Shock, grief, and trauma are sadly a part of life's experiences. As a society that reveres productivity, busy-ness, and the ability to "bounce back", the time and space required to gently absorb and process such things, is not always afforded to us. This can leave it 'stuck' in the body. Mind therapies alone do not always work to release the intense energy from the body. Trauma-informed body-mind therapies have great expertise and experience in this field. Yoga, in particular, is extremely adept at gently resolving trauma in the body and bringing a sense of joy, happiness, and safety back to you when taught with expertise in this area of specialty.
Shock, grief, and trauma are natural responses to life events and life experiences that we can support and assist. While it is individual to each person, there are practices that help to facilitate and support the process.
Here are some you might like to consider:
*Ground yourself: feet on the grass, sunshine on your face, be with nature.
*Rest: you may have a need for extra rest and sleep.
*Drink plenty of water: perhaps with lemon or rescue remedy in your bottle of water. Help your body to flush through the hormones.
*Talk it through: you may need to talk it through with someone.
*Listen to one another without judgment. Sometimes we just need someone to listen without much response - just an open heart to share and the receive the story.
*Tune into what you feel you need in that moment and lean into it.
*Slow deep breathing where the out-breathe is equal to or longer than the inbreathe (try counting in for 3 out for 5)
*Gentle movement such as yoga, walking, dancing.
*Yoga nidra is shown to be most beneficial (Stankovic, 2021)
These will help to gently keep the energy moving. The electrons, the hormones, the mind, the emotions, the body, and of course the breathe.
FREE SPECIAL EVENT:
Restore Peace Within.
Join me for a 60-minute Facebook Live session to restore the peace within. This will include breathing, relaxation, and yoga nidra, as well insights to help you to understand the steps to healing.
This will be live in the Thrive Collective private facebook group, Sunday 21st April. Join the group here.
Recording will then be available to listen to at anytime in the Thrive Skool.
Stankovic, L. (2011). Transforming trauma: a qualitative feasibility study of integrative restoration (iRest) yoga Nidra on combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder. International journal of yoga therapy, 21(1), 23-37.