Qi Gong for Trauma and PTSD: Nervous-System Safe Movement

Living with trauma or PTSD can feel like your body is always braced for impact. Even on calm days, a sound, a look or a memory can flip your system into fight, flight or freeze.

Qi Gong offers a different way. Slow, kind, predictable movement that asks your body, “What feels safe today?” rather than forcing it to push through.

If you are curious about the research, you can also explore Qi Gong Evidence 2025 and Qi Gong and Anxiety / Mood: 2020–2025 Evidence Overview. This page will stay very practical and trauma-aware.

In this guide, I want to show you how to use Qi Gong as a nervous-system safe practice. You will see gentle options, safety tips and ways to go at your own pace.

Join Us for Gentle Support

If you are carrying trauma, practising alone can feel scary or overwhelming. A calm, guided space can make all the difference.

Inside Bright Beings Academy, you can explore soft, repetitive, trauma-aware Qi Gong with clear guidance and real choice. You can go as slowly as you like. You can keep your camera off. You can adapt everything.

You might join live, follow replays or start with very short routines. However you arrive, your sensitivity is welcome.

Trauma, PTSD and Your Nervous System

Trauma is not “all in your head”. It lives in your body and your nervous system.

When something overwhelming happens and there is not enough support or safety, your system stores that shock. Later on, you may notice:

• Feeling on edge, jumpy or hypervigilant

• Sudden rushes of panic or dread

• Numbness, shut-down or feeling far away

• Trouble sleeping or relaxing, even when you are tired

• Strong reactions to certain people, places or sounds

With PTSD or complex trauma, your body can get stuck in survival patterns. Fight, flight, freeze or fawn keep looping, even when the danger has passed.

Gentle, body-based practices can help. Qi Gong for Anxiety / Mood: 2020–2025 Evidence Overview shows how movement and breath can support mood, sleep and stress.

Qi Gong does not erase your past. But it can give your body a soft way to learn, “In this moment, I am safer. I can soften, even a little.”

How Qi Gong Can Help a Traumatised Nervous System

Qi Gong is slow, mindful movement linked with breath and awareness. For trauma and PTSD, it can help because:

• It is predictable.
  Repeating simple movements gives your system a sense of “I know what comes next.” This can be very soothing.

• It builds body awareness safely.
  You learn to notice sensations without forcing deep dives into painful memories.

• It allows tiny ranges.
  You can make every movement small, almost invisible, and still get benefit.

• It supports the vagus nerve and heart rhythm.
  Soft breath and flowing movement can help bring you out of high alert or shut-down into a more settled state. For a wider look at this, you can read Qi Gong and Cardiovascular Health: Blood Pressure, HRV & Heart Health.

• It gives you choice.
  You can pause, change, sit down or stop at any time. Healthy choice is vital for trauma healing.

Think of Qi Gong as nervous-system training. Small, repeatable signals saying, “You are allowed to relax now. You are allowed to feel a bit more here. You are allowed to rest.”

Safety First: A Gentle Protocol for Sensitive Systems

Before we talk about movement, let’s make safety the priority. Here is a simple protocol you can follow:

1. Check in with your GP or mental health professional.
   Let them know you want to try gentle movement. Ask if there is any reason you should avoid certain positions, breaths or ranges.

2. Practise in a safe, contained space.
   Close the door if you can. Keep a blanket or soft jumper nearby. You might like a warm drink for after practice.

3. Keep your eyes open at first.
   Closing the eyes can feel unsafe if you have trauma. It is perfectly fine to keep a soft gaze, looking at the floor or a point on the wall.

4. Use the “10% rule”.
   If something feels like too much, reduce it to 10% effort and range. Or imagine the movement in your mind instead of doing it fully.

5. Stay out of pain and intense distress.
   Mild stretch or emotion is ok. Sharp pain, dizziness, strong flashbacks or overwhelm are a signal to stop, ground and rest.

6. Have a grounding plan ready.
   For example: feel your feet, name five things you can see, hold something cool or textured, or listen to a favourite piece of music.

You are not trying to smash through your trauma. You are building trust with your body. That takes time. And that is ok.

If you want a broader emotional context for how Qi Gong can help, you might also enjoy Qi Gong for Anxiety / Mood: 2020–2025 Evidence Overview and Qi Gong & Autoimmune Conditions: Inflammation Evidence 2020–2025, as trauma and chronic inflammation often travel together.

A Simple Trauma-Safe Qi Gong Routine (5–10 Minutes)

You can do this sequence seated or standing. Keep movements small. Breathe softly through your nose if you can.

1. Arrive and orient (1–2 minutes)

• Place your feet flat on the floor.

• Notice the contact with the ground.

• Gently look around the room and name three things you can see.

• Let your shoulders drop a little as you exhale.

2. Hand on heart, hand on belly (1–2 minutes)

• Place one hand on your chest and one on your lower belly.

• Inhale softly and feel the belly expand a little into your hand.

• Exhale slowly, as if you are sighing out through a straw.

• If emotions rise, just notice them and let the breath stay small and gentle.

3. Small “cloud hands” (2–3 minutes)

• Let your hands float in front of your body, about waist height.

• Slowly move them side to side, as if you are softly smoothing clouds.

• Keep your gaze soft.

• Breathe in as the hands move one way, out as they move the other way.

• Keep the range tiny. Think whisper, not big dance.

4. Shoulder and arm release (1–2 minutes)

• With your arms by your sides, gently roll your shoulders forwards and back.

• Then let your hands swing a little, like soft pendulums.

• Stay within what feels safe and easy.

• If a little natural shaking wants to happen, you can allow it, but do not force it.

5. Closing and grounding (1–2 minutes)

• Bring your hands back to your lower belly.

• Take three very soft, slow breaths.

• Rub your hands together to create a little warmth.

• Place your warm hands over your face or heart and finish with a small bow to yourself.

You can stop at any step. Even two minutes of hand-on-heart breathing counts as practice.

Explore Trauma-Aware Support Inside Bright Beings Academy Membership

Many people find it easier to keep going when they are held by a kind structure. That is what the Bright Beings Academy membership is designed to give you.

Inside the Academy, you will find:

• Live classes you can join from home, with options for standing, seated and very gentle practice

• Replays you can pause, rewind or stop if you feel triggered or tired

• A consistent rhythm each week, so your nervous system knows what to expect

• A trauma-aware approach that honours freeze, fawn, numbness and hypervigilance as understandable responses

If full membership feels like a big step right now, you can still begin gently. You might like to try the 21-Day Qi Gong for Beginners mini course as a low-commitment way to explore the basics and see how your system responds.

From there, if it feels right, you can step into ongoing support with the wider Academy.

Building Your Practice Gently Over Time

With trauma and PTSD, consistency matters more than intensity. Here are some kind ways to build your practice:

• Aim for “little and often”.
  Two to ten minutes, most days, is a beautiful goal. You do not need long sessions.

• Match practice to your energy.
  On a hard day, just orienting and hand-on-heart is enough. On a steadier day, you can add cloud hands and gentle swinging.

• Use a simple check-in.
  After practice, you might write one sentence: “Before: ____ / After: ____.” This helps you notice small shifts over time.

• Expect ups and downs.
  Some days you may feel more unsettled after moving. This is normal. Use your grounding tools and shorten the next practice.

• Combine with other support.
  Body work and therapy can support each other beautifully. If you are working with a therapist, you can show them this practice and agree how to use it safely.

If you want ideas for weaving Qi Gong into other health challenges that often sit alongside trauma, you can explore Qi Gong & Autoimmune Conditions: Inflammation Evidence 2020–2025 and Qi Gong & Cancer-Related Fatigue: What the Studies Say.

Qi Gong for Trauma and PTSD: FAQs

Is Qi Gong safe if I have severe trauma or complex PTSD?

It can be, as long as you keep a big focus on safety and choice.

Start with very short, simple practices. Stay in movements that feel neutral or slightly pleasant. Keep your eyes open, and have grounding tools ready.

Always check in with your therapist or mental health professional. Qi Gong is a support, not a replacement for trauma therapy.

Will Qi Gong replace my therapy or medication?

No. Qi Gong is a complementary practice.

It can help your nervous system settle, which may make it easier to engage in therapy, sleep and daily life. But it does not replace professional support or prescribed medication.

Think of it as one piece of a wider healing team.

What if I get triggered or dissociate while practising?

First, pause the movement. There is no failure here.

Ground yourself with simple steps: feel your feet, name five things you can see, hold something textured or drink some water. If you are following a video or class, it is fine to stop completely.

Later, you can reflect on which movement or cue felt too much, and make your next session smaller and shorter. You can also talk about it with your therapist or trusted support person.

How often should I practise if my energy is very low?

If you are exhausted or in shut-down, think in tiny doses. One to five minutes, once or twice a day, is a beautiful start.

You can even practise in bed or in a chair. Hand-on-heart breathing, small cloud hands or just orienting your eyes around the room all count.

As your system feels safer, you may naturally want to practise a little more. Let your body lead, not the clock.

Can I do Qi Gong seated or lying down?

Yes. You can adapt almost everything.

Many trauma survivors begin seated. You can keep your feet on the floor, your back supported, and movements very small. If standing feels unsafe, stay seated.

Some practices can also be done lying down, especially breath and awareness exercises. Only stand when and if it feels right for you.

How long will it take to notice a difference?

Everyone is different. Some people feel a small sense of calm or warmth in the body after a single session. For others, the shifts are very gradual.

A kind frame is to give yourself four to six weeks of “little and often” practice. Keep it gentle, keep it regular and keep it safe. Over time, many people notice they bounce back from stress a little faster, sleep a little deeper or feel slightly more present in their body.

A Soft Next Step

If you are reading this and living with trauma or PTSD, please know this: there is nothing wrong with your sensitivity. Your body has been doing its best to protect you.

Qi Gong can become a soft, steady way to teach your nervous system that you are allowed to feel safer, more present and more connected again – one small movement at a time. When you feel ready, you can step into a supported space and let others hold some of that journey with you.

Join the Academy When You Are Ready

When you are ready to be guided, Bright Beings Academy is here for you. You can start with a mini course, join live classes or explore a full membership when it feels safe to do so.

You do not have to rush. You do not have to prove anything. You are welcome exactly as you are, with the nervous system you have today.

I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)