Trauma can be caused by a host of different scenarios. Some trauma is more difficult to cope with, such as repetitive trauma.
Repetitive trauma happens when we are exposed to the same type of trauma over and over; we lose sight of ourselves and seem to become numb to these events. We close down, shut off. It seems to build over time, it weakens our defenses, exhausts our coping tools and makes us feel so tired that we want to give up.
Repetitive trauma “Drains the life out of you”
Many people come to my practice and want instant results from this type of trauma. They just want to feel better- RIGHT NOW! Who could blame them? How does that happen, the feel better part I mean? One quick and immediate answer is Breathwork. There is science behind breathwork (although the hard science research is still being done), eastern cultures have been using breathwork for many, many years.
Breathwork entails deep methodical, abdominal breathing. When I bring up breathwork with many of my clients utilizing “Yogic breath” , there is sometimes hesitancy. Yoga has become so commercialized it has lost some of its power. The breathing done in Yoga and Tai Chi is also done in Karate and Jiu-Jitsu. These are all considered deep abdominal “Breathwork” activities. The breathing is usually with the movement. Boxers, wrestlers, runners all utilize breathing patterns of one sort or another.
Abdominal breathing tells your body that it is safe, your body becomes more relaxed and feels more at ease. Breathwork also entails sound- when you let your breath out, have it make noise- sigh with it. Filling your lungs and abdomen to the count of four, holding that breath and counting to eight, then slowly releasing it loudly to a count of 16 will help your nervous system quiet down. Using this modality several times a day can help you to feel more calm and relaxed. Paired with a yogic exercise and stretching you can release some of the traumatic stress from your body.
