Healing Trauma Through Physical Activity

The world can be a harsh place, leaving its mark on us in visible and invisible ways. When we experience trauma, it becomes a part of who we are, causing anxiety, flashbacks, and a feeling of emptiness. Often, words can't express the depth of our pain or bring us closer to healing.

But amid darkness, there's a glimmer of hope: the power of movement.

Embracing physical activity for trauma healing doesn't mean reliving the trauma but rather embracing the natural healing power of movement to soothe our minds, release emotions, and create space for reclaiming our sense of self.

Understanding Trauma's Grip on the Body

When we experience trauma, our bodies are flooded with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This triggers the primal fight-or-flight response, causing our heart rate to race, muscles to tense, and attention to narrow. This response is designed to protect us in the immediate moment, but when trauma isn't resolved, this hyperarousal state can become chronic.

The overwhelming emotions and memories associated with the trauma get stuck in the limbic system, the brain's emotional processing center. This keeps the limbic system in a state of hypervigilance, constantly anticipating more danger, even when the threat has long passed. The nervous system struggles to self-regulate, and the body's natural healing ability is hampered. This vicious trauma cycle sustains itself.

Why Talk Therapy Isn't Always the Answer

Many people assume that healing trauma requires repeatedly talking through all the terrible details with a therapist. But traditional talk therapy, while valuable for some, may not be the best approach for everyone, especially in the early stages of healing.

Verbally recounting traumatic events can further overwhelm the already activated rational brain and nervous system. It can inadvertently retraumatize someone by triggering overwhelming emotions, memories, and physical sensations when their system is too activated to process it all. Retraumatization prolongs the traumatic state rather than resolving it.

Here's how retraumatization occurs:

Trauma disrupts the brain: A traumatic event overwhelms the brain, causing it to prioritize survival over rational thought and emotional regulation. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for higher-order thinking, becomes less active, while the amygdala, the brain's fear center, becomes hyperactive.

Memories get encoded differently: Traumatic memories are encoded differently than ordinary memories, stored in the limbic system along with the associated physical sensations and emotions. This makes them easily triggered and difficult to integrate into a coherent narrative.

The body remains in fight-or-flight: The nervous system remains in a state of high alert, even when the threat is gone. This can manifest as physical symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, and flashbacks.

Talking about the trauma can reactivate these stored memories and emotions, leading to the following:

Intrusive thoughts and flashbacks: Vivid memories and images of the traumatic event may resurface involuntarily.

Emotional hyperarousal: Fear, anger, sadness, and guilt can become overwhelming.

Physical sensations: Bodily symptoms like a racing heart, sweating, and muscle tension may return.

Dissociation: A feeling of detachment from oneself and one's surroundings can be a coping mechanism.

Beyond Talk Therapy: Somatic Approaches to Trauma Healing

While talk therapy can be a valuable tool for processing emotions and gaining insights, it appeals to the rational brain; it doesn't always address the embodied aspects of trauma. The non-verbal limbic system needs different approaches, which is where physical activities come in.

Somatic approaches, which focus on the body's innate capacity for healing, offer a gentler, non-verbal approach to healing. By engaging in movement, we can more effectively begin the healing process by calming the nervous system and creating space for insights about the past and empowerment in the present.

Here are some benefits of physical activity for trauma: 

Regulation of the nervous system: Practices like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing can calm the fight-or-flight response and promote feelings of safety and relaxation.

Release of physical tension: Techniques like massage, TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises), EFT Tapping, and gentle movement can release tension patterns stored in the body, facilitating emotional release.

Increased body awareness: Somatic practices help individuals better understand their physical sensations and emotions, allowing them to manage their triggers and responses better.

Empowerment and self-compassion: Individuals can reclaim control and develop self-compassion for their experiences by engaging directly with the body.

Create space for insights and growth: Physical activities for trauma help reset the nervous system so individuals can process trauma from a grounded and resourced state. As the nervous system calms and trauma begins to release, new perspectives and understanding about the experience can emerge.

Safely dislodge trauma: Movement can help to activate and release unprocessed emotions and memories stored in the body. This can lead to a sense of liberation and empowerment.

Harnessing the Power of Movement: Exploring Different Physical Activities for Trauma Healing

Trauma, unfortunately, is a far too common experience for many people. While it can leave deep emotional and psychological scars, it's important to remember that there are ways to heal and reclaim your sense of self.

One often overlooked approach is through physical activities, which offer a gentle and effective way to guide your nervous system out of the fight-or-flight response and create space for processing trauma safely.

This isn't about reliving the trauma or pushing through discomfort. It's about embracing the undeniable link between our bodies and our emotions. Physical activity for trauma offers a powerful way to access and process trauma stored in the body, leading to lasting healing and transformation.

EFT Tapping

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Tapping is based on acupressure points that balance the energy system. It involves gently tapping fingertips on points on the face and body. For optimal healing, tapping movements are often combined with verbal affirmations that oppose traumatic beliefs.

Example Exercise: Tap the karate chop point 5 times, saying, "Even though I feel a deep sense of dread from that experience, I deeply love and accept myself." 

The karate chop point, also known as the side of the hand or KC point, is located on the fleshy, narrow side of your hand on the side of the pinky finger. It's the area you would use to deliver a karate chop. It's important to use the fleshy part of your hand to tap, not the bony bump. You should feel a slight vibration when you tap the correct point.

Repeat the affirmation while tapping through the other acupressure points.  

Yoga and Trauma-Informed Yoga

Yoga is a practice that links movement, breath, and mental focus. It emphasizes connecting with the breath and bodily sensations in the present moment rather than dwelling on past experiences or future anxieties.

Yoga is a multi-faceted healing approach involving physical postures that may help release muscle tension that stores trauma memories. Meanwhile, deep breathing triggers the relaxation response, counteracting the fight-or-flight mode. The mental focus of this highly effective practice helps regulate the nervous system. 

It's important to note that trauma-sensitive yoga styles avoid or modify poses that could trigger symptoms in trauma survivors. Trauma-informed yoga (TIY), in particular, is a specialized approach to yoga that takes into account the unique needs of people who have experienced trauma. It prioritizes safety, empowerment, and choice throughout the practice.

Taking five breaths per pose, try the following sequence: Child's pose, cat/cow pose, forward fold, halfway lift, forward fold, cat/cow pose, then child's pose to end.

As you try this sequence or any other that feels right for you, prioritize deep breathing and tune in to your body and emotions during and after each pose. It's not just about your muscles and joints – pay attention to how you feel mentally and emotionally. Aim for a sense of balance and calmness, even in challenging poses. If a pose brings up feelings of anxiety or being overwhelmed, it's okay to skip it or ease off.

Walking in Nature

Walking in nature removes us from excess sensory input that can feel overstimulating. Being away from crowds helps establish a sense of safety for trauma survivors. Mindfully noticing each step, tree, sound, and breeze invites nervous system regulation. Nature views and sounds also help soothe the nervous system, while aerobic exercise releases mood-boosting endorphins.

Try this: Walking along a forest trail, pause to breathe deeply, and take in the environment at scenic overlooks. End with journaling for further reflection.

Dance

Free-form, intuitive dance helps shake tension from the body. There's no need for structured dance steps or talent. Let the body move organically to release emotions. Upbeat music can propel a cathartic release. Consider dancing alone where no one can see you or in all-level workout classes where others won't judge.  

Art & Crafting 

Expressing emotions through color, shapes, textures, and creations engages both sides of the brain. Methodically working with your hands induces a calming effect. The end product represents reclaiming one's story from trauma. 

Some options include painting, drawing, pottery, jewelry making, scrapbooking meaningful images from your journey, and more.

EMDR Therapy  

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based approach that is effective for treating PTSD and trauma. EMDR Therapy skips the trauma talk and guides your healing through bilateral stimulation, including gentle eye movements, taps, or sounds.

The bilateral stimulation activates the brain's information processing system to integrate the traumatic experience. By reprocessing tough memories without the emotional burden of needing to relive the events verbally, EMDR makes healing more manageable and less overwhelming. The ultimate goal is to experience reduced symptoms and foster greater control over your life. With EMDR, you can approach the memory of trauma with less fear and anxiety.

Here's a glimpse into what EMDR with a trained therapist can look like: EMDR therapy begins with noticing distress related to a trauma memory and identifying negative beliefs about yourself that arose from that experience, such as "I am worthless," "I am powerless," "This is my fault.".

The therapist then guides you through eye movements while you hold the memory in mind. Between each set, you process any emerging insights or shifts in emotions. 

This process is repeated until the memory feels less distressing and the negative beliefs are no longer strongly held. The therapist helps you develop coping mechanisms and positive beliefs to feel safe and grounded. Each session ends with closure techniques to leave you feeling calm and integrated.

Healing Beyond Words: Finding Strength in Movement after Trauma

Physical activity for trauma is about calming the nervous system, releasing pent-up emotions, and creating space for natural healing to take root. It's about discovering the quiet power of movement, a gentle guide leading you back to yourself. So, let go of the need for words and embrace the transformative potential of physical activity. It may be the key to unlocking your healing journey.

Remember, the healing process is unique to everyone. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Experiment with different modalities and find what works best for you. Be patient and compassionate with yourself on your healing journey.

If you're ready to heal from traumatic experiences actively, I offer trauma-informed and evidence-based treatments, including EMDR and mind-body-based healing methods in my Texas practice. Let's connect to explore what modalities might be the best fit for your trauma healing.