Have you ever had someone say to you, relax – you need to unwind? Or maybe you’ve told yourself a thousand times that you need to chill (like me!). Well, today I want to talk to you all about the word “unwinding,” and how it has taken on an entirely different meaning for me – as well as how it can assist in releasing trapped trauma in your body and cells.
What is “unwinding?”
I had always thought “unwinding” was just a word used to indicate calming down, relaxing, watching Netflix, for example – you know, those sorts of things. This changed, however, when I visited my massage therapist for a visceral manipulation treatment.
We were having a conversation as he was working on the parts of my stomach that were “stuck and embedded.” If you are unaware of the benefits of visceral manipulation, I highly recommend you do your own research on this. It has made a HUGE difference in my healing journey, as well as my intense PMS symptoms!
Anyway, as we were conversing he brought up this concept of “unwinding.” The Biodynamic Breathwork & Trauma Release System has an awesome explanation of this, and I’ve added some of my observations within:
The word “unwinding” relates to a repair process for the tightly “wound” areas of our body. This refers to the tight deep-core muscular and connective fascial tissues in our physical body. The tightness that we have in our bodies is usually a response to an emotional and/or physical trauma. One interesting note on this: sometimes long-term tension held in the body can result in both tense and weak/flaccid cores.
In their experience, tension starts to form early in life for most people, and once present stays in place as a protective mechanism. The past trauma basically triggers the fight or flight response, which becomes “stuck” in mid-swing since we usually stop the process. Rarely do humans allow the fight or flight process to complete, as it does in nature. Therefore like a metal spring, that’s tightly wound and holds energy within it, a traumatized deep core prevents graceful, coordinated movement, as well as free-flowing conscious emotional expression.
In reality, we use incredible amounts of energy to keep both this tension and its associated emotional charge in place. We find ways to adjust our physical coordination, posture, personality, and emotions; responses around the tension.
There are so many great points in this article, and I highly recommend reading it in its entirety – but I’d like to focus on these three points specifically:
1.) “Unwinding” is basically body movement used to express oneself and physically release the trauma held within.
This article labeled it best – emotional expression – and there’s no right or wrong way of doing this! Begin with breathing and literally just start moving wherever the body wants to go. This movement signals your brain and body to move through the trauma it’s holding onto and release it in a safe way.
The above article recommends beginning this form of trauma release with slight stretching with diaphragmatic breathing. This type of breathing through the mouth activates the sympathetic autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for the fight or flight response. At the same time, deep connect breathing is actually responsible for building an actual physical charge in the body. That is thanks to the fact that oxygen is converted to energy in the body.
That being said, you should move in the way your body commands – not based on anyone else or what’s recommended.
This is your journey out of your traumas, so honor that space!
I like to imagine it as dancing/movement for the soul, and isn’t it true that we FEEL so much better when we dance and let loose? The same principles are applied to this.
2.) We usually don’t allow our bodies to complete the process of trauma, or the “fight or flight” response. Since we don’t let it come to its full completion due to our own fear & discomfort (because trauma does not feel fun!), we stop the free-flowing energy and healing that comes with allowing the process to take place. Actually MOVING your physical body lets the process continue to completion, and in return, you can begin really healing those traumas.
3.) The physical pain/tightness we experience is usually an emotional or physical response to a trauma we experienced. Many people have chronic pain, but what they often fail to look into is why is this pain there?
For example, pain in your neck could actually be related to a knee injury trauma that you had years ago. This is just an example, of course, but it’s showing the point of just because you have ____ pain in _____ location does not mean that’s where that trauma occurred.
Our bodies react differently to different situations, so keep an open mind as you explore why you have a certain pain in a certain location. For example, why you have high calprotectin levels but no other symptoms, or what vital message an abscess is communicating to you. What is the message your body is trying to tell you? You can see this has been a recurring theme/topic throughout the LTYG blog.
Use Techniques Which Actually RELEASE The Trauma
Light, easy body movement, or emotional expression, can signal to your body that you are OK and can begin the release.
Whether it’s breathwork, EFT tapping, emotional expression (or whatever your chosen technique is), Jini advises making sure to both explore the consciousness of the trauma/pattern/belief and then actually going into the cells and tissues.
So, whatever therapy you’re using, make sure it’s accessing and integrating both of those layers because that’s how you actually release it from the body so it’s not stuck and held there.
That’s why Jini created her game-changer healing course, Lazer Tapping, for our LTYG readers and others who are struggling with chronic health issues, disempowerment, lack of abundance, unsupportive relationships, and boring in-a-rut lives. Because our unresolved/unhealed crap holds us back!
I’ve personally found tapping to be so helpful with “unwinding” and releasing any trapped trauma I’ve experienced, and I use it conjunction with meditation on a daily basis. You can join Jini for a free session here!
Have you found anything helpful in releasing trauma? Let’s share our resources with each other in the comments below!
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