Trauma

 

In Rosen Method Bodywork, and in other mind-body connecting practices, the clients/participants sometimes will encounter difficult emotions when being present in body. One possible reason for that is trauma, because trauma often will lead to disconnection from the body: "Trauma, because of the associated nervous system hyperarousal and the resulting systemic dysregulation, keeps us from being present in our bodies. The tendency for traumatized individuals is to disconnect from the body by becoming overly cognitive or by numbing bodily experience, or both." the psychologist Laurence Heller writes in the book Healing developmental trauma. How early trauma affects self-regulation, self-image, and the capacity for relationship (p. xxvii). The psychologist Peter Levine says something similar in his book In an unspoken voice. How the body releases trauma and restores goodness: "Trauma survivors are so frightened of their bodily sensations that they recoil from feeling them. It is as though they believe that by feeling them they will be destroyed or, at the very least, make things worse. Hence they remain stuck." (p. 352). 

Trauma occurs when we are experiencing something which is overwhelming to us, and because of the overwhelm we become unable to release the emotional energies in our bodies. It can be a shock, like experiencing an accident, or it can be developmental, like for example if a child is taught to suppress natural emotions and needs. Trauma is something which impact all of us, something we encounter in ourselves, our family, at the workplace and in society. This became especially visible to me when giving Rosen method sessions, because when working with empathic touch and exploring dialogue, what often come to the surface is trauma. The trauma shows itself in an activated nervous system (fight/flight/freeze), and it can be like the muscles and fascia tissue are formed around the trauma. The body is in one perspective trapped in the trauma-situation from the past, where it needed to signal danger for protection. What is important is to release the body from this chronic state of alarm. 

In his groundbreaking book The body keeps the score: Brain, mind and body in the healing of trauma Bessel van der Kolk describes how he started working with war veterans with Posttraumatic stress-syndrom and how they didnt know how to treat it, so they explored many different approaches to trauma. As I understand him, van der Kolk emphasizes that there isnt a one size fits all approach to healing trauma, because people and their traumas are so different. But like Levine and Heller, van der Kolk emphasizes bottom up-approaches to trauma, which in different ways are working with the body and the nervous system. 

Body awareness and mindfulness may become a gateway to healing of the trauma: "The first step is to allow your mind to focus on your sensations and notice how, in contrast to the timeless, ever-present experience of trauma, physical sensations are transient and respond to slight shifts in body position, changes in breathing and shifts in thinking (...) Practicing mindfulness calms down the nervous system, so that you are less likely to be thrown into fight-or-flight. Learning to observe and tolerate your physical reactions is a prerequisite for safely revisiting the past." (p. 211). Trauma treatment practices like Somatic experiencing (Levine) and NARM (Heller), will support the client in recalibrating the nervous-system and release the chronic activation in fight/flight/freeze. 

My key insight from different mind-body connecting practices, is that the trauma which happened in the past, maybe decades ago, will still colour the perception in the now, and thus be an obstacle to be present in body, feeling alive and enjoying life. Its like the trauma becomes a pair of glasses which you perceive the world through, without being aware of it. These unconscious ways of experiencing reality will shape how you think, feel and act. In a way the glasses/trauma will shape your reality and view on life. To become conscious of this, and find a way to work with the impact of trauma in the body, is to enhance the possibility for more freedom, aliveness and joy in life. 

Peter Levine says that trauma is disconnection - loss of connection with body, emotions, and relationships. Trauma creates an illusion of being separated and alone, but practices which emphasizes connection with self and others may create new experiences and contribute to more true, nourishing and including ways of experiencing reality. 

For an interesting critical perspective on the discourse of trauma research, read: Bessel Van der Kolk on Trauma, America’s Favorite Diagnosis (nymag.com)