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Do you Avoid?

Nadine Jones
Apr 29, 2017
5 min read

Protecting your Energy or Avoidance?

During the recent potlach and afterwards I heard many people talking about the intense energy they felt when they entered the building for the first time. People who spoke about this energy identified it as shear intense excitement along with the amount of Islanders whose energy they were unfamiliar with. Some people where invigorated by it. Some people left never to return and others did not even show up to start as they had already imagined it and did not want to experience this energy. Myself and a few others noticed the energy in the room, left for a few moments and then returned with our personal shields in place ready to sit and be a part of culture in our community.

Just as we protect mother earth’s energy by caring for her and looking after her and conserving her resources, we protect and conserve our own. It’s important to be aware of the impact of things, people, and activities on you and your energy.

What feeds you, charges you?

What drains and depletes you?

We can learn to protect ourselves in those situations. For me I imagine I’m holding a Zelda shield and do my best to notice when energy that drains me comes my way gently putting it up and deflecting the energy back to where it came from, like a dance with my shield. Others may imagine a mirror facing out or another protective barrier. The other weekend I stepped outside took in a few deep breaths, I didn’t allow the energy in the building to push me out, as this is where I wanted to be immersed in culture, learning, experiencing with family and friends, honouring my invitation to be a witness. Upon re-entering the building I remembered I had my shield and was ready face the unfamiliar energy of strangers and the intense excited energy of the wonderful event.

For some our large community gatherings can bring on anxiety and a shield can be used for coping with anxiety also. The most important thing to notice is, are you avoiding places, gatherings, events that you really want to attend because of anxiety or this intense energy? Are you living life to your fullest or feel held back? Sometimes we need to let go of people, places, and behaviors that don’t work for us anymore, that drain, exhaust, and deplete us, and sometime we need help to learn how to do the dance of the shield.

As you grow and become more aware of the energy around you, you’ll naturally learn to identify more clearly the energy that drains or negatively impacts your energy. You will learn to pay attention to the impact of certain people, places, behaviors, and events on your energy. Learn to listen to your body, your emotions, and your heart. Be gentle with yourself.

If you left and did not return or didn’t come to the Potlach at all, would you say this energy brought on anxiety for you? Do you find yourself avoiding doing things or going places?

Do you suffer from Trauma?

Doctors and Scientist have gradually come to understand that people in a wide variety of circumstances can suffer the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We know that traumatic events like war, severe accidents, or rape can lead to PTSD. In fact, anything that is experienced as threatening our survival or wellbeing can generate PTSD-like symptoms and have a negative impact on our day-to-day interactions and activities, this however does not mean you have PTSD. This does not mean there is no hope.

Some of us may have been traumatized early in life, such as repeated negative childhood events in the family, at school, or with friends. Sometimes, it is about feeling different from others, and suffer from the lack of support. Symptoms showed up in forms, like depression and anxiety, hypervigilance and even difficulty with reading.

I will take this even one step further as scientist now know that trauma is passed on through our DNA to a p

ersons children. I believe some of us maybe holding on to past generations trauma that needs to be move out, this includes anxiety. Some First Nations believe that our actions affect the seven generations in both directions. Think about that possibility.

If so many kinds of things can lead to so many kinds of symptoms, what really defines trauma?

Trauma is: anything that is too much, too soon, or too fast for our nervous system to handle, especially if we can’t reach a successful resolution. When I talk about trauma, it does not mean that the trauma leads to PTSD in adulthood; it may simply be a decreased ability to feel satisfaction, emotional or physical pleasure.

So, how is it that different people can go through similar events with different outcomes? What can we do to heal from these traumatic experiences? Or do we simply accept what happened and learn to live with our symptoms?

After being overwhelmed by something that has thrown us —whether it was a moment ago or decades ago—our nervous system needs to be “re-set.” Self Regulation Therapy is a holistic approach to establishing this natural flow between mind and body.

In any situation say for example a Potlach, where there is or there might be a threat to our well-being, it’s important to understand that we have no choice but to respond, and we have only three fundamental possible responses: flight, fight, or freeze.

You see my first response was flight I needed to get out.

These self-protective responses come pretty quickly and automatically from the reptilian brain. Nothing else matters but survival. The first impulse is usually flight, to try to get away. If that’s not possible (or we’ve learned from the past that it won’t work), then we go to fight. Finally—and only if neither of these will work—our systems go to freeze. When we freeze, our nervous system is doing two things: it is “playing dead” in the hope that the danger will pass without paying more attention to us, and it is shutting down to some degree so that if the danger doesn’t pass, we won’t feel the pain or suffering that’s coming.

This happens automatically.

With Self Regulation Therapy we understand that these symptoms merely indicate unresolved activation or energy “stuck” in the body. We want those symptoms to resolve. By noticing what happens and the sensations with in the body, allowing those natural self-protective impulses to be felt, bringing awareness to the micro-movements that allow the body to sense more fully the capacity to protect itself, we can learn to self-regulate and learn to determine between real life threatening danger and our minds perception or danger.

Slowly, we come to know what is safe and what is not safe, and we are able to stay present and in our bodies. We have a curiosity to explore sensations without avoidance or self-judgment. We become more resilient and we begin to trust that we can navigate our way through what is uncomfortable. Healing takes place, symptoms disappear, and we are free to be in the present without interference from the past.

Self Regulation Therapy helps us to learn to pay attention to what is happening inside our bodies and mind.