02/24/2026
When we experience a fight or flight response, our adrenaline surges through our limbs and joints. We require the energy of the endocrine system to mobilize into a protective response to danger.
In some cases, we are unable to complete that fight or flight response... (a thwarted self protective response!)
When this happens, where does that energy go? The not so simple answer is - Trauma energy is LITERALLY trapped in our joints - with no place to go. Overtime it may ache, swell or burn or cause excess problems.
However, when we process through aspects of our trauma in session, we may notice shifting and moving of sensations in the body.
Afterward, we may stretch and move our body and mobilize our joints/limbs - because it helps with integration. Integration is the process by which separate systems or peices of information within our body combine to create meaning and unify the whole.
So when we (the practitioners) encourage movement in and out of session - whether it be yoga, dance, tai chi ect. - we are encouraging exploration of sensation, boundaries within the body (which can translate outside of the body) and intuitive processes that can lead to integration.
We are encouraging you to mobilize your joints and limbs and free them from activation that may have been stagnant.
Other tactics that might be explored are resistance and slowing down to find emotional release.
I hope this brings light to why movement is so important to our mental health. These are just a few reasons why we provide opportunities for trauma sensitive movement at our practice! MindFit Counseling and Wellness Center LLC 🌿
