Breathe and Release Trauma From The Body

Sometimes in life, we experience events that are so devastating we can find it hard to breathe. Some of these events may be brief but still have long-term damage to our physical bodies and mind. These events are traumatic regardless of the duration and can leave a permanent scar that imprints itself on a person physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. But, there are ways to release imprinted scars naturally.

What is Trauma?

Trauma can be a specific event, such as physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Trauma can also include physical and emotional neglect. These events overload the central nervous system (CNS), which can alter the way we process and recall memories. Other examples of trauma can include:

• Negative situations that happen without warning
• Unwanted events you weren’t prepared for
• Emotional, or physical pain and suffering that occurs once or multiple times

The body, in response, perceives this trauma as a threat and undergoes internal changes to protect itself by going into survival mode.

The Effects of Trauma on the Body

The body is a finely tuned machine that responds immediately to any traumatic event, but there are also delayed responses as well.

1. Immediate Physical Reactions
   • Increased heart rate and blood pressure
   • Increased adrenaline (flight or fight hormone)
   • Increased blood sugar to provide extra energy
2. Delayed Physical Reactions
   • Increased cortisol levels (stress hormone)
   • Lowered resistance to colds and infection
   • Sleep disturbances and nightmares

The long-term effects on the body may include heart disease, autoimmune, and liver problems.

The Effects of Trauma On the Mind

Trauma and the body are not a favorable mix, but the mind is also affected. When the CNS becomes overwhelmed, it can trigger emotional and behavioral changes that inhibit daily living. Some reactions are immediate, while others are delayed.

1. Immediate Emotional Reactions
   • Feeling out of control
   • Guilt
   • Anger and fluctuating emotions
2. Delayed Emotional Reactions
   • Mood swings
   • Emotional detachment
   • Anxiety

Our thought processes change in response to traumatic stress, which may trigger the following responses in our minds and/or bodies:

• Misinterpreting Situations — If a current situation even remotely reminds that person of a traumatic event, it will cause that person to overreact.
• Trauma-Induced Hallucinations — It is not uncommon to have hallucinations or delusions related to traumatic events; for example, if a man getting into an elevator is wearing similar shoes to the man who attacked that person, it could evoke an emotional response.
• Intrusive Thoughts and Memories — These thoughts can come out of nowhere and can then easily trigger strong emotional and behavioral responses.

Overall, trauma can lead to a person feeling incompetent, damaged, and inadequate. Trauma can also lead to health problems such as heart disease and diabetes, but breath brings life, and it can also help release painful and traumatic memories.

Breathing Therapy for Body and Mind

Thankfully, there are ways to tap into the mind, which inadvertently affects the body, and this is called holotropic breathwork. Breathwork is when breathing patterns are altered to allow the person to tap into parts of the brain and CNS that are generally not obtainable.

Holotropic means moving toward wholeness. The process is a therapeutic breathing practice that entails using that person’s breath in an accelerated fashion to enter into an altered state of consciousness. Being in this state will activate the natural innate healing process.

History of Holotropic Breathwork

This highly effective form of breathwork was designed in the 1970s and 1980s by Stanislov and Cristina Grof. During the late 1970s was when Dr. Grof developed a safe and effective way to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness that allowed the transformation of releasing emotional conflicts to take place, which was to be termed as holotropic breathwork.

Uses for Holotropic Breathwork

There is a wide range of conditions concerning trauma and the body that benefit from holotropic breathwork, including:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Addiction
• Chronic pain
• Avoidance behaviors

Some people have even used this form of treatment to rid themselves of negative thoughts and phobias.

What to Expect at a Holotropic Breathwork Session

The altered breath that occurs during the holotropic breathwork session is similar to the breathing that occurs during sleep. During this altered state of consciousness, the person can gain access to a deeper part of their mind.

While we sleep, our bodies go into an altered state of consciousness via the neurons within the brain. This process is re-created by alternating quick breaths with longer sustained breaths while listening to therapeutic music.

The goal of this treatment is to help with emotional healing, emotional release, and personal healing regarding trauma and the body. Because the process can bring up intense and emotional reactions, it is advised that it be done in the presence of a trained professional.

At Miami Hypnosis & Therapy, we offer tailor-made treatments, including holotropic breathwork, for dealing with the effects of trauma and the body’s response. Other powerful therapies offered include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Thoughts are the core of feelings and behaviors
  • Change your thoughts, and you change the way you feel and behave
  • Learn how to create personalized coping plans when unwanted thoughts, feelings, or behaviors start to creep in.
• Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)
  • Develop new patterns of thought and behaviors
  • Strengthen the connection between the conscious and unconscious mind
  • Learn how to imprint a new blueprint within the mind to alter unwanted thoughts and behaviors
• Hypnotherapy
  • Assists in freeing your body and mind of any unwanted thoughts and actions through a guided state of hypnosis
  • Helps to overcome bad habits
  • Improves self-image and self-esteem

Our principle practitioner, Anna Marchenko, LMHC, M.A., Ed.M., found that in the course of her education and practice that she could genuinely help empower her client’s lives by effectively transforming unconscious and conscious beliefs.

Contact us and get started on breathwork for trauma and transform your life by breathing and releasing all your negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors today!