Yoga in Therapy? Exploring the Intersection between Mind and Body with a Denver Trauma Therapist
By Jordan Kurtz (she/her), MA, LPCC, Denver Trauma Therapist
My journey with yoga began in January of 2023 not entirely of my own free will- a dear friend of mine was visiting and insisted on me attending a class with him on the final day of his trip. Yoga had been a weekly, if not daily, practice for him for over two years. For me? A distant memory from a college physical education class and a routine that felt relegated to the population of suburban, PTA mothers. Thus, my first class with him was largely driven by guilt with perhaps a fraction of curiosity. Fast forward a year and one month later, and yoga is now part of my weekly, if not daily, routine and an integral part of my mental as well as physical wellness. Friends and family members who have bothered to keep up with this shift with me often ask, Why yoga? Not a surprising question, as it was one bombarding my mind during that first 2023 class as we held a plank for an agonizingly long duration.
My answer at this point in time is multifaceted, but the answer relevant to this article and for therapy as a whole is that yoga brings awareness to the inner workings of our mind that often drive our behavior in ways that feel outside of our control. This intersects greatly with why the majority of us seek therapy when we do: when we recognize some part of us needs change but we feel powerless or unsure of how to do so. Read on to learn more about how the foundational wisdom of yoga (i.e. the philosophies that govern it, not the poses themselves!) can be integrated into understanding of and healing from trauma.
A Brief Yoga Glossary
Patanjali: renowned 2nd/3rd century CE yoga philosopher-practitioner and author of the Yoga-Sutra
Yoga-Sutra: a treatise that outlines the primary purposes, discoveries, and mechanisms of yoga
Citta: “consciousness”; defined more in the yoga world as awareness of the union between mind and body
Duhka: “suffering”; “distress”; “pain” resulting from a deep dislike to how the present actually is and our results to alter the present through craving, aversion or delusion
Breaking Appraisal-Impulse-Action with a Trauma Therapist in Denver, CO.
Within the Yoga-Sutra, Patanjali notes that citta (the latent human mind and body) is being bombarded by “six sense” doors at all given moments. We are familiar with 5 of the 6 sense doors in the Western world: taste, touch, sight, hearing, and smell. Patanjali illuminates a 6th persistent and powerful sense door: thoughts, which includes associated memories and feelings. Contemporary neuroscience supports this premise with documentation that on average, a human being has over 60,000 thoughts per day. The presence of any one or multiple of these sense doors creates an intricate chain reaction cycle inside that yogis postulate is the source of suffering (dukha).
Our brains are so deeply complex that each sensory input is rapidly (and unconsciously) recognized and then evaluated as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral- for example, pain in my hip- unpleasant; beautiful sunset- pleasant; smell of leather seats in my car- neutral. (Step 1: Appraisal).
The next critical function our brains assumes after appraising the stimulus is our reaction towards that stimulus, which is based on the pleasure or lack thereof associated with it (Step 2: Impulse). Objects we deem pleasurable, we react with attraction or craving, objects we deem unpleasant, we react with aversion: pain in my hip- I hate this, I want it to stop; beautiful sunset- this is so lovely, I could sit here all day.
The last step in this chain reaction is the inevitable culmination of appraisal + impulse: Action. Once our minds have paired the object with the impulse of craving or aversion, we take motion: pain in my hip- I hate this- I’ll take an Advil to alleviate it; beautiful sunset- this is so lovely- I’ll pull my car over so we can watch it for a while.
The cycle of appraisal-impulse-action is highly conditioned and occurs outside of awareness minute by minute. This practice of our brains is essential: if we did not have it, sensory input would overwhelm us entirely. However, this process also lends itself to feeling like our emotions, thoughts and behaviors rule us, especially in the case of trauma. Trauma is a hidden precursor step to the appraisal-impulse-action cycle: traumatic events are often maladaptively stored neurochemically and therefore, dictate our appraisal-impulse-action cycle to an even greater degree than a non-trauma exposed brain.
How This Learning is Applied - Yoga and Trauma Therapy in Denver, CO.
As we learned above, the functioning of an average human mind is vast, complex, largely unconscious, expansive, and powerful but knotted. The functioning of a mind that has undergone trauma is even “busier”, as the brain is engaged with two states of time- past and present- simultaneously. We may feel as if our experience(s) of trauma dictate our ways of engaging with others, ourselves, definitions of safety, trust, love and responsibility, our physical wellbeing, and more daily, even if the trauma occurred years, weeks or months ago.
The Denver trauma therapists at CZTG recognize that trauma colors the process of appraisal-impulse-action on mental, emotional, social, and biological levels. The following tools and methodologies are just some of the ways therapists help clients become conscious of this internal chain reaction, evaluate our impulses, and amend our actions.
Mindfulness with Appraisal: Therapists will teach and encourage attunement to what happens in your body in response to different emotions as well as stillness. Sheer awareness of sensations and thoughts that are occurring at any given point in time is the first step to us being in the driver’s seat with our actions.
Parts Work with Impulse: Trauma can distinguish our world into two distinct chapters- before and after- or if ongoing, can produce a sense that I/the world have/has always been this way. Your therapist will help investigate the impact of what we were modeled, taught or exposed to and discern that from what your compassionate, wise, ideal self believes or desires to believe.
Defining the Protective Function and Related Attachment Needs with Action: Too often others shame us or we shame ourselves for behaviors that stem from our traumatic experiences. The Denver trauma therapists at CZTG conceptualize these behaviors as our best attempts at getting our needs met and protecting ourselves from pain. Learning to reframe what we previously have refused to acknowledge or blame ourselves for acting upon illuminates what our core needs our and how our body has thus far adapted to obtain them.
Curious to learn more? Check out our other blog on somatic therapy for trauma or begin work with a CZTG therapist today.
Reference used: The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living by Stephen Cope
Experience trauma therapy in Denver, CO today!
Ready to heal from trauma using the mind-body connection? Follow these steps to get started:
Schedule a free 20-minute consult call to see if trauma therapy in Denver is right for you.
Connect with the Denver trauma therapist of your choice via a phone consult.
Begin your path towards healing and growth!
Meet The Writer: Jordan Kurtz, Trauma Therapist in Denver, CO.
Jordan Kurtz (she/her) is a Denver trauma therapist, couples counselor, and staff writer at CZTG. Jordan focuses on therapy for grief, trauma, teens, and relationships. Her approach is authentic, warm, and affirming, which she interweaves throughout her use of advanced evidence-based modalities, including EMDR, Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT), and somatic therapy. She provides EMDR and general trauma therapy in Denver and virtually throughout the state of Colorado. If you’d like to work with Jordan, feel free to reach out to schedule a consultation call.