In January of 2018, I attended a workshop at Kripalu called Your Body Keeps the Score. I thought it was going to provide me with relaxation techniques to help manage my symptoms of PTSD. Boy was I mistaken! It was a great informative workshop and it opened my eyes to how little progress I was making with the traditional therapy route that I had been doing what seemed like my whole life. So it led me on a very important journey.
A few years ago I had taken a few Kundalini classes in Milford, New Hampshire at the same time I was in my STOTT PILATES Teacher Training. I went three times and after the second and third class, I was feeling not only angry, but hostile. I decided I was going to quit because I didn’t like feeling angry. After my workshop in January and learning more information on the treatment of trauma, I decided to contact Sarah Brassard because she is an expert on the treatment of trauma through meditation and yoga.
I attended a weekend workshop with Sarah which was an intensive detox, yoga and mediation weekend two weeks after returning from Kripalu. Something changed within me from this one weekend. I can’t pinpoint anything specific, but it was a positive change. I hired Sarah as my meditation coach and I have been practicing for over 5 months now.
There were some definite lows over the course of the program. A few times I wanted to quit. The biggest challenge was taking ownership of it all. The only control we have is over our own thoughts and behaviors. We can’t do anything to change someone else’s behavior no matter how much we complain or focus on it. I am not saying this is an easy transition. I think I will be forever working on it. My other personal challenge as a massage therapist and an empath is acting overly responsible. For example, if a client doesn’t get better or stops seeing me, I would go crazy thinking about what I could have done differently to change the outcome. I have shifted my thought process to be present for the client and do the best I can to help in their pain or whatever is going on for them.
In addition to having Sarah Brassard as my coach during this process, she wrote a book called Inside. We would reference the book during my program and it has been a wonderful guide and companion to my spiritual practice. In order to embark on a practice like this, you really have to be ready to change and understand that you do not have to be a victim of circumstance. If you are trying to find a spiritual solution to anxiety, depression, PSTD and feel like you have hit a wall, consider purchasing this book, Inside, by Sarah Brassard. It was a wonderful read and when I was reading this book, it gave me hope and motivation to keep going with my practice. Her website also has many resources: http://sarahbrassard.com.
Do you have any relaxation techniques or meditations that are helpful? Please feel free to share them here.
