Processing three different types of traumas has been a lot for me. The medical trauma collected from ten years of battling a complicated, chronic health condition, combined with religious harm and childhood trauma has felt nothing short of impossible at times.
How does a person even begin to heal when the body is still in active physical pain and the old coping tools and belief systems no longer work?
There have been moments in my healing journey when the only way through any kind of relief has been through mindfulness.
When I first started to really look into this as a coping tool, I quickly found out there are quite a few ways to approach mindfulness that can actually feel more like toxic positivity or spiritual bypassing. These approaches aren't helpful for me and can even feel like victim-blaming in a way.
I also found that sitting in a traditional meditation setting just doesn't work for me. My brain and body just don't seem to feel safe and my sense of restlessness and anxiety actually increases.
I knew that if I was going to practice some type of mindfulness, it had to come through a lens of gentle care, honesty, realism, pragmatism, and groundedness.
Enter trauma-informed mindfulness.
As stated in this article, "trauma-informed mindfulness is a mindfulness practice that’s adapted to the unique needs of trauma survivors. A trauma-informed mindfulness teacher will work to facilitate healing in a safe and supportive environment while taking into consideration certain triggers."
In other words, it's a grounded, flexible, personalized approach.
I tend to feel better when I approach mindfulness with music, painting, grounding techniques, and focusing on simple objects. I love to walk in nature and look closely at the flowers, clouds, leaves, water, animals, or sunsets.
I can also sometimes do guided meditations if the words are more focused on a simple story or beautiful imagery rather than words that seem to bypass reality or bring attention to the body or breath.
The idea for me is to calm my brain and nervous system in a way that feels safe and real.
I choose my practices very carefully and pay attention to my needs in the moment. I remind myself to approach it with gentle care and comfort, rather than specific expectations.
I choose my practices very carefully and pay attention to my needs in the moment. I remind myself to approach it with gentle care and comfort, rather than specific expectations.
There are many ways to approach mindfulness and I think the important thing to remember is that everyone is unique in their personal needs.
I think this article is definitely worth the read for a little more information on the subject.
Here's to healing and hope!
We got this!
Love,
Julia
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