Mindfulness and Trauma

For those who have experienced trauma, practicing mindfulness can help increase self-compassion, allow you to get back in touch with the present moment and reduce the extent with which you feel controlled by unpleasant thoughts or memories. It’s also been study-proven to reduce symptoms of PTSD.

Yet, for some, it can also bring up painful and overwhelming emotions and even intensify symptoms of traumatic stress. This is why it’s crucial to speak with your therapist or addiction counselor before trying any mindfulness activities on your own.

Beyond meditation, there are some everyday ways to bring mindfulness to your life. For example, you can practice mindfulness while you’re taking a walk, showering, cooking, eating, knitting, doing chores or even writing in a journal. Doing so will help you to stay focused on the task at hand and distract your mind from any negative thoughts, triggers or anxiety. 

In addition, many experts use somatic mindfulness with those who have experienced trauma. Good therapy.org defines somatic mindfulness as the “ability to step back from what your nervous system is telling you. You step back, observe it, feel every bit of it. Then you consciously decide what you want to do instead of automatically falling into long-standing patterns and the behavior they dictate.”

Here is an example of a somatic mindfulness exercise called “grab and let go,” adopted from PsychCentral.com:

• Stand still and let your eyes defocus.
• Slowly step one leg forward, planting first your heel and then your whole foot on the ground. Shift your weight forward onto the front foot, without your back foot leaving the ground.
• As you step forward, reach your arm forward, fingers outstretched.
• As your foot lands, close your hand into a fist like you’re grabbing something.
• As you’re doing this motion, breathe in.
• Step back and bring your foot back next to the other one. Release and open your hand and bring your arm back to your side.
• As you release, breathe out.
• Stand still for a minute. Pay attention to your body sensations. Where do you feel a sense of flow, aliveness or tingling?

Trauma Treatment for Women
At Rising Roads, we understand that trauma resolution means more than just talking about your traumatic experience. We utilize proven techniques, including Somatic Therapy, to help you stop running from the emotions and feelings of trauma and begin to heal. To learn more about our trauma treatment for women, call today: 866-746-1558.