A few months back an artist friend reached out regarding drawing a portrait of me for an art contest/showcase. Her idea was a “Wild Woman” theme based on commuting trauma to triumph. She wanted to take some professional photos for the project, and it struck me that this opportunity could fit perfectly with an idea…
Everyday I learn that trauma is more physical than I realized. It is also a connecter, a path to shared empathy and relating. Watching the video below was surreal at times, almost like my brain was waiting for this information, but also familiar with the content. My whole perspective on trauma and addiction changed immediately.…
Let’s talk about trauma for a second. It garners it strength in silence and shame. In the ego brain that worries about what others think or tells us we don’t need help. Sometimes that silence is rooted in physical or sexual trauma, and few like to talk about or let alone deal with that. Sometimes…
I recently completed three kambo sessions followed by a bufo ceremony to wrap up an intense 7 days. My kambo scars have healed and I am still reflecting on the understanding I gained from bufo. Last night I was meditating and remembered the feeling of encountering my soul during the ceremony. I am not this…
I had my warrior initiation today. We are about 2000 feet up in the Amazon jungle. I heard about the bullet ants here, but didn’t think I would get bit by one the very next day. Supposedly it’s the most painful insect bite on Earth. The pain was instant, excruciating and continuous for almost 8…
The best thing I learned in the past seven days is how powerful laughter is. Laughter replaced fear for me the moment I let go. I learned something that day that would influence the next few days as we made our way back to the states for the holidays. Intellectually I understood the concept of…
This morning I woke up to a song that I couldn’t remember at first. Just the guitar cords, later I realized it was “House of the Rising Sun” as I heard the distinctive version by The Animals in my head. House of the rising sun circling in my head on a full moon day to…
The funny (not at first) thing I learned on the healing journey is that it’s not a straight line. There’s no magical moment when you say “Whew, I am healed! Glad that trauma thing is over.” Yes, I can heal my body and my mind by processing memories and experiencing all of my emotions, but…
“Sooner or later, life is going to lead us into the belly of the beast, into a place we can’t fix, control, explain, or understand. That’s where transformation most easily happens—because only there are we in the hands of God—and not self-managing. Suffering is the only thing strong enough to destabilize the imperial ego. The…
Reading the Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. This book gives me life over and over again. It’s like remembering long forgotten wisdom. Including this poem by Thayumanavar: “You may control a mad elephant; You may shut the mouth of the bear and the tiger; Ride the lion and play with the cobra; By…