The Real Reason You Don't Feel Worthy - Unresolved Trauma

I recently realized that I've been a yoga therapist for 10 years now. And while I am no longer working in the hospitals or on research studies teaching yoga therapy to veterans experiencing PTSD or chronic pain , I still integrate my years of wisdom and acknowledgment of the work of Dr. Bessel van der Kolk in that the body does keep the score.

"Trauma is an invisible force that shapes our lives. It shapes the way we live, the way we love and the way we make sense of the world. It is the root of our deepest wounds." -Dr. Gabor Mate

I have trained many yoga teachers and mental health professionals over the years and introduced this body-based, yogic perspective to the psychiatric nurse and social worker inside the specialized clinic at Eskenazi Hospital I worked in years ago.

And that's why I am beyond thrilled to share this yoga therapy wisdom again and announce that my colleague, Johanna Lynn and I are co-teaching ~interwoven~, a 10-Week Somatic Trauma Training for Therapist & Wellness Professionals starting September 27th. Click here to learn more>>

However, much of my focus now is on helping business owners with growth strategy and digital marketing , but the core of what I do is help women business owners get out of their own way . And it means that often we're connecting the dots to core wounds of unworthiness and unresolved trauma that's playing out in our business.

Sure, it might be showing up as cash flow issues, imposter syndrome, staying in idea mode rather than executing, seeking outside validation rather than standing in your own power, and more. But at the end of the day, it comes down to feeling unworthy, which is deeply rooted in unresolved trauma.

Let's Breakdown Types of Trauma

Trauma is often stigmatized, confined to those who have faced horrendous, abusive, and near-death experiences. This is what I thought for a long time myself. I didn't think my own experiences were traumatic enough to give attention to, but my body did, in fact, serve as a living record.

Little ‘t’ trauma often slips under the radar, unnoticed and unrecognized, because it isn’t linked to catastrophic or life-altering events. Yet, it lingers in our bodies and the invisible forces at play show up as physical illness, chronic pain and mental health issues. Our little ‘t’ traumas are trapped inside, often deemed unworthy of mention in a world that praises moving forward no matter the cost. Little ‘t’ trauma can include non-life-threatening injuries, emotional abuse, bullying or harassment, financial worries, and the loss of relationships, among others, including emotional neglect in childhood (even from well-meaning parents who did the best they could).

In my private yoga therapy practice, many of my clients were recommended to me by integrative physicians in my network that were at a loss of how to help their patients with many symptoms, but lab results were inconclusive so no specific diagnosis could be made and medications weren't helping enough. After all, yoga therapy is more and more an evidence-based practice. And many of these women turned clients were medical professionals, including emergency room nurses, psychiatric nurses, and mental health professionals, some of them on extended FMLA because they could not function day-to-day anymore.

I bore witness to stories of women who were abused by their husbands and blamed when they tried to leave. Women who spent their childhood caring for their severely ill parent and now over-give in every aspect of their life. Women who were suffering from so much chronic pain after the death of their parents and reminded of their own sexual abuse when their daughter turned the same age.

And some of these women still refused to admit that their stories were worthy of telling. Once we acknowledge that what happened to us is indeed trauma, our bodies can begin to let go, heal and deem us worthy of love and support again.

Trauma Treatments

Traditionally, trauma treatment focused on a top-down approach with modalities like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which emphasize changing thoughts in the brain. However, research has shown that simply having insight into our traumatic experiences isn't enough.

Recently, bottom-up, body-based approaches have gained traction, especially in Western culture. These methods, asserted by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a leading neuroscientist in trauma research, focus on rewiring how a traumatized person responds. It’s about where you feel trauma in your body and how movement and play can help create new, calming experiences.

Acknowledging and addressing our little ‘t’ traumas can be transformative. By coming back to the body and addressing embodied patterns rooted in our family of origin, we can foster healing and have a life filled with joy again. Not to mention paving a way for a thriving business.

?If you're looking to learn a bottom-up approach that begins with the body and rooted in yoga therapy and epigenetics, I invite you to join me inside ~interwoven~, our upcoming 10-Week Somatic Trauma Training that begins September 27th. DM me with questions or click here for all of the details>>