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Lifting Heavy Things: Healing Trauma One Rep at a Time

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A celebrated strength trainer and trauma practitioner offers a fresh and empowering approach to healing and thriving after trauma.

In this innovative title, celebrated trainer and trauma practitioner Laura Khoudari brings a fresh approach to healing after trauma, using strength training as an embodied movement practice. Compassionate, witty and fastidiously researched, Khoudari’s debut, Lifting Heavy Things, is a breakthrough title that will empower and inspire you to develop resilience and build emotional and physical strength through working out with weights, while mindful of the ways that trauma can compromise the wellbeing of the mind and body.

In Lifting Heavy Things, you’ll learn

Managing chronic painCreating the conditions for training and healingUnderstanding how trauma shows up in daily lifeUsing embodied movement practices (beyond yoga) as a tool to comfortably re-inhabit the bodyNavigating interpersonal relationships during and after the healing processWhy you don’t have to tell your trauma story (to everyone)Thriving with and moving beyond traumaWith humor, tenderness and grit, Lifting Heavy Things takes readers on a journey of personal revelation and integration, helping them to lighten their emotional burden and build deep inner strength to lift all of the heavy things that life may bring with greater ease.

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2024

422 people are currently reading
4689 people want to read

About the author

Laura Khoudari

1 book9 followers

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5 stars
275 (23%)
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403 (33%)
3 stars
365 (30%)
2 stars
113 (9%)
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34 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
Profile Image for Nathan Shuherk.
393 reviews4,415 followers
March 4, 2024
Not a book for me. Not trying to dissuade anyone from reading it, but I just can’t handle this much therapy-speak
Profile Image for maria.
91 reviews21 followers
May 2, 2022
when I look at gym culture in media, i’m not a fan. i’m completely turned off by fitness goals that revolve solely around weight loss and being lean. for me, lifting is a type of meditation. It is about regaining strength and confidence. part self-help, part-memoir, LIFTING HEAVY THINGS explains how embodied movement can reduce the impact of trauma on daily life. in LIFTING HEAVY THINGS, i found the words that express why lifting is so important to me.

“I train to feel my body, uniting my breaths to reps and focusing on what it feels like inside as my body moves against the resistance of the weight of kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, and more… I train to deepen my relationship with myself and to feel my capacity for lifting heavy things. I train to be embodied.” (An excerpt from LIFTING HEAVY THINGS: HEALING TRAUMA ONE REP AT A TIME by Laura Khoudari)

when I was 20, i got tackled hard at a rugby game, and was briefly in crutches after finding out my MCL was torn on my left knee. i wore a knee brace for a while, and had a hard time getting back into rugby / physical activity in general because i was afraid i’d experience that kind of pain (and needed recovery) again. over the years, this knee occasionally gave out and fast forward 10 years, developed into me experiencing chronic knee pain to a point where my doctor recommended physical therapy. this chronic pain was what got me back into lifting and lifting was what helped me heal & build me back up.

certified trainer and trauma practitioner, author Laura Khoudari’s approach appeals to me a lot, especially when preparing my mindset for movement. ( i will say I’m probably the ideal audience for this book considering lifting is my preferred exercise and i’ve also experienced trauma and chronic pain ) Laura Khoudari (queer and disabled herself) stands out from many fitness professionals in that she addresses fatphobia and ableism surrounding exercise and gym culture. i like how the book is organized: part 1: talking about conditions laid out before movement, part 2: activation, and part 3: emphasis on rest and recovery. i like the ‘take action’ exercises and encouragement to journal. overall, this is a solid 5-star read for me since this was just what i needed.
Profile Image for K.
292 reviews972 followers
October 17, 2023
I’m a fat and disabled exercise enthusiast because I’ve found that movement is one of the things that makes my existence more pleasurable. When I exercise (primarily through riding a gravel bike) and move not only do I improve my chronic pain, I find a way to express myself and my feelings in safer ways, and I have an outlet that allows me to show up as a better organizer, partner, and friend.

Anyways I picked up this book with that in mind, and also a well established relationship with a dietitian. I found a lot of the book helpful especially with sparking realizations about how sometimes I still lose my mind body connection, especially sites of my body that hold a lot of trauma or consistent pain. However I can’t say I learned that many new things or really understood the choices made in this book. I think this would be great for someone relatively new on their own trauma journey, and also helpful for someone doing the hard work of uncoupling movement with punishment or weight loss. The author isn’t a mental health practitioner but given what we know about the mental health industry I’m not sure that’s even a bad thing.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Sund.
607 reviews17 followers
June 25, 2021
This is such a gentle book about working through trauma through embodied movement. Embodied movement is usually associated with yoga, but the author argues any movement practice can be embodied. I've been weightlifting for a while now, and her experience closely matches mine. I am not working through trauma, but learning to be embodied is important for everyone. We can be so disconnected from our own body.

Like the author, I began seriously working out to alleviate back and neck pain. I've never felt so good as I do now. It turns out my body desperately needed to get stronger. My strong neck, shoulders, and core have completely solved my pain problems that I though I would be suffering my with my whole life.

The trauma sections may not be applicable to everyone. I was interested in those aspects because of my job, but I think most readers will find value even if everything isn't directly applicable to their own lives.
Profile Image for Queralt✨.
792 reviews285 followers
March 1, 2024
This book was exactly what it had to be, a book to promote lifting and working out for mental health. Working out here isn’t to look good, but to cultivate your relationship with your body, and what it does, and connect with it to fight against trauma/other issues that have physical reverberations.

It did what it had to do. I think it can be very inspiring with people who struggle to make the step of going to the gym and taking that leap. Toxic gym culture and toxic fitness culture, in general, have seen a big boom in recent years. I recall when I did bodybuilding, I had to buy protein bars and protein powder online. Yesterday, I bought protein powder near my hometown (and for reference, there are no bookstores here, it’s a tiny place). And this has driven a lot of people to have opinions on what bodies are right (and wrong) and who gets to wear a sports bra and who doesn’t. The good old ‘wearing a sports bra is something you have to achieve, not something any body should do.’ And honestly, yuck.

I read this and I nodded along, I thought it was inspiring, but it didn’t blow my mind. I’m not a person who struggles to go to the gym or work out, so maybe all the invitations to go and feel safe didn’t really work with me. The gym is like my second home and I never not work out after waking up. What I did appreciate is to mention the one thing I struggle with - resting and taking days off. It didn’t work for me because Khoudari is very nurturing and talks about what you need, but I like science-y talk with these types of things. So I shall continue working out with injuries because I will never not be dumb.

Anyways, if you struggle with mental health and are scared of the gym, this is cool.
Profile Image for Christopher Pokorny.
336 reviews9 followers
June 19, 2021
My first exposure to somatic experience therapy was when I was deployed to Afghanistan in 2018. I was working with a psychologist, mental health technician, a physical therapist and an occupational therapist. We had a young soldier who was working through trauma and the psychologist proposed helping the young soldier learn “safe touch” with the physical therapist.

I thought the psychologist was on to something, especially since having read Van der Kolk’s “The Body Keeps the Score” the year prior.

Khoudari builds upon the likes of Van der Kolk’s theory and presents a roadmap for individuals to heal through exercise.

Not only does lifting help you become strong, look & feel good physically, but it can also be a means of healing and peace.
Profile Image for Becky.
56 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2021
In the library of “books about strength training”, the vast majority are written by men, and the majority of those are also aimed exclusively at men. So when I find a book written by a woman, I’m immediately drawn to it. The perspective is so different, and this is no exception.

I related to a lot of this book, and found many of the exercises incredibly thought-provoking. I’m going to sit with the thoughts, and try out adding different elements to my practice to see what makes it stronger.

As someone who already has a confident practice, this book is really useful, but it’s also clearly useful to those who are contemplating a new movement practice - wherever you are on your journey, this book belongs in your hands.
Profile Image for Arlie.
55 reviews11 followers
January 13, 2022
Wellness cult vibes. Don't get me wrong I LOVE a sports/trauma memoir but I had a few issues. I am concerned by the semi-formed notion of 'trauma informed practice' in the gym, practiced (with good intentions) by people with certifications in strength coaching, yoga and personal training but no certifications in mental health. I don't necessarily think this book offers awful advice (although, there's some stuff in here that I think is bordering on harmful misinformation, and at best there's nothing in it which is new or anything more than you can get from a good infographic or any rando personal trainer out on the streets these days), but I would take it with a big grain of salt.
Profile Image for Martina.
18 reviews
June 18, 2023
Not for me.

Regarding the topic of training: In my opinion one can only answer the posed questions if you already have a lot of experience with physical training and know exactly what and how to train and what it feels like for you to train in the gym.

Regarding the book:
To me, the book was and endless explanation of the author to justify her very existence including her looks, preference, habits etc. I find that rather odd in a book that claims to help the reader in healing their trauma.

Moreover, the author has managed to bring white privilege, transgenderism, sexual orientation and race on the table without ever really giving an explanation as to why that is relevant for the topic.

For many people mentioned in the book the author explicitly mentioned their race without explanation or further elaboration on why that would be important in the given context. Ok, your coach was a white male - what has that to do with anything?
Profile Image for Aaron Davis.
90 reviews2 followers
November 17, 2021
I'm not the target here. If you're into just being aware of your body by all means, go for it but im a meat head and I will always be a meat head.
Profile Image for Chrystal Mahan.
Author 7 books19 followers
May 20, 2023
This was a really quick read -- if you are not planning to follow the instructions set forth by each chapter. If you are, then each chapter should be read and the activity explained done at your own pace. Sadly, for me personally, this book did not tell me anything I didn't already know. I guess, I had hopes that this one would be different somehow.

I am almost 48 years old. I am a childhood sexual abuse survivor that lasted about 10-12 years. I say that because I have no real idea when it started exactly but I can tell you the exact day that it ended. That turned into the beginning of my mental health disorders -- including PTSD. Over the years I have suffered various forms of abuse -- sexual, physical, verbal, and financial. That has resulted in now having cPTSD. I speak about my mental illnesses and the things that happened to me and while it bothers me that these are the things that bring others into my path, I am thankful that I am able to share my struggles and help others along the way.

Having said that, I could not connect with this author. I respect anyone that says they suffered something that has caused them to have PTSD or another illness. It is their story to tell or not to. But, for me personally, with all the internet phonies, catfishers, and people with fake backgrounds trying to sell their tales, it is hard for me to connect with people who say they have PTSD, and then do not share their story. And that is a personal thing to me. I need to know why you can tell me these things and have the authority to do so. Your background and education aren't enough. I want proof. I do not want to hear that your client thinks you're great because you say you have PTSD but won't say why. Unless you have a story to tell, my trauma and past experiences will show me that you are just another person off the internet trying to capitalize on the fact that statistically speaking, mental health is louder and being pushed on social media more than ever.

So, I give this book 3 stars for multiple reasons. I want to connect with an author and their story. I did not. I wanted something different, this for me, was not. Do I think this book could help others? Sure. If this is the type of material they are looking for. It didn't connect for me and that is oky.
Profile Image for Regina.
582 reviews1 follower
May 4, 2023
I am clearly not the target audience for this book. I felt it lacked real concrete exercises and facts that could help someone heal trauma through exercise. This book is written for those who have little to no gym experience and fails to address the more scientific aspects of healing trauma through movement.
Profile Image for Sarah Nealy.
314 reviews
February 6, 2024
This is definitely a book that you go back to. I enjoyed just listening to it, but I will be getting the physical copy. This book really helped me to put words to what I was feeling, and brought awareness to different aspects of my trauma that I didn't even know were there. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has experienced trauma no matter what kind of trauma it is!
2 reviews3 followers
May 16, 2023
DNF. Not what I expected nor what I was looking for. Not for me
Profile Image for Brittany Robbins.
341 reviews3 followers
June 8, 2023
Super cool book that gave me a huge appreciation for the things I learned along the way. Somatic therapy and embodiment as practices to reduce stress and anxiety I have more books now on my TBR list!!! The focus on this book specially was regarding power lifting but can certainly be implemented in other forms of movement like yoga and etc etc - very awesome that their are folks out there like Laura who are fitness coaches with a trauma based approach to the process and a focus on healing. ❤️
Profile Image for M. Bayoush.
168 reviews6 followers
September 2, 2024
Väldigt empatiskt skriven, motiverande utan att vara hetsig och fokuserar mer på vart man är idag snarare än vart man "borde" börja ifrån. Lyssnade på den som ljudbok vilket va nivey men vill man kunna implementera övningarna och teorierna så behövs nog ett fysisk exemplar. kanske läser den igen i framtiden.
Profile Image for Sage Αναστασία.
90 reviews2 followers
December 21, 2021
This book is absolutely life-changing; I cannot praise it highly enough. Lifting Heavy Things focuses on joyful movement and listening to+honoring your body, concepts lost on much of the fitness industry. The book makes striking connections between the brain and body's response to movement and our responses to trauma, and explores various modalities for embodied movement to support trauma recovery. My biggest praise for Lifting Heavy Things is how it managed to push my thinking and comfort zone while never taking me out of my window of tolerance, something so so important for trauma survivors to actually make progress in their healing. And I have never seen anyone successfully promote movement in a way that's completely detached from "wellness" (read: diet) culture until now; this book is far ahead of its time.

On top of all of that, Laura was able to put into words thoughts, experiences, and relationships to movement that I share but have never been able to explain. I've never felt so understood and not alone as I did reading this book. Lifting Heavy Things is thoughtful, thought-provoking, accessible, and just magnificent in every way. Laura, I cannot thank you for this book enough, it has truly changed my life.

(Bonus: it's not triggering! As someone with a history of compulsive exercise, I'm VERY wary of content promoting movement to cope with trauma, but I couldn't have asked for better content than this. If your relationship to movement is rocky, this book will help you ensure that the movement you engage in is truly serving you.)
3 reviews1 follower
October 3, 2024
As someone who endured significant trauma from abuse and neglect as a kid…and someone who embraces fitness wholeheartedly as an adult, I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I didn’t. It felt like it was just all the author’s opinion about trauma and fitness, and I really wanted to read more study-based facts. More than that though, I kind of felt shamed because I am one of those people who pushes themselves so hard at the gym that I do have big muscles and fit into that stereotypical “gym bro” look.

I realize after reading the book that I probably was not the intended audience, and my own traumatic experiences probably have me looking for answers that this book was never meant to provide.

I will say that for anyone who is trying to find fitness and deal with trauma, and they have done neither before, this book can probably be something great. It just wasn’t something that I personally enjoyed.
Profile Image for Dawn.
102 reviews2 followers
January 2, 2024
This book was so good I decided that I have to buy it I need to own it keep it and use it! Even just listening to this book will make you feel empowered to work through what you are going through or have gone through. I can't wait to spend some time truly practicing some of the exercises that she explains as she is talking to you.
Profile Image for Abbey.
12 reviews1 follower
August 29, 2023
This is one of the most helpful books I have read on healing trauma and I have read many. The author takes embodiment to the next level, by sharing personal stories and practical interventions without pushing meditation. Don’t get me wrong, I love meditation and yoga and they have helped me greatly. This book shows the way to embodiment through other means, while recognizing both the healing power of yoga AND the fact that it is not for everyone. She also makes weightlifting and training more accessible, offering strategies that are both challenging and gentle. I listened to it on audible, but I’m going to buy the book so I have the exercises written down. 10/10 recommend for trauma survivors, therapists, weightlifters, and any human who lives in the world.
Profile Image for Alice Cuthbert.
46 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2023
I wanted to read the book The Body Keeps Score about trauma stored in the body. I’ve heard that book is more scientific and textbook like and I didn’t think that would resonate with me. This book was recommended along those same.

It was a thought provoking read from a yoga teacher perspective in thinking about how I can encourage an embodied practice for others.

Lots of activities and journal prompts at the end of each chapter, which I love. And the biggest takeaway - you don’t have to share your trauma story!
Profile Image for sigh ra.
351 reviews20 followers
March 22, 2024
this book engaged with the intersection of strength training and healing, about embodied movement and mindfulness. i found some parts of it to be very informative and raised more questions in my mind. a wonderful glimpse into a world i didn't know existed and this book gave words to some things i've been feeling for a while as well. it could have been a lot shorter, or maybe even just a really long article to be honest, but i appreciate the effort the author put into creating something like this. i will definitely be coming back to this book as a resource for myself, and possibly, for others.
Profile Image for Bailey.
1,336 reviews94 followers
November 19, 2022
I loved the way the author talks about embodied movement and somatic experiences in regard to weight lifting. Somatic Experience Therapy and EMDR is a regular part of my therapeutic life and to talk about that sort of bodily awareness within exercise was so refreshing. Where our current fitness culture asks us to just push through the pain, Khoudari instead asks us to sit with our pain to better understand our lives and make friends with our bodies.
Profile Image for Katie.
163 reviews
January 1, 2024
Interesting book about using exercise as a method for healing from trauma. Probably needs links to a video library or something like that, the descriptions of the exercises are hard to visualize at times. Good intro to somatic processing from a trainer rather than a therapist.
Profile Image for Jenny Volbeda.
8 reviews2 followers
August 13, 2024
I can see this being useful for someone who is newly processing something traumatic and brand new to the gym. A LOT of therapy talk...hope you're comfortable with that.
Some useful tidbits, but definitely more of an intro into how to feel comfy in a gym setting.
Profile Image for Thomas Beachel.
34 reviews
January 31, 2025
DNF at page 7.

"My experience is also that of a Jewish American of Syrian descent who is not always seen as white. While I have benefitted from white supremacy, I have also experienced racism. I am queer and often assumed to be heterosexual because I married a cisgender man. I have experienced heterosexism. And like my sexuality, they may not be visible, but I am living with disabilities. I have experienced ableism."

I will spend my time elsewhere. You make your choice.
Profile Image for Shannon McKee.
87 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2023
Khoudari details realistic approaches to creating an embodied movement practice. Sounds like some wishy-washy shit? Not really. She doesn’t talk at all about some whitewashed version of yoga which is what I was expecting undertones of.

She talks about the way that we can work through past traumas that are held in the body (she references The Body Keeps the Score for the scientific background of doing so - which I still haven’t gotten past page like 120 it’s dense). It’s tediously detailed at times; breaking down steps in creating a routine / healthy environment for movement that I thought were pretty obvious but I can see how it could be helpful for people. She also talks about how it’s not necessary to continuously rehash past traumas to move through / past them. Again maybe common sense but her ideas / suggestions were thoughtfully curated and encouraging.

Highly recommend.
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