Written by Joy Seunarine
Do you remember an experience of hearing bad news? Can you remember your reaction? Sometimes it’s screaming, sometimes hyperventilating or sometimes a sharp intake of breath or a sense that you’ve been kicked in the stomach. These are the visceral responses to shock. Eventually these responses soften and we forget about them. However, these responses can be held in the tissues of our bodies.
In the wild when animals are faced with dangers, they instinctively know how to clear the shock. Once they know they are safe, animal shake. They shake and shiver which clears the adrenaline coursing through their system. The animal is now fully present in the now moment. If animals carried the shock within themselves, they lose the sharp edge of alertness; protection needed for predators and other dangers.
Unfortunately, we humans are not so smart. Or we have forgotten this instinctual, raw method of survival. Consequently, many people walk around in shock, Adrenalin flooding their system, with embodied memories from traumatic events.
Put aside your reaction to the word ‘trauma’ and look at your life. Can you see the times when you’ve had startling news or unprecedented events? We have all had small and big traumas.
The good news is: There are many ways that shock can be cleared from the body.
As a body worker there are multiple ways that shock can be released during treatments. The adrenals, which produce adrenaline, can become drained and exhausted with unresolved shock. I have learned how to work with the adrenals to help reset the balance. CranioSacral therapy provides tools to work with the vagus nerve to reset our body to a sense of rest, restoration and well-being. A colleague, Anne Braund P.T. has developed a proprietary protocol that also addresses shock. These are just a few ways to clear the history of traumatic events from the tissues.
Since Covid almost everyone in my practice, displays evidence of shock. Each and every person has been challenged with abrupt change when the pandemic started; a response that is still carried in the body.
There is another technique, easy to learn, called tension release exercise (TRE) that can be done at home. This is a series of positions which triggers the body to shake and shiver. I find it valuable as a self-care practice. About three months ago, on my morning walk, a car narrowly missed hitting me as it turned onto the street I was crossing. I fell and got up immediately and continued walking. I remembered to pull out these exercises repeating them for five days. The injuries from my fall cleared quickly.
There are many ways to address this flight, fight, or freeze response. Reach out if you would like to receive a session to address shock in your body.
Stress fuels growth. It provides healthy Impulses to stretch, grow and expand. The key is diligence to balance expansion with rest. A healthy well balanced system is in the present, alert and reactive. You deserve that.
About Joy:
