Here we are in January! That must mean that we made it through the election, Thanksgiving, December holidays (whatever those are for you), and New Years celebrations. You might be feeling ready for a fresh start, invigorated toward new health, work, or family goals. Whatever your personal experience of the last two and a half months has been, I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that for many folks stress levels are running pretty high. Many of my patients and friends are concerned about the current political tenor, wondering (and imagining) what will be coming down the pike. Living with an impending sense of doom and hyper-vigilance. For lots of folks the holidays bring up family tensions that have simmered under the surface and pop up when everyone is together. Especially when our expectations are high and communication skills are low- things can ratchet up in intensity pretty quickly! This year I experienced some pretty emotionally charged and stressful moments with family members while we were all together for Christmas. When debriefing with my husband afterward he shared how astounded he was at the calm, loving, yet direct way I was able to communicate- saying some really difficult things. My "normal" response to family conflict is to freeze- unable to think of what I would say-only later realizing what I wish I had been able to say at the time. The difficult discussions we had this year were remarkably well received. I didn't freeze like normal. I was able to "access" my neocortex- the cognitive part of my brain-because I wasn't stuck in survival mode. I was able to be articulate, firm, yet loving and compassionate. And the result was real communication! As we reflected on this, I realized that I can credit my regular TRE® practice with my new found ability to stay grounded and present during an emotionally charged discussion. I am incredibly grateful to be able to deepen my relationships with my loved ones.
My wish is that as we move into emotionally AND politically charged times ahead that we can each do our own work to stay grounded and present with ourselves so that we can HAVE difficult conversations without losing our ability to listen with compassion and love.
TRE® practice is not the only way to get there, but it really works, and I'm thrilled to share it with you. Learning how to invite a Therapeutic Tremor into your body releases long held patterns of tension and stress and can restore your personal sense of safety, calm, and grounding so that you can access your best self when things get challenging. If you are interested in learning TRE®, expect to schedule 3 one-on-one sessions with me at a minimum, and I will help you find your path to feeling more calm, more grounded, and less reactive!
