In Yoga for Trauma, we move s-l-o-w. Well, what’s so great about that? When I used an online thesaurus to find synonyms for “Slowness,” I was a little dismayed. I found the following suggestions: Dull; sluggish Unwillingness; indifference Apathy; lethargy Listless; stagnant Weak, feeble Impotence, inactivity I didn’t see any positives in that list, did you? [...]
Peter Levine explains the physiological basis of trauma and the insights into nature that helped him develop the Somatic Experiencing method.
The first randomized, controlled study of Somatic Experiencing for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, published in 2017, showed promising results. In just 15 sessions, SE was up to 90% effective for a majority of participants, including after follow-up. This study proves what those in the SE world have known and felt all along about this amazing modality. [...]
As of March 2020, COVID-19 has arrived in the US. It has had a huge impact on the way we are working, living, and engaging online. This time that we are all facing is unprecedented. Never before has the world been as connected as we are digitally, and faced a pandemic. In a way, this [...]
Rooted Bliss has paused in-person sessions for now. I recommend following the CDC's recommendations, mask mandates, and social distancing. I am available for online sessions, at a special rate! Please don't underestimate how supportive an online session can be. I have received them myself and can testify to the transformative possibilities. Of course, it's not [...]
I created this reading list for those who want to know more about trauma, as well as self-help in general. If you are looking for resources to help you in your own or someone else's healing journey, this is a great starting place. Peter Levine: Waking The Tiger and In an Unspoken Voice Peter Levine was [...]
Feelings This is a list of basic feelings. They are affect, often combined with a somatic sense, that doesn't include a person's thoughts, intentions, or evaluations. Acceptance Affection Agitated Aggressive Alert Amused Angry Annoyed Anticipation Anxiousness Appreciative Aroused Ashamed Blissful Blue Bored Calm Comfortable Confused Content Curious Despair Determined Disappointed Discouraged Disgust Distress Down [...]
In my last blog post, I went over two ways to heal anxiety naturally, without drugs or pharmaceuticals. This post is a continuation, with three more strategies to try when working with anxiety. If you already read that post, go ahead and skip down to the healing modes. If you haven't, here is some background [...]
Somatic healing is informed by a bio-psycho-social model, which generally holds the following views regarding anxiety (notice that these are, for the most part, in direct conflict with the traditional medical (chemical) model: Chronic anxiety is a form of suffering often caused by avoidance of painful emotions. Our modern culture pathologizes emotions, and many families [...]
