The Creative Process for Healing Trauma
Timing is everything.
The stars speak volumes. And, then…
Life happens.
Recognizing where and how trauma has occurred is not always easy. Most of the wounds are invisible and disguised in a myriad of ways. Scabs form, habits change, memories fade. Along with the numbing comes a lessening of wellbeing, a lack of connection, mental/emotional unrest. The disguises become obstacles in and of themselves. Generational trauma perpetuates the pain unconsciously.
Yoga Therapy, thru its many different tools and techniques, provides a safe container to explore broken pieces, shadows, and the obstacles that limit our being fully alive. Once we’ve learned how to navigate our interior self safely, the creative process becomes another way to increased healing and self-knowledge.
Creativity is a whole-brain affair. The use of music, dancing, writing, drawing, psychodrama, and nature studies are therapeutic, healing, and ultimately transformational. Engaging with one’s creativity moves prana.
Storytelling has been a cultural phenomenon throughout human history. It’s the best way to learn. Early in the pandemic, which could qualify as traumatic, I was invited to tell a story on zoom for a statewide event. That is when I discovered Akilanandeshvari, the Goddess Never-Not-Broken. Her story demonstrates resilience, transformation, and embodiment and is a powerful lesson for this time and space.
All invited to the ‘dress rehearsal’
There’s A Goddess For That! April 19 4pm on Zoom. Contact me for the link.
Me & The Goddess
MY CREATIVITY improved tremendously when I began to practice self-observation without judgement. Svadaya is one of the principal tenets of yoga philosophy. More on that here.
In 2015 I joined a local storytelling group. Curiosity brought me there, personal healing kept me there. Over the next 7 years the stories I crafted were particularly personal and unexpectedly freeing once told. I was telling secrets that I hadn’t aired ever. Turning a story into a comedy with props was particularly fulfilling in one instance.
Weaving the personal together with the mythological was my ‘genre’. This gave me a framework to provide a spiritual context for my storytelling.
Hinduism provides an incredible pantheon of gods and goddesses to show us what is possible and Akilanandeshvari, a lesser known goddess, has much to teach us today especially about trauma.
It took a lot of time to work with material of this dark-skinned goddess who’s name could be translated in 2 different and conflicting ways. I read about her, painted her, wrote letters to her, and talked about her in my classes. But putting it together into a ‘performance’ piece with all the bells & whistles is a different level creativity for this old gal! We’ll see.
Training for Transformation
Spring/Summer 2023
Introductory Program 6 Sessions/12 hours
WHAT IS TRANSFORMATION?
Somewhere along the way a teacher told me that yoga would change my life. That wasn’t necessarily what I was looking for or wanting at that time, but looking back it is crystal clear that yoga doesn’t simply change ones life, it transforms it. It did that for me.
Transformation takes time, and a certain degree of discomfort.
Everyone transforms twice, at least. Birth & Death are understood this way. Yet, how conscious are you at these times?
There are other opportunities for transformation such as: trauma, illness, accidents, divorce, financial crisis, or climate changes. These too can feel like life and death situations. The cycles where we are stressed to our capacity/ability to cope provide fertile ground for change.
Paradoxically, when we feel most powerless are the times of greatest potential.
Having a map, a clock, and a plan and a practice that supports the process is priceless. Stay tuned for more about this upcoming program. CEC’s Available.
