Therapy Chat · Laura Reagan, LCSW-C

476: Trauma, Somatics and Mindfulness with Lynn Fraser

March 31, 2025·36 min·3 clips

Lynn Fraser reveals how trauma is stored in the body through thoughts, pictures, and sensations.

This episode features host Laura Reagan in conversation with Lynn Fraser, a senior meditation and yoga teacher specializing in somatic mindfulness and trauma healing. Fraser is a senior facilitator of the Living Inquiries and Natural Rest, and she teaches online through her platform, Stillpoint Somatic Mindfulness Inquiry. The discussion centers on integrating mindfulness and somatic inquiry to address trauma stored in the body. Fraser explains the Living Inquiries method, which breaks experience into three elements: words, pictures, and bodily sensations. She details three core inquiries: the identity inquiry examining beliefs like "I am unlovable," the compulsion inquiry exploring urges, and the anxiety inquiry locating perceived threats in the body. Fraser references the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) research, noting that neglect has an impact equal to abuse due to the survival-level threat of disconnection. She describes how a primitive brain with a negativity bias and underdeveloped neural pathways for trust can result from unsafe childhood experiences. Fraser shares a personal example of using the compulsion inquiry to connect a pulsing energy in her throat with a desire for comforting food like ice cream. She also discusses a "welcoming practice" using phrases like "thank you for arising" and "I love you" to approach bodily energy without resistance. A key insight is that traumatic energy in the body is not random but arises with associated memories and thoughts ready to be processed. Fraser emphasizes that safety is the foundation for healing and that practices must help individuals feel secure enough to connect with bodily sensations. She shares a personal story where chronic pain between her shoulder blades, previously investigated with X-rays, completely resolved after a breakthrough in her somatic inquiry work. Fraser notes that shame is meant to correct behavior within a connected relationship, but toxic shaming for one's identity is devastating and leads to avoidance. She explains that a six-second exhale can trigger the relaxation response via the polyvagal system, and simple tools like box breathing can interrupt panic. Fraser reveals her own history of developmental trauma, including bullying, social shaming, and emotional disconnection, which she understood through the work of Dr. Gabor Maté. The tone is educational and conversational, blending personal anecdote with explanatory teaching on trauma theory and somatic practices. The style is supportive and experiential, focusing on practical tools and lived understanding rather than abstract theory. This episode would deeply interest therapists, yoga teachers, or anyone exploring somatic approaches to trauma and mindfulness. Listeners seeking strictly clinical, diagnosis-focused psychotherapy content or skeptical of integrative mind-body methods might find it less applicable.

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