Stillness can be activating for traumatized individuals, even worsening symptoms. Many people, whether traumatized or not, find it difficult to sit still in meditation for any duration. That’s not automatically a bad thing, but unless someone has specific tools to work with the pain they encounter, they can end up overwhelmed in their meditation practice.”

“This inevitably brings someone face-to-face with their trauma. “In meditation, we ask people to bring close, sustained attention to their inner world,” Treleaven says. Yet recent studies have shown that mindfulness practices can sometimes cause distress and even exacerbate symptoms of anxiety in some individuals. “Trauma-informed mindfulness might involve choosing a different place to focus attention, say, on the sensations of the feet on the ground, or sound.”Ī large and growing body of evidence - as reviewed in 2018 - shows that mindfulness practices can be beneficial for those with post-traumatic stress. “Our respiratory system connects to our sympathetic nervous system, which is often out of balance for traumatized people,” Treleaven explains. But Treleaven says that the breath may not be the best place for trauma survivors to begin a meditation practice.

“Trauma-informed work involves learning what someone might need in their meditation to get the most out of practice.”Ī trauma-informed mindfulness teacher will work to facilitate healing in a safe and supportive environment while taking into consideration certain triggers.įor instance, paying attention to the breath is often a starting point for a meditation practice, as it helps bring stability to the mind. “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. But a trauma-informed approach acknowledges that some aspects of mindfulness can be activating for trauma survivors. Traditional mindfulness practices assume that everyone has the capacity to engage in any mindfulness activity and also benefit from it.

Trauma-informed mindfulness is a mindfulness practice that’s adapted to the unique needs of trauma survivors.

Treleaven trauma sensitive mindfulness