Why Trauma-Aware Movement Matters: A Survivor-Led Approach to Navigating Real-Life Triggers
"What's the one thing you wish more people understood about movement and trauma recovery?"
And my immediate answer was: It's not about fitness. It's about having a tool when words don't work.
For those of us who've lived through abuse, movement is often one of the first things that gets taken away. Not just physically - but emotionally. We disconnect from our bodies as a way to cope. To stay small. To stay safe.
That's why movement isn't just something we do in our Survivor Steps classes or our Move Through This video series for the sake of "wellness".
It's a tool for navigating real-life moments where language fails.
Movement Isn't Just Healing. It's Practical.
The Move Through This series was born out of real conversations with survivors. Courtrooms. Triggering texts. Flashbacks while driving. Shutting down during a difficult conversation. Moments where the body goes into survival mode - but the world expects you to carry on like nothing's happening.
Each short video in the series has been designed for those moments. Not for the yoga studio. Not for aesthetic self-care. But for the car before court. The bedroom after a panic spiral. The moment after receiving a message from your ex that sends you spinning.
What Trauma-Aware Movement Really Offers
Here's what movement can do that words often can't:
Discharge adrenaline when you nervous system is in flight-fight-freeze
Create new neural pathways through repetition and rhythm
Regulate breath and heart rate, bringing you back into your body
Rebuild trust in your own instincts, step by step
Reclaim agency, even in small ways, when everything else feels out of your control
Trauma-aware movement recognises that not all bodies feel safe doing "big" movement. Sometimes the smallest shift - a roll of the shoulders, a tap of the foot, a grounding breath - is enough to bring you back to yourself.
Why I Created "Move Through This"
I created Move Through This because I couldn't find anything out there that spoke directly to survivors navigating the everyday chaos of post-abuse life.
We needed movement that was:
Short (30 seconds to 3 minutes)
Realistic (no mats, no fancy kit)
Grounded in trauma awareness
Emotionally intelligent
Designed by someone who's been there
Whether you're navigating the family court system, rebuilding your sense of self, or just trying to get through the day without shutting down - these movements are designed to meet you there.
The Bigger Picture
The Be More Dandelion: The Dandelion Project , we don't use movement as a "fix". We use it as a bridge - back to choice, back to voice, back to community.
If there's one thing I want the world to understand, it's this:
"Movement isn't about bouncing back. It's about reclaiming space in your body, your life, your story - on your terms."
Watch the Move Through This Series - launching this Summer (sign up to our newsletter via our website for more details or follow our Instagram @_TheDandelionProject
Survivor Steps in person programme starts again on Friday 12 September. We are accepting referrals via our website and other local partnership channels in Colchester, Essex. Get in touch for more info.
Want to collaborate, train with us, or bring this into your community? I'd love to hear from you!
