What is Trauma-Informed Movement Practice? (And why you may want to start one!)

I once told my trainer I felt allergic to the gym. She laughed and basically told me to suck it up buttercup and get my ass to the gym. I struggled with this. A lot. I also didn't know why I struggled with this. I truly believed there was something wrong with me and my aversion to the gym. I wanted to go, to enjoy it, to become a gym sis. I pushed myself to endure. But I couldn't put my finger on what the actual problem was. So I settled with, allergy to the gym.

What neither my trainer nor I knew at the time was I was having trauma responses. To clarify, a trauma response is an automatic reaction to a stressful or threatening event. It can manifest several different ways:

Fight: Getting aggressive, argumentative, or confrontational

Flight: Feeling anxious, restless, or wanting to escape the situation

Freeze: Feeling stuck, numb, or unable to move/act

Fawn: People-pleasing, avoiding conflict, or over-accommodating others

In my gym "allergy" scenario, I was cycling between flight and freeze. My initial response was flight - I felt anxious and wanted to run away. After pushing through without fleeing, I'd shift into freeze, causing dissociative episodes where I wasn't even aware of what my body was doing.

And yes, I still got results. Kinda... but at what cost?

The harder I pushed while in active trauma response, the more intense my responses became. I thought I was helping my body, but I didn't even know how to feel my body. It wasn't until I pushed too hard and tore my labrum that I had to completely stop. This began a downward spiral that I'd later learn was an Hypermobile Elhors Danlos (hEDS) flare, with a dash of Lyme Disease, sprinkle of Mold Toxicity, and a pinch of POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tyachacardic Syndrome).

How often do we hear "no pain, no gain" or "pain is weakness leaving the body"? These mantras can be motivational for some, but harmful for others. I pushed because I was encouraged to, expected to, all the while ignoring what my body was trying to tell me. The key is taking inventory of what you're actually experiencing in your body.

So what is a trauma-informed movement practice?

A practice that allows you to feel safe and empowered in your body. Grounded and aware. It's movement that honors your nervous system rather than forcing it into submission.

I want to encourage you to pause in your next movement practice and get curious. Ask yourself: Am I breathing or holding my breath? How does this feel in my body? How am I feeling afterwards?

Looking back, my "gym allergy" wasn't an allergy at all - it was my body's wisdom trying to protect me. Now I know the difference between challenging myself and traumatizing myself. And that's made all the difference.

Your body has wisdom too. Maybe it's time to listen.