Trauma

Facts about Trauma


  • Trauma=change you don’t choose

  • Healing=change you do choose

  • Healing process can be ugly

  • Processing trauma=reliving it=not easy.

  • Trauma- anything that overwhelms the brain’s capacity to cope

  • Trauma- changes you-changes your cells and tissues

  • Trauma can mean you are changing your relationship with self to live your best life

  • “If you don’t heal what hurt you, you’ll bleed on people who didn’t cut you”

  • Shows up in the body through:  muscle tension, a decline in self care, headaches, depression, sweating, increased anger, fatigue, changes in sleep patterns, and hypervigilance

Vagus Nerve

Vagus Nerve- to counteract fight or flight response

Sympathetic nervous system- can create relaxation response

Vagus nerve-one of cranial nerves

Just like muscle tone can be improved with different exercises

Toning can lower bp, slow heart rate, improve sleep, decrease inflammation focus, help you relax



Vagus Nerve Exercises


-Gargling

-foot massage, either gentle or firm

-cold face water immersion

-deep, slow belly breathing

-Forward bends

-Singing or humming

-laughing

-stand under cold water in shower and count as long as you can stand it

-place palms over eyes and apply very light pressure (possible fainting)


Step. 1.  Notice your body position.  Sit or stand in a way that you feel comfortable. 

Step. 2. We’re going to perform two rounds of humming. We’re going to inhale and on the exhale we’ll begin, then we’ll inhale again and perform it once more. 

Step. 3. Inhale a full breath, and low hum as you exhale. Pause and let the next inhale come naturally.

Step 4. Inhale a full breath, and low hum as you exhale. Repeat this however many rounds feels best.

Step. 5. Now rest, and simply notice how your body feels. Take your time to notice your breath, any change in muscle tone, and how your thoughts can simply slow down for a moment. 

Vagal Push

To perform this exercise, lay on your back, tense your abdominal muscles, and bear down (as if having a bowel movement). Hold your breath while doing this and continue for 15-20 seconds. This can be repeated 3-4 times, with 2-minute breaks in between.