Trauma is much more than something that “lives in our heads.” It’s an entire physical and emotional experience, and can manifest in our muscles, fascia, and nervous system if not released. Sexual trauma survivors can also have trapped trauma in their bodies, often leading to chronic pain, fatigue, and feeling disconnected from themselves and their surroundings.
While these symptoms are frustrating, they’re not a life sentence. With the right strategies, we can safely and naturally discover trauma release through compassion and trauma-informed guidance.
I welcome you to join me in this post as we explore how to discover trauma release in seven areas of your body with gentle, trauma-informed yoga tips that’ll restore your energy, soothe tension, and deepen your connection with yourself.
7 Areas Of Stored Tension And Trauma Release Tips
1. Neck and Shoulders
Our neck and shoulders are where we carry burdens and heaviness from our past experiences. This is one of the most common areas where stress and trauma can accumulate. You may even experience headaches and less range of motion if your tension isn’t released.
You might explore gentle stretches like shoulder or neck rolls, and other arms stretch variations while using your breath to find softness. I also welcome you to explore trauma-informed child’s pose to go inward, calm racing thoughts, and also invite a gentle stretch in your shoulders.
Related Post: Holding Onto Stored Trauma? Release Stored Trauma In Your Shoulders With These 5 Yoga Poses
2. Face and Jaw
Tension in your face and jaw can build from unspoken truths. When stressed, many people tighten their jaws and this can lead to toothaches, jaw disorders, and additional tension in our face. You might be suppressing emotions like fear or anger, and often hold back what you truly want to say.
To soothe this area, you might complete a gentle face scan, noticing each part of your face and allowing your breath to soften each area. You can also explore massaging your jaw and exploring breathwork like lion’s breath.
Related Post: The Spiritual Cause Of Jaw Tension (And How To Find Release)
3. Chest and Heart
Our hearts and chest express how open we are, and our bodies show this subconsciously. When people are in an environment that makes them uncomfortable, it’s natural to curl in, rolling their shoulders forward. This is a subtle way to protect our hearts and vulnerable front body. When we experience trauma related to trust and intimacy, we may tighten this area to close it off to others – protecting ourselves, but leading to tension.
To release this stored trauma, I welcome you to explore heart opening poses like cow poses, cobra, and sphinx. You might choose to breathe into your chest, allowing for more expansion. Another option is to explore placing your hands on your heart, sending yourself compassion.
4. Back
Unresolved emotions can become heavy in our bodies, weighing down our backs. We build tension to armor ourselves, but this can lead to discomfort. You might find discomfort in your upper, middle, and lower back.
To find release, you might explore backbends, twists, and spinal flexion like cat and cow to increase mobility and release tightness.
Related Post: The Secret Meaning Behind Hunched Posture After Trauma (And 5 Ways Yoga Realigns)
5. Hips and Psoas
Hips and psoas muscles are the most popular areas for many emotional release exercises and yoga classes, and for good reason. This is the ultimate emotional center in your body and holds deep-seated emotions like fear, grief, and unprocessed traumas.
Releasing this area creates powerful emotional release for many people, and so it’s important to have a gentle practice to give you as much time and choice as possible. I recommend having a few grounding or anchoring tools with you for these classes to be able to support yourself during more emotional moments.
To soften this area, you might explore gentle hip stretches like reclined butterfly pose, maybe placing blocks under your knees for more support. You can also explore reclined pigeon or low lunge for a gentle psoas stretch.
Related Post: 4 Yoga Poses to Gently Release Hip Tension After Trauma
Related Post: 7 Yoga Poses For Deep Psoas Trauma Release
6. Front Body
We move forward in life with our front body. It is also home to our abdomen, our confidence center. When we tighten this area, we might find it more difficult to breathe deeply, which can increase anxiety.
To soften your front body, you might explore gentle backbends and chest openers like supported fish pose, and allow for deeper release with seated side stretches.
7. Pelvic Floor
Many survivors of sexual trauma experience pelvic floor tension. We may tighten our bodies to brace for danger, and overtime this can lead to discomfort and pain.
I welcome you to explore this area only if you feel comfortable, and know you can end your practice at any time. To soften, you might explore diaphragmatic breath, perhaps visualizing your pelvic floor expanding and contracting with each inhale and exhale. You might also find comfort with adding blankets and pillows to promote more softness and ease.
What Happens When You Release Trauma From Your Body
Trauma release is much more than a physical release – but an emotional one too. With less tension and grief in our bodies after trauma, we can discover how to navigate our healing journeys and even communicate with our bodies. You might notice subtle neck tension and understand the emotions you experience that are tied to this area. If you’re under the care of a therapist, you can use this information to explore thought patterns and deeper rooted feelings. You can also return to your practice and gently release this tension before it spreads or becomes more uncomfortable.
With less tension, you’ll notice less stress and discomfort. Your sleep improves, leading to more energy and awareness in your body. Through gentle trauma-informed yoga techniques, poses, and classes, you’re able to deepen compassion, trust, and patience within yourself to support your journey with more ease and grace.
Overview
Healing is nonlinear, often facing setbacks before reaching new milestones. I welcome you to send yourself kindness on your journey, knowing that even self compassion is a practice that comes easily some days, and not so much on others.
Explore Release
If you’re looking for a gentle, trauma-informed approach to releasing the areas mentioned above, I welcome you to explore my Nurtured Release Yoga Series. This offering provides a daily meditation, yoga classes, workbook, and additional guidance to give you a softer, holistic, and natural approach to releasing sexual trauma. I welcome you to learn more below and see if this is supportive for you and your journey.
