Today's message, “How can we heal from trauma?" Dr. Shefali Tsabary says that, “Trauma is something that each person individually reacts to based on their sense of self, and it is also an inner view into the fragility of one’s self."

So can we really compare trauma? When others judge trauma as 'not traumatic enough,' are we failing to consider the inner workings of others?

An inspiring quote was shared with me, “Remember that people, love to their level of self-love, communicate to their level of self-awareness, and behave to their level of healed trauma.” Their level of healed trauma.

This has me thinking of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who told a story this year on Instagram Live about how the Capitol riot triggered and amplified a previous trauma for her of sexual assault. She had never spoken about it before and the post has been viewed over 4 million times. She stated, “when we go through trauma, trauma compounds on each other." So not only do we process traumatic events each in our own way, trauma and the experience or memories of what we have been through can be retriggered in today’s world over and over again until we do the work

So, imagine a time where you have been terrified. How did you react in your body? Did you cover your mouth, place hand to chest and gasp for air? Interestingly, there is actually a connection between trauma and the lungs.

And some of the ways we can soothe our internal processing of trauma is through breathwork. In Bessel van der Kolk's NY Times best-selling book, 'The Body Keeps the Score', he writes that trauma survivors have nearly 50 times the rate of the general population in developing breathing issues, issues of asthma, and COPD because trauma is stored in the lungs. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and chronic illness are clearly linked in numerous scientific studies.

A 2017 research study published in Frontiers in Psychology actually showed a reduction in the stress hormone cortisol for participants who completed breathwork training sessions over the course of 8-weeks. It stands to reason that breathwork is an excellent choice for battling trauma related health issues.' Breathwork is used to improve mind, body, and spiritual well-being. I use breathwork with my clients to reduce stress and anxiety, process trauma, release emotional blocks, and unleash a sense of euphoria, all through the conscious control of breath.

My breathwork technique is primarily based on the Dutch philosopher and breathwork expert, Wim Hoff. Hoff has undergone numerous scientific studies in order to understand how his breathwork techniques have aided him in accomplishing so many superhuman feats, including ascending Mount Everest both shoeless and shirtless, trusting only his breath.

Breathing is involuntary but also within our conscious control. And the studies are clear, when we consistently work to consciously control our breathing, we can lower our heart rate and decrease our stress and anxiety levels.

For for more information: megancoaching.com/breathwork
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