I am fascinated by the effects of trauma, I know it’s a bit of a buzz word out there, but its been around in my consciousness for a long, long time. I am in full respect of all those people who are on a journey to help release the effects of trauma from their system’s. Let’s face it, for some sensitive souls “Life itself” can be an ongoing process of being lightly to heavily traumatising.
As with so many things in life, simplicity is the key, in my humble experience the more I can ‘get out of the way’ during a client treatment, the more potent it’s going to be for both receiver and giver.
Why is this? Because we can all have preconceived ideas about what the issue is with ourselves or someone else, yet how can we possibly know all the elements that have brought us to the place we are right now?
If we only treat an isolated area of the body, how can we even begin to discover the whole picture? Recently I offered 15/20 minutes of Cranial Sacral at the end of treatments to encourage clients to give Cranial work a try. It was inspiring to see the client’s system’s at this deeper level and for them also to get a new perspective. So for me to get out of the way means I have entered a more expansive open and hopefully receptive place where my instinct kicks in alongside my intellect.
Trauma effects the bodies system; it leaves it feeling partially or entirely unsafe, out of control and under attack. Often this leads to hanging onto tension as it might feel protective but it’s contributing to the complexity of the issue. That’s not to say that periods of distancing/shutting down can not be healing in themselves, the trick is not to get stuck there.
I recently attended a 7-day retreat focusing on trauma release and techniques that support not only our bodies in letting go of the tension but also the saboteurs in our belief systems. These beliefs can become so embedded we often have no conscious idea of their presence and the effect they have on our everyday decisions and actions. Something shifted in those seven days, as it always does when I immerse myself so thoroughly into the process and allow my body to do 90% of the work. I’m not sure entirely what shifted within this retreat, but I do know I’m more present, and at the same time more expansive and am witnessing some deep shifts in my clients.
Sometimes the sharing of a personal story about a healing release that occurred in my own body can be the catalyst for a client to spontaneously let go of a limb, muscle or joint that 1 min ago felt locked. These moments are highlights for me.
I hope I never fail to be in awe of a body that’s vulnerable yet is willing to surrender enough to release tension, pain, memory, and congestion. Our bodies respond to all our thoughts and unconscious instruction. Positive and re-assuring communication is incredibly beneficial in helping our systems feel safe and at ease.
Let’s aspire to a body that is as fluid and comfortable as possible in the world, yet also vulnerable and willing to surrender enough to release tension, pain, memory and congestion.
Melanie Furniss Therapist 