Unfiltered from the heart

with each turn
new plights come to light
the ways in which “the body keeps the score” *
seems to go on forevermore

embedded in the physiology
are symptoms, triggers & facets that can vary greatly
from person-to-person (and sometimes minute-to-minute)
yet with skilled guidance & the proper support
we can learn a new resilience

buried within trauma recovery is the potential
for hope to spring, eternal
in finding this spring within ourselves
we can mirror for others the way
that helps them to find their own hope again

it is a gift that cannot be given & certainly not forced
merely displayed & portrayed
it requires mining as well as compassion & an empathy for self
that was not given at the time of the event(s) that turned us into salt

while there is the vicarious trauma (just from hearing about someone else’s)
there is also vicarious resilience (new growth out of what felt like deadwood)
in my experience & in my training
i’m reminded time & time again
self-care, compassion & empathy are ever important pieces to this enigmatic puzzle
of unraveling
& returning to the self we were before that fucked up shit happened
yet in a new way

may we be at peace within so that we may carry that torch forward
despite what happened to, or around us –

we’re not really completely fucked the way we may feel & think at times

An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior.

Viktor Frankl

*The Body Keeps the Score refers to both what happens with PTS(D) as well as a book of the same name by Bessel van der Kolk, MD – the psychiatrist who is the frontrunner of research on the lasting effects of trauma. In this book, he details his research, his experiences as well as various strategies/modalities to support trauma recovery. His work is the backbone behind the “Veterans Yoga Project/VYP,” which supports veterans, active-duty, & their families as well as first responders or caregivers to anyone listed previously (including Yoga instructors, health care providers, etc). Please check it out, share with anyone who may benefit & donate if you can (i have done training with VYP & feel very passionately about this organization’s mission. Rest assured, there are zero financial agreements between me & this not-for-profit).
I digress! So, I highly, highly, highly recommend this book if you or someone near you has PTS (the “D” is being dropped, no longer being seen as a disorder… guess everyone is finally hearing Frankl’s quote on a deeper level). I’ve read several books on trauma & trauma recovery; this one is the most comprehensive and, at least for me, was also the least triggering (vicarious trauma is 100% a “thing.”) – again, zero financial agreements here – not even any affiliate links!

Peace

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