When Stress Gets Trapped in the Body
None of us need to be told that we are living in stressful times. Along with our usual everyday worries we are dealing with a global pandemic, financial uncertainty, political strife, civil unrest, and social awakening. In addition to everyday stressors, some of us are also dealing with trauma which adds a layer of complexity to our problems.
Trauma is any experience that overwhelms our normal coping mechanisms, and our reaction to trauma is the way we humans are programmed to ensure our survival. Trauma can be caused by natural disasters, violent acts, accidents, injury, or the death of someone we love. Trauma can also be caused by viewing horrific acts or events, or even listening to the story of someone else’s trauma.
When we are traumatized, our sympathetic nervous system ignites our fight/flight response—our heart rate and our blood pressure climbs, our skin pales or flushes, our pupils dilate, our senses are heightened, we tense up, we tremble, our pain response is compromised, our memory may be altered, and any function our that body does not need for immediate survival is temporarily halted.
When we are traumatized, our hip muscles contract to prepare us for protective crouching or for running away. Since these muscles are attacked to the lower spine, other muscles begin to pull in the opposite direction … so it is no wonder that chronic low back pain often accompanies heightened stress. After trauma, our parasympathetic system is responsible for bringing us back into a state of balance.
We can help also counteract extreme stress and trauma by practicing daily self-care. Gentle rocking and swaying our body can help release tension. One of my regular practices is to run through the warm-up movements for tai chi and chi gong exercise: to tap along the meridians running up and down my arms, legs, torso and head in order to improve circulation and release stagnation.
Laughing or crying can release stress from traumatic experiences. We can reach out to a friend or our favorite acupuncturist to help us get past blockages and move more easily and with less anxiety. I can also not say enough about the value of meditation, either through guided imagery that is specific for trauma, gentle meditation for relaxation, or slow breathing for calming.
Consistency is the key for identifying and releasing any blockages that are keeping you from truly being your best self, and we would be glad to help.