Thoughts, practices and reflections on the body, trauma and the healing journey

Feeling something intensely, doesn't necessarily mean that something is wrong One of the difficult things about trauma healing is learning to recognise the difference between being re-traumatised and being with the trauma. They can feel remarkably similar. When we touch into traumatic experiences, memories or sensations, we might suddenly feel overwhelmed. We might feel panic, dread or a strong urge to get away. We might think, This is too much. I'm making myself worse. I nee

Whatever is here is enough to begin ‘Be with what is’ is a phrase that sits at the heart of how I work. It sounds simple, but being with ourselves isn't always easy. We are often taught to move away from difficult experiences — to calm ourselves, manage our emotions, think differently or find a way to feel better. Even practices that encourage us to be present can sometimes feel inaccessible. We might be told to observe our thoughts, focus on our breath or sit with whatever a

Regulation isn't about always feeling calm. It's about having the flexibility to respond, recover and reconnect Our nervous system is constantly responding to what is happening around us — and within us. Long before we consciously decide how we feel about something, our nervous system is taking in information and responding to cues of safety, danger or uncertainty. These responses can influence our breathing, heart rate, muscle tension, emotions, attention and how we relate t

Trauma isn't only what happened to us, but how what happened continues to live in us When we think about trauma, we often think about an event — something frightening, overwhelming or deeply distressing that happened to us. But trauma isn't only about the event itself. Trauma isn't measured by the event itself, but by how that experience impacts us — in our body, emotions and sense of safety. Sometimes the event is clearly traumatic. Other times, we may struggle to understand