The Layers.
There are layers of hurt, fear, shame + ingrained within us.
As well as the love, passion, and curiosity that some where lucky to inherit.
Our cellular make-up, being determined by the experiences of those that came before us on a nervous system level. Individually (the joy, anger, trauma, passion experienced, and societally, whatever was happening in the world.
For the generation before me for example, women were very much of service; in their masculine and trying to survive. Assassinations, Wars (always happening and the affects from these), Civil Rights Movement, Feminist movement … gosh, I could go on. There is always something happening societally that keeps our systems out of wack … until we learn to disconnect and let go that is.
So as you can see, your healing isn’t just a one and done type of thing … it is layers of emotions (all the things that our minds and bodies feel during any of the events) that follow us around in means of tension, physiological things, mental health +
& each time that emotion arises, we are triggered into our fight/ flight/ freeze/ fawn response.
As you move through aspects of your healing, the layers will arise from those emotions. You’ll go from being able to identify them, feel them, and sometimes, come straight back to the og events that had you responsive in the first place to being able to sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously move through the emotions (energy in motion) that contribute to some much of us holding ourselves back.
Layers are also a bitch.
One minute you think you’re good and the next, something said or an emotion felt, brings you back to a time you thought you had worked through … only to show you another layer and teach you new lessons.
At one moment in time, your layers may be teaching you about forgiveness and another helping you move through the shame you may have felt in that time…
A commitment to self.
Healing is a Nonlinear Process…
You may experience setbacks, plateaus, or moments of regression before moving forward again, I believe that the setback set us up to catapult us forward if we choose to learn from them. The arrow effect, you can check out a little about it, here.
Layers arrive over time: Initial healing may address surface issues, while deeper layers of pain or trauma become accessible as you grow stronger.
Most important: The Readiness to Heal
Self-awareness matters: Each layer often becomes accessible only when you are ready to confront and integrate it.
Timing varies: Healing a particular layer might take days, months, or even years, depending on its complexity and your resources.
Holistic Healing
Mind-Body Connection: Emotional wounds can manifest as physical symptoms, and physical injuries can carry emotional burdens.
Interconnected dimensions: Healing one aspect of yourself often uncovers or triggers the need for healing in other areas (e.g., addressing physical health may bring up emotional trauma).
Uncovering Root Causes
Peeling back layers: Surface symptoms or issues (e.g., anxiety, chronic pain) often point to deeper underlying causes that need attention.
Complexity of trauma: Early life experiences, cultural conditioning, and generational wounds can form layers that take time to recognize and address.
Self-Compassion is Crucial
Patience with the process: Each layer requires time, effort, and care to work through your shit.
Avoiding judgment: It's normal to revisit old wounds or struggle with new ones as they arise.
Tools and Methods Vary Across Layers
Physical Layer: Involves addressing physical health through medical treatment, nutrition, exercise, and rest.
Emotional Layer: Requires tools like therapy, journaling, and emotional release techniques to process and resolve feelings.
Mental Layer: Challenges limiting beliefs, rewires thought patterns, and builds resilience.
Spiritual Layer: Involves finding meaning, connection, and inner peace through practices like meditation, mindfulness, or rituals.
Healing is not a destination
Integration is key: Healing often means incorporating lessons and changes into daily life rather than erasing past experiences.
Growth mindset: The process of healing itself can be transformative, leading to greater wisdom, empathy, and self-understanding.
How do you know to trust your healing, even when things are really, really hard?
Greater awareness: You have a deeper understanding of triggers, patterns, and personal needs.
Increased resilience: You can face life challenges with more ease and less reaction
Deeper connection: Stronger relationships with yourself and others… the most powerful.
