How trauma can resurface during these times

I read a blog post by Somatic Experiencing Colleague Madeline Dietrich that inspired me and so decided to extrapolate further.

She wrote, “In my Somatic Experiencing work, I remind people that humans are mammals. In our basic make up we’re pack animals. Instinctually, we know our survival depends on being part of a tribe – on belonging. So, here we find ourselves in this very odd contradictory situation of opposing messages – your “supposed” survival depends on avoiding people and yet our survival, especially our emotional survival, depends on being in connection. It feels helpful to just articulate this cross current of imperatives.   

My concern is that this current situation will be our reality for some time to come, and I wonder what will be left of our social fabric by the time it’s over. How will we repair this rupture?  Maybe friends and family will be okay, and will make those repairs, over time, but what about the bigger social matrix that holds us together?”

Her words impacted me as the same thoughts and feelings have been inside for sometime. I can see the disruption of our core human tendencies that encourage us to connect, now shift to wanting to protect, and I wonder how this will affect our nervous systems and psyche’s over the long term, particularly our childrens’.

As lockdowns come and go across the planet, the collective is having to “shut down” to protect ourselves from a virus that doesn’t allow us to either fight or flight, as we cannot locate the threat with our senses. For some this exacerbates existing freeze in their systems, which can feel intolerable and triggering of collapse states arising from childhood trauma and/or other acute or complex traumas.
 
Our collective and individual traumas inevitably surface as our governments make laws that tell us what to wear and how to conduct our bodies, businesses, and lives in greater detail than I have ever remembered in my 42 years, including the added fear of punishment (e.g. fines) for not obeying.
 
For those that have lived, or have had ancestors that have lived in fascist and/or totalitarian regimes, this level of control emanating from a centralized power can be triggering of intergenerational or other lived traumas, particularly with the building of isolation/quarantine camps across the country.
 
For anyone that has lived physical abuse of various kinds and/or medical trauma with masking and anesthetic, having your mouth covered with a mask can be overwhelming, panic inducing and retraumatizing.
 
For anyone that has been neglected, the lack of connection created by social distancing and/or lockdowns can also feel threatening of our ability to meet our own survival needs.
 
I also occasionally wonder how many people force themselves to dissociate on a daily basis in order to implement various rules and regulations, so as to avoid more threatening social exclusion. I know that this is the reality of various clients of mine who for example, wear a mask even though they are medically exempt. 
 
Conflict, separation and division also often arises amidst the limited contact that we have with our families, friends and communities in relation to a variety of issues, e.g. mask, no mask, vaccine, no vaccine, to hug or not to hug, etc.
 
Meanwhile, many of us know that we are all doing our best to live a truth that allows us to remain connected to our own core human values of: integrity, respect, responsibility, and caring for our fellow human, as well as to our bodies. Most of us are living a compromised version of this and our previous “realities”, which some reap the benefits of, some suffer, while others experience a mix of both.
 
I share these insights as a Somatic Experiencing (trauma integration) Practitioner, primarily to elicit heart-felt awareness, kindness and understanding; to encourage our eyes to hold one another with compassion even if we don’t know the details behind what others are doing. Not everyone, especially those living in a state of functional freeze, has the strength, energy, time or voice to verbally articulate the reasons behind their behaviour to each person that they meet. If their childhood trauma was pre-verbal, sometimes they don’t even know why – they just know what they can and can’t do if they are to remain embodied and continue to act as resources for their children, families, friends and communities.
 
My own assumption in this context, is that everyone is considering others’ health and well-being as much as possible, while prioritizing their own their physical and/or emotional health. It is my hope that we can all preserve both, and in particular, our humanity.

Healing & Inspiration in Challenging Times

I am so grateful for the downtime that these times of “social lock down” have brought, and the space that it allows my body, mind and spirit to let go deeply. Also to have the time to be with various emotions as they arise; to cleanse my liver, to run on the river, to dance and do yoga daily to keep me healthy, strong and peaceful inside.

Something that I have been aware of regarding the fear that is prevalent in these times, is that if our nervous systems’ were conditioned to be fearful at a young age, they will most likely be reacting more fearfully now (the amygdala actually grows larger in this case). So when I see different things happening and/or read other things, I do my best to hold this in awareness and meet those around, including myself, with compassion.

Following our Government’s recommendations re: social distancing, I am only able to offer sessions online via Zoom or by phone at this time, until we are advised that we can do otherwise. I am happy to have been offering distance sessions for about a decade, which already comprise approximately 25% of my practice. (If you would like more to read clinical studies carried out on their efficacy, please feel free to visit the Appointments page of my website and scroll down to read under Distance Sessions). If people are working from home, this may be the perfect time to add a remote session into the day to help to move through whatever is coming up in these challenging times.

I am so grateful to be able to continue to offer therapy sessions at this time, as it feels that we all need to reset now in order to work through the fears, etc. that are arising, and that we are all beings asked to face. I am also grateful that working online allows me to keep the doors of my small business open.

Feel free to click on this beautiful video that I found about ways to be grateful for the experience of our interconnectedness and the opportunity to reevaluate and redesign our lives during these times.

Also please use any of the free guided meditations and other helpful tools available on the Tools page of my website to help you to reconnect with yourself. 

May we all rediscover how to thrive in unexpected and forgotten ways during these times of deep remembering of what it is to be truly alive!

Touch Work for Trauma

I just completed my 3 year Somatic Experiencing (SE) Professional training! I am feeling grateful to be skilled to help so many people to heal from developmental, acute and complex trauma by transforming trauma physiology.

In this last 6 day module, we incorporated touch work to enable us to access some of the deepest shock states held in the body, originating from either “big T or little T trauma”, occurring anytime from birth up until recently. We do this by supporting affected joints, diaphragms and the viscera (gut), to allow them to unravel bound survival energy that becomes stuck inside when the nervous system is overwhelmed by traumatic events (we only use this touch technique with consent ~ there are other ways of practicing SE.)

I myself experienced various healings during this recent training via our practice sessions. (Sometimes it’s hard to imagine the tension that is locked inside the body until we experience it’s release!)

Overall, SE supports regulation of the autonomic nervous system, which underlies every aspect of our physical, emotional, and psychological functioning. It also supports mood regulation, the reworking of addictive patterns, and the prevention or resolution of PTSD.

Since trauma can contribute to the formation of many complex syndromes and diseases, SE can also help to unwind challenging health conditions (sometimes with the assistance of other healthcare professionals). SE techniques are further effective in reducing or eliminating chronic pain and trauma-related symptoms presenting in the musculo-skeletal system.

If you would like to learn more about this modality, please feel free to visit my website below and/or the main SE website by clicking here.

May all beings be well and thrive!

Healing Complex Trauma and Syndromal patterns

I recently completed another 6 day Somatic Experiencing trauma integration training, as part of the Advanced year of the 3 year Professional training that I will finish in February 2020. We learned how to work with people who have complex and interwoven traumatic symptoms reflective of the highly disorganized physiological systems that occur in syndromal patterns. These often arise from the huge efforts required to manage extreme levels of disruption in the physiology, or in the face of extreme threats to survival.

Integrating complex trauma through the nervous systems is particularly helpful to resolving the various syndromal diseases that often arise in relation to it, eg. Migraines, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Asthma, IBS, autoimmune disorders, pain syndromes, etc.

When syndromal patterns are in place, both the dorsal vagal parasympathetic system (freeze) and the sympathetic systems (fight or flight) get stuck on ‘on’, eg. the “brakes” and the “gas” of our nervous system, which drains all of our systems, including vital energy, making it difficult to heal symptoms. In these cases, healing happens when the nervous system learns how to grow the ventral vagal (parasympathetic relaxation/social engagement branch) and begins to self-regulate; healing also when coping/management strategies are able to be integrated and not relied upon to keep our systems stable, which is the only safety that many people with these patterns regularly rely upon.

I am so grateful to have gained even more tools to help people to heal from these clusters of symptoms (syndromal patterns), which Western Medicine often has difficulty naming and healing via the related dysregulation in the nervous systems. Particularly as Syndromal diseases often respond poorly to treatments and have people going from practitioner to practitioner for years, getting so little results.

I personally experienced so many healings in this past week as my nervous system rebooted itself in the most incredible way that it ever has, followed by a similar reboot to my immune, as well as other systems. Two areas of pain and/or lack of sensation also integrated and have completely left me. I feel so incredibly new again on all levels and would love to facilitate the same experience for you.

May all beings be well and thrive!

Repatterning your 3 Brains

Energetic patterns exist throughout space and matter and their alignment and structure is fundamental to good health, whether in our bodies or the Universe at large.

So, if the energetic patterns in our brain (and/or heart and gut brains) become dysregulated, how can we help to repattern them to reflect previous good health? And, how can we do this to address various related symptoms that arise such as, ADHD, depression, anxiety, heart or blood issues, or digestive and immune issues, etc.?

One way is to ask our innate intelligence, which parts and systems and/or which of the 3 brains need to resynchronize communication between and within them so that their functions can be reset to perform more optimally.

This is where BodyTalk Energy Therapy can help. The BodyTalk System harnesses the innate intelligence of the body and mind by using neuromuscular biofeedback to uncover the unique communication pathways that need to be reestablished so that the body can heal itself. As awareness is brought to ill adapted health patterns and suggestions for change are made, the body and mind integrate these so that old patterns can break up and reconfigure the neural circuitry to better reflect your optimal health possibilities. While this unfolds, people begin to watch many of their physical symptoms reduce or disappear, and feel more vibrant, alive and connected than ever, just as nature intended.

Quantum Fascial Balancing

Watching fascia, muscle, bones, and joints release, change position, lengthen, and reshape, by moving them from particle to waveform, introducing energetic changes, and integrating these into the body, is a phenomenal way to facilitate healing. It creates endless possibilities to transform physical structures, e.g. realign posture, increase range of motion, release tension, enhance circulation of blood, nerve, lymph and energy, while strengthening our 3 brains and organs, and addressing related mental/emotional patterns.

The BodyTalk System can be used to alter the body’s waveform patterns by observing and suggesting modifications to them, from the perspective of consciousness, so that the greatest health outcomes can occur. While probabilities are different for each person and/or disease, e.g. Cystic Fibrosis may have fewer probabilities to change than a backache, improvements to quality of life and the reduced effects of stressors on all levels can always be facilitated.

BodyTalk uses muscle checking to find out what changes the body (via its consciousness) is ready to undertake. The changes requested create a formula that represent the preferred alternate probabilities for that unique body’s parts and systems. The formula is then suggested to the body’s energetic field, followed by implementing a standing wave (catalyst) via tapping over the head, heart and gut brains, which collapses the existing waveform patterns and superimposes the new preferred ones. The energy field then integrates these changes to its patterns, which the body’s structure begins to reflect back through its ameliorated function.

During my BodyTalk session, I felt energy circulating throughout my body, from head to heart, and heart to solar plexus. I became aware of various mental and emotional patterns that related to the energy in these places and could feel its physical blockages. As Jaya observed these patterns, I began to feel the energy in my solar plexus transform and the organs within it come back to life! It was so powerful. I realized once again, the amazing innate capacity our body and mind has for self-healing when we have the courage to observe, listen to and integrate its wisdom.

~Julie, Ottawa

Why do you stop yourself?

Now is your time. The time to create what you want in your life; to express the fullness of who you are; to let the world benefit from all that is you. Now is the time to rise up and to live your soul’s desires; to release the limiting physical symptoms, pain and mental/emotional beliefs that have compromised your life’s expression until now.

BodyTalk energy therapy can help us to facilitate all of this and MORE by bringing mental/emotional/physical patterns into awareness, suggesting changes to the way that your body and mind organizes its information and then, creating enhanced lines of communication between all parts and systems so that they can heal themselves.

BodyTalk efficiently and effectively addresses a wide variety of symptoms, including: trauma, gut-brain communication issues, structural misalignments, poor circulation, immunocompromised conditions, endocrine and digestive disorders, headaches, genetic diseases, learning difficulties, depression, anxiety, loss of purpose/direction, spiritual disconnect, etc.

Welcome to your symptom-free, empowered and liberated life. Now is your time…

New year, new brain, new life

New year, new brain, new life

Neuroplasticity refers to our brain’s ability to change its synaptic wiring by learning and integrating new information throughout our lifetimes. It allows us to evolve our emotions, thoughts and behaviours, and go beyond living from memory and/or diseased or injured states.

Both BodyTalk energy therapy and Somatic Experiencing trauma integration therapy, can help us to form new neural connections by changing and/or discharging stuck energy and integrating new energy back into our nervous systems. Symptoms often arise if this stuck energy, and related unhelpful mental, emotional and physical patterns remain unchanged to tell us that a shift needs to happen. When we introduce energetic changes into our nervous systems, chemical and physical modifications occur to all 3 brains, which begin to signal our genes differently and subsequently enhance our overall health.

To truly bring about sustainable change to our lives, we need to transcend the energy that is generated by our current neural circuitry, and stop collapsing into the same, old patterns that we call ‘us’, which correlate with the same unhappy choices and/or addictions that we commonly experience. We can do this through the support of alternative mind/body therapies, like BodyTalk and Somatic Experiencing. We can further the effects of these therapies by doing guided neuroplasticity meditations daily (see my latest free “Rewire” meditation in the Shop on my website!) to encourage our brains from surviving to thriving.

“I am deeply moved by Jaya’s gentle guidance. In only two sessions to date, she helped me access and shift old blockages in my body that left it physically much freer, and me with immense peace in my heart. Jaya is an insightful professional whose services I would highly recommend”.     

– DP, Ottawa

What I Know, What I do not Know and How I can Help You!

I am becoming more and more aware of what I know and what I do not know and how both of these benefit the healings that take place during BodyTalk sessions.

I have trained my mind to see mental/emotional and physical health patterns, as well as to let go of what I think should happen following and rest with the esoteric. Without the latter, many things that happen during a BodyTalk session may be perplexing. I often sit back following a session and wonder at what just happened.

BodyTalk session explained: I set the intention that various energies shift at the beginning of the session, having a sense of, though not knowing exactly which ones they will be. The body then starts to reveal patterns of ill health that are ready to unravel. I name the parts and systems that have been holding these ill adapted energies and suggest more effective communication pathways between them. I watch/sense/feel the movement of these energies and often name related emotional/mental patterns, past memories, etc. as this occurs. The suggestions for change begin to integrate as my client and I observe, and often feel, this happening. At times, gentle shaking or heat occurs in the clients’ body (or mine), we reach a still point and the integration of suggested changes is complete.

Following a BodyTalk session: The client often feels more alive, energetic, calm, centered, and either immediately or within days, begins to notice physical patterns of ill health shift, e.g. lower back pain or tension headaches are relieved; immune cell function is repaired/restored; the microbiome in the gut harmonizes with the brain; the liver dumps its unnecessary toxins; sleep becomes more regular, general inflammation is reduced – the skin clears; the lungs release their restrictive tendencies and a full breath is allowed; allergy symptoms either reduce or become eliminated, stressors trigger much less stress, etc.

What I do know is how to guide this process and have studied various aspects of health for over a decade to assist the healing to come about.

What I don’t know is how grace has its way with us; how it brings about spontaneous healing within this process and encourages health potentials to emerge and integrate on all levels.

This past summer I lost my hearing in one ear and since suffered from tinnitus. After various hyperbaric medicine treatments and inner ear cortisone injections, I saw little to no change in my hearing and the ENT said that I wouldn’t hear again. Six months later and a set of hearing devices, I finally decided to try BodyTalk. After one session, I was immediately re-energized, my nervous system calmed and I noticed I was able to focus again. I have now had 5 sessions, removed my hearing devices, have regained some of my hearing, and decreased the pitch of my tinnitus. My overall energy, stress levels and perspective have been hugely and positively impacted. Bodytalk is nothing like I’ve experienced before and I would truly recommend it as a holistic, positive and effective approach to healing.

– Sarah, Mother, Stittsville

Enjoy the mystery!

Am I Okay?

Am I Okay?

This is a wonderful question to ask ourselves, particularly if we have sustained trauma that has left lingering symptoms of physical, mental and/or emotional pain in our bodies and/or minds.

While a trauma may have occurred, months, years, or even decades ago, our bodies still may be bracing themselves against the physical, mental and/or emotional blow/s that we experienced. When this happens, our muscles continuously fire signals to our brain telling it that we are still in acute danger, flooding the body with stress hormones and often leaving us in a state of hypervigilance (overprotecting, tensing, bracing). If there is too much activation for the nervous system to contain, the parasympathetic freeze response will also turn on and we will find ourselves immobilized and often in a state of hypovigilance (underprotecting, dissociating, numbing). These ongoing responses eventually tire the muscles, tissues, nervous, digestive and immune systems, etc. and lead to chronic pain and/or disease over time. The mind often also follows by becoming anxious, depressed and/or looking for ways to escape the pain through addictions, numbing, pleasure seeking, etc.

Both BodyTalk energy therapy and Somatic Experiencing trauma integration therapy can help to unwind these symptoms and let our minds and bodies know that we are physiologically okay. BodyTalk facilitates this by re-establishing communication between the various parts and systems that have become stressed, enabling energy to flow between them once more and the body and mind to heal itself. Somatic Experiencing facilitates this by helping to assess where we are “stuck” in the fight, flight or freeze responses and then tracks and discharges related bodily sensations to resolve fixated physiological states.

As this resolution occurs, a deep sense of safety is restored from within and we begin to feel “okay” again on the physiological, physical, mental and emotional levels, which is essential to our experience of wellness, joy and aliveness in our lives.

“Jaya has taken me on a profound journey of healing. From working through past traumas to preparing for the birth of my child, we have peeled back the layers together in a gentle and deeply restorative way. My health has returned and I find myself closer to inner peace than ever before.”

~ Ashley, Ottawa, ON