Mindfulness and meditation can be a key component to recovery from trauma and anxiety disorders.  However, people with trauma histories and/or high anxiety often have a very difficult time learning to meditate, as sitting still can trigger severe discomfort.  These are frequently the people who say, “I’ve tried, but I just can’t meditate.”  Whether you work with mindfulness as an educator, business person, meditation instructor or health practitioner, this presentation will help you understand how techniques can be adapted for the significant portion of the population who feels they “can not meditate.”

This presentation will explore: how trauma and anxiety manifest physically and psychologically; which meditation techniques are most accessible for people depending on whether their anxiety is mainly cognitive or somatic; elements of mindfulness which are present in most trauma and anxiety recovery techniques; how mindfulness meditation promotes Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, EMDR and other recovery techniques; simple ways to adapt your meditation teachings to account for anxiety; and simple ways to introduce mindfulness and meditation to a resistant population.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how trauma and anxiety manifest physically and psychologically
• Identify different meditation techniques for people with trauma histories or significant anxiety; and how these techniques differ for people depending on whether their anxiety is primarily cognitive or somatic
• Learn simple ways to introduce meditation and mindfulness, or to adapt teachings so they are accessible  
• Identify elements of mindfulness present in most trauma recovery techniques
• Understand how mindfulness meditation promotes Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, EMDR and other trauma recovery techniques