Your Body Holds the Story
“Our body is part of us. It is us. It holds the scars of our life to date, the stories of our life so far; it contains the wisdom and energy of what we need today and tomorrow." - Melody Beattie
We all have a story. Most likely several.
We inherit stories. We tell ourselves stories. We weave together stories with others that form community and provide belonging. Stories build us. They can break us. The stories we tell ourselves can make us ill and they can make us well. We even create art, produce films, and write books about stories.
Story is what makes us human, separating us from the animal kingdom. Story relies on memory and meaning. Our brains are designed to make meaning out of what we see and experience—a storyline—in order to help us sort and organize information. At the most primitive level, story helps us orient toward safety and to ensure our species will continue to carry on.
As a somatic-based therapist, I say that our bodies hold the stories of our lives. Especially in the realm of trauma. Our bodies hold our memories, both pleasant and unpleasant. Resolved or unresolved. When we’re carrying around “baggage”, we’re holding internally the unfinished emotional business (hurts, wounds, secrets, unresolved circumstances). In this state, our bodies tend to feel heavy, tired, anxious or depressed. And we can find ways to cope that aren’t necessarily ideal. As a Reproductive Trauma & Grief Specialist, I especially see this a lot following pregnancy termination / abortion.
As you are reading this, I wonder if you can recall a story or secret that’s still alive for you, but you haven’t addressed.
Let’s pause to reflect:
When you bring this to mind, what do you notice happening in your body?
Do you notice tightness, heaviness, pain, stiffness, or aches?
When’s the first time you recall experiencing any of these sensations in your body? What was happening in your life at that time?
Our bodies are speaking to us, attempting to get our attention...all the time. Unfortunately, we fall into overriding those messages with pain killers and prescriptions, other distractions. It’s tempting to tell ourselves “This is just part of growing older”.
What if you were willing to look into your body’s story?
From years of doing somatic-based work (especially my own!), I’ve discovered that by compassionately inquiring about unresolved events and emotionally-charged experiences (ie: trauma), and using gentle interventions, our physical symptoms subside. It’s like looking under the hood of the car to see what’s needing attention and reconnection.
You likely know the phrase: The body keeps the score. Somatic-based counseling / therapy is one way to approach tending to that score. We partner with the body to explore the “origin story” we’re holding on to, and we draw upon many techniques like Parts Work / Internal Family Systems, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT Tapping), PolyVagal Theory, and more. We go about it with gentleness, curiosity, and care.
If you’re reading this and recognizing your body is not at its optimal, I encourage you to exercise a willingness to look outside of the box of conventional medicine or traditional talk therapy. Consider somatic-based counseling / therapy as an avenue for insight and change.
More reflection points:
Has your body been calling out to you for attention lately?
If it had a message, what is it saying?
Now, take a gentle inhale….a gentle exhale. Great work!
At some point, we’ve got to reckon with the stories we carry inside. If you’re ready to do this with compassion and care, I’m here to help and to walk with you.
I look forward to supporting you on your journey.
~ ~ ~
Love, C
Christine Slomski, MS, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in integrative counseling services focusing on: anxiety, trauma, grief & loss, chronic illness, infertility, reproductive loss, and women’s mental health.
Hi, I’m Christine Slomski, a Licensed Professional Counselor, EMDR Therapist, EFT Tapping Practitioner & Reproductive Grief & Trauma Specialist in Mesa, Arizona. I’m here to help you find your way back to Calm.
My work supports healing from within, using a Mind, Heart, Body, and Spirit model. I’m professionally and personally qualified to walk with you through the hard places, believing you already have within you the components to heal, transform, and thrive.
With love,
Christine