Listening with our bodies..

Our body sensations can be so overwhelming that we can totally disassociate from our bodies as a coping strategy.

Especially when we have been through traumatic experiences. Trauma is not what happens to us, it is what happens inside of us, as a result of what happened to us.

Something comes into our worlds, it’s not safe, it’s deeply uncomfortable and we have no tools, safe people or place to express what has happened, or support to regain our sense of balance - that’s when we are hit by trauma.

So many of us have not sat and really felt what’s going on with our bodies in many, many years.

We live in our heads and forget we have hearts, guts and an entire nervous system sending us messages. More messages are being sent from our bodies to our brains, than our brains to our bodies. 

So now that we know all this, let's take a brief moment to feel.

We can learn to renegotiate our bodies response gently when we are open to sitting with the feelings of discomfort or fear (knowing that THIS time, we are not trapped and that the uncomfortable sensations will pass).

The fact that we have ‘triggers’ means that we are carrying ammunition and something inside is ready to explode. Avoiding triggers, or getting angry when we feel triggered does not disarm the weapon. To move forward in our lives, we must take responsibility for our inner weaponry and must not pass the blame. Just like a knot or trigger point in the physical body, we can gently hold an emotional trigger, ease it open and watch it dissipate.
It’s OK to feel upset.
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When we learn to observe and breathe through discomfort, it becomes less and less.
We become less reactive, less likely to blame others, more empowered and can drop the victim identity and become victorious.

Often our reactions in the moment of trauma are repressed and we stay locked in a frozen or paralyzed state, both physically and emotionally without us even being aware of what is going on.
This state of freezing, (or the opposite survival state of chronic hyper arousal), often occurs when we can’t fight (or flee) from that which is hurting, threatening or frightening us.
We get stuck when we can't reach out for help, because help is not there for us - or when calling for help is unsafe.

We very rarely allow our bodies or minds to go through the process we are biologically designed to complete.

We repress the grief of neglect, we repress our anger, aggression and natural survival responses when faced with physical threat.. Leaving this energy to explode in unsafe and inappropriate ways later in life. 

By simply sitting and watching the sensations that come up we can gently revisit and renegotiate our old stuff with the lens of a compassionate observer.
We can safely feel these body sensations (maybe the increased heart rate and the urge to run or lash out) and allow these sensations to exist… we can actually allow our legs to move and even hit a pillow, cry, scream and let it go.

Feeling old ‘stuff’ with a new lens - a wiser and clearer lens - can be an amazing process.

If this is something that spikes your interest, we recommend seeking out a practitioner that works in body based psychotherapy or ‘somatic experiencing’. 

FIND YOUR TRUTH SPOT

Close your eyes 
Set an intention to sense the truth in all things and find your inner guidance
Focus 
Release any expectation that you may be holding onto 
Allow the present moment to unfold, as it is, not how you want it to be 
Accept the moment 

Inhale, feeling your lungs expand fully
Exhale any stress, tension and charged emotions 
Be quiet, be still 
Become aware of your body 

Say (out loud, or to yourself) a statement that you KNOW to be true. 
For example; 
“My name is Hannah”
Or; “I love and respect nature.”
Now notice the exact sensations, or spots within your body, that ‘light up’ - and the tone or note that these sensations take. 
People commonly feel warmth in the area of your heart, tingling in the solar plexus etc.  

Next; Say (out loud, or to yourself) a statement that you KNOW to be untrue. 
For example; 
“My name is Freddy Mercury ”
Or something you know to be the opposite of something you value; 
“I hate nature.”
Now notice the exact sensations, or spots within your body, that ‘light up’ - and the tone or note that these sensations take. 
People commonly feel a ‘constriction’ in the area of the heart, or a full on total body sense of ‘repulsion’. 

Everyone senses truth and untruth, in unique ways.
Allow your inner guidance system to communicate and practice picking up on truth/ untruth in your daily life.   
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