When we experience trauma, our bodies and nervous systems adapt to allow us to survive. While these responses are now our fault, we can learn how to create more safety, reconnect with ourselves, and explore gentle practices that support release. I welcome you to join me in this post as we explore why we hold tension after trauma and ways to find gentle release.
Honoring Our Intelligent Body
I’d like to take a moment to honor the fact that our bodies protected us from trauma the best way it knew how, and now it’s letting us know it’s time for release through our symptoms. It’s pretty miraculous our bodies are capable of this.
I invite you to honor how intelligent your body is and always has been. It’s been your protector, and while your symptoms may frustrate you, they’re your body’s subtle way of saying something is ready for release.
If you’re new to trauma-informed healing, I welcome you to explore the Fundamentals of Trauma-Informed Yoga and how it can support sexual trauma survivors in reconnecting with their bodies in their own time and pace.
How Our Bodies Store Sexual Trauma
When we face a traumatic experience, our body prepares for fight-or-flight mode. This is our sympathetic nervous system in action, and its job is to keep us safe and survive. This doesn’t mean anything is inherently wrong with us, it just means our bodies are trying to communicate the only way it knows how: sensation.
After traumatic experiences, our bodies want to return to homeostasis (our body’s neutral state.) Learning about your nervous system brings light to why these responses happen and how symptoms can continue after a traumatic event. My Guide to Nervous System Healing after trauma explores more about the impact of trauma, different survival responses, and ways to find gentle regulation.
When we don’t fully process and release our stress, it can start to live within us so we can process it at a later time. It’s not our fault this happens, since there are many reasons we don’t fully process our experiences.
We may not feel like we’re in a safe enough environment, which leads to our bodies keeping us alert. We may also not have time to focus on healing which is also entirely okay. We don’t need to push ourselves into doing anything we’re not ready for.
When trauma lives in our bodies for long periods of time, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that are constantly on overdrive can begin to affect us, leading to symptoms that can even seem unrelated to our traumas.
If you’d like to learn more about how trauma can affect your body and nervous system, I invite you to explore my guide to How Trauma is Stored in Our Bodies.
11 Signs of Stored Sexual Trauma
These are a few signs you may experience after sexual trauma. Everyone is different in their experience, so you may experience some, all, or none of these. This list was informed by the following trauma and PTSD resources: National Library of Medicine (pelvic floor), U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, American Psychiatric Association, National Institute of Mental Health.
- Easily startled
- Digestive issues
- Nausea
- Muscle tension
- Low back pain
- Pelvic floor disorders
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Chronic pain
- Trouble sleeping
- Difficulty concentrating
Physical Signs of Stored Tension
Many sexual trauma survivors may experience tension in various parts of their body, like their jaws, chest, hips, pelvic floor, or psoas. We’re all unique in what we carry, but we can all find softness if we allow support, compassion, and curiosity.
We can explore gentle strategies to restore softness and ease within our bodies. The most important part of any practice is that we feel secure and comfortable. Stretches and techniques are supportive, but only if we’re coming from a grounded foundation.
Practices like these are also best supported with a well rounded care plan, since yoga, somatic healing, or any body based practice is a supportive addition to an existing care plan. I welcome you to explore my Survivor Support Page for additional resources.
Finding Softness in 7 Areas of our Bodies
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.
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.
2. Face and Jaw
Tension in our 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. This might be a sign of suppressing emotions like fear or anger, and often hold back what we 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.
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.
5. Hips and Psoas
Hips and psoas muscles are the most popular areas for many emotional release exercises and yoga classes. This is because this area is the emotional center in our bodies and can hold emotions like fear, grief, and unprocessed trauma.
Releasing this area creates powerful emotional release for many people, and so it’s best to have a gentle practice that gives you as much time and choice as possible. I invite you to have a few grounding or anchoring tools with you for these classes to be able to support yourself during more emotional moments, knowing you can end your practice at any time.
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.
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.
Additional Practices for Release
If you notice tension in any of these areas and would like to explore gentle ways to soften and reconnect with your body, I welcome you to explore my guide to 6 Gentle Yoga Practices to Release What Your Body Holds.
Honoring your limits
I welcome you to send yourself kindness on your journey, knowing that self compassion is a practice that comes easily some days, and not so much on others. You don’t have to rush through practices or reach a certain amount of repetitions to soften held tension. When you allow the process, being kind with yourself along the way, you make room for your body to soften in its own time, when it’s ready.
Begin your gentle journey with a free yoga series
If you’d like to begin softening and releasing in your own time and pace, I’ve created a free, 7-day trauma-informed yoga and somatic healing series created to gently support sexual trauma survivors. We tend to our nervous systems, honor rest, embrace self compassion, and soften tension. This is supportive for all levels (including complete beginners) and is entirely free to explore. If you’d like to learn more, I welcome you to explore below.
