Self-care tools

A few months back I attended a great training on the neurobiology for trauma-informed care offered by Dr. Julie Rosenzweig, and she pointed us to additional resources around self-care.

As a woman who wears many hats (and quite a few that are demanding), self-care is something I'm always working on, learning about and wanting to share with others in my world.  Certainly yoga and meditation is a major part of my self-care plan. One of my life goals is to share this with others who would benefit from these tools and face barriers to accessing yoga.  As woman who has experienced trauma herself, not to mention the inter-generational trauma experienced by my people, self-care is not just some nice buzzword created by academics.  It's a survival strategy that has helped me develop resilience. 

These resources come from the University of Buffalo School of Social Work, who created a self-care starter kit. So much good stuff there. 

If you want the quicky version, their info graphic is fantastic. 

Reiki and renewal in the forest

Every summer for the past several years I head to the beautiful Cascade mountains for healing time in August.  With my first degree in Reiki, I am now part of a warm and wise international group of healers who come together in the forest to connect, laugh and inspire ourselves on this path.  Just spending time in nature, without cell service and screens, is a time meant for renewal and relaxation.  Add in the reiki gathering to the mix, and you have a profound moment for healing. 

Part of the gathering included journaling in a sweet customized journal full of quotes.  Here is one that resonates for me about reiki.  "It is a method Usui revived from the Buddhist scriptures, a way of tuning into the reiki -- that's the Japanese word for the "universal force."

Summer time - taking your practice outside

Summer has arrived in beautiful Oregon, which means long sunny days and our glorious green spaces are lush with trees and soft grass.  I've never lived in a city with so many beautiful parks. 

I usually practice yoga inside, either in my bedroom studio or in a yoga studio, but I love the idea of taking the practice into nature, which has all sorts of benefits.  

Came across a wonderful article that offers some tips for adapting us indoor yoga people into successful outdoor yoga people. 

Tara Brach webinar - working with feelings of fear and worry

Tara Brach is one of my favorite Buddhist thinkers.  I regularly listen to her podcasts, as well as use her guided meditations. I want to share a link to a series of brief videos from a webinar she offered that addresses working with the feelings of fear, worry and cultivating a fearless heart. 

A concrete step for dealing with trauma - Dr. Bessel van der Kolk

In my reading on the power of yoga to help heal from trauma, I continually come across Dr. Bessel van der Kolk's name and just read this web interview with him, Four Concrete Steps for Working with Trauma with Bessel van der Kolk, MD and Ruth Buczynski, PhD.

The primacy of the breath in calming and centering is such a core yoga practice, that as he puts it, yoga practitioners have "discovered that there's something they can do to regulate their internal systems."  We live in a culture that celebrates numbing out with substances (now with marijuana legal in Oregon, yet another substance), media and consumerism, so yoga is truly counter-culture in the very best way. 

Below is an excerpt in italics:

Step 1: Start with Self-Regulation Dr. van der Kolk: I would say the foundation of all effective treatments involves some way for people to learn that they can change their arousal system. Before any talking, it’s important to notice that if you get upset, taking 60 breaths, focusing on the out breaths, can calm your brain right down. Attempting some acupressure points or going for a walk can be very calming. 

Dr. Buczynski: So this is learning to modulate arousal? 

Dr. van der Kolk: Yes, and there’s alarmingly little in our mainstream culture to teach that. For example, this was something that kindergarten teachers used to teach, but once you enter the first grade, this whole notion that you can actually make yourself feel calm seems to disappear. Now, there’s this kind of post-alcoholic culture where if you feel bad, you pop something into your mouth to make the feeling go away. “The issue of self-regulation needs to become front and center in the treatment of trauma.” It’s interesting that right now there are about six to ten million people in America who practice yoga, which is sort of a bizarre thing to do - to stand on one foot and bend yourself up into a pretzel. Why do people do that? They’ve discovered that there’s something they can do to regulate their internal systems. So the issue of self-regulation needs to become front and center in the treatment of traumatized people. That’s step number one.

Beyond Trauma workshop coming up

I've just registered for an all day workshop on trauma that I'm excited to share with you all.  I will certainly blog afterwards, but I thought I'd give you a preview of what is to come....

Lydia Bartholow is the teacher, and based on what I've been reading about her, this is going to be a holistic and radical learning experience.  As a gardener and curandera who loves to use plants to heal, I am beyond thrilled that Lydia is an herbalist and brings these ancient practices to trauma-informed care. Read an interview with her that includes a recipe for a stress-relieving tea, which I am planning on making very soon.  Cool that I have my own dried lavender and rose to use, and thinking whether I can grow the other herbs come this spring/summer. If you live in the Pacific NW and have grown skullcap, oat straw or alfalfa, share your tips in the comments section. 

Teaching yoga to survivors of sexual violence

In December 2013 I started to teach yoga to Latino teen survivors of sexual assault.  The experience has been rich, humbling and challenging. 

What has worked?

• Be consistent and developing a simple sequence that is predictable and nurtures their feelings of confidence and success.  
• Avoid trigger poses (one example would be Happy Baby) and  having their backs facing other students. 
• Avoid props like straps that could be triggering as well.  
• Use invitational language and invite to try a pose, giving many variations.  Survivors were put in a terrible situation which they didn't chose, and so the yoga experience should be the polar opposite - they are empowered to chose time and again.  
• Focusing on the breath and simple mediation where they can focus on the present moment.  
• Follow a no touch policy, which is required by the agency where I volunteer.  I think it is a wise policy to protect students from being triggered and teachers from any possible liability.  By not offering physical adjustments, you get to be a better teacher by offering clear verbal directions and demonstrating the pose.   
• Affirming them throughout the class with positive language.  
• I also brought in essential oils for students to use, and they were very popular, even with the teenage male student.