Healing Trauma with Mindfulness: Three Simple Practices
I know that healing from trauma can be a challenging journey, but I’ve learned that incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine can make a significant difference. Today, we’ll explore three easy ways to practice mindfulness while healing your trauma. Before diving into these practices, let’s understand what mindfulness is, how it helps break trauma patterns, and how it can rewire your brain for healing.
Mindfulness is about being fully present in the moment without judgment. It’s a way to connect to the now, instead of being caught up in the past or worrying about the future. When we experience childhood trauma, we often get stuck in old patterns. Our bodies and minds might react to situations based on these old wounds, leading to behaviors like overreacting to small things, feeling stuck, or numbing our emotions.
Trauma can cause us to overreact to minor situations. For example, I once spent hours organizing my daughter’s playroom, labeling each bucket with pictures for easy identification. When my husband helped clean up, he put toys in random buckets, and I overreacted, feeling unappreciated and invalidated. This reaction stemmed from childhood feelings of not being seen or heard. Mindfulness helps break this cycle by teaching us to pause, breathe, and observe what’s happening inside us without reacting automatically.
Practicing mindfulness can gently reshape our brains, boosting activity in the prefrontal cortex, which helps us make decisions and manage our emotions. At the same time, it reduces activity in the amygdala, the area linked to fear and anxiety. This transformation allows us to step out of a constant state of survival and into a place where we feel safe, calm, and capable of making thoughtful choices. The thing I love the most about this is that mindfulness is something that you incorporate into your daily dynamic and then it just becomes a natural part of it. You don’t need much extra time, leaving the house or the office, it’s all inside of you!
Here are my top three simple mindfulness practices to make a difference in your healing journey:
1. Mindful Breathing
Take a moment each day to focus on your breath. Feel the air as it enters and leaves your body, feel your diaphragm expanding and your body reacting to it. This practice helps ground you in the present moment and calms your nervous system. Simply inhale and exhale, paying attention to the sensations of breathing.
2. Body Scanning
Close your eyes and slowly scan your body from head to toe in your mind. Notice any areas of tension or discomfort without trying to change them. Are your shoulders tense? How long have you been clenching your jaw? This practice helps you tune into where your trauma might be stored in your body. Start at the top of your head, move to your face, neck, shoulders, back, chest, stomach, arms, wrists, hands, hips, legs, knees, shins, ankles, and feet.
3. Gratitude Check-In
Take a minute each day to think of one thing you’re grateful for. It could be something small, like a warm cup of coffee or a nice text message from a friend. Practicing gratitude shifts your focus from pain to healing. Try listing three things you’re grateful for in the morning and three things in the evening and, if you want to go a step further, take notes on these or journal a bit every day. This way, if you ever feel bad, stressed out or ungrateful, you can go back and remember all the small and beautiful things that have been significant to you, everything you’re grateful for!
Mindfulness is not about fixing yourself or erasing your trauma. It’s about learning to be present with yourself, even when things feel difficult. Over time, this practice strengthens your emotional resilience, making you less reactive and more in tune with your emotions. You’ll be better able to move through challenges without feeling overwhelmed.
Healing is a process that takes time, and mindfulness is a tool you can use every step of the way. By practicing mindfulness, you’re creating new patterns grounded in peace, self-compassion, and a sense of safety. These new patterns replace those grounded in fear, anxiety, or anger. If you’re looking for more information on your healing journey, consider exploring resources on confronting your past for true healing with the support of a therapist, energy healer, or coach. Remember, mindfulness is a powerful ally in your journey towards healing and self-discovery!
I’m Kim Keane, coach and energy healer, and I can help you grow out of trauma. DM me or email me at kim@kimkeane.com if you want to get personalized support. You can also download my Free Everyday Spirituality Handbook or get my EFT Tapping Booster Session to continue making progress on your healing journey!