Welcoming All Of Ourselves

Looking at our culture, it is easy to see the layers of complexity and experience that make it difficult for us to have a warm-hearted connected relationship with ourselves. We have done some things well, like developing technology. We are not doing so well with our individual and communal mental health.

We have learned a lot about trauma, particularly in the last twenty years of increased awareness around somatic embodied healing. In my work, I find myself using these quotes again and again.

“Trauma is not what happens to us, it is the effect inside of us of what happened to us. Trauma disconnects us from our ourselves, our sense of value, and the present moment.” Gabor Maté, MD

“Safety IS the treatment.” Dr Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Institute

“It’s all about the nervous system. For a happy and meaningful life, we need to have a well-regulated nervous system.” (me)

Trauma separates us from each other. Without support, we feel isolated, and this drives us deeper into feeling like we’re on our own with our struggles. In addition to the need to protect our body from danger, we instinctively know our best chance of survival rests with other people. We feel safer when we are in a community where we protect each other. The divisiveness in our current climate scares us.