Trauma, spirituality and healing
Understanding trauma and triggers has become a lot more popular over the last few decades. Especially with the growth of instatherapy (therapeutic methods shared on Instagram), which I have actually learnt a ton from, although it is now getting a bad rep, also for good reasons.
IN SOME CASES:
Therapy and healing are being oversimplified on Instagram.
People are offering “quick fixes” when those do not exist. Healing and therapy is a long journey.
Underqualified individuals are taking on cases they are certainly not ready for.
And the list goes on.
With all of that said, and as I mentioned above, I have learnt a lot from instatherapy and a few select books. I use many of these methods to manage myself successfully daily. At the same time, I’m also coming to understand that therapeutic work on your own can only take you so far. You need to work with a therapist or a healer to get to the deep tardy stuff.
LET ME OFFER A TRAUMA DEFINITION I LIKE:
Gabor Maté says, “Trauma is a Greek word for wound. Literally, that's what it means. So when you understand that, you realise...trauma is not what happens to you. Trauma is what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you. It's a psychic wound that leaves a scar. It leaves an imprint in your nervous system, in your body, in your psyche, and then shows up in multiple ways that are not helpful to you later on.”
I have been working through my own trauma over the last ten years, and I have been able to work through a lot. However, some trauma-energies are still imprinted on my nervous system and psyche and are particularly resistant to healing.
For example, I have no memory of my parents talking to me about their divorce. It is like one day, they were together, and the next day, they were not.
The body, the mind, and the psyche are masters of blocking things out because it is potentially too painful to remember. It is an area I’m going to give some attention to.
What I want to get to here, and as Gabor also mentions in his definition of trauma, is that our trauma wounds will impact how we show up. And as we are adults now, we have to take responsibility for the wounds we are carrying and begin gently, slowly, and with care to heal them.
Your trauma wounds will affect how you show up at work, with friends, your romantic partners and everyone else. It may also end up having a detrimental effect on your physical health.
Not many people are aware of this, but the mind does affect the body and illnesses that may result from your trauma wounds. It is not always the case, but there are certainly some cases where it is.
I have experienced this personally with IBS and other conditions.
After reading this, it is your decision whether you will start to heal and the responsibility for your life or not.
Trauma and spirituality
This is a tricky one and has to be handled with care. I do not want to seem like someone who engages in spiritual bypassing or minimises anyone’s experience of pain and suffering.
I believe, feel, and sense that each life we move through is a spiritual lesson, including all of the “good” and all of the “bad”.
Yes, I do believe in reincarnation, but not in the Buddhist or Hindu way. From what I understand, each life we move through is a lesson, and there is a learning queue, and we have to move through every lesson, “good” or “bad” does not make any difference.
There are no sins; we are never being punished.
There is only learning.
My childhood was pretty chaotic and left many trauma wounds, so I feel comfortable saying that to a degree. However, compared to others, my childhood was, on the whole, good. However, my body might disagree now that I am an adult. There is still some healing and releasing to do.
Others who have had it much worse than me might find it gruelling to believe that what they went through was a part of their spiritual lesson, and I can firmly understand that. I’m not asking anyone to believe in what I say above. All I’m doing is offering another perspective that you may or may not find helpful.
Personally, I do find it helpful to look at my experience through a spiritual lens because it gives my life meaning and also a path to healing, which includes talking to your more standard therapist and also spiritual healing work.
Would I prefer to be without my trauma wounds? Probably. At the same time, I would not be who I am today with the friends and work that I have, and I love them all, so 🤷🏼♂️ there is no straightforward answer here. Nor will I ever know how it could be different, so all I can do is accept what is. All I can do is work towards making it as good as possible today.
Journaling prompt
What is stopping you from going on your healing journey?
💥 In case you missed it
Live Zoom Meditation Class: Spiritual Healing Journey
9 Aug
6.15 PM UK Time
£6 + booking fee