[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Interestingly, I wrote this blog the day before our home went into mandatory evacuation from the fires here in California. I’m so glad I did it was a reminder for me to stay present with what was happening.
Whether or not you were also deeply effected by the fires I hope that this blogs serves you as a reminder of the importance of honoring your animal body through any level of trauma…
Our animal body is our subconscious primal nature that is deeply embedded in our somatic being. And it’s incredibly important to honor it for If we don’t there can be disastrous consequences.
I see it over and over again in my practice…true healing happens when we listen to and honor our animal bodies. And whether we like it or not this part of us ultimately determines how fast or how slow our healing process occurs.
It is the rate-limiting step in our healing. Because at it’s core the animal body holds the deepest level of what we believe or don’t believe about safety and survival in our life.
The animal body gets really activated from acute traumas; such as needing to evacuate ones home at the threat of fire destroying it. Old traumas can also get exacerbated from this acute trauma, which unfortunately can make things worse for a time.
It is normal in situations such as this for our animal body to be on super high alert regarding our safety and survival until it feels safe enough to not be.
But, the intense fear held in the animal body can keep us stuck in fight-flight-freeze (even after the threat of imminent danger is over) until we have the ability to not shun it, truly be with it, and allow it to come back home to feeling safe.
Shunning the Animal Body
The truth is when we shun the animal body by either being so focused on “doing” to cope, focusing on positive affirmations that try to eliminate the feelings of our animal body, or some other way of ignoring it our healing process is thwarted.
When we shun the animal body we are very often doing a spiritual bypass over it and negating its authentic process. This can make any level of healing crisis we are in even worse in the long run.
Granted it’s common when we have a traumatic experience arise to go into a type of disassociation for a time. This natural process helps us deal with what just happened. However, if we stay in this disassociation long term trauma can set it. This is why it’s important to be with the animal body…its fears, its hesitancies, its confusion, its anger, or whatever is happening. Then it can in its own time and in its own way come to a place of peace and calmness.
Presencing and Honoring the Animal Body
When we presence and honor the animal body we allow it to take as much time as it needs to learn how to feel safe again. And, when it feels safe we can then proceed in ways that are incredibly healing and even courageous.
This presence and honoring actually shifts our thought patterns, our nervous system, and our overall awareness to one of peace, calm, and stability…which grows over time.
The Animal Body and Our Subconscious
However, if the animal body does not feel safe and we ignore it then healing becomes a struggle. Then the animal body fears create subconscious beliefs, habits, or ways of being that although may seem helpful for a time actually are not in alignment with our highest good in the long run.
These habits and beliefs could be anything that helps us cope…such as smoking cigerettes, drinking alcohol, being defensive to others, or other negative thoughts and belief patterns.
Many of those I have talked to regarding the trauma of the fires, including myself, are finding that they are ultra-sensitive, disassociated, old traumas are activated, and more.
Because of this I want to invite us all to be with the trauma inside of us in our own time and in our own way. We don’t want the trauma to get stuck in our body because if it does it can get stuck in our subconscious for years.
Bringing the Animal Body Along
Until we bring the animal body into a place of peace and safety it will continue to play havoc on us. It will engage in its tactic’s of safety and survival such as shutting down, running away, staying frozen in fear, mistrustful, and disconnected with life.
This is why in Somatic Awakening I teach people to turn toward this aspect of ourselves with the higher parts of us that actually have the ability to be with and nurture our animal body. For to actually bring healing to it, it needs to be acknowled and presenced with compassion. We also need to open it to safety on its own terms and in its own timing so that it organically moves toward healing instead of us trying to force healing upon it.
Our Animal Body is at the Core of Our Ego
Paying attention to AND staying within the capacity of the animal body is a core aspect of Somatic Awakening because it is at the core of deep healing. It is also at the core of what is needed to stay in balanced flow of ease and grace in ones life.
The animal body ultimately is at the base of our ego integrated in both our body and brain; it is a core part of our human nature not to be forgotten or thrown out.
For those of us who have been through a lot of trauma our animal body has already been through a lot; It deserves to be treated with care, love, and respect.
And when it is finally shown this care it will come back home to it’s freedom, it’s power, and its sweet softness.
As Mary Oliver said in her famous poem Wild Geese,
“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves…”
When we open to our animal body and help it feel safe the soft animal body opens to loving what it loves. When this happens we connect to the powerful healing energy of love that transforms our animal body and ultimately all parts of us. So instead of reacting in fear the animal body is set free to be the powerful force of energy, passion, drive, strength and courage that it brings to our life.
I pray for the healing of all of those affected by the fires. Incredible gratitude goes to the courageous fire fighters and first responders. May we as a community find our way back to balance, healing, peace, and harmony.
If you or a loved one is suffering from trauma I invite you to check out a free Meditation for Trauma, that I specifically created for those who have been affected by the fires. But, it is really for anyone that is walking through trauma. To listen to it click here.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
