What is trauma-informed mindfulness?
Trauma-informed mindfulness is a mindfulness practice that’s adapted to the unique needs of trauma survivors.
Traditional mindfulness practices assume that everyone has the capacity to engage in any mindfulness activity and also benefit from it. But a trauma-informed approach acknowledges that some aspects of mindfulness can be activating for trauma survivors.
“The goal of trauma-informed mindfulness is to help people befriend physical sensations, improve self-regulation, ease their experiences of trauma, and cultivate mindfulness,” Treleaven says.
“Trauma-informed work involves learning what someone might need in their meditation to get the most out of practice.”
A trauma-informed mindfulness teacher will work to facilitate healing in a safe and supportive environment while taking into consideration certain triggers.
For instance, paying attention to the breath is often a starting point for a meditation practice, as it helps bring stability to the mind. But Treleaven says that the breath may not be the best place for trauma survivors to begin a meditation practice.
“Our respiratory system connects to our sympathetic nervous system, which is often out of balance for traumatized people,” Treleaven explains. “Trauma-informed mindfulness might involve choosing a different place to focus attention, say, on the sensations of the feet on the ground, or sound.”
Take 10-20 minutes and writ all the words that cow to mind for thia prompt:
What trauma do you want to release?
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