Trauma can affect us in ways we cannot even comprehend. There are hundreds of studies that now show how trauma affects our brain chemistry, our gut, and our ability to perceive events. Trauma can comprise a variety of adverse experiences that end up having an adverse response to our physical and/or mental well-being. This includes sexual assault, abuse of any kind, and exposure to violence, strong betrayal from significant people in our lives, and so on. Trauma can cause a variety of problems which include anxiety, hypervigilance, tense muscles, an inability to relax, flashbacks, substance abuse, and so on. It is important to seek help if you notice any of these problems, and while you go to a proper mental health professional, another thing you should consider adding to your life is yoga. You can check out the Marianne Wells Yoga School as an option, and you want to be sure to do yoga with a trauma-informed yogi or setup.
The reason why yoga is recommended for people that have suffered trauma is that trauma survivors often feel disconnected from their body, and have a strong tendency to dissociate. They no longer find their body safe, which is a dangerous way to live. Yoga that is catered to trauma victims helps them slowly reconnect with their body and teaches them to pay attention to their body and how it is reacting during different poses and transitions.
Yoga has also been proven to promote mindfulness, a practice of staying present, something that trauma survivors have trouble doing. With regular yoga practice, these people learn to stay grounded in their present, and they learn to pay attention to their breathing, both of which are necessary when trying to deal with anxiety and other problems that are associated with trauma.
