Tag: this explains some stuff

monithegeek:

closet-keys:

closet-keys:

Omfg apparently it’s normal/common for survivors to get triggered when doing yoga and exercise routines??? I thought I was just fucking weird

Things that contribute to this (summarized & paraphrased from my session)

• being aware of your body which is a site of trauma can make alarm bells go off
• Any routine that includes commands (e.g. “now stretch your hands up” or “now breathe in”) can be a trigger
• Any routine that includes pain, especially that includes just swallowing pain (“feel the burn! Keep going”)
• Any yoga that involves “letting go” or “relaxing” or “spreading out” is a lowering of defenses, a vulnerability, and can feel unsafe
• In general the emotions associated with forcing yourself to go through a physical act that feels uncomfortable because you’re “supposed to enjoy it” or because you feel like it’s an obligation
• The feeling of not being able to stop at any point, of feeling pressure to going through a whole routine, feels like a loss of autonomy

As a fitness instructor, I felt like weighing in a little. closet-keys has all good points, but that first bullet is a little more complicated.

The human body stores stress and trauma in the body as muscle tension. If you’ve ever clenched your teeth at the sound of a triggering word, or felt your shoulders shoot up to your ears during a flashback, that’s this concept in action. Intense trauma or prolonged stress can make a muscle group really, really tense and tight all the time, especially areas like the shoulders, hips, and chest.

Of course, these areas are EXACTLY where yoga often focuses on opening. So just as psychological events trigger certain muscle groups, the working and stretching of certain muscle groups can bring up feelings of panic and anxiety by association.

It’s very common for people to panic or even start spontaneously crying in intense fitness classes. I’ve seen it happen, and it’s 100% happened to me. It’s really important to work with it, just like in therapy. To identify the cause and relax into the exercise in order to un-train that tension.

Fun fact: people who have a hard time with verbal communication often have tight jaws AND tight hips. Next time you stretch your hips or exercise them, see if your jaw clenches. It’s fascinating.