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There are a pair of muscles around the hips that hug the sides of your lumbar spine. It’s the main muscle that’s activated in fight-or-flight, during mental and emotional stress. In yoga theory, emotional trauma is stored at the hips ~ with a mindful movement practice, practitioners learn how to release energy that have already served its purpose by letting go of tension being held in the body. If you experience emotional sensitivity, reactivity, or an autonomic trauma response, it's a suggestion to ease the mind by lengthening and strengthening the psoas while using the breath as a guide for self-regulation. Engage in deep hip openers and active practices that ground the body and center the mind. The words, 'seated' and 'grounded,' can have unique meanings for each individual. When you settle into the psoas muscle with yoga postures (such as child’s pose or frog) and mindful breathing, you get to explore the concept of what it means to be truly grounded in the sanctuary of your body. The soul muscle, your psoas, is a connection to your roots, where you've been, your emotional history and ancestral energy (the strengths and shortcomings of one's ancestors). You’re not defined by your ancestors though and you get to reauthor the story of your life because you have the gift of being alive. You are unconditionally supported when you learn how to make peace with the energy you were born from, the family you were born into, and the body you have. Although you cannot change what or who you were born with, you have options on how to move and approach circumstances. Are you moving with self-trust and feeling secure or are you drifting by, not sure of your place in the world? Spend quality time stretching and strengthening your soul muscle, the psoas, breathe into the hips, get in touch with your emotions, and notice if any insights or reflections surface. Awareness is key.   If you're interested in receiving integrative mental health care, schedule a free consultation.
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Depression is a feeling of heaviness in the heart. Many times, it's a sadness; maybe it's a sadness that relates to what you don't have, a fixation on opportunities that passed you by, or conditioning that worth is derived from external reward (i.e. a relationship, job or career, money, socioeconomic and perceived social status, your accomplishments). It's okay to want certain external rewards and sometimes, they can serve as a a motivating force to build and maintain momentum for a season. Other seasons, there may be a standstill: a humbling reminder to slow down, pause, and acknowledge what's truly important - especially if what you' re putting your energy into isn't working or fulfilling for your unique life path. An external drive without internal recharge can be exhausting. In Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a creature described by the Anishinaabe people, the Windigo monster, was a metaphor for an insatiable hunger that fuels destructive consumption, a void that cannot be filled. In human behavior, it can be seen as substance abuse and other addictions such as constant one night stands, online shopping leading to overwhelming debt, or problematic gambling. In a more socially acceptable context, it might be the constant need to achieve and then there's a burnout for what's meaningful (i.e. your needs; quality time with yourself, loved ones, and joyful hobbies). If you experience depression, learn how to be a diver so you can safely navigate the depths of your emotions and understand why your worth stems from within. While you're on the deep end, establish and strengthen your roots: what helps you to anchor in the safety of present moment so you can experience gratitude with where you're at and what you have right now. Gratitude can coexist throughout the healing journey.  If you're interested in receiving integrative mental health care, schedule a free consultation.
Stay connected with Shannon — Instagram • Facebook • TikTok • LinkedIn The body is a history of your life, a reservoir of emotions, and holds the wisdom to access trauma in the safety of the present moment. Bottom-up approaches involve exploring emotionally visceral reactions to the external environment (such as circumstances that involve elements outside of your control). Often automatic, bodily reactions and sensations highlight the way you see the world around you, your schemas, possibly a reflection of conditioning from early developmental life stages, and likely a normal response to a real or perceived threat from a specific time in your life. In the context of complex trauma, feeling safe in the body may not be a reality just yet with a gap between how you show up and how you want to show up in the world. Making the leap into territory not yet familiar requires additional and continual effort for healthy, positive changes on the body and brain outside of trauma-related imprints. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Dek Kolk describes the physiological and neurological effects of trauma on the individual and society as a whole. It's not a quick and easy digest. It may take some time to process the material and visceral or emotional reactions may surface, please note any reflections if you decide to read the book. Bodily sensations that surface almost automatically in response to an external stimuli is a message worth paying attention to. Whenever a strong or intense reaction surface, pause and ask yourself -- is my reaction an accurate interpretation of the present situation or is it a reminiscence of an emotional wound that needs tending to? If it's the latter, know that you have options on how to respond. You have options reflecting the way you want to show up in the world instead of how you've been conditioned to. There are ways to feel safe, secure, and protected while open and vulnerable to meaningful connection with yourself and others. It requires neuroplasticity as well as flexibility in how you think and respond. Just as you can build flexibility in the body, your brain can become more neuroplastic to healthy ways of being with bottom-up approaches such as yoga, heart-centered hypnotherapy, EMDR, and inner child work.  If you're interested in receiving integrative mental health care, schedule a free consultation.
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