Healing Trauma With The Body

This is the second of a two-part meditation series inspired by Heather Emsworth and Betsy Polatin. We use our loving attention to reveal and heal trauma previously hidden in our body’s tissues. The first practice is called Access the Wisdom Of The Body and I suggest you start there if you are new to this theme. This healing practice was very powerful when we used it live, I hope you find it beneficial.

Photo by Taneli Lahtinen on Unsplash.

Transcript

Let's make ourselves comfortable, Taking one or two deeper breaths, Finding somewhere our body can be comfortable, Where it can be still. When we're ready to inhale, Letting our spine get a little bit longer. There's lots of room for our breath and as we exhale, Softening our shoulders and softening the muscles in our face and finding that balance between relaxed and alert. Relaxed body, Alert mind in an ideal world. And we'll just let the breath flow and we'll watch the breath flow naturally for a moment or two, Noticing how we slow and settle a bit more as we change our focus from the external world into our internal world. Allowing the breath to do just what it wants. Now inviting you to feel the presence of your body, Feel the weight of your body. Weight of your body touching whatever is holding you up and then to sense what is holding you up. Mother Earth is holding you up. Can we sense or imagine the holding-us-up-ness from Mother Earth? So gravity, The atmosphere is holding us but also from beneath us we are held. The atmosphere, Part of the Earth. We, Our physical body, Part of the Earth. And she holds us tenderly, Gently. We are able to move, To express ourselves if we wish. We are held so gently and we allow ourselves to be held by Mother Earth with compassion, To enjoy being held. She is, After all, Our loving parent. She holds us with love. Are you able to allow yourself to feel it? And as Mother holds us gently, Kindly, Lovingly, This is the model. This is how we hold our hurt, Our wounding, That may be physical, Mental, Emotional or spiritual. This is how we hold our trauma, Gently, With compassion. So when we hear the word trauma, We tend to go to the extremes. But it can be subtle, Can be mild, Maybe a physical injury in childhood, An emotional incident that has been retained in our body, In our memories, In our tissues, Be anywhere in your body. It may be one-to-one with the person or in a systematic experience, Perhaps school. But often when we, Something when we were young and we lack the full capability of an adult, Maybe even when we were very young and we couldn't express or think, Reason, Have a control over ourselves as we do as an adult. We don't have that full capacity when we are young. Or it can be severe, A dramatic accident or even up to abuse of the kinds we know exists. There's a scale. And when we seek to heal, We can use the body. We can seek to heal our hurts, Our wounds, By exploring them in our body, In our physical state. Because our body holds unconscious records, Records of that trauma, Those traumas that are not in our conscious mind, But held unconsciously in our physical being. When we don't know what to do with or can't cope with the experience, We can fold it away and put it away. But it's still present in part of us, In part of our body. So tension and pain, Maybe excess weight could be mental habits, Could be any part of our body. And if we have the energy and the inclination, The courage, The support and the guidance, We are able to visit, Explore a pain, A site of injury, A trauma, With the intention to hold it in compassion as we are held by Mother Earth. Taking a restful breath and softening our body, Putting ourselves back into that condition of being held gently, Lovingly. And now as best we can, We place ourselves in the position of loving parent, Place ourselves into our heart centre and notice the part of our body that seeks our attention. Maybe by tension or pain or a thought, Whatever pops up, Which sometimes we may grumble about and moan. But in this moment, Let's see if we can observe with love and know that it hurts or is wounded because of trauma, Because of pain, Unprocessed pain. And even if we didn't receive this loving care as a child, We can show it to ourselves, Become our own loving parent of our hurts, Our painful experiences, And see how it feels to do that. Observing that pain, Be open to it, Relax, A loving observer of it. And whatever comes up, When we focus on it, It may already have eased a little. As we allow it, If it's space to be, It's talking to us. We may be able to hold the discomfort itself, Or we may hold the one with love who feels the discomfort. But please know just by being there for your pain, Allowing it to be, Not pushing it away or hiding, When we are big enough to be that parent, Brave enough, Mature enough to be there, That is healing. When our pain feels safe to be heard and show itself, We make conscious what was once unconscious, And it can start to be released, Be transmuted back into light and leave. Use the breath if you need to become soft, And allowing once again. And if it becomes too painful, Just rest with your breath, Take time out, Gently. Notice what arises as we sit, Allowing it all. Let us now return to being held, Being held ourselves once more by Mother Earth, Loved, Cherished. Please know that no act of courage, Like we've just shown, Is ever wasted. Take time out, Congratulate yourself actually, To support yourself and rest. Allow your body to soften again if it needs to. Be held, Loved, By Mother Earth. She loves each one of her children, And you in particular were invited to be here at this time. Your muscles have become tense, You can soften them, Soften them, Soften them. And have a breath, Help us relax after our efforts. Before we leave, Invite yourself once more to thank yourself for the efforts you put into healing. I know you've moved forward a step. Allowing an energising breath or two, As we return gradually, Slowly, To the external world. Moving our fingers and toes, Wrists and ankles. I invite you to move your body gently. You've caused some physical tension through your efforts. Maybe rolling your shoulders, Gently moving your neck, Rubbing whichever part of your body is feeling that tension. Show it a bit more love by giving it a gentle rub. And when you're ready, Gradually returning to the external world. Thank you for practicing with me.

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Thank you so much dit helping me get in touch with me 🙏🏼🌸