Trauma-Informed Yoga, Healing, & Existing

“Trauma, the weight of the world upon my shoulders.

Trauma, the mental constraints that sometimes fall upon me – like boulders.

Trauma, the intergenerational fears and cycles that persist.

Trauma, the seemingly never-ending reminder that it’s revolutionary – to simply just exist.”

- Déjà Ānanda

I began my journey towards healing many moons ago but realized that the path isn’t linear.

There are many ways in which we all suffer and there can be a sense of comfort in knowing that you’re not alone. The resistance that manifests during moments of discomfort can be a tool, if we allow it. I recently noticed that I resist stepping into alignment with things & situations that I instinctively know were placed in my vortex for me to experience. This looks like: operating from a fear-based perspective, avoiding vulnerability, and disconnection from “self”. I have an interesting hypothesis -- I believe that there are two powerful frequencies that we can be in tune/alignment with: fear and love.

When we operate out of fear, our world becomes limited. It becomes a never-ending battle with our own beingness, our perceptions, and the perceived “other”. Fear is powerful in the sense that it leads us to create a narrative that the external world is unsafe. That the external world is vengeful... ruthless... unforgiving. Fear leads us to believe that love is limited.

Love, on the other hand, allows us to open up. When we operate on the basis of love (and I’m not referring to romantic love here specifically), we are granted the opportunity to authentically exist. It allows us to recognize our own divinity and acknowledge the divinity in the perceived “other”. When I am in tune with my own beingness, I then create experiences and perceive them based off of my own accumulation of perspectives. Each and every one of us have our own personal journeys; it is all truly subjective. The frequency of love leads us to a path that is one of connection, compassion, faith, and hope. The external world becomes safer... we can show up in all of our beingness. We can hold on to (and even challenge) viewpoints that may or may not resonate. We can recognize the myriad ways in which creation(s) manifest. Love leads us to believe that love is abundant.

When I refer to trauma I am speaking from my personal experiences, but I believe that we all collectively experience trauma. Just turn on any news station and tune into the latest horrors of the world! The American Psychological Association defines trauma as “any disturbing experience that results in significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion, or other disruptive feelings intense enough to have a long-lasting negative effect on a person’s attitudes, behavior, and other aspects of functioning. Traumatic events include those caused by human behavior (e.g., rape, war, industrial accidents) as well as by nature (e.g., earthquakes) and often challenge an individual’s view of the world as a just, safe, and predictable place.” Based on this definition, surely, we have all experienced trauma in some form. It’s important to note that traumatic events can be overwhelming for not only the nervous system, but also overwhelming for one’s physical body. Within the confines of the Western Hemisphere, the human body is oftentimes thought of as separate from everything else. Separate from one another… the natural world… even separate from our own conceptualizations of “self”. When we experience trauma, the body stores it.

One specific trauma that seems to exist (at least in my reality) is Racial Trauma or Race-Based Traumatic Stress (RBTS) and perhaps you might be wondering, “Well… what the heck is that?”. Race-Based Traumatic Stress (RBTS) refers to “the mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias and ethnic discrimination, racism, and hate crimes [1]. Any individual that has experienced an emotionally painful, sudden, and uncontrollable racist encounter is at risk of suffering from a race-based traumatic stress injury [2].” Asian, Black, Latinx, and Indigenous folks are most vulnerable due to living under a system of white supremacy. RBTS can manifest as “depression, anger, recurring thoughts of the event, physical reactions (e.g. headaches, chest pains, insomnia), hypervigilance, low-self-esteem, and mentally distancing from the traumatic events [3].” Although these symptoms are similar to manifestations of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it is worthwhile to mention that RBTS is not classified as a mental health disorder whereas PTSD is. I mention RBTS because I feel that we are amidst a collective shift - for the better - despite the disheartening narratives that exist. I’ve recently noticed an increasing need for leaders within the domains of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Personally, it warms my heart to know that there are folks out there that are interested in this work. The work that requires authenticity, vulnerability, and accountability! It’s easy to attend a workshop, watch a few videos, or even read a few books about race and interpersonal relationships. The real work comes in when your soul urges you to share your truths… to have the difficult conversations…. to hold space for “others”.

When approaching the topic of trauma (especially RBTS) within the realm of spirituality and the practice of yoga, it’s important to be mindful of "safe spaces". In my opinion, safe spaces allow us to put away the façade and engage in meaningful work. In regard to RBTS and trauma-informed yoga, I believe that is important to develop a foundation and community that is serious about restorative practices, social justice, and creating safe spaces for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals. When thinking about culture and trauma, I can’t help but think of how powerful spiritual practices can be when healing. Healing intergenerational wounds starts with being informed about trauma and the ways in which trauma can lead to disconnection – from self and “others”. When we evoke the feeling of love and act out of compassion instead of fear, our worlds expand.

A trauma-informed approach to yoga is revolutionary. Not only does it allow us to pull back the layers of our own existence, but it grants us the privilege of truly seeing and sitting with our collective trauma and suffering. I believe that Race-Based Traumatic Stress is the source for various forms of suffering in our collective consciousness. Think about it… when an out-group member (particularly one of a different race and/or culture) is unfamiliar, fear tends to be elicited. When we are fearful, we are less likely act out of compassion and our implicit biases are revealed. Our sympathetic nervous system is triggered and then we find ourselves in a fight or flight mode. Our inner and outer world becomes constricted. Our bodies store this fear… that is, until we process it. Processing RBTS within a diverse community may vary, but I think the first step is having conversations. Uncomfortable conversations about race must happen. Stories must be shared, and space must be held for each and every individual brave enough to bare their truths. Together, we make up this collective and together we can approach healing – physically, spiritually, and emotionally. During the time of a pandemic, we can contemplate ways in which we show up for ourselves and “others”. When we intentionally set out to recognize and alchemize the collective trauma, we add to the narratives and ultimately co-create cosmologies. Feeling the weight of the world upon our shoulders doesn’t have to be an isolating journey, together we can tend to the collective trauma and co-exist.

[1] Helms, J. E., Nicolas, G., & Green, C. E. (2010). Racism and ethnoviolence as trauma: Enhancing professional training. Traumatology, 16(4), 53-62. doi:10.1177/1534765610389595

[2] Carter, R. T., Mazzula, S., Victoria, R., Vazquez, R., Hall, S., Smith, S., Williams, B. (2013). Initial development of the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale: Assessing the emotional impact of racism. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 5(1), 1-9. doi:10.1037/a0025911

[3] Carter, R. T., Johnson, V. E., Roberson, K., Mazzula, S. L., Kirkinis, K., & Sant-Barket, S. (2017). Race-based traumatic stress, racial identity statuses, and psychological functioning: An exploratory investigation. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(1), 30-37. doi:10.1037/pro0000116