Why, despite all you try—diet, meditation, exercise, self-help—are you exhausted, anxious, or stuck? It could be emotional numbness, relationship difficulties, digestive issues, or chronic pain. Wondering why nothing works, you could start to blame yourself. If you’re not the problem, what then? What if it’s something deeper, ingrained in you before you could speak?

Trauma transcends tragedy, violence, and abuse. You missed stability, protection, and emotional presence. Keeping watchful, tensing up, and closing down helped you survive stress or neglect in childhood. These patterns last throughout adulthood. Their relentless activity compromises your safety, relationships, and health. Research validates it. Early stress has been related, in ACE research, to anxiety, depression, chronic illness, and more. Not broken; your body is doing as it was taught. The good news is… Recovery from trauma can reorder these patterns.

Healing’s not about fixing yourself. You were never broken. Work with your body; not against it. For millennia, Daoist healing techniques have understood that mind, body, even spirit are one. Breath, movement, silence, and mindfulness help to break survival patterns and restore balance. It’s not instant. Not easy. But it is attainable. You’re in the right place if you choose to explore a different path, one that honors your experience and your body’s inherent wisdom.