Dear Spirit to Spirit friend,
For the past three months, as we have been "sheltering in place", "quarantined", in "lock down", we have been bombarded.
Bombarded by fear, by uncertainty. Overwhelmed by too much information, and wanting more information. What to be concerned about. What to do or not do. The strain of not knowing. What is safe. And...is even safe..."safe"?
We are often stunned watching our communities, our country, and our world change. Feeling helpless as friends, family members and other people we hear of have become ill. Helpless in how to respond to this tragedy and to enormous the loss of human life. Grieving, in many ways, the loss of our lives as we have known them.
Whether we know it or not, we have all been living in the energy of trauma. Our nervous systems have been on high alert, continually sparked. On the most primal level- that of our ability to continue to live- we have felt threatened. We have been traumatized.
Some people may not consciously have an experience of trauma within themselves, although that doesn't mean that the body/mind/energy isn't impacted by it. Some people experience the effects of trauma as continual worry, nervousness, uncertainty, fear. Others may feel completely overwhelmed and incapacitated and may experience it not only as mental/emotional symptoms but as physical body symptoms as well.
One thing is certain. We are in a collective energy field of trauma. A worldwide energy field of trauma, in a way that we have never been before.
And now, as we sit in the beginning phases of re-opening, we can feel the force of trauma in our nervous systems as we face into this new "abnormal normal".
What we can do to support ourselves at this time is keep our energy flowing and allow the energy of trauma to release, as much as possible, through us.
We can begin with simple life practices.
Sitting: giving yourself time (doesn't need to be long) to relax and sit: let the mind slow, let the body soften, let your energy flow
Moving: giving the body the opportunity to move in mindful ways that help release held energy: through practices like Tai Chi, Qi Gong, yoga, conscious exercise, walking
Self Healing: being softly with yourself, noticing where the mind/body is "holding" tightness, emotion, energy. Connecting deeply with that energy and letting it open in its way, in its own time
Most of all, being kind to yourself and others- which softens the energy for all- as we walk, together, one step at a time, discovering through this unknown, our new world.
The beautiful news is this... in the most essential part of who we are, there is no energy of trauma. Who we truly are is free and open and clear. If we keep diving beneath what we experience as the energy of trauma, we can experience Essence directly. Our pure True Nature. And begin to abide there more and more. Even while walking in our world in which trauma does exist and may be part of our experience.
A deeper ground to stand in. A more peaceful place to rest upon.
In Gratitude & Love, Joanna
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