The presence of a compassionate witness has the power to heal.

You know that feeling when you are being brave and you soldier on, and then someone sympathetic turns up and that triggers repressed emotions to well up or even flow right out? 

That’s a really special moment. 

Like in that moment of distress when you unexpectedly see a familiar face or someone with kind eyes asks  “How are you?”  Something inside our bodies knows it is now ok to break open and let some emotions be felt. 

I find my 'guard' somehow knows when to go up and when it is safe to come down, like my body can read the kind intentions a person holds for me.

My sister and I have just shared stories of the times this has happened to us. 

Here’s one of my stories. You might have a similar one that you can share with a friend and perhaps they will have one to share back with you.

~~~

I arrived to meet a friend in the city, but she turned up to a different place on the other side of Melbourne. We we're both upset about the mixup particularly because of a fragile situation to begin with. I felt a sense of incompetence, and disappointment and shame for having let someone down but probably I had a hundred micro moments of unresolved upsets too that decided to hijak this moment.

Being in the busy city alone felt overwhelming, so waiting to be seated in such a fancy restaurant, alone, brought up a whole history of insecurities. I felt small, I felt I did not belonging there, I felt exposed and basically dejected. Thanks to past trauma this simple situation had me feeling more than miserable. 

My thoughts darted from how angry and mean my friend was going to be about it all when I next see her next, to thinking that everyone here knows I don’t have the right to be here: I am not dressed right and I’m not rich enough. I am a nobody. I have nobody… etc…

I literally had tears falling down my cheeks as I ate my bolognes. I was so hungry that I just had to stay and eat anyway. After that I had to sit and finish my wine (which I really could not afford). Then, seeing me hunched and averted, without me having ordered it, a waitress quietly came over and placed a dessert before me - a gift, a gesture of human connection and care. 

“From me, to you” she said.

It brought much warmth and colour back into my heart and mind. As I took in the sweetness with each mouthful,  I allowed myself to cry happy tears this time, and to feel the ancient, healing depths of my own being.

I remember the restaurant no longer felt like a room of enemies judging me, it became soft and warm like a room of friends. When I stepped out into the cold night air an incredible feeling of being whole and protected wrapped itself around me. I felt totally able to embrace life on the journey home and to even be a radiant presence for others to warm themselves in.

~~~
 

This is the power of being witnessed by another.

The presence of a caring person has a power to touch and move us deeply. It's the basis of friendship, good communities, and is essential in the healing power of therapy.

Pioneer of a body-centred psychological approach, Peter Levine, says  

“Trauma is not what happens to us but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness”

Without an empathetic witness, emotions can get stuck in the tissues of the physical body, and those stuck emotions can become ingrained behaviours and beliefs about ourself and the world.

We are social creatures and thriving means feeling we belong.
Knowing we are seen, heard and fully witnessed is a joyous and healing state. It is a state where we feel whole and where love can be present. 

Even in silence, this conscious presence of another holds validating and healing qualities. 

For now I ask myself: If I were to be fully seen in the compassionate presence of another what part of me would want to show up?

What part of you is wanting to show up?

With Love,

Katie de Araujo

Tai Chi or Taiji? Understanding the difference might take a decade or two. Here's my attempt.

Tai Chi was known as "大恒" and was later changed to "太極.". 

Tàijíquán and T'ai-chi ch'üan are two different transcriptions of three Chinese characters that are the written Chinese name for the artform:

The English language offers two spellings, one derived from Wade–Giles and the other from the Pinyin transcription.

T’ai Chi is the Wade-Giles romanisation.

Taiji is the Pinyin romanisation.

Meaning

太極t'ai chi tàijí the relationship of Yin and Yang

拳ch'üan quán technique

The term taiji  is a Chinese cosmological concept for the flux of yin and yang. 'Quan' means technique.

Using the ji is useful and I recommend it over the chi spelling because the chi in the name of the martial art is not the same as ch'i (qi  气 the "life force"). 

Ch'i is involved in the practice of t'ai-chi ch'üan. Although the word 极 is traditionally written chi in English, the closest pronunciation, using English sounds, to that of Standard Chinese would be jee, with j pronounced as in jump and ee pronounced as in bee. Other words exist with pronunciations in which the ch is pronounced as in champ. That’s why it is important to use the j sound. why I prefer the pinyin spelling, taiji. And most Chinese use the Pinyin version.[15]

Paraphrased from Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi

T’ai Chi in Chinese 太极 (or the full 太极拳 T’ai Chi Ch’uan) is written as Taiji or Taijiquan in pinyin. It is pronounced “Tie Jee Chwen” and means the Supreme Ultimate Fist (boxing/fighting system). The character Ch’uan or Quan denotes it is a martial art. Usually the apostrophe is dropped and so is the Ch’uan, which is why we see Tai Chi more often than not.

Qigong or Ch’i Kung (Wade-Giles) is written 氣功 or 气功 (more simplified
version of qi) and is translated as energy cultivation. It is pronounced “Chee
Gung”.

Ch’i in Ch’i Kung/Qi Gong means energy, life force, air and breath

So the Ch’i in Ch’i Kung is not the same character as Chi in T’ai Chi/Tai Ji which means ultimate. In other words Tai Qi would definitely not work!

From now on I am going to use the two terms Taiji and Chi Gung.

That way we don’t confuse the Chi in Tai Chi with the Chi in Chi Gung. It also gives a clear and accessible pronunciation without undermining the etymology of the terms.

T’ai Chi is the Wade-Giles and Qigong is using pinyin.

Being held in the invisible spaces has power

Peter Levine one said that what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness can end up being trauma. We are social creates and need to belong to a group, to be seen, heard or fully witnessed. Even in silent this conscious presence holds validating and healing qualities.

Being held in the presence of an empathetic witness is a valuable experience, more than money can buy. It can save us from unhappy relationships that go on for years without thriving, it can save us a lot of cash otherwise spent on numbing us out or stimulating us to distract us from uncomfortable feelings.

For the unpracticed, looking inward seems a thwarted attempt to see meaning in a barren space.

But with an experienced guide and an optimal environment, new sprouts will certainly grow each time you look in. One can build a language for one’s inner landscape and become not only familiar, but friendly and curious about it.

Whether we use mindfulness, meditation, movement or other forms of enquiry, our inner landscape becomes a more dynamic place the more often we look in.

My experience of holding space for others in all types of situations, is that looking inward is challenging and we need to use the most comfortable methods available. Comfort, curiosity and willingness are key.

A desert today can be a forest in an instant. That is the power of the mind-body. Deep mysteries can reveal themselves and we stand in awe at what is possible for our inner life to thrive, and how well we managed during the drought.

From Fight and Flight to 'Rest, Digest and Feather Your Nest’

Body Centred therapy for Healthcare professionals  

Deep Healing in nature

Take the time to find a safe and supportive space to let go, refresh and breath freely again.

The events of covid times have created a trauma response in many front-line and support workers. 

This means chronic stress, exhaustion and burn-out.

The thing with trauma is, it lives in our bodies, not just our minds, and we can't just talk ourselves out of it when the danger passes. 

It spills over into our daily lives, and can have us numbing down, or freaking out at little things.

As a body-centered therapist my expertise is in movements and practices that have you gain the trust of your body and watching as the mind follows.

In this weekend retreat:

~ you will learn ways to structure a safe feeling into your days

~ you'll be able to turn off the vigilance, and

~ spend many more hours a day in the playful, open way we wish for

~ set healthy boundaries around work / home divide

~ process any grief, resentment and long standing issues with the work environment

Your energies will be freed up for creative self-care, not needless self-defence.

The upward spiral starts happening for you.

Join Katie for embodied mental wellbeing either at her workshop series in beautiful yoga studios or on retreat.

Deep Healing Retreat

September 9 -11

Continental House, Hepburn Springs

Come and join convivial meals

and time in nature,shared with friends.

Return to a home you love

being in,

and a body that loves you back. 

There is so much more you will let go of and learn.

• Breath practices

• Polyvagal movements for stress & trauma release

• Effortless Home redesign principles so your dwelling loves you back

• Free Yoga Therapy Session worth $85
  

The deep science where microbes meet psychiatry and heart attacks

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12967-022-03296-9

I talk a lot about synergy and synchronicity to my clients, because everything has to work In harmony in order to bring about homeostasis.

The human microbiome is no exception and although all of our microbiomes have the ability to cross communicate, the gut microbiome has recieved the most attention. Dysbiosis (leaky gut) is finally becoming recognised as a disruptor of human homeostasis.

The gut microbiota supports the functioning of many organs, including the lungs, kidneys, liver, heart and brain.

This researcher looked specifically at the gut/kidney axis and it turns out a special bacteria called oxalobacter formigenes can turn on and off SLC transporters to control oxalate absorption and secretion across the gut wall AND then determine how the SLC transporters in the kidney behave - how amazing is that? And that’s just one microbe!

Any disruption to microbiota homeostasis results in the malfunctioning of specifically affected organs, and the progression of many related diseases.

This review has some great information on gut microbiome communication. It is important to not focus solely on the gut because all microbiomes matter.

Please do have a read

https://lnkd.in/eZ9MFNyJ

Take a look at the infographics on the internet. They help give a picture of very complex things illustrated in simple ways.

Image taken from another good read: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnint.2020.00044/full

#gutmicrobiome #gutbrainconnection #gutkidneyconnection#gutlungconnection #microbiome #homeostasis

The secret benefits of yoga and how a shift in culture might bring the body back to its subtlest form

Four minute read

A regular mind-body practice like yoga, Tai Chi and Chi Gung, affords the practitioner very clear benefits that I never hear mentioned. It is as though it is a secret. I aim to be close with other like-minded yogis yet I feel there is something about our experience of yoga that is lacking clear articulation. Not just to our students, but even among senior level teachers of yoga.

What is it? I wonder if I can clearly describe what I deeply wish to convey.

My morning Tai Chi & Chi Gung in the park is directed by the body. This time is an hour of body lead, felt movement in which the mind is attentive, watching and following its bliss. I protect it as the source of life in my life.

I feel it is important to discern the subtle yet extraordinary difference between the mind’s direction and the body’s direction. To know when the mind has the reigns is useful. And to know when the body speaks louder and directs the action, is beautiful. It is a raw kind of intelligence that comes from a place of trust.

Stillness is a place where subtleness thrives and so this meditation video I made describes how the body can lead us into better alignment if we can be a little more still for a moment and let it be heard.

In the park among trees and sky, or in meditation, fully embodied, there is spontaneity: my movement is responding to what is actually felt, alive in me and happening right now. It is incredibly beautiful to witness ones own unraveling and re-emerging.

I would like to say there are no words to describe it, but my job is to find the words. For now, Vanda Scaravelli, Diane Long (Italy), Louise Simmons (Scotland) and Caroline Hutton (Bali) are teachers who I feel have found the words. I am so grateful to have spent time in their presence.

Is the mind seperate from the body?

Yes and No.

The body-mind is one interrelated vehicle of consciousness. Separating them has been a source of problems, particularly in a culture where the body is told to be subservient to the mind.

Our culture and societal norms have a part to play

A body forced to sit in chairs most of the day as required by work is then also required to sit upright again even at play: at restaurants, at the movies and during visits to friends houses. This is a body without agency, without voice. Without consciously realising it, the body is constantly supressed and neglected. Infact, misrepresented. Because how we use the body affects how it can be represented to the mind through fascia and the nervous system and therefore how we come to think of it. The body becomes an ignorant object like a sack we have to drag with us through life. This is a gross misrepresentation, because the body is radiant, round and rhythmic.

Without movement, it is unable to process past stress and traumas. It is not able to heal, renew and start fresh. And so the mind, the person, suffers from our restrictions on the body.

My daily hour of embodied practice in nature is a time when past patterns and social norms do not own me. At least not for that hour. And if I am brave, even places like work or a friends place or a bus stop can’t keep my body’s rights shut up.

My body is my own and I can shape it how I want. I can stand at a friend’s house, I can stretch at the bus stop and I can eat dinner in sukhasana at a low table on the floor. The rebel in me can shine a little in the name of good health and cultivating a society that will allow it.

For good or for bad

Many of the body’s urges can be labelled as unhelpful. Sometimes unwanted cravings, other times aversions to things we know we should do. So when listening to the body’s urges in a daily-life-setting it will, unlike Tai Chi in the park, include all the habits we have collected along the way: sugar, salt, pleasure or not pleasure, and other forms of immediate gratification or mortification.

When you think of a time you crave or avoid something do you see it as a mind directed thing or a body directed thing. It can be helpful to think of it as a bit of both.

Yoga understands that the mind has two levels: Buddhi and Manas. I think of Buddhi as the “Higher Mind” that is not limited to the body’s needs and preferences. Manas is the ““Lower Mind” and is inextricable linked to the body. The body or manas, the part of the mind that is inextricably connected to the body, can be listened to or it can be ignored.

A tight back of the neck and shoulders is a common thing people spend their day ignoring.

I am considering that actually, it is the culture of demonising the body’s messages that causes the real problem. Because if we listen to something respectfully, good things happen.

I think we are evolving away from centuries of our body-blaming past.

As a culture, and certainly through the contributions of the tantric streams of yoga, we are becoming nuanced enough to see the beauty and delights in these bodily desires, when managed well. A body with too much sugar & salt is an unhappy body and will crave the cleansing quality of water very quickly. So there is a natural intelligence when we allow the craving, meet the need and manage the outcome.

The body says ‘enough now’ and the mind follows, which then directs our behaviour / actions.

However, a repressed body, that is not readily listened to, will not be heard on time and its warnings will be under-resourced: like a tummy that was not listened to and now aches from gobbling too much chocolate, or a spine that was not listened to and now has worn discs and brittle bones.

Having listened in I now eat mejool dates instead of chocolate, almonds instead of biscuits and Kombucha instead of processed juice. For my spine, I fuss about with cushions and pillows to work at my computer desk, or watch a movie. I rush to my Chi Gung / Yoga practice as though rushing to a lover, and I breathe all the way from thighs to crown. The results are extraordinary levels of health and wellbeing.

I am not recommending this for others. I am simply sharing my body-mind experiences as I witness them. What I do recommend is listening-in with some depth and regularity and with great curiosity.

With the rise of yoga, well trained naturopaths, less processed food and creative working environments, our culture is fast evolving to bring the body back into our lives. But when it comes to yoga and teaching it and speaking about it, are the building blocks there? Are teachers equipped with the basic skills to discern body intelligence and to then reach out and teach it? Or is the language of the body still absent from current yoga teachings?

If you are a student in a yoga class, have you been encouraged to listen in and allowed to follow the spontaneous arisings? Does the class provide space for you to follow your own inner knowing, intuition? Is the locus of control with you or the teacher? Are you encouraged to be self-referencing?

Listening In

How deeply can you listen to your body? Is the spine happy right now? Right now, you may take a look. Move a little if it helps you feel more into the spine. Is the neck happy? Your shoulders? Your jaw, mouth and tongue?

I am an open invitation for us all to bring the body back into our life, into our felt, present experience of the now. Ask the body simple honest questions. Let it speak. It can know immeasurable freedoms. One’s yoga time is the place to practice body led awareness. It is not easy to teach, but there is an art and science to it.

Following along to a teacher’s instructions is mind leading the movement. Clients have many times shared with me how the yoga class forces them to override what is actually requested by the body. Even having a home practice based on a preset sequence, again, is mind enforcing its will on the body. This is why we must take yoga classes and strict yoga disciplines within the context of their limitations. They are experiences that do not inherently pass on the wisdom of yoga, the wisdom of your body-mind. They are the training ground, but not always the nectar.

So the secret of yoga of great interest to me is the ability to clearly feel and allow the positive direction movement wishes to take in us:

Yoga is

In the full flexion of the foot when pushing off

to take the next step,

and in the swing of the arms

that opens the lungs to a clearer breath

If my style of Yoga Therapy (and Womanly Yoga and Scaravelli Inspired Yoga) all keep body-led awareness at their core, then I am pleased to teach in that special way.

If there is a secret then we are the keepers.

Listen in. Be your yoga in your life. Be in your beautiful and intelligent body. All the messages are there. With a special kind of yoga and a keen interest, you will certainly be on a the path and you already know the way. If I can help, I will.

Thanks you, this was a big read and I hope your body got something out of it.

Katie