Your heart is racing, you’re sweaty, and you feel like you could snap at any time. Does this sound familiar? This is what happens when your body gets stuck in survival mode: you become ready to flee danger on a moment’s notice. Or, you might have the opposite reaction and feel numb, frozen, and detached. You might be completely out of tune with your body and have no idea what sensations you feel. All of these are normal reactions to stress and trauma. Often we think that stress and trauma are just found in our thoughts and memories, but our bodies store these events as well. Fortunately, there are things you can do to reconnect with your body and help release these stored emotions.

What Helps?

Awareness of your body is the first step towards healing. Do you know what your body likes? What scents make you feel calm? What textures you find soothing? What foods you enjoy? Experiment with different tastes, textures, smells, sights, and sounds to see what your body responds to. Activities that engage the mind and body can also be beneficial. These will help you release emotion and learn to respond to the sensations you feel. 

Here are some places you can start:

• Trauma Sensitive Yoga

• Deep Breathing

• Sensory-based Mindfulness

• Body Regulation Exercises

• Tai Chi

• Qi Gong

Several times throughout the day, tune in with your body. Scan your body and notice any places of tension, or places of softness. Does anywhere feel cool? Achy? Knotted? Relaxed? Ask yourself, “If my body was trying to tell me something, what would it say?” All of these questions can help you learn how to listen to your body, and how to respond. Our bodies have a lot to tell us if we would simply tune-in.

Working with a therapist can help you learn more about your body: how to reconnect, release stored emotion, heal, and move forward. If you’d like to work with us, text “consult” to 956.382.6641 to schedule your free 15-minute consultation today!

Resources for Digging Deeper

Reunite With Your Body | Yoga With Adriene