Trauma: Look inwards

We all carry trauma. Childhood experiences. That time when you found out that you failed at something. Or when you were yelled at by someone.

We all also want to heal.

We think of healing as a mental exercise. Change your thoughts. Replace the negative. Reframe.

But some stories are not stored in words.

They live beneath your awareness, etched into the tissues of your body. You may not remember being left alone as a child. But your chest tightened when mum didn’t reply.

You may not recall when someone mocked you for your speech. But your breath shortens when it’s your turn to speak. So how can you overcome the physicality of your experience?

We need to cultivate something known as somatic awareness.

Somatic awareness is the ability to discern how your body is reacting physically to an experience.

You see, experiences are not stored in your mind alone. They are equally shared by your body as stored experiences.

So each time you have that experience, your mind and body react together.

Posture. Breath. Muscles tightening. Digestion shifting.

We build a mental model of experiences in our heads. But there is a problem.

Even if you change your thoughts, your body still holds the trauma. In fact, the body responds before the brain does. Which is why changing the narrative in your head is not enough.

You need to change the way your body responds to the experience.

There are many ways to do this. Meditation. Breathwork. Kriya Yoga. Yog Nidra. You have to find a method that words for you.

When you do, a shift will occur. Your breath will slow down. Your muscles will relax. Your lungs will open up. Your guard will be lowered.

You will not be on red alert, also known as chronic stress, day and night.

That’s when the healing starts.

The experiences you have had did not leave their mark on your mind alone. They left a mark on your body.

So turn your gaze inward. Listen. Feel.

An amazing world exists inside. One that you can tune in to. Doing so will reduce, remove and overcome stress and anxiety.

My conversation with Rahil Shah, owner of NM Diagnostic is out today at 12 pm. Please do not miss watching it. A fascinating conversation on preventing healing and the role of diagnostics. Link here [The Ritesh Bawri Show]