Resource Yourself

“…placing your hands down in your lap, for additional grounding and to feel solid and secure, or up, to signal to yourself that you are open to receiving…and without trying to make anything happen, notice that, if, by bringing attention to these places, the tension or tightness in your body shifts. It may, or may not. Whatever happens, happens….”

“…we then become aware of our body and how it is connected to our thoughts and our feelings, and we can embody a new sense of self. One that we are conscious of and creating through our sense of connection with our body. We can’t do this unless we are mindful…”

“…in order to access the sweetest benefits of meditation, we need to meditate when we are within our window of tolerance. If we are on the edges of our window…we will still benefit…but when we pop out on either the ‘too hot’ or the ‘too cold’ side, we can’t access the here-and-now present moment mindfulness that is so healing and beneficial…”

“…sometimes meditation teachers will tell you to lie down…which can be too activating for some trauma survivors, and it may not allow them to tune into their body or their mind in the way that they would like to. Also, standing or moving may not be accessible to people who have limited mobility….people who have difficulties with sustained stress or who have experienced trauma will find that sitting in a steady chair with their back to a wall will increase their sense of security…”

“…cortisol runs on well-grooved neuro-pathways developed during our childhood or teen years…you only have to get kicked hard by a horse once to learn that it isn’t smart to go around their back side without a hand on their hind end…”

“…this activation evolved in a brain that evolved to promote both our individual and our collective survival… serotonin is controlled by neuro-pathways that were created in our early childhood, so today, they are activated and released by the same things that controlled them in the past…”

“…oxytocin creates the feeling of trust, safety, and protection…it would be wonderful if we felt this kind of blissed out, safe, intimate trust all the time, but there’s a reason we don’t…”

“Endorphins are “feel good’ chemicals that are triggered by physical pain. They allow us to run faster, fight harder, and only notice that we have a broken leg or some other injury until we have caught our breath…endorphins are implicated in what is known as a runner’s high, and they can be addictive…”

“…dopamine is set off when you are writing the last lines of your annual report, when you smell your mom’s cooking and anticipate the meal, or when you see someone smile at you and think, maybe you have a chance of getting that date…”

“…this may be an external resource, such as an actual pet that you can have by your side, or this may be the internal memory of the memory of a cherished pet, or you can use your imagination, thinking of a pet that you would like to have by your side, or of a spirit animal that guides you…”

“…you might think of other people who also have a relationship with you, and with this body of water….perhaps family or friends who have been on this body of water, or near this body of water together…perhaps an ancestor or someone you haven’t met…”

A quick practice to utilize daily so that it is available to you when you might become activated.

Gently settle into a space where you can connect with your own healthy and helpful lineage through a creative visualization process.

Find a steady seat or position, breathing into your space to become fully present. Drop into your sensations, noticing all the ways you fully embody yourself. Connect to Mother Earth and to those who matter most to you.