28 PTSD Part 3 - Some Practical Steps To Heal PTSD & Trauma

This is part 3 of a 5 part introduction on what I have found to be helpful in the process of healing PTSD in relation to Awakening.

Often we become stuck and shut down in a way that meditation and other spiritual practices just don't touch. This can halt our progress. In this episode, we discuss PTSD and how to flow again and open up into Oneness. This episode is informed by Peter Levine's work and his book "Healing Trauma".

These podcasts are here to support your personal path of awakening whatever that might be. I feel they are most powerful when listened to in sequence from podcast one forward because each is built on the last. If anything does not resonate, please disregard it and follow your heart.

Though I am a psychotherapist, and these podcasts are offered to be spiritually helpful, they are not psychotherapy. If psychotherapy is ever needed, please reach out to a psychotherapist.

Reviews

Hello William. Thank you for this podcast. It reminded me of a time, aged 13 years, when I had a severe mental breakdown. It was at the beginning of September, start of school after summer break, when I down spiralled into a state of deep depression. I was off school for 4 months and did little else but cry and pray that I would die. I returned to school in the January, but was still in a very low state. And then, one day in March, I was sitting on the bus, coming home for lunch, when suddenly the sun came out and shone on my back, it felt so warm and comforting, and I felt, for the first time in months, optimistic, that life could still be enjoyed. This feeling was so good and lasted just about 5 minutes. The next day, it happened again and maybe lasted a few minutes longer. Although I had still a long way to go, knowing that it was possible to feel happy again, helped me through the darker times. This carried on, soon maybe twice a day, and each time a little longer. Untill I was spending more and more time being happy than being depressed. By the end of the summer, I felt completely restored. I mention all this just to confirm what you say about imagining a time when you were happy, and reliving this time, soaking it up, just like you advise William, and that even in the midst of all the pain, it makes one realise and experience ease and happiness. And that the more one dwells upon the good times, the less vivid the bad times become. It is such a deep experience, that I am not sure that my comments are making any sense. But I certainly appreciate your podcasts on PTSD. You're so brilliant William! 🙏❤️

Having been on a healing, spiritual journey and working with Peter Levine’s somatic healing process, I have high praise for this teacher! I intend to look for more of his content!

This is incredibly helpful William I can’t express it enough 🙏 you talk about anxiety or whatever being a ‘lump’ and when I have been doing the awakening meditation my mind is relatively still but I literally can see/feel a ‘lump’ of something that just can’t be observed or investigated, and it’s literally pushed off to the side and doesn’t move. I have thought I have had some sort of CPTSD for a while and there are plenty of potential reasons for that 😬same as a lot of us here I guess, but a yoga friend is very into TRE, i don’t know if you are familiar with that but basically TRE involves inducing neurogenic tremors with the idea of allowing the nervous system to discharge and reset itself- a bit like the polar bear is doing naturally that you mentioned here. My friend used me as a stooge in her TRE training and I have found since then that sometimes when I am practicing yin yoga for eg., that the tremors will spontaneously happen and I just go with it when it does, but it’s obviously not enough to address the ‘lump’ still and I think the lump is probably the reason why I am stuck. Not sure if any of this waffle makes sense haha but this is a bit of a revelation for me so thank you again 🙏 I have just bought Peter Levine’s book to listen to as well 🙂🧘‍♀️

PTSD hyper or hypo reactions. I find it easier to open to nature, animals, and God but still feel very closed. In awakening through many beautiful felt experiences I'm also facing a number of triggers or possible retraumatization. Elmar speaks of animals being able to shake off PTSD, he questions if we are able to do the same, what do you think?
I know it's trapped, cut off, separated and for me all in the body (or out 🙈) the best way I can sink in and soak up Divine is through ecstatic dance. Most the time my eyes are closed it's the strongest meditative experience add in bare foot, outside, and that is how I wish I could spend each moment. I feel called to hold space to dance with others and soak in being LOVE.

Very insightful! Thank you so much for this amazing piece 🌺🌴🧉