Life Trauma & The importance of Safe Space
An important variable in healing and well being is SAFE environment. This does not only mean that we need to visit safe places or practice yoga/medicine at a place we feel safe but we need to be surrounded by people who truly care for us and hold space for us, for our ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ alike (and our SELVES included too, having a caring attitude to our self). Being surrounded within a hub of support is crucial for human well-being and thriving. During times of challenge it is advised to remember to create safe space for the body and our system to be felt/heard and seen. Because the body is naturally trying to restore balance and to avoid interfering with the perfect workings of nature, being present with the body and our whole system is important. When our environment is safe we feel safe to come out, be seen (even celebrated) and give our system a chance to reboot. How does it look like when trauma is released from the body? From an initial shock and numbness we can move into shaking, the body shakes off the ‘charge’ as a way of rebalancing. There may be shouting or tears, you may need to say out things specially If you have not had a chance to voice something healingly important to your perpetrator/person or people that hurt you. All these help your body’s nervous system to reset and regulate. Life stress can cause trauma too (it does not have to be one big traumatizing event but a building ‘charge’ of an ongoing situation) and through our yoga practice (with the right place in the right time/body/mind alignment) when you are ready your body will feel safe to let go, to reset and upgrade her circuitry. This is the face of evolution. Dr. Peter Levine in his book ‘In an Unspoken Voice’ says “As traumatized individuals begin to come out of immobility, they frequently experience eruptions of intense anger or rage.” Dr. Levine also says that in a state of rage/fear the frontal lobes of the brain shut down and becomes almost impossible NOT to identify with these overwhelming emotions and sensations. The fear-potentiated immobility locks a person in the biological trauma response.
So what can you do to help your Self to heal ?
Surround yourself with people who truly care for you at the same time develop a daily self care routine
Work on finding ways to love and appreciate yourself (my favorite ways are feeding myself a good diet of YOGA, self romancing practice and most definitely spa visits). Also a good way to honor your energy and restore your balance is to study yourself and learn where your energy leaks are; where you hold life patterns and life habits that are ‘suffocating’ to you.
Swing into action and make effort to create change
Keep an ongoing practice of yoga with a teacher who can hold space and safe container for all your sides, curves and edges
Feed yourself a healthy diet and I don’t only mean food, but energetic one too
Practice a ‘growth’ mindset or beginners mind, this will make life more exciting !
