know how to regain balance. We just need to create the right conditions, and I'm happy to help you do that.