Religious Trauma & The Body

It’s All In The Body

Like all trauma, religious trauma lives in our bodies. And like all trauma, we need bodily ways to process it.

When you graze your knee, your body knows how to heal. When you’ve experienced trauma, your body knows how to heal.

But for anyone who has spent time in spaces where they are taught their bodies are separate to their soul and spirit, that their bodies are full of sin, desires of the flesh, inherently wicked and not to be trusted, it can be hard to know where to start.

Me telling you this is objectively untrue probably won’t land in the first instance. You’ll need time to get to know your body and your patterns, listen to your body, note how you feel, what activates you towards stress or overwhelm.

Today, I heard a trauma counsellor say ‘the slower you go, the faster you heal.’ I love that picture.

Slowly, slowly, noting what our bodies are telling us and the ways they act to keep us safe, can be powerful and lead to healing.

I love working with people in this way.

Whether you’ve experienced religious trauma or not, this is your reminder (or perhaps your first time allowing it to sink in), that;

Your body is good
It has always been good
It can be trusted to guide you through healing.