Mini Series by Kat - Episode #1 - What Does the Mind Body Connection Mean?
This article is written by guest contributing writer Katiuscia Gray (A.K.A. Kat).
You may recognize this beautiful human as she was on our Yoga to Cope podcast back in October. Kat combines the world of psychology with yoga in her practice. This is accomplished by integrating talk therapy with body work practices in the form of yoga to create a truly meaningful and impactful therapy for her clients.
We are honoured to have her on our blog for a mini series where she will use this platform as a fun way to educate in the realm of the brain, trauma, and how yoga fits wonderfully into this realm. Stay tuned for more blog episodes in this mini series to come!
Picture given to YTC by Katiuscia Gray
Mini Series by Kat - Episode #1 - What Does the Mind Body Connection Mean?
Whenever we talk about the mind body connection, people often say to me what does that even mean? I like to say your mind is connected to your body and your body is connected to your mind. One cannot function without the other; it's only when we truly understand that is when the healing can begin.
I grew up with a lot of childhood trauma, physical, sexual and emotional abuse was very prevalent when I was a little girl . That trauma was not only stored in my mind all of the time but in my body. I was always angry, I was always what we call “hypervigilant”, I was always on guard, I always thought someone was coming for me.
I never understood why. Trauma is an overwhelming, deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, causing feelings of helplessness. It’s a loss of connection with ourselves and in our environment.
Trauma isn’t just stored in feelings and sensations, oftentimes our body remembers the trauma without us realizing it long after the trauma is over. Scents, sounds, feelings and thoughts can all trigger a response. Trauma can put us in a perpetual state of flight (You become so afraid you put your hands to fight to defend yourself), fight( you run) or freeze (you become so frightened you become numb).
There is a part of the brain called the amygdala which processes our emotions, it’s also where our fear center and response is stored. It’s the brain's emotional computer alarm system and our internal fire alarm. It’s also responsible for turning on the stress response.
When you have experienced trauma cortisone secretion is released from this area sounding off the alarm that we are in danger when we actually are not. It gives us a false alarm. We then want to fight, flight or freeze.
This is the state I was constantly in; the world didn’t feel safe to me. I was hyper charged, on the outside I was angry, and nervous all of the time, I was all over the place with my feelings, but on the inside, I was hurt, and in pain.
As long as the mind is defending itself with things that are not really happening you cannot engage in your life, I was not fully engaged in my life at all. Once I had my son I knew it was time for me to heal. I went to therapy to process and heal from my trauma. I learned a lot about my trauma and how and why it made me function in the world.
But I was still not fully healed, I continued to be hyperalert, and was triggered often, the trauma even trickled down in my body and I started to develop headaches. It wasn’t until I included yoga into my healing work is when I really was able to see how much my trauma was stored in my body and was able to release and heal fully. True relaxation happens when the relaxation response is stimulated.
Yoga allows you to not only learn how to breathe and release, but you are able to release the tension out of your body. Which slows down the nervous system and heart rate, it’s the opposite of fight flight or freeze and activates the relax and reset response.
Katiuscia Gray is the owner of Mind Meets Movement Counseling Services, PLLC in Valley Stream, NY. She is a LCSW-R (licensed clinical social worker) and CYT-200hr (certified yoga teacher) and a certified anxiety specialist (CCATP) She specializes in working with children, adolescents, young adults and adults. Katiuscia and her team utilizes alternative ways to heal, linking mind and body.