Welcome to Navigating Vicarious Trauma.
I'm Janna and wherever you are,
I'm grateful to share this moment with you.
Today we focus on how to navigate trauma that we've witnessed.
This is different from trauma we've directly experienced.
Even when we simply witness the trauma of others,
It can leave behind emotional residue for the person observing.
And often the body buries what is experienced,
Whether it's fear,
Pain,
Even terror that we witness when we see the suffering of others.
I work regularly with first responders and therapists,
Even police force and people who work in the juvenile court system.
And I see the toll it takes on the minds and bodies and spirits of those who witness trauma regularly.
So today I'll guide you through a practice that you can do regularly to nurture yourself through this vicarious trauma.
So whether it's something you've experienced maybe once,
Or you have to deal with certain trauma that you see and bear witness to regularly in your life.
This meditation can become a practice to help you heal and to help you skillfully navigate this vicarious trauma.
Today we'll practice three parts of self-compassion,
Specifically in response to trauma that is experienced indirectly.
Trauma that is witnessed.
Gently close your eyes.
Just begin to settle into your body.
So find that seated position that's sustainable for about 10 minutes.
And know that there is no expectation here.
Just set an intention to become a kind and loving witness to this experience,
To this meditation.
As you begin to notice your body,
The sensations in your body,
Begin to focus your mind on a moment in which you listened to or saw or simply became aware of a painful experience of another being.
A moment when you recognized the pain of another.
Perhaps you couldn't fix or save this other,
Or even change the system that created the suffering or trauma you saw.
You may even feel helpless just bringing this to mind.
I know it can be painful.
So I want you to let yourself remember that right now,
As you recall this moment,
You are here,
You are safe,
And I'm right by your side guiding you through this as a fellow human.
Know that you are not here to change anything or fix anything that happened.
You're here to nurture yourself instead of letting this experience continue to cause you suffering or perhaps deplete you.
So as you bring this moment to mind,
I will begin to guide you through the three components of self-compassion.
The first is mindfulness.
Without judging or denying the painful experience that you witnessed,
Without saying it should never happen,
Just allow yourself to acknowledge it because it happened.
In this moment,
Validate the pain of witnessing it or knowing about it.
You could even say to yourself,
This is hard to watch or it's hard to bear witness to suffering.
Let yourself feel how hard it is.
Remember that you're safe now and allow yourself to feel how the pain of others affects your own body.
Without overthinking,
Be mindful and present for the way it's felt in your body.
Just notice sensations,
Tension,
Or movement in your own body.
Let it be.
Let it be felt.
The second part of self-compassion is common humanity.
Know that all humans witness the suffering of others at times.
Many humans in your situation,
Even your line of work or your type of family,
Have to witness suffering.
Perhaps they too feel helpless at times.
Allow yourself to know this connection to others.
You could even say to yourself,
I'm not alone.
I'm not alone in this.
And now the third part,
Self-kindness.
Simply place your hand on your heart or on a part of the body that feels nurturing.
I want you to allow full acceptance of the challenges of this experience as a bystander or a witness.
Witness to suffering.
I offer you some words you can say to yourself with your hand on your body.
Perhaps you can say,
It's okay,
Sweetheart,
Or buddy,
Or dude,
Or whatever term of endearment feels right.
Just support yourself.
Say to yourself,
It's okay to let this be felt.
Tell yourself,
I'm worthy of being nurtured.
I need to care for myself when I witness agony,
When I witness pain.
I deserve the time and kindness to process this.
Take a moment now in silence.
Take it all in.
I'll remind you again,
You are safe here and now to feel it.
You can whisper to yourself,
Other humans witness suffering.
Others may too feel helpless in these moments.
I cannot fix everything.
I can care about others.
And to do so,
I must care about myself.
Because witnessing pain is painful and it needs to be processed.
We need that downtime to process it.
Hold yourself with compassion.
Be this kind,
Gentle witness to your experience.
Perhaps you can visualize yourself from above with your hand on your heart or on your body,
Sending love inward to yourself.
And as you do that,
Perhaps you're energized to also send that kindness outward to those who've suffered trauma.
Perhaps even to those who've passed away from trauma or are no longer in your life.
Let's all hold ourselves and others with compassion in this moment.
Know we all require self-love when faced with suffering.
And we can all be kind,
Loving witnesses to our own suffering and to that of each other,
This human experience.
Gently open your eyes.
My wish for you is that you continue to be compassionate with yourself.
Thank you for meditating with me today.
May the universe bring us back together soon.
And know that you have your own wisdom on tap and can always nurture yourself when needed.
