The result of nervous system regulation isn't just being calm all of the time.
As our regulation increases, we gain range. It gives us this incredible ability to welcome all parts of ourselves and be present for many more experiences.
We get to voraciously experience life's highs and lows without shutting down. Instead we are here for it - grounded, centered and connected to each moment whether it being fast or slow, high or low, pleasant or unpleasant or anywhere in between.
My definition of healing trauma is "to embrace." When we are able to slow down enough and allow anything to come up and meet it with warmth and care.
As we begin to practice slowing down, our entire histories tend to show up in our bodies/hearts and minds. In a healing process... we have space to allow all of it and meet it in a new way.
We can either do old school pushing into the discomfort and try to dig it to the root OR we could softly welcome it like we were welcoming an old friend and follow the body's wisdom to see what wants to unfold next.
When we can allow all parts with this level of spaciousness and range - we don't have to effort to cut out past experiences, try to figure them out or fix them. Instead we have the bandwidth to expand wide enough to be with all that arises - sensations, emotions, experiences... all of it.
When we're healing through nervous system regulation work, we're growing a greater sense of somatic safety which brings us a wide range to face all of life's experiences.
How do we grow ourselves wide enough to welcome it and be with it just like we would be with an old friend?
And that naturally allows for trauma resolution... we come into new relationship to it. We learn that we can be with discomfort, we learn that we can be with pain and suffering and grief because it's part of being human.
And we ALSO learn that we can be with joy and play and pleasure and aliveness. The more we have capacity for one of these, the more we have capacity for all of them.
It allows us to have that full spectrum of our humanity. It gives us back who we are, what we want to do and how we want to be.
As our trauma physiology gets updated to the safety available in the present moment, we get to exhale into infinite possibilities of how to engage with life, with ourselves and others.
We make empowered choices out of our greatest intentions - moving from an entirely new paradigm.
Shelby's Current Offerings:
Free 3-Part Training Starting on August 20 - Art of Presence