The Daniel Adler Clinic Newsletter: Issue 9, Trauma

In this issue:

Recently I came across a piece by Lauren Ohayon. Lauren is a yoga and pilates instructor who focuses on “resolving core and pelvic floor issues minus the ‘burn and shred’ mentality”.

Lauren works specifically with women and developing / rebuilding pelvic floor strength and resilience. I have referred a number of patients to her website.

However, what she has written here is about trauma – and it’s not limited to women’s health or pelvic floor issues.

Lauren describes very well the nature of trauma and how our body - mind reacts to and deals with these events.

• Trauma can be acute. It can also become chronic if left unresolved.

• Trauma can be physical from an injury.

• It can also be mental and emotional.

Trauma is a common human experience that affects us all.

The Qi Perspective

In my world view it is all “energetic”, as “Qi” (your life force energy) is the fundamental “substance” of all phenomena (to quote the ancient Chinese Masters).

All things are made up of Qi at their base level and all things are simply different densities of Qi. This means that the air your breathe is “Qi” as are your thoughts. So is your physical body, it’s tissues and processes, and your blood. (And, for that matter, your cup of coffee!)

The positive thing about looking at the work this way is that if everything is “Qi” and the basic nature of Qi is to move and to resolve, then, when it becomes “stuck” or “stagnant” as it does when a traumatic event occurs, the possibility for “un-stucking” it exists – the potential to regulate and resolve is there.

Moving Forward

So we can see how trauma has many “shapes”. An acute physical injury can cause trauma, such as the sprained ankle I’m currently helping a young Judo athlete rehabilitate. Deep, chronic emotional or physical trauma can shape one’s outlook and actions for decades.

Lauren’s piece offers valuable insight to this conversation. It also helps to explain the kind of work I am doing when I work with you.

Keep reading to find out how.

Book a Treatment Online

– Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen

Article By Lauren Ohayon

Your hips / pelvic floor don’t “store trauma”.

We foster body distrust with this more toxic narrative.

It may feel like your body is storing trauma, but what’s really happening is far more complex - and a game changer when you understand.

When we experience trauma, our nervous system responds by creating protective patterns.

Muscles tense, breath becomes shallow, and our bodies brace for safety.

These patterns can become deeply ingrained, not because trauma is ‘stored’ in your tissues, but because your brain and nervous system have memorized these responses to keep you safe and you deploy them for a variety of situations even when there’s no threat.

We form associations in our body. It’s brain 101 and not a storage unit in your muscles.

Our brain “encodes” emotional and physical reactions.

Over time, the nervous system can stay in a “heightened state” sending signals that create real sensations of tightness, discomfort, or pain.

It’s not that your body is holding the trauma – it’s that your brain is maintaining a protective loop and one that might be associated with a body part or activation there.

This is why stretching your hips, for example, can sometimes bring up intense emotions.

The hips are a common place where we hold tension, and opening them can activate sensations linked to past experiences.

But it’s not because trauma is physically stored there — it’s because your nervous system has associated that tightness with emotional memories.

Amazingly – you are biologically adaptive.

Your nervous system can learn new patterns of reactivity. Via the body. This is the heart of somatic movement.

Mindful movement, breathwork, capacity and tolerance training, and regulating exercises, you can lovingly shift these responses.

By coupling safety with movement, you can send signals back to the brain that it’s okay to relax and release. That there’s no threat of danger.

You aren’t broken.

Your body isn’t holding on to trauma out of malice - it’s holding on because it thinks it’s protecting you.

And that is something we can compassionately work with to change.

Building on Lauren Ohayon’s thoughtful explanation of how trauma shapes our nervous system’s protective patterns, I want to share how the treatments I offer support this healing process.

When trauma triggers your body’s defence mechanisms, your nervous system remains “on high alert,” creating tension and discomfort as a way to keep you safe. My goal during treatment is to create a calm and secure “space” where your nervous system can begin to relax.

Using gentle, attentive touch (shiatsu) combined with targeted mobilisations, acupuncture, and sound vibration, we work together to bring awareness to areas holding tension. This helps your body “release” these protective patterns by encouraging fresh blood flow and restoring the natural movement of Qi.

Whether the pain stems from a physical injury or emotional trauma, this approach supports your body’s ability to re-learn safety and resilience, moving beyond old patterns toward greater ease and balance.

In this way, the work I do complements the somatic movement and mindful practices Lauren describes, helping you create meaningful change in how your body responds to trauma.

Book a Treatment Online

– Michele Rosenthal

As the author of the article that inspired this newsletter, this month I would like to highlight the work that Lauren is doing.

Lauren Ohayon is the creator of “Restore Your Core®” (RYC®), a comprehensive and sustainable fitness program that empowers women who aim to be strong, long, mobile and functional.

With more than two decades’ experience as an internationally renowned yoga and pilates instructor, Lauren focuses on resolving core and pelvic floor issues minus the “burn and shred” mentality. RYC® also boasts over 400 highly trained movement teachers around the world.

Lauren and the RYC® teachers help women across the globe gain core strength, achieve ideal pelvic floor function, and learn to move efficiently and exercise optimally.

All in a safe and nurturing community-driven environment.

Lauren uses the RYC® Method to help women heal their core and pelvic floor, which has become a transformative game-changer for women suffering from: Urine Leaking, Pelvic - Organ Prolapse, Diastasis Recti (“Mummy Tummy”) and Back Pain.

And while I have not personally met Lauren, I have been impressed by the quality of the content she is producing. Her instructional videos are accessible and helpful, being easy to follow as well as informative.

Find Lauren on:  YouTube  Instagram  Facebook

Learn More about Lauren

Take a moment to consider how you might weave gentle release and relaxation into the rhythm of your days – not just in treatments or practice, but in the quiet moments in between.

When we create space for our bodies and minds to soften, we help ease the protective patterns trauma can leave behind. It is in this openness that healing can begin in unexpected ways.

What is one small way you could invite more ease or comfort into your daily life, supporting your own path of recovery from trauma?