How Tantra Can Help You Heal Trauma
Is your body your friend or your enemy?
Many people find themselves in a war with their bodies. They suffer from painful responses - emotionally and physically - to their bodies' hyper-vigilant alarm system. They face anxiety, restlessness, depression, addictions, alienation, disconnection, acute sensitivity, intensity, numbness, skin problems, permanent pain, digestive problems, adrenal fatigue, auto-immune diseases….the list could go on.
What can you do to make peace again with your body? How can tantra impact your healing? Can tantra heal trauma?
Let’s explore this topic together!
Recent decades of studies on yoga, the relation between tantra and trauma, as well as popular theories such as the polyvagal theory have yielded tremendous results. Researchers now have a growing understanding of how trauma affects the body and they know that trauma can have a debilitating impact. In trauma, the body’s alarm systems turn on and then never quite turn off, meaning you experience the intense suffering of never truly feeling relaxed, at ease in life, with the primitive brain constantly scanning for threat or opportunity. Your inner sentry is always on watch. You cannot sleep. Your trust in the rightness of things is destroyed. Worst of all, for those of us (myself included) who have been traumatized, the body becomes a kind of alien force. We perceive it as unknown, unpredictable, unreliable, or even as “the enemy”.
Recent research and understanding of the body’s response to trauma has brought encouraging news; we’ve now learned that it is possible to intervene intentionally and systematically in the body’s difficult state of hyperarousal, in order to turn the body’s own alarm system down. How? Through a wide range of neo-tantric practices which incorporate the yogic movement philosophy, somatics, fascia release and the healing power of consented, boundried, gentle touch.
I used to get very painful stomach aches that lasted over a month at the time. Doctors could not find any logical explanation. I would get these overpowering migraines, leaving me bed bound and unable to show up for my life. And the worst of all was that ever present sense of alertness, being on the edge, never truly letting go, never trusting, always on the lookout.
Through tantric practice and restorative movement, my life is now free from painful physical symptoms, I am able to relax and trust more fully and what is most wonderful is that I am finding more and more peace and joy!
And my own experience has in time led me to be able to coach and assist my clients in overcoming their trauma through tantra practice, too. I could share many client stories, but one that’s particularly dear to my heart is the story of Rachel, who’s a shining example of this transformative journey. When I met her, she was struggling with chronic pain and fibromyalgia fatigue, so she had decided to embark on a healing path through tantra and trusted me to be her guide.
A key component of Rachel's healing process was the integration of mindful touch and self-pleasure. These practices helped her reconnect with her body in a positive and nurturing way, moving beyond the pain and discomfort that had become her daily experience. Through guided touch exercises, she learned to gently explore and soothe her body, finding pockets of tension and releasing them with compassion and care.
Moreover, Rachel's exploration of self-pleasure opened a new avenue for her to experience joy and vitality. This practice was not just about physical gratification; it became a profound act of self-love and acceptance. It allowed her to celebrate her body’s capacity for pleasure, despite the challenges posed by fibromyalgia.
The transformation in Rachel has been extraordinary. From a state of pain and fatigue, she has moved to a place of vitality, peace, and joy. Today, Rachel's story stands as an inspiring testament to the healing power of Tantra, encompassing not just physical wellness but emotional and spiritual rejuvenation, too.
Rachel’s story, as well as my own and those of hundreds of other people are a powerful reminder of the healing and transformative potential that lies within the realms of neo-tantric practices, somatic therapies and mindful touch.
That’s why I am a big advocate for what tantra and movement can do for all of us, no matter what we’re dealing with at this moment.
If you would like to find out more about how to heal your trauma with tantra, my workshops or private coaching might be perfect for you! Click here to get in touch with me.