I saw an Instagram post today where someone was letting their audience know they were going to be gone for a bit, it said, "I'll be in the mountains, writing more content." And....they wouldn't be available to answer questions and would be missing a few posts. It made me think... You would have to think ahead of time to do that. I've missed writing three newsletters and didn't let anybody know...... Partly, because I wasn't ever planning on missing them. And the other part....because I've...
9 days ago • 3 min read
I took a picture of the clouds on my drive today because I was struck by all the different types of clouds. And by all. those. layers. Some dark and heavy. Some white and bright. Some that were beautiful from where I was sitting. And it made me think about the layers I’ve moved through while healing trauma. I’ve gone through layers that felt so dark and black that I thought they might take over. They were scary. And when I was inside them, I didn’t know if I would ever get through them. Other...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
A few days ago, I was on a trail near my house. It's a trail I used to run when I was short on time. Easy and quick, but still with some fun ups and downs. I knew this trail. Or at least, I knew this trail at a running pace. Since I am just barely able to hike and run again, this time looked different. I ran for one minute and then walked for two or three, continuing that pattern until I was finished. It took longer. And parts of my body wanted to keep running. The trail was so familiar at a...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
I often get asked some version of this question: Can I have fun while I’m healing? And the answer is absolutely yes. But I think the way I understand that answer has changed over the years. Healing can take so much energy. Mentally.Physically.Emotionally.Spiritually.Relationally. Sometimes our body is working really hard just to get through what is happening. And I have not found it helpful if the answer is to tell myself, “Come on. Go have fun. Think positively. Enjoy your life”. Sometimes...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
I was reading something from Nate Postlethwait recently, and two things he said really hit home for me. He said: “cPTSD is not a result of not handling things well. It’s a result of continually experiencing things your mind and body weren’t meant to handle at all”. And: “‘Family is everything.’ No, healing is. And if the family is who caused the trauma, they don’t always get to participate in the healing”. There was a time when being able to name these kinds of truths felt like the answer....
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
I remember the first time I thought……with almost complete disbelief and at the same time 100% belief: "I'm not crazy." I had started remembering suppressed and repressed trauma. As some of those memories came back, other moments from my life started making sense too. I remembered times I had acted "weird." Times my reactions seemed way too big……or way too small. Times I couldn't explain why I did what I did, felt what I felt, or reacted the way I reacted. I had definitely wondered if I was...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Today, as I was going through some vagus nerve exercises, gathering some to send a client, I came across one called Superhero Pose. Before I share about this exercise, let me briefly explain vagus nerve exercises: They are movements that can awaken, support and help our vagus nerve come online so that our body can move into a new state. For instance, if we are anxious, it can help us calm down. If we are stuck, it can help us move into action. And as I looked at this particular exercise, I...
2 months ago • 5 min read
I've been thinking a lot lately about what people mean when they say, "Just trust your body." I've said those words too. And while I believe they hold so much wisdom, I've also come to believe they're only part of the story. Because for many of us—especially those who have experienced trauma—living in our body is beautifully healing...and incredibly complex. There isn't just one voice inside us. There are parts of us that remember trauma. Parts that learned how to survive. Parts that still...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Whenever there's a full moon, (and tonight, July 29th is a full moon) I find myself asking a version of this question…. What am I ready to let be illuminated? Other questions… What am I ready to let the moon shine a new light on? Am I in a place to fully turn toward something? To see it and then let it move through my system? To let things either nourish me on the way through? Or let things that are not serving me leave and, on the way out, grab whatever is connected, as I say, "Good...
3 months ago • 2 min read