Week Seven Essay
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Realize
I’ve lived a privileged, relatively trauma-free life, so I appreciate this week’s topic. It let me know what I don’t know. After watching the video, I did some reading. I want to be sensitive to students who may have experienced trauma. I’m no expert, but I know more now than I did and I want to continue learning.
trauma-informed mindfulness: a guide at PsychCentral points out that 61% of people experience trauma, which it defines as “an emotional or physical response to one or more harmful or life-threatening events or circumstances with lasting adverse effects on your mental and physical well-being.”
Recognize
I wasn’t sure that I could recognize the signs of trauma. I got some help from How to Recognize The Signs of Emotional Trauma in Others. I understand why it’s tricky. Both mood swings and being emotionally numb are signs of trauma. I would have to know students well over time to recognize things like increases or decreases in appetite or weight. I’m remembering how Susan sometimes mentions “except for trauma…” in her explanations of things. I would like to do that too, when it’s appropriate.
Right now, I teach Creative Journaling classes online at a center for people with significant health challenges. I’m imagining adding meditation to my journaling classes. Those are single classes, though I often see the same students over time. Diagnosis and treatment may be traumatic experiences for some people. I want to treat people gently.
Respond
I read about using the senses for grounding exercises. That’s fits with journaling exercises I often do: writing about the sights, sounds, fragrances, flavors, and textures of an experience.
Avoid re-traumatizing
I want to encourage students to be safe, to be kind to themselves, and to back off when they feel like they need to do so. I want to remember to keep lines of communication open, so students can let me know how things are going for them.
I am remembering the words of pioneering psychotherapist Carl Jung, who said “learn your theories well, but put them aside when you touch the miracle of the living soul.”
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Kate, thank you for your essay. While doing my own research it helps me clarify this week’s question by your view on the process of the 4 R’s. I learned you teach Creative Journaling! I find it so important to go back to these classes regularly. I appreciate how they help me deepen trust in my own writing, in my intuition, and to be in the flow. Combined with meditation, I am certain it is a fascinating path to experience, as much for the teacher than for the student. You describe very well in the context of your classes the importance of continuing to learn about trauma sensitivity, offering gentleness and a space where students feel safe to communicate with you.
And I will remember Carl Jung’s quote, teaching as a miracle of connection between souls, on the importance of allowing full presence with the other in the moment. -
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Kate,
Thank you for sharing the results of your research, it has helped me to complement the information in the video. The beginning of your response has conveyed a lot of humility to me and I have found the idea of including meditation in your journalling classes very interesting. I have no doubt that your classes, your presence and your work with your students will help them enormously to achieve feel more confident and be kind to themselves. Thanks also, I loved Carl Jung’s quote, I didn’t know it! -
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Thanks for your warm and beautiful thoughts on this tricky subject Kate. I adore the Carl Jung quote! (“learn your theories well, but put them aside when you touch the miracle of the living soul.”) I especially appreciate the words “miracle” & “living”. They are a comforting reminder that each precious person is unique & dynamic, not theoretical.
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Thank you, Kate, for sharing what you found. I also feel like I don’t know so much about this topic of trauma and I really appreciate the feeling that we are learning together.
I love this idea of journaling the experience of each sense, so lovely. So often we frame experiences with only one or two of our senses. It’s such a great way to really be present in the experience by feeling it through each sense.
And thank you for the Jung quote, this is brilliant. 🙂
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To recognize the “4 Rs” in others I rely on subtle bodily cues, such as the microexpressions on the other person’s face that can fleetingly indicate distaste or aversion. If I’m asking “Are you a hugger? May I give you a hug?” and they answer “Yes,” but their facial expression looks negative, then I will hold back and say “It’s fine if we don’t hug right now, no problem.” The last thing I want to do is to add to their discomfort. Their tone of voice and verbal cues also give information about the other person’s comfort level, and if there is a mismatch between their words and their body language, it’s the body language that is usually telling the truth.
As David Treleaven describes the 4 Rs, he emphasizes that it is a life-long path of learning. Teleaven describes the 4 Rs as like four notes (like on a chord), and to approach our meditation practice with Trauma Sensitivity, we would do well to incorporate all of the four notes in our practice. Realize ( we are aware of the widespread effects of trauma), Recognize ( we are capable of detecting the symptoms of trauma in a client, student, or colleague, and these symptoms may be nonverbal or unexpressed), and Respond (we bring our interpersonal tools of empathy and language to interact in a benign way with the client or student) are the first 3 Rs, and the last R stands for Re-traumatization, which could easily occur in unskillful encounters, and is much to be avoided.
To recognize the 4Rs in myself I need to listen to the messages that my body gives me. For example, right now I’m feeling a slight pain in my right ear, which I interpret as stress. This information prompted me to sit down and write rather than going out to do yardwork, which was my original plan. Honoring the messages from my body builds trust within myself, and I believe will add to my long-term physical health and well-being.
The first time I heard the phrase “self aggression” was in this Meditation Teacher Training, and I’m very grateful to have this in my vocabulary now. It perfectly describes that tendency we all have to be judgmental and think harshly of ourselves when one part of our personality wants another part of us to do something different, usually regarding work or productivity. I think that self aggression actually traumatizes and re-traumatizes us, and the saddest thing is that we do it to ourselves. It’s so much better to have an accepting and harmonious flow between the different aspects of our psychology, body and mind.
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Karen,
I found your strategy of detecting disagreements in what you receive, between words and body signals, very skilful, and I liked how you pay attention to these signals to evaluate the person’s degree of comfort toward a certain situation. I alsoadmire the communication process that you stablish with your body and that you know how to pay attention to it, which seems very healthy to me. It is very common for our body to communicate needs to us, and for us not to pay attention to them because there is always so much to do and we are always so busy. This inattention towards the body seems to me as another form of the self-aggression you refer to. So I’m glad that you step out if and show us the way to do so!-
Hi, Karen – thank you so much for your thoughtful essay. Yeah, self-aggression. That’s a big one, isn’t it? I have a lot of thinking to do on that word/concept. It sounds to me like you’re very in tune with what a trauma response might look like in others, and I think that noticing between someone’s words and their body language is particularly insightful. Thank you 🙂
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Hey Katie, I”m with you on this one – when you ask people a question (like for hugging) but you can sense their discomfort, it’s can be really insightful. I think the challenge for me is making sure that I”m not superimposing my own stuff onto someone else, but erring on the side of sensitivity feels really right in my world – especially with potential trauma. It’s a good real-world example of how intuitively the 4 Rs can become with awareness.
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I was also thinking how much my reactions to a person talking about trauma have to be very sensitive- sometimes I get caught up in how differently we have experienced trauma and it blocks my compassion. I want people to be able to understand the logic of carrying trauma continuously through our lives and bodies. This is not a good challenge necessarily because it is others suffering through my lenses. I can see how sitting in meditation can take a turn and kick up old fears. A good friend of mine has been trying to see her way through family abuse.
I’m amazed how often her experiences dictate her thought process. Her lenses are sometimes clouded and side tracked because of past experiences- as mine are- but there is an edge of anger that’s different.
I can see how sitting in meditation eventually lessen the grip of painful thoughts and becomes a safer place to be for our mind and body. I think it has made me through my practice be more compassionate to others without trying to understand them.
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Karen
I had never heard the phrase, self aggression in meditation practice. It makes sense to me because trauma survivors can tend to be over achievers or over pleasers as well as a lot of self blame. Tuning into the physical signs in our bodies is very important to recognize to help either ourselves or another. -
The four “r”s, Realize, Recognize, Respond, and Retraumatization are very barely descibed in this video. It is an intro to the class. I honestly feel that with my 20 years experience as a yoga teacher, I have been pretty skilled at these 4 “r”s. I check in with new students to see where they are coming from. And since there isn’t touching involved, as there is often with yoga, such as pose adjustments, I’m not as worried about re-traumatization.
I think if you practice the 4 Karmas, such as creating a peaceful environment, have an enriching quality to your leadership, and keep a sense of awareness of the students, that is the best way to approach possible trauma. Ive taught 100’s of yoga students of all types and I find that if you ask permission, to enter their space, to touch them, etc, everything is fine. Most of all be kind and respectful.
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Karen, thank you for reminding us to pay attention to bodies – ours and others. Noticing and responding to micro-expressions strikes me as being very skillful. You summarized the 4R’s in a a few sentences in helpful way. Learning to befriend ourselves and our experience, rather than making life a self-improvement project is a gentle way forward.
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Karen, I appreciate your comment about the nuances between what we see, hear, and feel when interacting with others. Some of the signals/signs are so subtle. I think it’s a lifelong practice to be able to read people in contemplative settings. I appreciate your example about the offered hug…sometimes when the cues we’re receiving don’t align, we almost always have an opportunity to take a step back and regroup.
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As a fifth grade teacher, I consider that the well-being and safety of my students is above all else, and I give all possible importance to creating safe spaces where they feel confident to express what may concern them. I have also received specific training to know how to detect signs of violence, mistreatment or abuse on children, and how to respond accordingly. So in my work I feel equipped and supported to respond to trauma effectively. A strategy that I really like and find especially useful is assemblies. Assemblies consists of starting the morning with a space of 10/15 minutes, in which everyone can talk and share what they want, whether it is a nice memory from the previous day, a task or art project you’re really proud of, a curious dream you’ve had, a family event you attended, or anything else. These meeting and communication spaces give students an opportunity to feel heard and valued, and they provide me with a lot of information to know their opinions, conflicts and concerns, which can help a lot, especially in the second R (recognize).
Outside of my known work environment, such as working as a meditation teacher, I would seek training to obtain specific tools, such as those mentioned in the video about the trauma-sensitive yoga class, to feel adequately equipped for this topic. However, I found last week’s class on setting boundaries, cross-cultural awareness, and paying attention to courtesy to make everyone feel welcome very helpful in this regard.
Thanks for reading.
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Hi David, I agree completely with the assemblies idea and wish every class did them. I know from working with my children’s school that when the kids have even 5 minutes to speak freely and openly in class, the teachers see a difference in their behavior. Having others “feel our Rs” is healing.
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Dear David, Once again I rejoice in that you are a teacher! What fortunate children. One example is your giving the students time to share and reflect on their life experiences with each other and you. Not only are you learning from them, but they are learning from each other. And, I imagine that there is a deep respect surrounding this time that will support them throughout their lives. Yeah!
Because you’ve been aware of trauma sensitivity for your students, I have no doubt that when the time comes during your teaching meditation to others, that you will handle it with love and care.
Betsy
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David
Thank you for taking such care with your students! “Morning meeting” and meditation! Life long skills you are giving to the them. -
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David, your concern and care of your students is beautiful to read. I wish I had you as a teach in fifth grade. Your students are very lucky.
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David, thank you for taking good care of your students. Being heard and valued is what we all want! In addition to learning to speak up, your students get an opportunity to listen to each other and process their own experience. What a gift you are to those children and their parents.
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David, what a wonderful idea to have this time for students to share their experiences. It makes me think, what would the world be like if we all had someone to take time and listen like this? It’s so important, and especially for children whose experiences are often overlooked. Thank you for your work. 🙂
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David,
I enjoyed – again – reading about your fifth grade teaching experience. As a fourth grade teacher myself, I can relate. I’m sure you have worked hard to create a safe space for your students (the ‘container’ that’s so important for our work). Allowing students to share honestly and authentically without judgment (this part is crucial, of course, and not always easy to achieve) gives them the space to share themselves so that we can treat them with the sensitivity they need.Thank you!
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Thank you for including this information and distinction for us, Susan.
Though I still do private client sessions advising on transition, ritual and self-care principles, much of my work at this point is transmitted through writing (books, guides, content). I find the 4 Rs a bit more difficult here, but still possible.
Though my target audience is not in a “trauma niche” I still have to keep this in mind when I create. This might look like identifying that, while “true” self-care rituals are incredible tools, they aren’t a substitute for medical/medicinal or therapeutic support, which are also forms of self-care in my book (realize). In writing, I also pay attention to certain words that I use which could be triggering (recognizing), replacing them with words that convey a similar sentiment (respond) in order to avoid further injury (re-traumatization).
All of that said, like many of us, I probably use the 4 Rs intuitively every day, dealing with other humans. I have a solid awareness of the prevalence of trauma – believing that we all have something, even if it’s not front-page news (realize). I pay attention to cues, whether I mean to or not, from others that always give me an indication of their state (recognizing). I respond with words or nonverbal behavior – maybe mirroring, maybe space, maybe language – accordingly (respond), in order to avoid the (re-trauma).
I believe that for those of us on this path, it may not be completely intuitive but the concepts are far easier to grasp. And I really like how he said they are like a “chord” that can be played all at the same time – it does feel this instant for me.
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Dear Kelly, I appreciate your referencing the importance of “medical/medicinal therapeutic support” at times. I have often heard Susan state to different Sangha members with a concern or question that they have that she is not a psychologist/therapist and it is not something that she feels is appropriate to offer a response.
It sounds like you have a lot of experience relating to many different people. And, that through your studies and experiences that you are able to intuitively use the 4 Rs. I think that is both a skill and a sensitivity that you’ve honed that others (including myself) don’t have. Please honor yourself with those gifts!
And, I, too, like the notion of the 4R’s as a “chord”.
Thank you for your reflection.
Betsy-
What a thoughtful and gracious response, Betsy – I appreciate it very much. And you hit the nail on the head: my experience working with so many different kinds of clients – from my lawyer work to yoga teaching to doula/maternal support to self-care teaching – has given me quite a playground to hone these skills. We all have our own way, our own path, our own gifts and perspectives – it’s one of the things I love most about being a member of teaching circles like our group. Being a witness to everyone’s experience (and expansion!) is such an adventure and honor. Good luck creating your own application of this concept.
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Thanks for your thoughtful response here Kelly! I appreciated all of it, but especially your comment about listening to our intuition (which we of course deepen through mindfulness practice 🙏) and also your emphasis on words. This was a big part of my MBSR teacher training pathway – learning how to use “invitational” language like “I invite you to find a comfortable seat” instead of “commanding” language “Find a comfortable seat”. For some people, it can make all the difference! I also really appreciated the “chord” mention from Treleavan – for me, it feels like such a well-rounded and whole approach to meeting trauma. Grateful for your insights! <3
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Thank you, Susan, for offering this video and reflection.
I have a few examples from my experiences that I didn’t realize were related to trauma sensitivity.
My yoga instructor (who I think is THE BEST!) has always handed out index cards with “Yes” or “No” to all students. Yes, I’m good with adjustments with touches; no, I’d prefer not. I never thought further about this. Just thought of it as her extension of being nice and caring.I volunteer weekly for a couple of hours in my grandson’s K-1 classroom. The teacher doesn’t have an assistant this year due to no more funding that was provided by Covid support. She has 26 children which is a lot. Many years ago I was a first grade teacher for a few years. It was The Most Difficult job I’ve ever had!! So I have great empathy for what she must feel. Anyway, this day we took the kids outside for a required school bus safety lesson. When we were going back into the building and I was at the end of the line a little boy was lagging behind. I “gently” touched his shoulder to encourage him to keep up. He “freaked out” and yelled and wiggled further behind. I went to the teacher and told her it was my fault. She came and guided him. I felt terrible, but didn’t realize until now that he must have responded from a trauma sensitive place.
This teaching helps me now to 1) realize how wide-spread this impact can be and to hope that I didn’t cause 4) Re-traumatization for this sweet little boy.
Currently, I don’t think I can 2) Recognize a trauma sensitive person (I need much more guidance on that) nor do I have 3)the tools in my tool box to Respond appropriately.
I feel confident, however, that if given more information and guidance that if having the opportunity to Teach Meditation I will gained those necessary tools.
Thank you for this so important topic.
Betsy-
I find your essay very reflective and insightful, Betsy – it helps to highlight the inherent difficulty (and pressure) in always being able to identify trauma sensitivities. I believe that the truth is, while we can try, we cannot always know. (This is the case for me, too, despite my practice as we discussed above in my essay.)
Honestly, there is so much trauma all over. We all have been touched by it in different ways and, of course, it’s part of what does truly help us connect. By nature, I find this stuff to be so personal and nuanced and complex. You just never know 100% how people will react – and I’m not sure that knowing is our job. Our work, as I understand it so far, is to be informed without that information shrinking us down or diminishing our offering to the world.
So, in your example, I can see you noticing his reaction quickly (which, to me, seems in line with the 4 Rs, and I assume that the school you volunteer with doesn’t have any special situations where teachers are forbidden to have any physical contact). While it’s something to be aware of, it also sounds quite normal to me. My perspective is quite influenced by my environment, though: at our school here in my village, most of the teachers are so affectionate with the kids, and they really thrive. (That said, it’s also the norm for adults to greet each other with 3 kisses on the cheeks, something I’m far too American for. 🙂
I say all of that to posit that perhaps the tendency to touch shouldn’t necessarily be demonized due to our awareness of trauma sensitivity, but practiced, communicated, corrected as needed (even if in the moment). I would encourage gentleness, and curiosity around whatever learning curve you believe you need.
Your openness and willingness to understand, to me at least, seem to be the best places for any of us to begin.
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Dear Betsy and Kelly,
Betsy, thank you for your well described and completely relatable example from your grandchild’s class.
Kelly, I appreciate your thoughtful response to Betsy’s post and really paused over your suggestion that touch ‘shouldn’t necessarily be demonized… but practiced, communicated and corrected as needed. Those last three words are important. Trauma sensitivity is a crucial awareness for meditation teachers, and I would argue, for every human seeking to strengthen and build community and emotional ties (ie: not be a jerk). But we may make mistakes along the way, being human. I wonder if there is room for an additional R–repair, an apology and a recognition of the validity of the boundary we may have mistakenly crossed.
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Betsy, I love your stories and how this trauma sensitivity can relate to children, and in other work/volunteer capacities. I also admire your admittance of what you don’t know. It is a vast subject, and the video just hinted at what would be in store for someone who wants to learn more and feel some ready-ness in their approach with other students. I think just chunking it down, coming up with a few strategies to offer, would help. A few basic tools to offer in the moment may be all that is needed – in the light of keeping it simple and easy for people to understand/adapt.
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Particularly in the wake of the COVID epidemic, I have become aware of trauma in others as well as myself. My ESOL students are adults and have all immigrated to the US. They have a vast range of experiences and life stories. Some topics, such as family vocabulary, can be tricky for students whose families might have been separated due to violence or other trauma. Students never need to share any personal information; I reinforce this rule in class. On the other hand, many students thrive on discussing their lives and circumstances and in comparing and contrasting with their classmates. My goal of creating a classroom that is both culturally responsive and trauma informed means that I find myself articulating respect for individual differences as well as students’ right to accommodations that will help them feel safe and best equip them to learn. I suppose another way of putting this is: I strive to create a container that is welcoming, supportive, and joyful.
I have experienced meditation classes or retreats where students are counseled to back off if they are encountering very difficult emotions in practice. I have had to do this myself. When I first began to meditate, focusing on my breath frequently triggered anxiety in me. My heart started to beat faster and my breath came so quickly I felt light-headed. Sometimes I just stopped meditating. Sometimes I tried walking meditation. But often, switching to focusing on sensations in my hands or feet or on my belly rising and falling with the breath gave me the space I needed to continue my sit and begin to be with my anxiety.
I appreciated the yoga class token example in our video and wonder if there is a corollary that could be used in a meditation class. Most of what I have heard or can think of come across as warnings to students: be mindful of your emotional state, don’t continue if you are experiencing uncomfortable emotions. But, on further consideration I think that those cues could also be seen as signposts on the way to helping meditators lean into the journey of learning to understand their own minds and goodness.
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Hello Anne! Thanks for your thoughtful comments here. Personally, I appreciate you mentioning this: “When I first began to meditate, focusing on my breath frequently triggered anxiety in me.”
Along my own journey (both meditating and teaching) I have connected with many, many meditators who have shared a similar anxious experience to yours. I remember in one of my first MBSR trainings, there were a handful of “teacher-trainers” who were RELIEVED when they were told that there are many other anchors that they could work with besides the breath. I think eventually they found their breath as a supportive anchor, but they needed a different doorway in, and they too found body awareness or sound to be a gateway that felt so much more nourishing.
This is a question I have (Susan, if you’re here reading this, perhaps you can comment on this in class? Or I can ask it, too!)….I respect that our “practice” that you are inviting us to offer is solely focused on the breath…and in your guidance, I haven’t heard other anchors offered. I truly appreciate the simplicity of this approach, and as someone who very much enjoys using my breath as an anchor, it feels resonant. At the same time, I’m wondering about this in the context of Anne’s comment and many others’ experience as well. In your own teaching/guiding (especially for newer folks), do you address challenges with working with the breath? I’d value any input here….from you or also from anyone else in the group who’s reading this. Thank you!
And thanks again, Anne, for your thoughts here. <3
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I’m so grateful for Treleaven’s work (and thank you Susan for bringing this into this particular teacher training!).
The first invitation – REALIZE – was so helpful for me the first time I was introduced to it. Thus far in my life, I have not experienced major traumas, so it was incredibly eye-opening to understand the pervasiveness of trauma and to have a clearer definition of it (I think previous, my idea of what was “traumatic” was pretty nebulous). His work has also helped me look back through my own life through a different lens and recognize that I have had some very intense experiences that I believe resulted in “traumatic stress”, that I would not have acknowledged otherwise, and it has helped me honor those experiences more fully…and learn more about others’ trauma in doing so.
RECOGNIZE has also been a practice and a process. It’s so interesting how everyone’s stress manifests differently (my own included). I’ve found that, beautifully (and to no surprise), the more present and grounded I am, the more my intuition helps me recognize signs of struggle in people – on the surface, or a little deeper down or masked (as they often are). When I’m distracted or stressed myself, the signals from others aren’t as clear (or I can’t pick up on them because my own frequencies are louder). I feel relatively capable to notice signs of struggle when I’m teaching in person, but an area of question and ongoing investigation (and some concern) has been how to recognize this for online offerings. I teach quite a bit online…sometimes to brand new students….and if their camera is off and I don’t hear from them, I really don’t know how they are. This is where setting up a container that is trauma-sensitive (from the outset), giving options, and also guiding people to listen to their own experience feels super important. And also, more blatantly, sharing as often as possible that meditation isn’t for everyone – or might not be for you at certain times – so going gently and listening to your own intuition is super important – has also been helpful. Although, I will be honest in saying that sometimes, especially if I’m teaching a short class (30-mins), it can be challenging to fit it all in.
RESPOND – I’m grateful for my MBSR training (and also exposure to Treleaven’s work) to have some tools for responding – both inside and outside of practice. I run a mindfulness organization and community with my partner, and we are going to start including a link to a brief trauma-sensitive guide for people to read in our intake form when they first join our community (or first sign up for a class) so that hopefully they have a bit of awareness and feel empowered from the outset. I’ve also found that whenever my intuition says “hey – you should check in with this person” – I’ve tried to always listen to that. Even if I’m not sure why. Usually, there’s something there. And if there isn’t, I’ve found that it never hurts to just touch base and is usually appreciated by the person. I will also say, I’m continually eager to learn new ways for responding, so I’m appreciating this opportunity to reflect and to hear other’s comments!
RE-TRAUMATIZATION – David has a great, longer video on YouTube that was a part of Brown University’s training (it’s free and ~1 hour) that goes much more in depth on this topic. I found it very supportive, if anyone’s interested!
He guides a great experiential exercise that involves trying to “pry a fist open” versus “softly hold a fist with your other hand”….a metaphor for how we, as facilitators, can meet others’ trauma unskillfully or skillfully. The exercise was wonderful to experience (for me) and really gave me a felt, embodied sense of the desire in me to show up fully in a way that does not re-traumatize, but rather brings a palpable compassion, wholeheartedness, and understanding to each person I encounter (even without context). And through showing up in that way, helps them feel supportive to find their own path forward in each moment….whether that’s opening and healing or closing and guarding for now.
I’ll close again by saying how helpful it is to “steep” in these types of conversations. I think so much of this, for me at least, is about keeping the importance of trauma-sensitivity top of mind and heart so it is “there/here” always when I’m showing up…not just to hold space for others, but as I move through the everyday world.
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Hi Rena,
Thanks for your wisdom and reflections on this very important angle of practice, as well as the link to the longer training. (I will enjoy checking it out.) Also! Thanks for the great idea to put a “trauma sensitive guide” on the website. I think that type of a guide is really relevant and inclusive, especially in our world today. -
Dear Rena, thank you so much for the link to Dr.Treleavan’s longer training. My search for it was not successful so I am very grateful! I will invest in the time to listen to it. I appreciate reading from you the 4R’s are a practice and a process, and how it has helped change your angle of vision.
Like you I feel very strongly how bowing to past stressful experiences is a powerful practice. It has allowed me each time to open to self compassion and find my own strength.
As someone who runs a meditation organization I see with how much care you are adjusting and including offerings to create a safe space for your participants, and yourself, like the link to a brief trauma-sensitive guide in your intake form.
And… Yes to intuition. I would say it is the most sensitive string on my musical instrument and the one I listen to with attention <3. Thank you again for your very helpful input.
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Personally, I experienced trauma as a child, didn’t acknowledge it and its impact for nearly 35 years, told no one for over three decades, and then went through several years of therapy. I also did some yoga trauma-sensitive teaching training several years ago through the Trauma Center in Brookline, MA, where Bessel van der Kolk was doing the cutting edge trauma and yoga research I think David Treleaven alludes to in his video. And over the years, I’ve done a lot of personal research into the area of trauma and its impact on survivors, including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and some trauma sensitivity training at work. That said, I do realize how widespread trauma, but I also don’t feel confident that I could recognize symptoms of trauma in another. Once in a yoga class, I had a young man who wouldn’t lie down and close his eyes during shavasana. He sat against the wall behind everyone, eyes open where he could see the door, which was fine, and I hope I made him feel welcome to do so. Later, I realized that perhaps this was a trauma response.
I think what’s in my tool kit to respond is just my awareness of the other and of myself, which hopefully will increase with continued meditation practice. One thing that I did also learn was to never take the agency away from anyone else, who might be traumatized, because the trauma had done that, and to do so again would be to re-traumatize. So I think even the language we use can be of benefit, like saying instead of “do this,” it’s “perhaps you’d like to sit in a chair, or on the floor, the choice is up to you.” I think this kind of goes back to what Susan was saying last week about encouraging people in their agency, not usurping this.
Over the years, I’ve become hyper aware that my flight-fight-freeze response is how I manage my own triggering. I feel an agitation in my legs, like bees buzzing, and all I want to do is leave as quickly as possible whatever situation I’m in. I’m still learning so much about this vagal response and how to manage it.
In the end, I’m not trained to counsel anyone with trauma, or PTSD. I can only help myself, which I’m able to do most days. And so if the student confided their history of trauma to me, whether in person or in an intake form before starting the meditation instruction (I hope we hear more about this), I would need to be clear about my limitations and encourage the student to seek professional assistance.
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Ginny, thank you for your honesty. I appreciate the idea that we want to maintain people’s agency. That gives me something to listen for – both in what I say and what I hear from students. I want to remind people to be kind to themselves and listen to their bodies, even while I teach them in the way Susan’s teaching us.
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Ginny, I love your writing this week – indeed, we’re not trained to counsel or “fix” anyone in this, are we – but it can be so hard. When I was doing trauma informed YTT, we talked about students who want to sit in view of the door and that kind of thing, and I’m sure there are meditation students who want to do that too. That really gave me food for thought, thank you. How to create that safe space for everyone, while also letting them know that they’re kind of on their own in navigating their trauma in this space, in many ways. For me, the kind of person that wants to “fix” everyone’s problems, but with plenty of my own trauma, that’s difficult. Thank you so much for your thoughtful sharing 🙂
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Ginny, I appreciate your transparency about your own experience, how you recognize trauma in yourself, and how you work through it. I, too, am interested in learning more about how to respond to a student who shares about a traumatic event (or how that event is affecting their meditation). I also appreciated how you said that you cannot help someone with trauma or PTSD, but on most days, you can help yourself. It’s taken most of my lifetime to realize that helping myself is also a way of helping others because the more I love and care for myself, the more that naturally translates into how I interact with others. And while the peace (from self-care) we can bring to a difficult conversation about trauma with a student wouldn’t be directly helping that student, and we would still have to discern whether we should refer that student to professional assistance, it is one way to indirectly support them by our way of being in the world. Thank you for that beautiful reminder!
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The 4Rs concisely frames the trauma sensitive process. But for me it’s so much more complex. At this point in my meditation training, I’m very much a beginner and have much to still learn. I think all I could offer to someone experiencing distress is how I would want to be supported with acknowledgment, kindness and dignity. With trauma, as Karen said there is self aggression and recognizing one’s distress and gently addressing with non judgment can help to bring some ease.
I think introducing at the outset of meditation the tools of grounding, refocus from breath to body sensation or outer focal point, can help to give someone a strategy and a container prior to getting into difficulty mid meditation.I also found helpful a discussion Susan had with David Treleaven in 2018
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The four “r”s, Realize, Recognize, Respond, and Retraumatization are very barely descibed in this video. I honestly feel that with my 20 years experience as a yoga teacher, I have been pretty skilled at these 4 “r”s. I check in with new students to see where they are coming from. And since there isn’t touching involved, as there is often with yoga, such as pose adjustments, I’m not as worried about re-traumatization.
I think if you practice the 4 Karmas, such as creating a peaceful environment, have an enriching quality to your leadership, and keep a sense of awareness of the students, that is 90% of the time. Ive taught 100’s of yoga students fo all types and I find that if you ask permission, to enter their space, to quite them, etc, everything is fine.
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Ann, Lovely!!! Such a wonderful experience you have had. And, no doubt, your presence and experiene helped create a container that ‘all is well and safe’ for people to practice. It was also a great reminder that we don’t need to over complicate this. It can sound so intimidating. Presence, intuition, awareness, and knowing some alternatives for people covers a great deal.
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The four “r”s—Realize, Recognize, Respond, and Retraumatization—are four very important things to notice and navigate as a meditation teacher, I’m sure. In terms of how I’d recognize these things in myself and others, paying attention is key, and this includes paying attention to myself and my own emotions.
In “realizing,” I can acknowledge that the world is a traumatic place and that our individual experiences as humans on this planet can be trauma-filled, for some more than others. Effectively, I should realize that everyone comes into meditation class with their own “stuff,” and they might be bringing some of this “stuff” onto the mat and into their experience.
When I “recognize”, I can look for signs of this. Having your heart open means that you will notice a tightening in someone’s body or presence, as Susan was so eloquently discussing last week, and conversely, if that person wants something from you, with practice, I’ll get to feel that, too. I can be aware and notice if I think someone is experiencing strong emotions before, during, or after meditation, and adjust my body language and composure accordingly to navigate that without getting directly involved.
That part is the “respond,” -, and it’s important for me to notice any emotions that come up in my teaching practice as well, as well as any triggers or anything else that might cause me to be more open or closed than other times or upset or angry or whatever else so that I too can respond. Finally, in terms of wanting to avoid retraumatization, I can work to ensure that, to the best of my ability, I attempt to cause no harm when teaching. I think for one to say that they can unequivicably make sure that they never, ever trigger someone is not possible. Someone might not like my hair or how I look. My race, background, voice, or a million other things could be triggering to someone, and I can’t control so much of what I bring to the class. But in terms of the aspects that I can control – like my language, how I carry myself, the tone, and the intention, that’s what I can control in my attempt to do no harm.
I teach trauma-informed yoga and went through particular teacher training for this kind of work, and one thing I learned was that we want to “invite” people to do something, like, say, sit in a chair in a particular way or have a particular posture, not “command” but also let people have choice of what they do with their own bodies. I know the formal sitting practice in meditation is a bit more prescriptive when it comes to the “recommended” ways to sit, but in the same way, the language we use is very important.
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Thank you for your essay Jenn! I love that you tune into yourself as well as the person that you are guiding. It is so important in guiding someone in a practice and the fact that you are aware of this is special. I also love the recognition of how important language can be in creating a safe space for someone to practice. You are definitely a skillful guide and I am sure your students are glad to have you. am happy to be on this journey with you.
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Trauma sensitive mindfulness inside of a contemplative container such as meditation requires me to take an introspective look at my teaching approach. I have a little knowledge on the subject and more questions. What attitudes do I have? practices? actions and intentions? I let in the evocative analogy of the 4R’s as 4 musical notes played together or separately, how to bring them alive, practical and up to date? My best musical instrument is my intuition.
I’m aware that unfortunately no one is immune to exposure to a traumatic event, and that social and cultural factors can play an influential role in vulnerability to trauma.
In the teaching setting of dance where I evolved, in rehearsal or class, coming close to a dancer to rectify alignment or adjust a position was the number one used tool for sensory integration of movement. In recent years, because of multiple situations in teachers/coaches role, a real effort has been made in practice to overcome these old habits rarely challenged, by asking for the dancer’s agreement before touching him or her, and above all by encouraging the teacher instead to demonstrate clearly the changes to be made.
I realize the importance of creating and ensuring that a safe, caring, inclusive climate and environment is offered. I want to teach meditation where this initiative is not only possible inside the class but also if the case, in the school or institution where it takes place.Because of this proximity with young people in their training context, we had instructions to help us identify and keep an eye out for a resurgence of non-verbal symptoms of trauma, subtle changes through the body – hyper vigilance, standing aside, avoidance gaze would be some. At least these could be signs it is time to check-in with a student. I’m aware there are many more indicators. Inside of the meditation practice of a participant though, l need to decode signs, and the differences and similarities with the ones I was taught to be recognized. I know vigilance and curiosity are important assets.
I have learned simple soothing and grounding exercises, to use with trainees. Here, I need to nuance ways of responding skillfully in this particular meditation setting, forms of support, or perhaps approaches to assist a person when they ask or if it’s appropriate.
I’ve found that getting to know my students well has proved important and that listening, discussing and sharing with them played an essential role. Relationship between dancers and teacher matters. I found setting a moment for connection was a precious tool. Also I have noticed that creating a predictable ritual and agenda for a class was reassuring for them, to know what will happen and how it will be done. I want to integrate these as a meditation teacher.About re-traumatization, “First do no harm”. When necessary I see the importance of asking a participant what they need to feel safe in a meditation session. Exclude no one. See reliable resources I could turn to, as much for a participant in a class as well as for myself.
I lead my actions from “feeling” these 4R’s. And I am interested in opportunities for knowledge.
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Thank you for your beautiful essay, Helene. I love your analogy of the 4 R”s being musical notes and how you can play them together skillfully to have a beautiful symphony. The 4 R’s are used together to create a safe space for any practice or close interaction. At the beginning, you say that you have little knowledge, but by the end, you show that you are much more skillful than you think. I believe you are and will be an amazing guide to anyone you work with.
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you can tell humanity is maturing
because more of us are saying no to harm
we are taking time
to examine our biases,
moving our love from
being selective to unconditional
and expanding our idea
of what is possible
more of us are healing ourselves
and actively helping heal the world—From Clarity and Connection
Yung Pueblo
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Thank you Susan for bringing up this critical and essential topic. This video was very short and simple, yet it spoke volumes on the topic of trauma and how to respond with sensitivity and skillfulness. The four R’s are a wonderful way to explain how to have a trauma-sensitive class or practice. This topic of trauma is very personal to me and in the work I am beginning to do.
As far as the first R, I am very aware of how widespread trauma is in society in general. I have taken several trainings on the topic of trauma sensitivity and have read many books on the topic. Besser Van Der Kolk, Peter Lavine, Aimie Apigian, and Gabor Mate are some of the best trainers and authors on trauma. Still, that is only an intellectual understanding on my part, I know trauma personally as well and have had many traumatic events in my life. I feel very confident in my awareness of trauma, how pervasive it is in society, and the crippling effects that it has on people.
The second R is Recognize. I know that I can recognize the non-verbal signs of trauma in myself. The trauma that I have experienced most likely goes back to birth or possibly before. When I was born, the doctors told my mum that I would not live, that had to be very traumatic for my mum as she had a previous miscarriage. This trauma was probably transferred to me as well due to the emotionally traumatic state my mum was in at this time. She was still strong enough to not accept this and I believe it saved my life. She gave birth to me and saved my life at the same time. I was born with spina bifida and my mum was told I would never walk if I survived, again my mum refused to believe this, and I can walk, though with mobility issues. Again I credit my mum with my ability to walk. This was a trauma for my mum and for me as well. These traumas are in the past, but are fully present now in the body and can have lasting and ongoing effects. I don’t believe my mum fully processed or healed these traumas or even had a real awareness of them. I can now see this in hindsight from some of her behaviors, like “eating her emotions” or numbing with food, and being closed off or shut down at times. I can also recognize the effects of trauma on myself in “eating my emotions” at times still ( may be generational trauma in a sense). I can stop this response most of the time now that I am aware of it, but not always even though I am aware of what I am doing. In such cases, I do my best to have compassion and empathy for myself and am not too harsh on myself.
The third R is Respond. In the past, I didn’t feel I had the ability to respond skillfully when I recognized a trauma response in myself or anyone else. Today, I do feel confident that I can and will respond skillfully and with compassion when I recognize a trauma response in someone else. And I am able to do this for myself as well. I feel I have the skills to respond in a kind, gentle way to anyone displaying a trauma response/reaction or triggered in any way while I am guiding them in meditation or coaching. Though I have much to learn and experience and this is ongoing throughout life. I will continue to add to my learning, knowledge, and skills in this area.
The final R; avoiding re-traumatization or “do no harm” is so important when working with other people in any capacity. Fostering an environment of safety is the first place to start and asking the person you are working with what they need to feel safe in the space and in their body. And how I can facilitate this feeling of safety. Also to let them know that they can stop and take a break if they begin to feel a trauma response or start to feel unsafe in any way. Then come back when they feel safe to do so. To let them know that they have agency over themselves.
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Dear Dominic ,
Waow … You entered into a brave space to write this essay. I recognize it and hold it with you. I also read through your writing how much work you have put into healing, and the mountain of compassion for you, for your mother, for your ancestors you cultivate.
Compassion that turns also into tenderness, strength, and a light in you that guide your vision, intentions and actions. I feel how your understanding of the 4R’s will light a path for others.
Thank you for your openness to vulnerability.
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I feel thankful for Susan’s clear instructions in this valuable module and appreciate the video on The Three Rs of trauma informed practice.
These Four Rs can provide a tidy container for organizing our thoughts around our approach to teaching and they feel like The Four Immeasurables in action.
I think that I was always aware of trauma, probably because I saw that my family had struggled for being in situations, or relationships that weren’t of their choosing. My mom’s family were children and grandchildren of the Indian Residential School system here in Canada which left deep scars on their autonomy, identity, and comfort in all aspects of their lives. In 2011, I decided to continue my education, to become a Yoga Therapist. As part of these years of study, one of their core subjects was teaching Trauma Informed Yoga and even before I looked into what that really meant, I knew it was important. Since that time, I’ve done other workshops in trauma informed practice because it’s essential and so relevant in the community at large, especially in the arena of yoga and meditation.
The first R (realize) is to simply recognize the reality that trauma is pervasive coming to us through all kinds of experiences including injury, medical treatment, as well as relational harm. Simply through the journey of life, most of us experience trauma at some time and this can create lasting change. Not all trauma leads to PTSD. When I took that first Trauma Informed Yoga workshop, I was certain that I was doing this work for others; my sister, my mom, and people “like them”. I looked at the effects of their complex trauma and didn’t even think of myself, even though I have had some scary, deeply upsetting experiences that still linger and make me pause sometimes. That took time to realize in myself. Most importantly for me as a teacher is to make an environment that is secure and comfortable. I aim for class space to be physically safe, have enough light, not too crowded, and tidy. I do play music, but I keep it quiet. The doors are always locked during session and most windows are covered with blinds. This I feel is the best starting place. In my instruction, when new folks are present I give the “permission to take care of yourself” talk. I use invitational language, always give options for what to do without using hierarchical language (easier/harder, beginner/advanced), autonomy to do their own thing, and I really mean it. Like Susan’s teacher who said the most important thing is to give the student confidence in your leadership.
The second R (recognize) is a little trickier. It’s useful to have a list of “symptoms” like jumpiness, sweating, rapid breathing, freezing or gapping out. Yet, lots of my clients have pretty sophisticated coping mechanisms to keep themselves out of the spotlight so sometimes I hear about the things that came up at another time. With deep held experience, can come deep held responses as well. It took seeing others go through their process to realize the same symptoms in myself. In my pranayama practice stress shows up in breath that just can’t shift or settle. In my meditation practice, I notice that I can be gapping out and recognize this as my little side trip that keeps me from being present.
The third R (respond) is all about connection. When I see that someone is struggling, I check in with them discretely (without assuming that I know what they are going through), reminding them where the bathroom is or the water to drink. I will send an the student an email or check in with them before the next class to see if there is anything else needed. When I have my own moments, I give myself time. I know it’ll pass, so I let myself pause, I might ask myself what I was thinking of or what stimulus caused me to drift away from the present. I also talk with good people that I can be transparent with.
The fourth R (avoid Re-traumatizing), that’s the culmination of our best effort. To avoid re-traumatizing, I never ask the student to explain themselves and I let them know that their presence is appreciated in class, so we can adjust what is needed so that they can feel more supported in their practice.
As for me, I am firmly committed to this approach as a modality for sharing self inquiry, and I believe that the person is the most important subject, not the specific practice, technique, or posture acknowledging that we are changing moment to moment. This has been hugely liberating and resulted in being known as a safe place for all kinds of folks.
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Dear Erin,
Thank you for sharing your valuable experience as a yoga teacher guiding what sounds to be a very safe and supportive container for your classes. I appreciate your language around invitation and ‘autonomy to do their own thing’. I was also struck by your observation that identifying trauma responses in others helped you to see those same responses in yourself. In a very real sense we are all in this together and trauma sensitivity is an awareness we need both in and out of teaching spaces. Thank you.
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The 4Rs concisely frames the trauma sensitive process. But for me it’s so much more complex. At this point in my meditation training, I’m very much a beginner and have much to still learn. I think all I could offer to someone experiencing distress is how I would want to be supported with acknowledgment, kindness and dignity. With trauma, as Karen said there is self aggression and recognizing one’s distress and gently addressing with non judgment can help to bring some ease.
I think introducing at the outset of meditation the tools of grounding, refocus from breath to body sensation or outer focal point, can help to give someone a strategy and a container prior to getting into difficulty mid meditation.I also found helpful a video blog Susan had with David Treleaven on 12/21/18
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Realize:
As an individual with a traumatic childhood, the effects of that trauma show up in multiple ways. If something unexpected happens close to my face, I tend to flinch. I’m easily startled by loud noises or someone coming up behind me and talking before I know they’re there. Sometimes, fast, heavy footfalls, even if I can see the person approaching, will be a trigger.
Trauma also shows up for me in a heat that is felt in my body but not seen by others, a tightening of my throat, a quickening of my heartbeat, and a strong desire to leave/run from whatever situation I’m in.
Over the years, I’ve learned to calm my reactions to trauma, but I know that trauma still affects me in many ways, both seen and unseen. And I’m only one of many who live with the effects of trauma.
Recognize:
Recognizing the physical fallout from trauma is much easier than the trauma that shows up in the body and is unseen by others. As a meditation teacher, I usually end my own meditation a few moments before I sound the bell so that I can look at the facial expressions and/or body language of the folks who are meditating. It’s amazing what you can observe in the last 60 seconds of meditation.
In writing this, I’ve realized that most of how I recognize trauma is instinctual. I’m going to research more ways to recognize trauma in others.
Respond:
It’s difficult to tell what responses are from trauma or something else (like anxiety).
I remember offering a multi-session intro to meditation class in which one of the students was having a very difficult time. I was teaching a closed-eyes technique. After two conversations with her, I finally figured out that perhaps she had experienced physical trauma in her life. She did not talk at all about this trauma, it was only a guess on my part. I suggested that she sit in the very last row of the cushions with her back close to the Temple wall. This made all the difference to her. Her sense of panic was mitigated, and she could focus more fully on the practice.
Again, I think any responses I’ve had to trauma have been using my own instincts or personal experiences. I would appreciate learning more about the most helpful ways to respond.
Avoidance of Re-Traumatization:
I think avoiding re-traumatization can be mitigated quite a bit by setting expectations about what the experience will be like before the student sets foot into the space and sharing what’s going to happen before it happens during the session. This not only gives interested folks an idea of what to expect if they attend, it gives those who might be triggered by certain elements of the experience an opportunity to self-select out.
For example, in the announcement/invite to the meditation session, you can describe both the practice and the environment. I’ve even written a “for new students” section of a Temple website so that people would know what to expect before they ever set foot in the space.
Here are some ways I’ve tried to minimize re-traumatization in the past:
Environment – Is everyone welcome, no how they self-identify? (Say it!) Are there chairs as well as benches and cushions? How long will the meditation be? How long will the entire session be? What are the components of the session and what is the timing for each? Will the teacher be available afterward for questions? How many people can this session accommodate?
Practice – Offer the practice as an invitation. Let folks know that meditation practice can be difficult at times, both physically and mentally. And that’s normal. But if there’s something in the practice that is deeply uncomfortable to them, let them know that it’s okay not to do it. I typically start and end every meditation with the sound of the bell – three times. Because everyone knows that’s what’s coming at the beginning of the meditation (because I tell them right before we begin) the sound of the bell is not going to be jarring. At the end of the meditation, they will know that the sound of the bell is coming, but they don’t know when. So starting off with the first ring of the bell very softly, and then a little louder, and then normal volume is a way to not surprise those with a strong startle reflex.
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Realize
Recognize
Respond
Re-traumatization (avoid)To me, it feels like the practice of realizing, recognizing, and responding to trauma is deeply connected with right speech. (Can I add a 5th R?? Or maybe this falls under Respond.)
Remembering that so many of us carry trauma — many people without even consciously being aware of it — is the realization part.
Recognizing trauma seems like where many of the practical parts come in. I appreciated T’s note in this morning’s class about the wide range of reactions someone with trauma might have to their trigger(s). That person might freak out, freeze, go deadpan, try to connect more deeply with you emotionally, or even touch you. Or they might show no reaction at all.
I also appreciated Karen Daughtry’s note in her essay about paying attention to body language, and whether it matches the words someone is saying.
Personally, one of my reactions when I feel something has touched my little-t trauma is to make jokes about the topic, or overshare. Later, I’m sometimes left with guilt or shame for my reaction.
There really is huge potential variety in the recognition part, so I hope to become more skillful in this practice.
Responding to trauma makes me think about how I can create a space that feels safe and welcoming for everyone. NOT so people can overshare (because as both Susan and T noted this morning, boundary-setting is an important part of creating safety in a teacher-student relationship), but so the person knows they will not (intentionally, at least by me) be harmed.
If I’m aiming to go through life doing as little harm as possible, then one of my goals is thinking about whether what I say has the potential to harm. To avoid retraumatizing someone, I likely need to be extra thoughtful and precise in my response — in both words and actions.
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This was such a great opening invite to learn about trauma sensitivy in meditation instruction. It strikes me that we can appraoch this difficult subject with awareness, presence, and intuition. Qualities we are already committed to in our practice. It is simply asking us to incorporate being mindful of this too, since trauma is common.
I would imagine a student who is disrupted in class may be fidgeting, have difficulting breathing, or might be looping/perserverating on a thought or body sensation. Perhaps they are spacing off a lot…or crying, or look frozen in appearance.
Offering how to alter the practice would be applicable, but not in a way that would ‘call out’ the person if one was in a group. Stating something like, “It is normal to shift your approach if something is feeling hard to hold in anyway.” And suggest moving from breath to hearing as the object of meditation. Explaining that their own gentle hands placed on the stuck body sensation while breathing could be useful. Or dropping the practice all together and observing or witnessing others. In instruction, reminding students as much of a moment to moment practice that meditation is, it is also a practice of being gentle with ourselves. That is the work. Afterwards, I may check in with the student in private to understand their experience and how I could be of support.
I wonder if previewing or laying this out in the beginning of class, like in day 1, would be useful before sitting? Or, maybe is there a disclosure or statement they sign which may explain this? Hmmmm. I’d hate anyone’s trauma to bubble up spontaneously and blind side them. Although that could be the caretaker in me…I’ve never had meditation instruction where someone said, ‘watch out for this’. Gosh, that might scare one off! As I write, maybe I would invite the students to let me know beforehand if they felt like it would be important for me to know (that they have had trauma) and they are concerned. I could answer any of their questions and explain how I would approach this during meditation class.
Loads to think about. 🙂
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Rachel, this is a great exploration. I think it’s a good idea to open the door right away for people to bring up anything that may make meditation difficult for them. And I like how you bring up being gentle with oneself, I think this is always a great reminder and especially in situations where someone is having a trauma response. Thank you. 🙂
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More and more I realize how many people carry trauma with them and how it varies so greatly in expression. Sometimes we don’t even realize what traumas we ourselves carry. We cannot know what seemingly “small” event in someone’s life can stick with them and become a relived experience, effecting present and future events. We also cannot know how these experiences and memories manifest in life, whether through behavior or physical symptoms or some other outlet.
In my work I spend a lot of time listening to people speak about experienced pain (physical, mental, emotional) and very often if we trace it back to its origin it has some root in a traumatic experience. It is a fascinating thing how the body holds on to traumatic experiences and how they show up later.I cannot say that I’m very confident in my ability to recognize trauma symptoms as such, although I do find that I can often intuit things about people based on behavior patterns. In my training as a Chinese medicine practitioner we learned to take each aspect of a person’s presentation into account when treating them, so I rely heavily on observation in order to create a treatment for someone. So I guess I observe well, but maybe I’m not necessarily registering what I notice as a symptom of trauma? This is something I need to explore further.
All in all, it seems to me that being present for people and offering space and compassion is a good general rule for responding to trauma symptoms. And I do my best to bring these qualities to any interaction. So hopefully even if I’m not recognizing clearly symptoms of trauma, bringing loving kindness to the interaction will be an appropriate response.
I find this idea of first doing no harm to be central to my interactions with patients, and really anyone. Again, it seems that leaving space and staying present and aware in a loving way is a good start to avoid re-traumatization or causing harm.
Anyway, there is a lot to consider here and I’m grateful for the chance to take a closer look at this topic and think about how I can be more aware and appropriately responsive.
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I enjoyed our video and discussion on being a trauma-sensitive meditation practitioner. As someone who relates to this conversation firsthand I see how important it is and how difficult it can be to approach as a teachers. It does involve creating a compassionate, inclusive space where individuals can safely explore mindfulness without feeling overwhelmed. This approach recognizes that meditation can sometimes trigger difficult memories or emotions for those with trauma histories. By gently guiding individuals to stay present and grounded, and offering choices that honor their comfort levels, like the example David in the video gave with the tokens, trauma-sensitive meditation encourages a sense of safety and autonomy. These approaches are so important because there really is a healing space in mediation for those dealing with trauma.
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The four Rs of trauma are
realize
recognize
respond and DON’T
re-traumatizeI certainly feel much more consciously aware of the issue of trauma in students and teachers as a result of our studies and discussion of this topic. I’m very grateful for that.
Trauma was part of my childhood, as for so many, and as an elementary school teacher I’m well aware that it’s all around us. Sometimes we teachers are explicitly informed of some of the background, more often we are not.
I feel more confident than ever before that I can trust my intuition and compassionate awareness to feel out the teaching relationship. I am careful to respond kindly to my students and give them space for their own experience.
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