FAQs Archive - Page 15 of 21 - SmartBody SmartMind

Q: 3 - I found it hard to have a sense of the ribs moving. I am much more conscious of movement in the pelvis and spine. Is it common to have some areas move but not others?

Yes. Trauma stuck in the system means parts of the system will be, well, stuck! This can include our joints, muscles, fascia and more. It’s quite common for the rib cage to be rigid and inflexible as part of a bracing pattern. Just keep it up and see if you can make the movements smaller and slower -- I guarantee you there IS movement happening.

Q: 2 - I’m not able to do the breath prep lying down on my back as I am uncomfortable. Can I do this sitting?

Absolutely! Sitting on a chair or sofa is fine, if laying down is too uncomfortable.

Q: 4 - I don’t have many memories of my experiences. Does that matter? Are they still stored somewhere, and do I need to access them to heal?

There are many kinds of memory! It is not necessary to have declarative memory (mental images and words) of traumatic events in order to heal them. In fact, that’s the entire beauty of this work! The body remembers, and it’s much more effective to work directly with implicit memory (body memory) than it is to work with declarative memory. That being said, as our implicit memories start to surface, the declarative memories may also spontaneously arise, but they don’t have to in order to heal.

Q: 3 - Can engaging online with friends or in support groups help heal our trauma?

Absolutely. Feeling accepted, understood, and supported is so important, as is being able to express our experiences with this process. All of this sparks up that good ventral vagal social engagement system, which is the antipode to survival energy.

Q: 5 - I am unable to access taking air through my mouth. I still notice, when I try to take in air through my mouth, as soon as it hits the back of my throat, the windpipe and chest area are constricted. It is a deeply unpleasant experience trying to inhale that way. Any ideas?

This is almost certainly due to some unresolved trauma involving the throat and/or mouth such as choking or drowning, as breathing in through the mouth should be just as easy as breathing in through the nose. We may have a slight preference for one or the other, but if it causes a big reaction then there is something there to work with. Try titrating the experience. Breathe in and out through the nose for a breath, then the mouth for a breath, then back to the nose for as long as it takes to settle, try again, etc. See if you can connect to the emotional quality of that feeling of constriction. What would it be like to say, or do, or express? Another option is to titrate within the same breath. You can start breathing in through the nose, then switch to letting a bit in through the mouth halfway through the inhale, then back to the nose, all on the same inhale, and you can play with it the same way on the exhale.

Q: 4 - Should I be giving up the alternative nostril breathing (in the left nostril, out the right) I have learned? It seems to give me a headache now. What does that mean?

It sounds like that might be a bit too intense for your system at this point. If it doesn’t do anything for you except give you a headache, it’s probably not very useful!

Q: 3 - Is it common for some of these exercises to cause you to feel incredibly tired/exhausted? Does that indicate something?

If you didn’t feel incredibly tired going into it, this is probably an indication that your freeze response is getting activated due to being overwhelmed. See what happens if you try doing a bit less next time -- watch for the moment you start to get that fatigue coming on, and then stop.

3 – I found it hard to have a sense of the ribs moving. I am much more conscious of movement in the pelvis and spine. Is it common to have some areas move but not others?

3 – I found it hard to have a sense of the ribs moving. I am much more conscious of movement in the pelvis and spine. Is it common to have some areas move but not others?Irene Lyon2019-11-14T13:27:50-08:00

2 – I’m not able to do the breath prep lying down on my back as I am uncomfortable. Can I do this sitting?

2 – I’m not able to do the breath prep lying down on my back as I am uncomfortable. Can I do this sitting?Irene Lyon2019-11-14T13:27:05-08:00

1 – After-effects! Achy, tired, sluggish, shaky, sleep disturbances

1 – After-effects! Achy, tired, sluggish, shaky, sleep disturbancesIrene Lyon2019-11-14T13:26:24-08:00

4 – I don’t have many memories of my experiences. Does that matter? Are they still stored somewhere, and do I need to access them to heal?

4 – I don’t have many memories of my experiences. Does that matter? Are they still stored somewhere, and do I need to access them to heal?Irene Lyon2019-11-14T13:22:35-08:00

3 – Can engaging online with friends or in support groups help heal our trauma?

3 – Can engaging online with friends or in support groups help heal our trauma?Irene Lyon2019-04-18T15:18:48-07:00

2 – At what age does the Vagus nerve stop developing?

2 – At what age does the Vagus nerve stop developing?Irene Lyon2019-04-18T15:17:32-07:00

1 – How do I complete the stress response? Is it always about shaking? What if the environment isn’t safe?

1 – How do I complete the stress response? Is it always about shaking? What if the environment isn’t safe?Irene Lyon2019-11-15T15:22:44-08:00

5 – I am unable to access taking air through my mouth. I still notice, when I try to take in air through my mouth, as soon as it hits the back of my throat, the windpipe and chest area are constricted. It is a deeply unpleasant experience trying to inhale that way. Any ideas?

5 – I am unable to access taking air through my mouth. I still notice, when I try to take in air through my mouth, as soon as it hits the back of my throat, the windpipe and chest area are constricted. It is a deeply unpleasant experience trying to inhale that way. Any ideas?Irene Lyon2019-11-13T11:17:13-08:00

4 – Should I be giving up the alternative nostril breathing (in the left nostril, out the right) I have learned? It seems to give me a headache now. What does that mean?

4 – Should I be giving up the alternative nostril breathing (in the left nostril, out the right) I have learned? It seems to give me a headache now. What does that mean?Irene Lyon2019-11-11T13:48:49-08:00

3 – Is it common for some of these exercises to cause you to feel incredibly tired/exhausted? Does that indicate something?

3 – Is it common for some of these exercises to cause you to feel incredibly tired/exhausted? Does that indicate something?Irene Lyon2019-11-11T13:48:26-08:00