Trust the Body
trust your body
it reacts to right and wrong
better than your mind does
- it is speaking to you
As trauma survivors, trusting the body that houses the memories of our survival and generates reactions we cannot rationalize can be very difficult. Rather than being a home or a temple, the body can often feel like a prison we are constantly trying to escape. In principle, there is nothing wrong with escape or compartmentalization, which can be positive and practical (even necessary) coping mechanisms for daily life. Sometimes, however, we get so good at escaping that we lose our ability to control it and our ability to remain present. Escapism can include mentally checking out through dissociation, drug or alcohol abuse, overeating, overworking, or otherwise abusing the body.
No matter how adept we become at attempting to leave the trauma behind by leaving the body behind, still, here we are. So we must come to make peace with the physical self. We must find rest and refuge in these thighs, courage and comfort in these shoulders, love within this heart, a voice in this throat. It is already there; we simply must seek it. We must lay claim to our birthright body. That is this healing work.
It may be helpful to remember that the mind is the physical body, too. Cognition and consciousness are physical - a series of chemical reactions and energetic exchanges that happen in our physical bodies. These mind-body co-conspirators of survival ensure that even when it seems we shouldn't make it, we do. We are totally real, and within these survivalist bodies, we are safe. Safe.
Safe. The beauty of having a survivalist body is that once the smoke clears, there's an opportunity to heal and move forward. This is not easy, but it is available to us through intentionally practice: by returning to the present and remaining there, even when it is difficult. Relieving the body of its role as sentinel and returning it to a state of sentience. This is where mindfulness meditation and observing the breath can be simple, but transformative practices, actually restructuring the physical body.
I invite you to try a simple restorative yoga practice. You will need a thick blanket (or couch cushion(s), yoga blocks, or a few towels) to rest upon and a yoga mat or other cushioned but stable surface on which to sit. You will hold this pose for 5 to 10 minutes, so you should get comfortable.
Plant yourself upright on the earth with your legs extended ahead. Your props should be within easy reach.
In this seated position, I invite you to take a long, deep inhale, extending your spine long, allowing your chest to rise and your shoulders to go back to a clean, proud, but restful posture.
Begin folding forward toward your legs, placing your props between your torso and your legs so that your torso can rest comfortably. Your body should be fully supported. If it is better for your body, you may want to bow your legs out a bit to the sides.
Allow your face to rest on your cheek on the prop of your choosing. (if you have a yoga block, you may want to set it atop your blanket or other prop and rest your forehead directly on the block.) Rest in this pose for 5 minutes or longer, breathing deeply, but naturally, allowing your breath to do what it does. If you remain in this pose for longer than about 5 minutes, be sure to rotate your head to rest on the opposite side.
You are Black + Breathing. 🖤
