There are moments and memories that live in our bodies for what seems like forever.

Some bring back sensory experiences that are pleasing, like the feeling of a brisk ocean swim, the smell of a loved one’s home, or the sound of holiday music.

Others can be heavy and frightening, like the memory of physical or mental pain, the smell of a hospital emergency room, or the uncontrollable loudness of slamming doors and shouting.

Many of us who have experienced trauma have complicated relationships with our bodies. We can find ourselves hiding from a painful past instead of embracing life and moving forward.

“Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies,” writes Bessel A. van der Kolk in “The Body Keeps the Score.” “The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort.”

It’s hard to move on when the threat still feels real, when you’re still deeply connected to that wound.

There may be a solution in mindfulness and meditation. Meditation has been shown to help with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)Trusted Source and improve depressive symptoms.

While it’s existed for thousands of years in ancient religious traditions, it’s only within the last century that the Western scientific community has caught up with and acknowledged its health benefits.

Unfortunately for trauma survivors, there can be risks associated with practicing meditation.

“Mindfulness meditation can actually end up exacerbating symptoms of traumatic stress,” writes educator and psychotherapist David Treleaven in an article for The Science of Psychotherapy.

As with any method or therapy, it’s important to understand these risks and use mindfulness in a way that helps rather than harms.

Here’s how to approach meditation through a trauma-sensitive lens.


Pay attention to what your body tells you

“When asked to pay focused, sustained attention to their internal experience, trauma survivors can find themselves overwhelmed by flashbacks and heightened emotional arousal,” writes Treleaven.

Sources - https://www.healthline.com/health/how-trauma-informed-mindfulness-helps-me-heal-from-the-past-and-cope-with-the-present#body-talk