

I just would like to share a wonderful review of "The body keeps the score"
"My body has not been my friend since age 8; it's been something I was afraid would draw negative attention, be it verbal or physical. I could not move individual parts of my body to exercise; the body was a whole, frozen thing; it didn't have parts that moved separately, like in belly dancing, or most dancing actually, or could be exercised or enjoyed apart from others. My body didn't have any hinges. My body was my prison, my cage, but also the hard thing that protected the soft inner parts of me, my brain, my feelings, my sadness, my loneliness; my love of animals, flowers, and the beauty of the earth; I could hide those things inside my body. My body was the robot I lived in. I didn’t have control over it; I couldn’t relax it; it was always stiff and tight; it wasn’t safe to relax. It was always on alert for hidden dangers.
Anyway, I hated my body; it was my enemy, my betrayer, something to be ashamed of, hidden and just exist with and inside of. My body wasn’t me; it was a stranger that I was trapped inside of. So, I first read Waking the Tiger and that amazed me how our bodies become frozen when we’re not allowed to express and release the traumatic feelings, or don’t let ourselves. That book sort of awakened me to all my body had done for me, and basically how much old, chronic pain it had been in while I’d been despising, and being ashamed of it all this time! Then I began searching for trauma and how it affected the body information. I ran across this as an audiobook in 2015, and I have listened to it I think 4 times now. So much information is in here that was super helpful to me. I can recognize when I’ve gone through a trauma, like hitting an animal with my car, and just letting my body cry to release that tension. I’ve become more familiar with my body and recognize “where” I feel certain emotions. I never paid attention to any of that before; it just happened. I am beginning to realize that my body is a miracle and I need to take care of it, love and accept it and treat it well; it’s not just emotional trauma; everything is remembered in the body. I’ve spoken to some massage therapists and they say they’ve had people just break down and cry when certain parts of their body are massaged; it’s releasing some memory, some pain, some shame that their body has been holding onto. I had that happen to me and I was so embarrassed, once again, by my body. I wasn’t in control of it and that was shameful to me; but it sure meant something to my body that I didn’t remember, or had blocked out. My body was releasing something that had been frozen. As I continue to recognize, appreciate, and heal my body, I am feeling more, and being able to move my hips, my head. I actually have more control over my body and know what it feels like to be able to relax; that is a wonderful gift. I am taking enjoyment in my body once again after decades and feeling like it’s a part of me; that we’re an amazing team.
If any of this makes sense to you; I would encourage you to read/listen to these books and look deeper into you and what has hurt you, and how you can help your body learn to feel again, and be happier. Your body is your friend and it’s a wonderful one in so many ways.
"My body has not been my friend since age 8; it's been something I was afraid would draw negative attention, be it verbal or physical. I could not move individual parts of my body to exercise; the body was a whole, frozen thing; it didn't have parts that moved separately, like in belly dancing, or most dancing actually, or could be exercised or enjoyed apart from others. My body didn't have any hinges. My body was my prison, my cage, but also the hard thing that protected the soft inner parts of me, my brain, my feelings, my sadness, my loneliness; my love of animals, flowers, and the beauty of the earth; I could hide those things inside my body. My body was the robot I lived in. I didn’t have control over it; I couldn’t relax it; it was always stiff and tight; it wasn’t safe to relax. It was always on alert for hidden dangers.
Anyway, I hated my body; it was my enemy, my betrayer, something to be ashamed of, hidden and just exist with and inside of. My body wasn’t me; it was a stranger that I was trapped inside of. So, I first read Waking the Tiger and that amazed me how our bodies become frozen when we’re not allowed to express and release the traumatic feelings, or don’t let ourselves. That book sort of awakened me to all my body had done for me, and basically how much old, chronic pain it had been in while I’d been despising, and being ashamed of it all this time! Then I began searching for trauma and how it affected the body information. I ran across this as an audiobook in 2015, and I have listened to it I think 4 times now. So much information is in here that was super helpful to me. I can recognize when I’ve gone through a trauma, like hitting an animal with my car, and just letting my body cry to release that tension. I’ve become more familiar with my body and recognize “where” I feel certain emotions. I never paid attention to any of that before; it just happened. I am beginning to realize that my body is a miracle and I need to take care of it, love and accept it and treat it well; it’s not just emotional trauma; everything is remembered in the body. I’ve spoken to some massage therapists and they say they’ve had people just break down and cry when certain parts of their body are massaged; it’s releasing some memory, some pain, some shame that their body has been holding onto. I had that happen to me and I was so embarrassed, once again, by my body. I wasn’t in control of it and that was shameful to me; but it sure meant something to my body that I didn’t remember, or had blocked out. My body was releasing something that had been frozen. As I continue to recognize, appreciate, and heal my body, I am feeling more, and being able to move my hips, my head. I actually have more control over my body and know what it feels like to be able to relax; that is a wonderful gift. I am taking enjoyment in my body once again after decades and feeling like it’s a part of me; that we’re an amazing team.
If any of this makes sense to you; I would encourage you to read/listen to these books and look deeper into you and what has hurt you, and how you can help your body learn to feel again, and be happier. Your body is your friend and it’s a wonderful one in so many ways.


I heart your heart.
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