Wrestling with Collective Trauma

I just listened to a talk this morning discussing the importance of acknowledging and addressing collective and historical trauma, how trauma gets passed through the generations, and the critical work each of us can take in returning to our roots, reclaiming our authenticity, and remembering who we are beyond what the world has dictated upon us.

The more I have entered into the realm of trauma-informed care, the more I have been wrestling with the ways society has inflicted its brokenness onto me, throwing me into implied shame that didn't necessarily belong to me. "You're too much. You're too sensitive. You're too emotional." People all around me in regular life, in religious circles, and even within my own family had conditioned me to hide my heart, to act logically, and to mold into a society I was never ever built for.

As I witness the projections, blame shifting, and gaslighting on a national stage, my heart breaks for anyone who has been in the grips of psychological and emotional abuse, oppression, or living in the "margins of society." I have been wrestling this entire year with what I'm witnessing and the recognition of the damage it is doing to society as a whole. I not only see the pain, but continue to deeply feel it course through my body.

At the same time, I am grateful to witness the counterattack rooted in love, justice, and defense of those being harmed. I'm grateful for my own opportunity to show up in others' lives with gratitude, joy, and love emanating within and through me, knowing that this is my own way of countering the collective trauma that actively swirls around us.

If you are caught in the grips of feeling deep grief, fear, and despair, I want you to know you are not alone in that wrestling. These times are shaking us up, laying bare the wounds of our ancestors that still reside hidden within our own genetic makeup, and offering us an opportunity to return to authenticity, integrity, and choosing a different path that allows our inherent voice and wisdom guide our actions. It is no easy task to show up courageously authentic in a world bent on forcing compliance through acts of agression and psychological warfare. It's an act of brave defiance to chart a new path, choose a different narrative, and take time to deeply feel what our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers weren't able to.

So, how do we reclaim our authenticity when we are actively wrestling with potential triggers lurking in our news feeds, social media accounts, workplaces, schools, and communities?

The first step is to acknowledge with grace and compassion what is coming up for us in our bodies and through our emotions. Having a safe outlet to express our anger and rage along with the varieties of emotions that come from grief and witnessing too much suffering is critical.

How can you create a sacred space in your home where you feel safe to honor the emotions, express them, and allow them to move through your body?

I personally have my altar with my eternal best friends and closest confidantes, Radha, Krishna, and Nitai Guar Nataraj present in external form on the altar. Their presence reminds me that they are always available and waiting for me to unload all of of the external baggage while offering me the warm embrace of their unconditional loving mercy. They are my safety in a world of chaos. I can interact them with authencticity, unfraid to feel what I feel, and to express what must be expressed. They are my shelter, and taking time every day to be present before them, laying down my burdens at their feet, and trusting they have a plan far greater than I can see pulls me back into love, gratitude, and compassion as I continue to experience life's various adventures, tragedies, grief, joys, and miracles.

For some this eternal best friend will be Jesus, for others, Allah, and still for others connecting with nature, crystals, stones, and sacred fire will be the means. The key is to approach with a desire to love, to serve, and to connect to our core nature and see with eyes that see beyond our immediate circumstances, calling us into having faith in the greater plan.

Another way you can begin to reclaim who you are is through connecting deeply with nature. Walk barefoot on the grass. Talk with the trees and thank them for offering oxygen so you can breathe. Admire the flowers, creepers, and the variety of living entities surrounding you. Hear the sound of flowing water whether through rivers or the ocean waves crashing onto the beach. Engage your senses in the power of returning to nature through becoming curious about the ways nature offers an opportunity to pause and distance yourself from the busyness of city life.

I have personally cultivated the land surrounding my home as a sanctuary honoring all life. Native plants, pollinator gardens, fruit and veggie gardens, and dry river beds that are a part of my local natural landscape allows me the opportunity to step out of my house and enter into a natural sanctuary. Hanging a bird feeder surrounds my house with the song of the birds and the mischievousness of the squirrels trying to fill their cheeks with endless bounty. It continues to be a labor of love, and I'm embracing the way nature is reminding me that messiness and precision interact together to create a beautiful tapestry.

What if you don't have space to cultivate your own bit of nature around your house? Could you bring in a couple of houseplants, cultivate some healing herbs in a kitchen window, or bring in flowers to have in a vase somewhere in your house?

Another way of reclaiming your natural place and rhythm within this world is to reclaim sacred rituals that connect us with the all-encompassing energy of love and empowerment. These sacred rituals may be from your ancestry or from aspects of religion or spirituality that resonate deep within the core of your heart. One thing I'm finding fascinating as I research various ancient traditions and the variety of religious and spiritual traditions that are around today is their rootedness in song and dance, in reclaiming a child-like wonder, and in celebrating all that we have as a community together.

I live on ancient Native American land. Utah's history is rooted in an ancient tradition of several Native American tribes cultivating and living off the land. Pow Wows, pueblos, and petroglyphs reverberate this sacred history in the various national and state parks found here. Immersing myself in this history, taking part in witnessing the sacredness of the various tribe's Pow Wows and recognizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit in the sacred dance continues to fill my heart with awe and wonder.

At the same time, I'm filled with a deep grief knowing what my ancestors did to displace the natives, brutally steal their land, and shun them for being different. I can't turn a blind eye to the atrocities of my own ancestry inflicting unimaginable pain on those who were simply doing their best to live in harmony with their natural surroundings. It pains me deeply, and has been a part of my own inner reckoning, fueling my determination to love and serve others to the best of my capacity through the power of deep listening, compassion, and empathy.

I find it amazing that the Native American Pow Wows hold the same sacred energy as my own chanting of East Indian mantras and ecstatically dancing to the rhythm of the music. It is the same engery spoken in different languages and through different rituals. Islam chants the 99 names of God, Catholicism has the Georgain chants on their rosary, and I have the Maha Mantra or the Hare Krishna mantra which is chanted on japa mala beads. The power of sound vibration, in combination with ecstatic dance, has the power to transport us into the sacred eternal space where every word is a song and every movement is a dance, offering our souls a chance for deep rest rooted in eternal connection.

How amazing is it that the ancient traditions all share such sacred unity within the variety of the rituals? The rituals may vary, but the energy is one. Therefore, if there is a ritual that calls to you, that sings in your heart, and causes you to dance, then go with it, flow with it, and allow it to dissipate that which is weighing you down. I am all about personalizing any religious or spiritual practice to meet individual needs, desires, and propensities. This is how we cultivate a mood of unity in diveristy that transcends all traditions and connects us deeply to the original heartbeat of eternal life.

Spending a few moments each day to pause, center ourselves, and embrace silence can give our true nature room to breathe, refresh, and rejuvenate in ways that propel us forward, soothe the chaos of personal and collective trauma, and remind us of our wholeness, uniqueness, and inherent value. There's no need for action; we simply need to exist, to listen, and to heed the inner voice. These are whispers from the depths of our inner sanctuary, filled with boundless and nurturing love, grace, and wisdom that are everlasting and beyond comparison.