#wisdomoftrauma – BrigiTree

Life is a journey of self-discovery.

We owe it to the Life Force to be able to enjoy our lives, to express our deepest desires and to follow our hearts.

I try my best to remain fully aware, disciplined, not creating unnecessary desires and further entanglements.

There is no one receipt for how one should live their life. I’ve been trying to figure out mine as I go along. I have come a certain length of the way and it hasn’t always been easy sailing. The ocean, just like life, is full of surprises.

There have been many events that mark various stages of my progress. One of the most notable ones happened when I went to Costa Rica to attend a one-week Wisdom & Wellbeing course focusing on recognizing and healing childhood trauma.

There were 60 of us, from all walks of life, different ages, nationalities, and levels of trauma. One thing we had in common. We were all there to heal our wounds, by trying to recognize and reach our innermost struggles, trying to let them go.

As human beings, we are bound to be carriers of all sorts of memories, imprints, experiences, and emotions. We carry visible or invisible scars, deep ones, shallow ones, all kinds that get triggered at various times in our lives. As Vessel van Der Kolk puts it, the body keeps a score. Or Gabor Mate’s analogy about being in the realm of the hungry ghost. Both of these analogies speak to me as I have started recognizing both body scores and hungry ghosts.

Back to the Pura Vida experience… The first few days were quite overwhelming, a sensory overload, but the lush nature, the ocean, the winds, the birds, and the howler monkeys helped to diffuse it and make it work just fine. Not to mention the most delicious food full of life and goodness. We were nourished body and soul. I felt like I was spending time in heaven, being continuously swept off my feet by the sound of the ocean waves. I could hear the ocean and sense the waves while resting in my cabin at the end of the day.

I met many kindred spirits, for which I am incredibly grateful. Jane showed me safe ways where I could swim. First thing in the morning, saluting the sun, being infused with the ocean magic.

Having swum my heart out in the morning I would drift ashore, find a rock, a comfortable sitting position, I closed my eyes and became one with the sound of the ocean.

There is so much energy available out there, inside us, at all times, if only we have the eyes to see and the heart open enough to receive and give.

Last breakfast with my lovely Pura Vida tribe

ॐ

I started writing again after I came back from the workshop I attended in Costa Rica in February 2022.

I shared a few posts back in 2012, but nothing consistent or continuous. It’s taken a long time to get where I am today.

Storytelling & sharing has always been an important part of different communities. It is how people connect to each other, they share experiences, knowledge, and wisdom. It is how they learned from one another and showed their appreciation and respect for fellow members of the community. Through music, stories, communal activities, songs, and dance. I’d like to honour and continue that tradition in the ways I can – through the written word.

Over the past decade I moved quite a bit. I lived in London UK, Mexico, the US, and now I’m in Canada. I also completed my Master’s degree and gained new international working and living experience.

Retrospectively, it seems like the main purpose of the past 10 years was finding stability in my life. In my pursuit of better understand who I am, I dedicated my time and efforts towards various spiritual practices, yoga, and meditation.

In October 2021, a dear friend, Kathy, told me about Gabor Mate and his work on trauma. I started reading and listening to what was available online. I signed up for the Wisdom in Trauma online course, after which I decided to attend the course at Blue Spirit in Costa Rica in February 2022. What did I learn so far?

We can spend a lifetime struggling, pursuing various spiritual practices, hoping that’s the only way to free ourselves from various patterns that hold us back. I tried very hard and still, it hasn’t been enough for me to break through and reconcile my imbalances. I had a lack of awareness when it comes to childhood trauma and the cellular memory of various events that have the potential to play out in day-to-day life. As I started learning about trauma, acknowledging my experiences, and healing trauma, I had a few breakthroughs and that felt very liberating.

I’m glad the topic on trauma is becoming less of a stigma; people are realizing the impacts of traumatic events. There’s more curiosity, openness and less fear to start exploring various childhood related experiences and how they might impactour lives.

This part of the journey began as soon as I started going back in time, facing my own unpleasant childhood memories. With curiousity, a non-judgemental approach, patience and sometimes some extra help I was eventually able to start letting go. And there is more to come!

ॐ

Tag: #wisdomoftrauma

Pura Vida Experience

A long-time coming Comeback…