Thank you for this thoughtful overview. I've noticed in myself over the years how easy it is for me to talk my way through therapy, without actually healing. The cognitive layer of my brain takes over and tells a nice story, but the limbic layer remains numb. I look forward to learning more about the work you're developing through this system.
Interested to know more; are these practices meant to be guided by a trained practitioner? Self guided? Thoughts on how to re-engage one's body during a freeze state?
There is so much we can do on our own. I'll be sharing a big resource for that in the coming weeks! But with that said when we are first learning it can be so helpful to have someone there to guide us and be with us in these states—particularly when dealing with trauma. Trauma is by definition a feeling that is just too intense for the body to feel on its own at the time and so it gets stuck and causes damage. It's so ingrained in us to talk and tell stories to process our emotions and that can leave us caught in loops.
I have a lot to say about this (more to come in a future newsletter for sure). But the best thing you can do is begin to breath and notice where you are feeling your breath in the body. Focus on that feeling and noticing the bodies sensations and going away from any thoughts about anything but the breathing. Looking around, simply noting what is around you and happening in the present moment. Doing this for a few minutes can bring you back into contact with your body and its power to move through the state. Once your body begins to engage this is a very important time to go slow and careful because the body can be flooded with discomfort, waves of the fear, and disgust can be there when the freeze lifts and this can feel scary if you don't expect it. At this point there are a lot of ways to move through it I often teach simply allowing the emotion to express in whatever way feels natural without holding back. So that can mean shuddering and shaking, stomping, screaming, shuddering and sticking out the tongue to express revulsion. All of this is so healthy to move us through and past but we block it because it seems weird or embarrassing.
I'd love to chat more about your particular experiences if you'd like. Reach out through the book a session link on my website and we can have a video consult for free. All of this is an embodiment practice so if we actually do it together you will understand so much better.
Please continue to tell us more!
Thank you for the encouragement! I will.
So curious!
Thank you for this thoughtful overview. I've noticed in myself over the years how easy it is for me to talk my way through therapy, without actually healing. The cognitive layer of my brain takes over and tells a nice story, but the limbic layer remains numb. I look forward to learning more about the work you're developing through this system.
Interested to know more; are these practices meant to be guided by a trained practitioner? Self guided? Thoughts on how to re-engage one's body during a freeze state?
There is so much we can do on our own. I'll be sharing a big resource for that in the coming weeks! But with that said when we are first learning it can be so helpful to have someone there to guide us and be with us in these states—particularly when dealing with trauma. Trauma is by definition a feeling that is just too intense for the body to feel on its own at the time and so it gets stuck and causes damage. It's so ingrained in us to talk and tell stories to process our emotions and that can leave us caught in loops.
I have a lot to say about this (more to come in a future newsletter for sure). But the best thing you can do is begin to breath and notice where you are feeling your breath in the body. Focus on that feeling and noticing the bodies sensations and going away from any thoughts about anything but the breathing. Looking around, simply noting what is around you and happening in the present moment. Doing this for a few minutes can bring you back into contact with your body and its power to move through the state. Once your body begins to engage this is a very important time to go slow and careful because the body can be flooded with discomfort, waves of the fear, and disgust can be there when the freeze lifts and this can feel scary if you don't expect it. At this point there are a lot of ways to move through it I often teach simply allowing the emotion to express in whatever way feels natural without holding back. So that can mean shuddering and shaking, stomping, screaming, shuddering and sticking out the tongue to express revulsion. All of this is so healthy to move us through and past but we block it because it seems weird or embarrassing.
I'd love to chat more about your particular experiences if you'd like. Reach out through the book a session link on my website and we can have a video consult for free. All of this is an embodiment practice so if we actually do it together you will understand so much better.