How Trauma-Informed Yoga Can Help Highly Sensitive People

How Trauma-Informed Yoga Can Help Highly Sensitive People

by | Aug 24, 2017 | Anxiety, Highly Sensitive Person, Trauma, Yoga

The following article was originally published on Introvert, Dear under the title “7 Reasons Trauma-Informed Yoga Is Perfect for Introverts and HSPs”.

I almost walked out of a yoga class last winter.

As an introvert and a highly sensitive person (HSP), I’m quick to experience sensory overload. Too much stimulus makes me anxious.

If you’re sensitive like me, you may find it ironic that a practice based on quieting the mind can be so stimulating in a lot of studios these days.

As a yoga teacher myself, I want to share with you the secret to finding yoga studios and classes that offer calmer experiences. First, I’ll tell you what happened that made me want to run.

Overstimulation in Yoga

The snow came in spades that weekend. After introverting for days, I decided to try a new studio in my neighborhood.

I walked into a heated room with yoga mats crammed together all facing a wall of mirrors. The music was so loud that I could barely hear the teacher, which was a shame because what I did hear was helpful. Then repeated snapping of her fingers started…and I wanted to run.

I was adjusted in poses rather forcefully without her knowing the inner workings of my body — and without consent. This sensory overload contributed to a stressful experience, the opposite effect of what we aim for in yoga.

We all have preferences when it comes to yoga. Thus, I say this not to criticize, but to hopefully bring to light some alternative options for the sensitive person. The secret I give students is to seek out trauma-informed teachers.

What is Trauma-Informed Yoga?

Trauma-informed yoga is an approach that bears in mind that any student coming to a class may have experienced trauma, and some aspects of yoga can be re-traumatizing. The approach offers a framework for creating a safe space in which students can connect with their breath and increase body awareness.

When I began thinking about what makes yoga trauma-informed, I realized the same principles are perfect for introverts and HSPs. I’m not grouping introverts and HSPs with trauma survivors, but the overlap in how we require safe space is noteworthy.

I teach yoga at a great trauma-informed studio in the Chicago Loop called Room to Breathe Chicago. It’s been built by sensitive souls, and you can expect to walk into any class and have a calming experience. I actually teach all my classes this way, as I believe we all benefit from becoming more mindful of one another’s boundaries in a world that often feels stifling and disrespectful.

If you’re a sensitive person who is new to yoga, or you’ve had a negative experience, I highly suggest looking for teachers trained in trauma-informed yoga and studios that have missions that include language like “empowerment,” “gentle,” “choice,” “sensitive,” and “accessible.” Many trauma-informed teachers are indeed introverted or sensitive folks themselves.

Why Trauma-Informed Yoga Is Perfect for Introverts and HSPs

1. We provide options. We encourage choice, whether it’s taking rest or a variation of a pose. We focus on self-paced, dynamic movement that centers on body awareness and breath rather than rigid dogma or vigorous movement. When we use alignment cues, they’re to keep students safe and develop greater presence. Modifications are abundant in our classes.

2. We keep our music chill. Sometimes I don’t use music at all so students can focus on their breath. When I do use music, I opt for soft, calming melodies without many lyrics. Loud music in yoga creates what we call a “rajasic” experience, which, in this context, could be understood as overstimulating the nervous system, which results in exhaustion and imbalance.

3. We use minimal hands-on assists. We refrain from placing our hands on students unless we’ve built a relationship or the student clearly states they want adjustments. We use cards that students can flip over to indicate if they want assistance. We are conscientious about the adjustments we do offer. It’s your practice, and you should be able to move and breathe in community with respect for your personal space.

4. We avoid too much stimulation. If heat is going to be created in class, we facilitate that process from the inside out rather than lumping students together in a heated room. We’re careful to limit class sizes so students have personal space. We avoid too many visuals and smells. When so many of us are up in our head space all day long, we want to provide an opportunity to quiet the mind, not spin it into a tizzy of stress.

5. We are aware of our voices. It’s not that we all speak in soft voices, but we find the balance in strength and softness. Yoga is not a spinning class or boot camp. We offer more opportunities for silence and stillness.

6. We teach the essence of yoga. Our cuing weaves yogic philosophy and meaning into the practice in a way that is genuine and helps students connect to their experience. We support the positive effects yoga has on the body, but will never teach it as a group of poses to be conquered. We cultivate interoception, the sense responsible for detecting internal regulation responses within the body, such as respiration, heart rate, and other physical sensations.

7. We don’t teach with mirrors. Yoga certainly encourages reflection. Self-reflection. The internal reflection you find when you are deep in your breath and body, connected to your present experience.

Not all trauma-informed yoga teachers are introverts or HSPs, and not all introverted and sensitive yoga teachers are trauma-informed. Yet, the intersection I see is the keen awareness of what creates a calm, safe environment that nourishes students and fosters introspection.

Are you a highly sensitive/introverted/trauma-informed yoga instructor or a student that knows a teacher who is? If so, please get in touch with me at info@melissanoelrenzi.com. I would love to build my resource list worldwide to refer students appropriately.

8 Special Superpowers of Highly Sensitive People

8 Special Superpowers of Highly Sensitive People

by | Aug 7, 2017 | Anxiety, Highly Sensitive Person, Personal Growth, Self Care

Have you been told you’re too sensitive? Unfortunately, it’s rather common in our society for highly sensitive people to be teased or criticized, even by loved ones. Our friends and family typically mean no harm. At times they may think they’re “just having fun” or maybe even showing affection.

As highly sensitive people, we may be able recognize the spirit of this way of relating. And so we get used to laughing it off and “letting it go”. But do we really let it go?

Over time, the hurtful words we hear settle deeply into the psyche.

We learn there’s something inherently wrong with us. The outside world tells us we’re weak and flawed. We’re too serious. We ought to be able to talk about certain issues without getting emotional.

Have you heard these words and statements?

I felt that way about myself for a long time. I wished I weren’t so sensitive. I felt so misunderstood and alone in my experience. Thinking of myself this way, made me feel anxious. I struggled to see the strength in being sensitive.

In recent years, I’ve begun to change my perspective on being highly sensitive.  

And then something happened recently that blew my mind.

My dad (who has historically called me sensitive) told me that he sees the positive traits my mom possessed in me. The first and only trait he mentioned in that conversation was my sensitivity.

In a separate conversation, my partner also told me that one of qualities he finds most attractive in me is indeed that I’m sensitive.

The thing about being a highly sensitive person is that it’s only a problem if we internalize our sensitivity as something negative. When we can tap into our sensitivity as a strength, or even superpower, then we truly begin to shift the paradigm.

Superpowers of Highly Sensitive People

  1. We’re deeply empathetic. Highly sensitive people frequently possess a strong ability to feel what loved ones and even strangers are experiencing. When we tune into these emotions, we truly feel them. This gives us a unique sense of open-minded compassion. I’ve had times when I was angry with someone, but still felt compassion toward that person knowing her pain. Of course, this superpower can also be a curse. Self-care is vital for highly sensitive empaths to avoid holding the suffering of others.  
  2. We’re considerate. We find ourselves extra conscious of our body language and respect the personal space of others because we know how it feels to be both shunned and invaded. We’re conscientious about the volume of our media and voices because we’ve been the quiet neighbor in a noisy building. Not everyone is sensitive to the same things, but we prefer not to infringe on the freedom of others to enjoy peaceful space.
  3. We’re flexible thinkers. My partner once told me that if I were to have a gravestone, it would be etched with “part of me feels like…” While this phrase sometimes pertains to decision-making, it also comes out when I’m discerning between right and wrong. Even with matters that are black and white to many people, highly sensitive people are able to think less dualistically and see where others are coming from before judging.
  4. We’re acutely aware. We are extraordinarily perceptive and intuitive when it comes to people and our surroundings. Sensitive people can often spot red flags in people and situations leading us to sniff out phonies or scam artists more quickly. I’ve taken a lot of risks in my life that make some people balk. But for me, I find I have a special knack for sensing the character of those around me.
  5. We’re creative. Highly sensitive people are often very imaginative and adventurous in their thinking. We tend to prefer thinking outside the box rather than linear thought process, which can lead to innovative problem-solving or vivid works of art. As a social worker, thinking creatively was imperative to helping my clients and changing systems.
  6. We’re sincere listeners. We tend to engage with others in a genuine manner that allows others to feel our support. Friends and family of highly sensitive people can typically feel our unique ability to hold space for their pain and struggle without getting overwhelmed or imposing our opinions. As an introvert, I sometimes disappoint my friends by not attending every party, but they know I’ll sit down with them for hours to lend a loving ear.  
  7. We embrace life experiences. Our nature is to connect to joy and sorrow equally and to experience the depth of human emotion. Highly sensitive people find meaning in life’s obstacles and use this to tap into our resilience. My journey of living with anxiety has taught me to integrate past pain into a resilient sense of self and thereby work with anxiety rather than resist it.
  8. We love deeply. Highly sensitive people love a lot. We really do. We feel love in our bodies. We love with our eyes. We love with our touch and we love with our souls. No one feels love in the heart center like sensitives do.

What are you greatest superpowers as a highly sensitive person?

When Panic Attacks Strike: Simple Steps to Finding Relief

When Panic Attacks Strike: Simple Steps to Finding Relief

by | Jul 13, 2017 | Anxiety, Grief and Loss, Personal Growth, Trauma

Trigger warning: While this post limits details, it might be triggering to those who have suffered traumatic loss, a panic disorder, etc.

Have you ever felt like pain from the past was behind you only to have it smack you in the face many years later?

Well, that's what happened to me last night. I hesitated to share this story today out of fear of what you guys might think of me. You know, I'm here to help other sensitive folks like me transform anxiety. Don't I have this thing figured out?

The truth I faced last night is that while I've learned to manage anxiety quite well most of the time, there are moments that even I feel out of control. And this was no everyday anxiety. This was trauma that had resurfaced.

"Two steps" in an article sounds sort of funny to me, as two sounds like such a sad little number. Like there should be just one or three. But this is from my very real experience and I thought I'd share it with you despite it feeling incomplete. Here's what happened...

I hadn't had a panic attack in years, but here it was.

I've had difficulty sleeping in the last week or two. Jason and I usually go to bed at 9:30 (I know, so old) and our schedule has been screwy. My mind has been astir almost every night, so I turned to books (Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach & Help Thanks Wow by Anne Lamott, if you want recommendations). Both the act of reading and the content of the books helped me relax.

But last night was different. This time my mind somehow landed on a conversation my brother and I recently had about my mom's death.

On August 5, 2017, it will be ten years since we lost her. My mom died a sudden death and I don't want to go into the details in this article. But what I will say is that there were a lot of "unknowns" surrounding her passing. Most days I feel like I have come to peace with these unknowns. Last night was different.

I went down the rabbit hole into some dark and startling places. I immediately began bawling and suddenly I couldn't catch my breath. My chest felt tight and my head throbbed. My heart was beating rapidly and I felt like I was going to die. I had forgotten just how awful this level of panic is.

Jason was asleep in the other room and I didn't want to wake him, so I frantically flung myself onto the back porch.

I sat on the couch and after a few minutes started to find relief.

I attribute the relief of this particular panic attack to two things.

1) Tapping

If you haven't watched my video series on techniques to release anxiety, you can view this specific technique here. All of the steps are explained in the video, including how to tap and create a cognitive reframing statement to move toward self-acceptance.

You'll see me demonstrate the technique in a calm and grounded manner in the video. Last night was not like that. I probably resembled something closer to a person on a bad acid trip. But even with little order to my tapping, it began to give me relief. The reason tapping works is that tactile stimulation helps to refocus our attention and draw us into our senses. And self-talk that reflects acceptance helps us to be okay with our experience in the moment. 

2) Nature

Get outside when you are feeling bad. Seriously. As I laid on the couch tapping, I also started noticing the sounds of the rain and feeling the humid air, yet cool breeze graze my skin. Looking out into the solace of the night sky gave me pause about my place in this universe. 

When we bring our awareness to our senses and begin to feel, hear, see, smell, and taste the world around us, we get pulled into the present moment and out of the past and future. From this place, we can begin to gain perspective and peace.

After a period of looking out into the trees, I eventually fell asleep right there in the outdoors.

Today I'm sleepy, but I am managing all of the everyday responsibilities and being present. No one would know I had the experience I did last night if I weren't telling you now. 

How many of us are out there stricken with panic and intense emotion? We never really know. I hope that by disclosing my vulnerability, someone out there will feel less alone and have a couple of easy resources to explore. 

***If you think you might be suffering from a panic disorder, please seek professional help by talking to your doctor or therapist. You might also save this Panic Hotline.