642: How to release trauma that is stored in your body
This week on the Anxiety Slayer Podcast, we’re discussing different practices you can use to release trauma that is stuck or stored in your body.
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Notes from this week’s episode:
This week on the Anxiety Slayer Podcast we’re discussing several practices you can implement to release the trauma that is stuck or stored in your body.
Trauma is always stored in the body. It is deeply rooted in the subconscious mind and in the connective tissue of the body.
According to Ayurveda, when emotions are unprocessed and psychological memories aren’t released, they lodge in the connective tissues and organs of the body.
These emotions and memories can cause fear, anxiety, anger, grief, and even cravings. And they adversely affect our health, and vitality on all levels: physical, emotional and spiritual.
Ayurveda teaches that the subconscious mind and connective tissue work together, and connective tissue is the holding place for the subconscious mind.
Connective tissue is also known as fascia. The tissue that’s woven around every part of our internal body.
This is why we might experience pain and fatigue in our bodies that are related to trauma.
What helps: emotional release and recovery
Treating ourselves with kindness.
Daily walking and breathing.
Allowing time to heal.
Seeking support.
Exploring healthy emotional release and letting emotions flow, with the understanding that you might need help with that.
Yoga naturally involves stretching your connective tissue.
Myofascial release is a therapy developed to release tension and trauma in the connective tissues.
Any massage or bodywork can be helpful, especially if we can go for a while and with the intention to release and heal.
EFT Tapping is also helpful. We can use Tapping in different ways to release trauma. We can Tap through a traumatic memory for release. We can also Tap daily while breathing and affirming that we want to release trauma from our mind and body.
Journaling is also supportive. We spoke about the power of journaling in a recent episode and recommended the work of James Pennebaker and his book: “Opening Up by Writing it Down”
Breathing and Self-observation
When we breathe with our memories they stop affecting our present moment.
Self-observation: watching our thoughts and emotions come and go is a helpful practice.
Noticing patterns, seeing where we can increase compassion for ourselves and others.
“How you do one thing is how you do everything”
The teaching is to not push emotions away or repress them, but also not to cling onto them.
When we notice fear or anxiety, arising, or traumatic memories resurfacing it’s helpful to sit and breathe with them and to let them come and go just like your inhalation and exhalation.
This practice may be something you need support with. Whether through counseling, bodywork, Myofascial release, or working with an Ayurvedic practitioner, there are many ways to approach and release trauma, and we each need to find the support that feels right for you and helps you keep moving forward where you can feel supported and safe.
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