Mindfulness Modifications

Are you someone who has tried mindfulness meditation in the past and felt more anxiety than you started with? If you are someone who has experienced trauma, know that it can be normal to experience anxiety or shutdown when you begin to close your eyes and focus on bodily sensations. While mindfulness meditation or body awareness exercises have generally been shown to be helpful, they can also be a source of distress for trauma survivors. “Why is this?” you may ask.

When you begin to intentionally focus on the body, it is very possible that you may encounter sensations, thoughts, feelings, memories, and images that were associated with a traumatic event. When this happens, your brain and body sense a threat, and your nervous system is not able to maintain a flow of resilient energy. You may go into one of the body’s alarm states of fight, flight, or freeze as a response.

Making Modifications

If you are someone who would like to receive the benefits of therapeutic meditation, but struggle with becoming activated, it can be helpful to make some modifications to your practice. The first step is to become aware of the first thing you notice when you begin to become activated. Does your heart rate increase? Does your breathing become more rapid and shallow? Do you get a tightness in your throat? Do you begin to experience digestive issues? Do you have a certain thought or notice a certain feeling? Notice whatever happens first so that you can tune into your body and take action as soon as you become aware that you are getting activated. It is rarely beneficial to “white knuckle it” through. If you keep trying to push through it, it can be retraumatizing. In trauma work, slower is faster.

Dual Awareness

When doing mindfulness meditation, it may be helpful to do it with a trauma professional who can recognize signs of activation and help to recenter you. In therapy, when a client becomes activated, the therapist guides the client to being in the present moment and helps them to feel that their body is in a safe space – they are not currently experiencing the trauma they may remember. The truth is we want you to remember, but we don’t want you to re-feel the experience. Trauma therapists help you to develop something called dual awareness. Dual awareness is a skill of being able to pay attention to multiple experiences at the same time. You can remember past traumatic experiences; and at the same time, you are also aware of the present moment. Leaving your eyes open during mindfulness meditation can be helpful as you grow in the skill of dual awareness.

In Practice

Find a place in your environment or in your body that feels neutral or positive. When you begin to feel yourself becoming activated, it can be important to begin to shift your attention away from overwhelming memories to that neutral or positive thing. You want to be able to get to a place where you feel more comfortable and grounded. What helps you to feel grounded and stable?

What brings you energy and joy? Intentionally shifting your attention and “taking in the good” (Hanson, 2009) can help to develop resilience. This is where self-care comes in. When you can offer kindness to yourself by taking time for rest and pleasure, you build in moments of joy that bring resilience and renewed energy.

Importance of Community

However, to be the most effective, look for ways that you can build community with others whom you feel support you. Take your fears and concerns into relationship. Build moments of resilience in community with others. Research shows that we are hard-wired for connection. When we are at our healthiest, we are in regular connection with others. How much connection can be impacted by whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. Even though introverts don’t need as much connection with others as extroverts, they still need regular moments in relationship with others.

If you are looking to begin or reengage in therapeutic mindfulness meditation, know that there are modifications you can make so that you can receive the benefits that it offers. There isn’t one right way to do it. But whatever you do, don’t allow a harsh internal critic to blame you for things that were not in your control. Begin to take back some control by making these small changes and finding a trauma therapist who can help you along the way.