Trauma Informed Meditation: A Guide to Healing and Growth

How to Use Compassionate Practices and Meditation to Heal Trauma

Meditation is a great mental and emotional tool. It helps reduce depression and anxiety, helps increase creativity, and has many medical benefits as well. The list of mental, emotional, and physical benefits are vast. With that, it is not a solution for all ailments. As a meditation teacher guiding experiences that are deeply introspective and revelatory, it is critical to have an understanding of the design of meditation practices and their influence on the participants' experience. In Trauma Informed Meditation: A Guide to Healing and Growth, learn about what Trauma Informed Meditation is, why it is imperative for healing and growth, and how to create a safe space through compassionate practices and a trauma informed approach.  

The Experience of Meditation

We are so busy in our day-to-day lives most people don’t take the time to just sit and be. When we are still and focused on ourselves we uncover what is just below the surface. Most meditations don’t have us digging deep within the crevices of ourselves to uncover painful feelings and memories, but if something is just below the surface or we are keeping ourselves too busy to notice what is happening on the inside, we can surprise ourselves with the depth of feelings we experience.

For most people, the awareness developed through meditation doesn’t invoke a trauma response or cause damage. The majority of people find meditation a very gentle and loving way to uncover who we are and what we feel. 

However, in some cases meditation can trigger bigger feelings or symptoms of trauma that a person isn’t expecting or wanting to experience. Even though it is relatively rare it is important to have information on how to prevent and/or minimize these adverse and/or unwanted experiences. You don’t have to be a licensed clinician or have had extensive training in trauma to be trauma sensitive and therefore be a trauma informed meditation teacher or guide—but you do need to have an awareness of trauma sensitivity in order to facilitate a safe and healing space for all participants.

What is Trauma Informed Meditation?

Trauma informed meditation is an approach to meditation practice that is designed with an understanding of the impact of trauma on individuals. 

Although it is rare, adverse experiences during meditation can happen. Trauma sensitivity is being aware that meditation practice can cause feelings of overwhelm, dysregulated emotions, flashbacks, and unwanted experiences that are subjective to the individual. Trauma sensitivity is essential as a facilitator guiding experiences that are deeply introspective and revelatory. 

Trauma Informed Meditation: How to Teach Meditation in a Trauma Sensitive Way

1. Create a Safe Environment

Oftentimes in a group environment, meditators want to follow instructions. As a meditation teacher, it is critical that the environment and class structure is designed in a way that creates a safe, supportive and inclusive environment. In a group environment, students' ability to listen and trust their own instincts is often inhibited by instruction. In this way, we can understand how influential the role of the teacher is in the student’s experience and creating a safe environment. 

To create a safe environment, the meditation teacher needs to be flexible in order to consider and accommodate the needs of each participant. Respect of personal boundaries and personal preferences allow participants to feel secure. It is best practice to let the participating meditator be the expert on themselves. For example, if the direction is for them to sit up but they want to lie down you can allow for that. A flexible approach as a meditation teacher fosters a safe and fruitful experience for the participant. 

2. Be Somewhat Predictable

It is best practice as an instructor to make meditation for participants as predictable as possible. Predictability helps participants feel safe because they know what is coming next. This foresight allows the participants' experience to feel secure while also enriching as they explore their feelings, thoughts and emotions. 

Grounding is an example of a predictable practice that can help re-orient participants after their meditation. Grounding helps to transition from a state of deep introspection back into our daily living. This process helps to mitigate anxiety and disharmony.  

3. Offer Choices for Meditation

Trauma-informed meditation emphasizes giving participants control over their experiences. A trauma informed practice offers choices for the meditators to support designing a safe environment. Choices allow the participant to steer their experience and help them to feel in control. This approach helps cope with feelings related to trauma such as distress, anxiety, overwhelm etc. For example, if the direction is for them to shift their perspective, the meditation teacher can offer participants to close their eyes or keep their eyes open with a soft gaze.  An invitation, rather than a directive, promotes a feeling of security and safety, and encourages them to listen to their bodies and do what feels right for them.

4. Be Aware of Signs of Trauma

A trauma sensitive approach includes being aware of signs of trauma. Signs of trauma can include a rigidity in muscle tone, hyperventilation, shaking, excessive sweating, hypersensitivity, irritability, pale skin,disassociation, restlessness, anxiety, panic,  the inability to make eye contact, or the emergence of negative memories and panic.  

It is important that as a meditation teacher, you remain calm and supportive if you notice signs of trauma .The teacher’s role is to listen attentively to the person’s concerns and experiences in a non-judgemental way and provide reassurance. Allow the meditator to fully express what they’re feeling or experiencing without interruption and be sure to validate their experience.  You can suggest alternative types of meditation, or suggest for them to  take a break and try again when they feel ready.Finally, follow up with them to check on their well-being and remind them that you are there to support them through their experience.

Awareness of trauma-signs boosts a meditation teacher's confidence, enabling them to ensure a safe experience for participants during difficult moments.

5. Be Available

Being available before and after meditation enables meditators to ask questions or seek guidance from a safe support. This direct interaction fosters a sense of trust and support between the teacher and the participants.

Additionally, providing contact information such as an email address allows meditators to reach out later, further extending the support beyond the session. This continuous availability helps in addressing ongoing reflections that arise after the meditation practice, and can be crucial for processing any challenges they’ve had.

Availability during meditation practices and beyond enhances the participants' experience by offering timely support, guidance, and a reliable channel for ongoing communication and learning. This availability ultimately contributes to a more enriching and safe experience.

6. Be Authentic

Authenticity is key. When the facilitator is honest, open and shares freely it creates a safe environment for participants to do so as well. This might be by offering personal experience. For example, there might be times you have fallen asleep or cried during meditation. Sharing your honest experience helps to normalize challenges and unexpected feelings or sensations. 

Meditators will often feel like they are ‘doing it wrong,’ normalizing experiences helps to decrease shame, embarrassment, and self-judgment allowing the participants to embrace their honest experience. Authenticity coupled with open-dialogue creates a safe environment for meditators to accept their own unique experience. 

Compassionate Practices for a Trauma Informed Meditation

Embodying compassion and curiosity count more than any technique. Embodying compassion and curiosity as a trauma-sensitive meditation teacher means integrating these qualities into every aspect of teaching and interaction with participants.

Compassion involves empathetic understanding, non-judgmental acceptance, and a genuine caring attitude towards the experiences and challenges of each individual. It means designing an environment that feels safe, supportive, and validating for participants, regardless of their emotional responses or past-traumas.

Curiosity, on the other hand, entails a genuine interest in understanding each participant's unique experiences and responses during meditation practice. It involves an open-minded approach to learning from participants' perspectives and being willing to adapt teaching methods to accommodate their needs sensitively.

Being compassionate and curious as a trauma-sensitive meditation teacher creates a foundation for safety, trust and empowerment—the ingredients for a fruitful experience.

Trauma Informed Meditation Conclusion

Meditation is an excellent tool to support introspection, growth and healing—it provides a container for participants to explore their thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviors. The process of meditation can be dynamic and revelatory, often including experiences that take us by surprise. As a meditation teacher it is critical to have an understanding of the design of meditation practices and their influence on the participants' experience.

A trauma sensitive approach to meditation creates a profoundly safe and healing journey for both meditation teachers and meditators. As a trauma-sensitive meditation teacher, you not only enhance the effectiveness of meditation but also empower others to navigate their healing journey with greater awareness and self-compassion. As a meditator, we become open to our unique experiences and build confidence through trust established within a safe environment.

Embracing these concepts ensures that every meditation session becomes an opportunity for profound growth and transformation, paving the way for a more supportive and connected community of meditators.

Looking for more? Explore our Meditation Teacher Training and equip yourself with the tools to ignite a community of meditators dedicated to personal revelation and transformation.

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