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Trauma and the body
Trauma is a complex, multifaceted experience that leaves lasting imprints on both the mind and body, shaping how we move, think, and engage with the world. It is not just a psychological phenomenon; it is deeply embodied. When we experience trauma, our body stores the emotional and physical shock in our tissues, muscles, and nervous system. Trauma is not merely an event but an ongoing process that can trap our bodies in states of hyperarousal or shutdown. This can also cause us to dissociate from our bodies, leading to chronic pain, stored tension, emotional numbness, and dysregulation. These effects disrupt our ability to move freely, think clearly, and feel safe, ultimately hindering our capacity to learn, grow, and connect with others.
How trauma affects movement and chronic pain
Trauma often results in maladaptive movement patterns—protective responses by the body that, over time, can lead to chronic pain and further injury. For example, someone who has experienced trauma may unconsciously tighten certain muscles to protect vulnerable areas, leading to tension and pain that persists long after the traumatic event has passed. This tension disrupts kinetic linking—a fundamental concept in LMA where energy is transferred smoothly through the body during movement.
In Liberation Martial Arts (LMA), movement is seen as a pathway to healing. The LMA curriculum emphasizes the importance of easing into training, gradually reintroducing movement in a way that feels safe and controlled. By fostering a sense of safety and trust, practitioners can begin to release these stored tensions, allowing for smoother, more efficient movement. The practice of Wayfinding—attuning to one's environment and its affordances—helps practitioners reconnect with their bodies and move in ways that feel natural and free from tension.
Trauma's impact on disease and mental health
The chronic stress of unresolved trauma can weaken the immune system, making the body more susceptible to diseases. The body's stress response, when chronically activated, can lead to a host of health issues, including autoimmune diseases, heart disease, and cancer. The impact of trauma on mental health is similarly significant, often resulting in anxiety, depression, and other conditions.
LMA addresses these issues by emphasizing self-regulation and embodied cognition—connecting deeply with one's body and environment. Processes like box breathing, gaze training, and recovery breathing help practitioners regulate their stress responses, promoting a state of ease and reducing the likelihood of stress-induced health issues. The focus on movement diversity also helps the body to break free from the repetitive, stress-inducing patterns often associated with trauma. By creating a supportive environment where practitioners can safely explore their physical and emotional boundaries, LMA helps to mitigate the long-term effects of trauma on both the body and mind.
Trauma and the self
Trauma can distort our sense of self, making us feel disconnected from our bodies and unworthy of care. Racialized trauma, in particular, is passed down through generations, affecting not just individuals but entire communities. This inherited trauma can manifest in chronic tension, a lack of self-worth, and an inability to trust one's own body.
LMA offers a path to reclaiming and rebuilding self-worth through movement and embodied practice. By encouraging practitioners to develop a positive, connected relationship with their bodies, LMA fosters an environment where individuals can begin to heal their self-image. Through embodied cognition, practitioners learn to perceive and interact with their bodies more deeply and compassionately. The process of blooming in LMA—easing into training and gradually increasing intensity—allows practitioners to rebuild their sense of self in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. This approach helps to reestablish trust in the body and a sense of agency over one's own healing process.
Trauma and self-regulation
Trauma disrupts the body's ability to self-regulate, leading to issues like hypervigilance, emotional numbness, and difficulty calming down after stress. This dysregulation can affect everything from sleep to digestion, making it extremely challenging to learn, grow, and connect with others.
Self-regulation, however, is at the heart of the LMA approach. Strategies like priming for spirited training and dynamic recovery help practitioners learn to listen to their bodies and respond appropriately to stress. LMA allows practitioners to explore their limits and find their own rhythm by fostering an environment of safety and consent, leading to improved self-regulation over time. This focus on self-regulation helps to counteract the effects of trauma, allowing individuals to regain control over their responses to stress.
Trauma and learning
Trauma can severely impair one's ability to learn, often due to the overwhelming nature of trauma-related stress and the disassociation it can cause. This is where the concept of embodied cognition becomes particularly relevant. Trauma survivors often struggle with normative learning methods because they are disconnected from their bodies and the present moment, making it difficult to process new information and engage fully in the learning process.
LMA offers an alternative approach to learning that is experiential and deeply rooted in the body. The concept of embodied cognition—learning through the body and its movements—plays a central role in LMA. The practice of Wayfinding encourages learners to engage with their environment meaningfully, allowing them to learn through movement and interaction rather than passive reception of information. By reconnecting with their bodies, trauma survivors can begin to learn more effectively, accessing a state of flow where they are fully engaged and present. This approach allows trauma survivors to overcome the barriers to learning that trauma often creates, facilitating a deeper, more meaningful engagement with the learning environment.
Conclusion
The effects of trauma are far-reaching, impacting every aspect of our lives, from how we move to how we think and feel. However, through liberatory movement practices like LMA, we can begin to heal these wounds, reconnect with our bodies, and reclaim our power. By integrating trauma-informed approaches with the core principles of LMA, practitioners can find a path that not only addresses the symptoms of trauma but also helps rebuild the self in a way that is empowered, connected, and whole. The road to healing is nonlinear, as is the road to liberation.
To access the Liberation Martial Arts curriculum and contribute to the sustainability of this project, consider upgrading your membership. Find other ways to support me here. – Sam
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(I write daily about martial arts and other topics from a liberatory perspective. If you like my work, upgrade your subscription. You can also support me on Patreon or make a one-time donation on Ko-fi. Find Southpaw at its website. Get the swag on Spring. Also check out Liberation Martial Arts Online.)