Mindfulness Tools For Healing PTSD Across Three Stages

We map a three-stage approach to using mindfulness for PTSD: immediate self-soothing, reconnecting with emotions, and long-term integration. A short guided practice shows how breath, grounding, and softening cues can create ease while we set clear safety guardrails.

• framing mindfulness for PTSD and its stages
• self-soothing practices for the immediate aftermath
• reconnecting with emotions with courage and choice
• integrating trauma healing over the long term
• simple guided breathing and body softening
• safety boundaries, when to pause, and support options
• rebuilding confidence, self-esteem, and relationships

If you experience a psychiatric emergency, please call your doctor and call 911 to get some support

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Mindfulness for PTSD.

(00:03):
I'm Sean Fargo.
In this exercise, I'm going tooutline how we can use
mindfulness for a few key stagesof post-traumatic stress
disorder, also known as PTSD.
When dealing with the immediateaftermath of trauma, as we'll

(00:25):
explore in the first fewexercises of this path, it can
be helpful to emphasize howself-soothing mindfulness
practices can settle down thebody and the mind to access more
calm, a sense of groundedness,and ease, especially when

(00:48):
disturbing emotions start towell up inside.
Then in the subsequent fewexercises, I'll explore
mindfulness practices for thenext stage of PTSD.
Specifically, I'll lead youthrough practices that will go a
little bit deeper to help denubyou and re-establish a

(01:12):
connection to your world ofinternal emotions and feelings
with a sense of courage,confidence, and authenticity.
The mindfulness practices willhelp you to integrate the
initial form of trauma and beginto help you to move beyond it,

(01:32):
utilizing key internal andexternal resources.
Then in the final few practices,we'll explore how mindfulness
can help you with the next stageof PTSD, to help you with the
longer-term healing after thehighly reactive core
difficulties are healed or areon their way to healing.

(01:57):
So I'm excited to work with youon rebuilding kind,
non-judgmental awareness of yourexperience, and on how your
healing can rebuild yourconfidence, self-esteem,
behavior, and even yourrelationships.
Mindfulness therapy can be doneanytime, whether the trauma has

(02:21):
been recent or whether it waslong ago.
What I ask from you is that youdo them with a sense of courage.
This will not be easy.
If at any time you find itunbearable to stay with an
exercise, that's fine.
You can ignore the audio andfind some space to relax.

(02:44):
It's uncommon, but if youexperience a psychiatric
emergency, please call yourdoctor and call 911 to get some
support.
However, most people do findgreat benefit and healing from
mindfulness as they deepen theirjourney to cultivate these
skills of caring presence ormindfulness within themselves

(03:09):
and as they integrate itthroughout their lives.
So with that in mind, let'sbegin a simple mindfulness
practice of just noticing thefelt sensations of breathing and
a sense of ease as you relaxyour body.
So let's start this briefmindfulness practice for

(03:31):
self-soothing as we explore howmindfulness can help with PTSD.
Please close your eyes or lookdownward just to limit visual
distractions in a safe andsecure place.

(03:55):
Feel your body as it touches theground or the chair, in whatever
posture you happen to be in.

SPEAKER_01 (04:05):
Relax your belly.
See if you can breathenaturally.
Breathing in and out.
Dropping your shoulders.

(04:26):
Loosen your jaw.
Soften the muscles of your faceand around your eyes.

(04:48):
Breathing fully.
Inviting a sense of ease.

SPEAKER_00 (05:11):
In your body and in your mind, what would that peace
feel like?

SPEAKER_01 (05:33):
As you breathe naturally in and out with a
sense of ease.
Well done.

(05:54):
This is a great start.

SPEAKER_00 (05:58):
So as you can see, it's pretty easy to invite a
sense of ease in the body andthe mind.
Takes a little practice, butover and over you'll be able to
deepen a sense of self-soothing,where you'll be able to access
this feeling of calm just aboutanywhere.

(06:21):
So to recap, this series ofexercises are designed to help
you heal.
We'll explore self-soothingpractices, some ways to
integrate well-being with yourtrauma, and to cultivate deep
interior resources to allow youto live your best self.

(06:46):
It may not be easy, but you cando this.
If you experience any unhealthyor concerning thoughts during
these exercises, please let yourhealth care provider know.
Many people do find this veryhelpful, and I applaud your
courage.

(07:06):
I hope some of this has alreadybeen helpful for you.
Thank you for your mindfulness.