FOR A SURVIVOR, THE POST-SEXUAL TRAUMA EXPERIENCE IS TYPICALLY ONE OF OVERWHELM. IT IS NOT CLEAR WHAT TO DO, WHO TO TELL, WHERE TO GO...: MENTAL CLARITY IS ONE OF MANY FACULTIES THAT SEXUAL TRAUMA IMPAIRS IN SURVIVORS. WE CAN END UP IN THE WRONG THERAPY OR IN NO THERAPY FOR YEARS, LIVING A LIFE OF FEAR AND CONFUSION.
PILATES CAN HELP
Incorporating Pilates into a sexual trauma survivor’s life and healing process can help regulate their nervous system, thereby reducing overwhelm and revealing needed clarity. Some of what will be offered to those attending the Empowered Embodied workshop:
An overview of the body’s role in resolving sexual trauma.
Pilates-based practices to regulate their autonomic nervous system (ANS).
Guidance on how to identify the state of one’s ANS using postural and physiological indicators.
Information on the history and evolution of Pilates, and why it is inherently a trauma-informed practice.
Mindfulness practices that can be used anywhere, including during exercise.
Handouts, including: humanitarian, self-affirmations; criteria to identify a fitness class or body-worker whose services are optimal for an SA survivor’s needs; and additional trauma-informed resources.
THIS WORKSHOP IS OPEN TO ADULT SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND THEIR SUPPORT PROVIDERS (THERAPISTS, FRIENDS, FAMILY, HEALER, OR THOSE ON THEIR HEALING PATH).
GIVEN THE WORKSHOP CONTENT, FEMALE PARTICIPANTS ONLY PLEASE.
THE PILATES METHOD OF EXERCISE
The Pilates Method of Exercise is both inherently safe and trauma-informed, as it was originally developed for traumatized, bed-ridden soldiers in Joseph Pilates’ care, post-World War I. Mr. Pilates’ intention was to create an exercise method that strengthened the body, increased its flexibility, engaged the mind, and left the practitioner feeling energized and uplifted, as opposed to mentally & physically exhausted. He valued balance, as evidenced by his sequence of exercises alternating between strengthening and stretching the body.
Obtainment of a balanced mind, body, and spirit are at the foundation of the Pilates method. The mind being used to strengthen the body in Pilates, has a reciprocal effect. Since Mr. Pilates’ death in 1967, research has found that the mental engagement required for authentic Pilates exercise, promotes neurogenesis and inhibits the secretion of stress hormones from the adrenal glands. In other words, Pilates promotes mental alertness, while also promoting physiological stress-reduction.
This is a Trauma-Informed Workshop and therefore will reflect the 6 elements that comprise trauma-informed services: Safety, Trust, Choice + Control, Collaboration, Empowerment, and Cultural Relevance
