Buddhist practice can be applied to numerous problem areas – including traumas that a person has experienced. Everyone experiences numerous things throughout their lives, which in some cases can continue to affect them for decades and trigger negative consequences. Over time, everyone must learn to cope with these experiences and find ways to maintain their self-control. This article will help you get a sense of whether and when yoga can help in this case.
What is trauma?
First of all, we'd like to explain what trauma is. In psychology, a deeply hurtful event that has changed a person's life is described as a trauma. Objectively speaking, it can be minor childhood events, but theoretically, it can also be major ones, such as war experiences or similar. As a child, this moment is so engraved in the subconscious that it continues to affect the body, mind, and soul decades later. During this trauma, feelings and sensations are separated from the body.
Complex traumas can constantly resurface. For example, if a sufferer perceives a certain smell or hears a sound, they immediately feel transported back to their old life. Healing these traumatic experiences requires integrity within one's own body: This means reestablishing contact with the body. The sensations are taken seriously and not downplayed.
There are various techniques you can use to free yourself from this. If you are one of those who suffer from it, you should seek help. This could be from a psychotherapy clinic, a hypnosis master, or other energy healers – the important thing is that you find a method that brings you healing.
Yoga and trauma: How can yogic teachings be helpful?
As already indicated in the previous section, there are various ways to help deal with trauma.
So-called trauma-sensitive yoga, for example, is an approach that has been practically tested and theoretically reflected upon. This means that it has a targeted effect on the autonomic nervous system, which is involved in the development and maintenance of trauma. If you have experience with it, you may be familiar with the feeling of being cut off from the outside world and living in your own world.
Why can trauma-sensitive yoga help?
Anyone interested in this yin practice should seek out a yoga teacher who also has therapeutic knowledge and can understand you. If you start with mindful, trauma-sensitive asanas, you will often notice a difference relatively quickly. It also trains your perception—this is the most important point: You have to learn to strengthen your body awareness, feel yourself, and recognize your own limits.
The result is that part of your autonomic nervous system is stimulated. With some practice and regularity of Yin Yoga asanas, you can stimulate your vagus nerve. This is a very important nerve in the human body that has numerous functions. Among other things, it is responsible for connecting mind and body, and it also connects all organs.
Two great exercises for you – enjoy the change
1. Kneeling position and posture of the child
- For this exercise, sit in heel pose and remain there while inhaling. As you exhale, bend forward into child's pose. Repeat this exercise a few times.
2. Embrace yourself
- To do this, sit cross-legged and breathe deeply. Then wrap your arms around your torso and hug yourself. Stay here for a few minutes.
What changes can you feel?
Of course, these always depend on the content of the session as well as your own mind, body, and soul. However, in general, many affected individuals report the following improvements:
- You feel more comfortable and confident in your body again. You feel physically better—your nervous system recovers. On top of that, you rebuild a loving and appreciative relationship with your body. In this context, it's important that you increasingly respect your boundaries.
- You can also help yourself in difficult moments and know how to behave.
- Liveliness, mindfulness and the ability to feel oneself increase.
- Participation in life is possible again. This brings more joy and allows for the development of new social connections.
- You'll be able to arrive in the present moment, revitalize, and strengthen yourself. These yoga sessions can help reduce physical tension.
Can yoga also help with other mental health issues?
Some yoga teachers emphasize that conventional therapy for healing trauma, depression, or burnout can be effectively supported with special Yin Yoga sessions. They therefore recommend daily yoga practice for any psychological issues.
Ideally, you don't practice the asanas on the mat alone, but with a professional instructor who has experience in this field. Yin yoga is life-changing for many people in these moments – especially when the yoga instructor holds the space and provides support. The calm sequences of exercises help you find inner peace, increase flexibility, and allow yourself to relax more into your own body.
Kneeling and trauma: How can conscious breathing help?
To increase awareness and better cope with these experiences in the long term, it is important to integrate correct breathing exercises into your daily routine. To do this, sit on your meditation cushion and breathe deeply.
- This will help you use your breath as your anchor in these difficult moments.
- This grounds you and brings you back into your body.
- This means that past experiences no longer have much power over you and the omnipresent moment.
In this context, it can be helpful to integrate meditation and breathing techniques into your daily routine. This can also change the neural networks in your brain.
To summarize again: Conclusion
The most important point – whether yoga or meditation – is that after experiencing trauma, you learn to let yourself fall into your body. You don't have to function during the breathing techniques or the exercises; you simply have to be. You can free yourself from all conditioning, old patterns, and the "pleasure mode."
The awareness of one's own being, body, and mind, must be paramount. One's own feelings are always the be-all and end-all—no matter what the teacher or anyone else says. Accepting this, perceiving it, and loving oneself nonetheless is the main task.
Have you experienced trauma? If so, how do you deal with it? Do you think yoga could help?
