HEALING BY HEARING
RESOURCES FOR HEALING TRAUMA
Helpful Books:
The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M. D.
Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman, Ph. D.
When The Body Says No by Gabor Mate, M.D.
IDEAL CARE PHILOSOPHY
"Declaration for a New Medicine"
From The Bravewell Collective: "Transforming health care means moving the boundaries of the existing field of medicine to include the wisdom inherent in healing the "whole person"—mind, body and spirit. People drawn to integrative medicine—as providers, patients or philanthropists—are attracted to it because their values match those of this approach to health and healing. The Declaration is a reflection of the values The Bravewell Collaborative believes characterize integrative medicine at its best."
PSOAS (HIP FLEXOR) FATIGUING YOGA
Bottom-Up Emotional Release
30 minute guided series of stretches and extremely simple exercises. Marnie is an incredible guide - she makes clear that this is really about your experience, and that the only necessity in this practice is to trust the process and give in. It can be an emotional ordeal if you've been holding a lot in, so I really recommend trying it alone and in a safe environment the first time. You want to be able to release in any way that naturally rises to the surface (this may include crying, shaking, facial contortions - your body is taking past, stunted trauma responses to their natural resolution).
No yoga mat necessary, although I like to sometimes lay a heating pad onto the ground and position my feet (standing) or hips (lying down) on it. It's a simple addition that adds a lot of comfort and safety.
THINGS AREN'T OK
Options Right Now
This has been circulating the internet for a while, and it's still the simplest, most well-rounded, least threatening guide I've found. These steps can be useful to anyone, regardless of how your struggles present themselves or how they're labeled. It's like a nice Human Quickstart Guide.
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It originated on Tumblr, as "Everything Is Awful and I’m Not Okay: Questions to Ask Before Giving Up" (user: Eponis/Sinope).
"NATURE'S LESSONS IN HEALING TRAUMA"
Polar Bears, Psoas Release, and Peter Levine
The first time I went through the Psoas Release process, I was a little shocked (embarrassed? am I crazy?) at how my face contorted in tears while my body spasmed - it might've looked like a kind of seizure to an onlooker. Recognizing the shame that might come with unbounded physical and emotional expression helps it go away.
But this clip, narrated by Peter Levine, renowned trauma expert, was the key for me. I watched it and saw myself in the polar bear (?!?!?!?).
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The polar bear is shot with a tranquilizer as he's running away from his assailants (well-intentioned researchers, no harm came to the bear, supposedly). Where I linked the clip, we see the bear coming out of his forced stillness. He spasms and bears his teeth, and it's clear that he is automatically continuing what he was doing before he was frozen. I see now, that's exactly the same reaction Psoas Release yoga causes. It lets us finish carrying out the healing expression of pain that's stifled in an abusive enviornment.
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The whole video is instructive and enlightening, but I have linked it at the beginning of the 3 minute segment that really connects to the yoga response.