Understanding the Role of Trauma in Physical Dis-ease
Most of us have heard of the Mind Body connection sometimes used as a focus when exercising a muscle and often times referred to when discussing the way our thoughts and the health of our mental space has a direct impact on our physical health.
When a threatening event takes place, our bodies may respond with fight, flight or freeze methods, which do not allow the emotions to be seen, felt or released. This is how they remain stuck in our bodies and create lasting effects that go beyond the triggering event. Fight or freeze responses tend to create more physical symptoms whereas, a flight response, can cause more behavioral issues such as anxiety, ADD/ADHD, substance abuse, a deep disconnection from the body and the present moment as we sense danger.
Trauma is the result of an experience lived that triggers an intense emotion. The Trauma part is not only related to the experience itself but the response to that experience. The fragmentation it leaves us with, the pieces of us we leave behind in that moment and the ways in which our bodies and minds protect us from further harm. Feeling can be scary when we don’t feel equipped to deal with pain, sadness, anger, rejection or frustration.
The survival part of our brain may kick in to protect us against this threat, ironic as it may be, physical pain or illness is a protective measure of survival. It is the body’s way of saying “Ok he or she feels threatened and cannot deal with this, I must step in”. Depending on the intensity of the conflict one has with their emotions and the length of time one remains in conflict with those emotions, symptoms may be mild or more severe. For example, If I feel threatened in my territory or in my home because someone has moved in and is constantly in my space or I feel like they are invading my space in some way, then I may develop a UTI. It is my body’s way of protecting me from this perceived threat.
This is only one example of how the body may respond. Depending on the part of the brain this affects, one person may respond to the same threat with different symptoms. Taking a similar example, if a person feels that they are constantly taking things in that they do not want to take in but feel powerless in changing this, then they may begin to experience heartburn or indigestion. Heartburn or acid reflux involves an increase of acid production; it is the body’s way of breaking something down that the person did not want to swallow or digest. We can see that it isn’t only in the outside event or situation that the issue lies but in our response to it. So in this case, why does the person feel they have to take things in that they don’t want to take in? Do they feel they cannot speak their truth? Is there an underlying fear of rejection? In exploring this, we allow the person to respond in a more conscious way, therefore, the body does not need to take over and protect them.
A very important aspect of this physical manifestation of symptoms is that if the person does not already have this programming within them then the event will not trigger a physical response. Basically, if I feel powerless towards something that is because I have a program running within me that causes me to feel powerless. This program may come from Ancestral patterns, the soul’s experiences, and present life events. Actually, it is usually all 3. When a pattern/issue is not resolved in the past, it shows up in the present and repetitions will take place until we recognize it and let it go. You see the body, mind and soul will always be drawn to find equilibrium because this is their natural state of being. Through these repetitions, life provides us with opportunities to see what is there. When we approach the experiences in our life knowing they have a greater purpose, then we allow more ease into our lives.
Coming back to the programming events in our lives, there is usually a preprogramming sequence from ancestry or soul experiences across dimensions, a programming in our childhood and a trigger event in our life that awakens these programs.
Let’s use an example where 2 people who live the same event have completely different reactions. Person A has an unconscious program running that comes from ancestors having lived through Wars. There is a program with regards to authority, loss of power. Then when this person was in their mother’s womb, their mom felt she had to follow Doctor’s orders even when she did not agree or had a question to ask, she would remain silent about it. Person A encounters a strict teacher in their childhood who awakens this unconscious program. They feel deep anxiety & fear around this teacher and on the surface this may almost seem like an overreaction to the situation but when we look more closely, we can see that it brings up memories of war, displacement, danger and authority.
Person B encounters the same strict teacher and though they may not feel comfortable around her; they do not feel the same overwhelming fear since they do not carry the same programming.
Some may find practical solutions to situations without contacting those parts of us, such as moving away or changing classes and there is nothing wrong with that, the threat is no longer there and we can relax. However, life will most likely bring this back around in some way shape or form to give us another chance of really getting to the core of this issue and taking our power back.
When we find a solution whether practical or emotional, our body will relax and go into a repair state. Interestingly enough, this is usually when symptoms emerge. When we let go of the stress, the body can regain equilibrium but to get there it must heal, fix, repair the damage done.
Thank your body for its innate healing abilities, hold it through, laugh, cry, let the emotions flow through without any resistance. You see this is what creates disease in the first place, it is not the thought or emotion itself but our resistance to it and our disconnection from our body. Where does this resistance come from? What is the danger that creates resistance? Addressing those parts allows us to feel without attaching.
When we are connected to our bodies, we get to feel deeply without analyzing, judging, staying there for too long, we do not use the mind to get through an emotion, we feel it in our bodies, we can connect to the messages it brings, receive them, express what needs to be expressed and move on. However, as humans, we have learned to protect against this process in some way, therefore, the unresolved traumas from our past, if not brought to consciousness, may keep us in a state of fear and avoidance.
The good news is, we are powerful creators who can work in harmony with our minds and bodies to bring deep levels of health, love, authenticity, ease joy and fulfillment.
Thank you for reading,
Yasmine
