Time to get moving
Movement is a key component to healing from ACEs. Trauma from childhood may be stored at the cellular level in our body, and movement can help release it. Movement can also improve our energy and overall health and help us stay flexible and relaxed. We often express ourselves culturally and spiritually through movement.
Just remember that you can choose movement that feels good to you. The most important thing is to integrate it into your everyday life. Whether that’s going for a morning walk or greeting the day with a deep stretch.
Start small, or take big leaps, the choice is up to you.
Ideas to try
Scroll through these ideas to find a type of movement you enjoy. Then give it a try and work it into your regular routine.
Practice trauma-sensitive yoga
Our friends at Yoga Ed have put together a video with three short practices to help calm mind and body. When our mind (or heart) is racing, these grounding techniques can help bring us back to the here and now. So find a quiet place, pull up a chair, and give them a try.
Warm up with Brain Dance
Brain Dance is a simple routine designed to integrate and strengthen the brain-body connection. Originally created by Anne Green Gilbert, Brain Dance draws on the natural movements we make in the first 12 months of life. These movements help “wire” the brain for a healthy nervous system and foster a sense of wholeness.
Repeating these movements regularly with Brain Dance can help keep both brain and body strong. It can also round out gaps in our neurological development that may be due to childhood trauma.
While Brain Dance focuses on eight core patterns of movement (learn more about these below), the dance itself can take many styles and forms. You can google “Brain Dance” to find one you like or start with the one below.
Breath
Take a few deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Why? Breath brings oxygen to the brain and awareness to the body.
Tactile
Squeeze, tap, brush, or pat all surfaces of your body. Arms and legs, torso, back and head.
Why? Touch activates the sensory-motor system and is an important element in bonding.
Core-distal
Curl up into a ball and then reach out wide, then repeat the process.
Why? This pattern helps develop a sense of self, and activates core awareness and body alignment.
Head-tail
Move your head and “tail” in opposite directions. Side to side, front and back. Give the spine a little shake.
Why? These movements increase flexibility of the spine and efficiency of the central nervous system.
Upper and lower body
Keep your feet in place and move your upper body and arms. Then reverse and hold your upper body still as you move your legs.
Why? These patterns help ground us emotionally while developing the ability to draw and recognize boundaries.
Body-side
Keep one side of your body still and move the other, then repeat the other side. Move your eyes from side to side.
Why? These movements improve balance and can help us learn how to weigh choices.
Cross-lateral
This time, move opposite parts together — for instance, left elbow to right knee and right elbow to left knee.
Why? Cross-body movements help integrate both sides of the brain and create pathways for complex thinking.
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Take a free online class
Nowadays, there are all sorts of opportunities to get moving with others through free online classes and communities. There are classes for just about anything. Here are a few ideas to search on YouTube to get you started:
Yoga Class
Drumming Class
Stretching Class
Dance Class
Tai Chi Class
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