Healing Trauma Without Talking About It? Exploring Yoga, Breathwork & Science with Dr. Koenen

In this powerful episode of Living Spree, host Aimee Crist sits down with Dr. Karestan Koenen, a trauma survivor, clinical psychologist, and researcher at Harvard University. Dr. Koenen shares her personal journey from trauma to healing and how it shaped her career dedicated to helping survivors of trauma and PTSD. They delve into the biological effects of trauma on the body, including the latest research on epigenetics and trauma’s impact on physical aging. The conversation highlights groundbreaking evidence on trauma-informed yoga, breathwork, and body-based therapies as accessible and effective healing modalities. Dr. Koenen offers practical advice on grounding techniques and the importance of feeling safe in the body as a first step in recovery. They also explore the meaning of resilience as optimism and growth in the face of adversity. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating trauma, healing, or personal reinvention.

Key Takeaways:

•Trauma has deep and lasting impacts on both mental and physical health through biopsychosocial processes such as epigenetics.

•Healing is multifaceted; body-based therapies like trauma-informed yoga and breathwork are scientifically supported and accessible.

•Support systems, even indirect ones, play a crucial role in recovery from trauma.

•Simple grounding techniques are effective first steps for those beginning their healing journey.

•Resilience is about meaning-making and optimism, not just the absence of suffering; growth often springs from adversity.

Connect with Dr Karestan C. Koenen, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Epidemiology

Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

email: kkoenen@hsph.harvard.edu

Connect with Aimee Crist

Email: aimee@livingspree.life

Website: www.livingspree.life

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimeesebastiancrist/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingspree.life/

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