Resource, resilience and collective trauma
Nervous system regulation happens when we’re resourced. THIS is why healing is collective and trauma is systemic. THIS is why as we heal I hope we heal these systems that leave so many underresourced.
Resourcing is about what is outside of us, too.
It’s about the systems we live in.
It’s about the people in our lives.
It’s about .. what or who or where can we turn to when shit is hard?
It’s about .. are the helpers actually helping or retraumatizing or further oppressing us?
Resourcing can be this beautiful piece of nervous system regulation where we hold our own hearts or sway back and forth or tune into our breath and feel more grounded and present.
Yes. And.
Resourcing can also be about OUR RESOURCES.
Affluence. Proximity. Access. Privilege. Support. And/or lack thereof.
It can also be about the protective factors that help us to be resilient through traumatic experiences.
In this world, not everyone is resourced equally.
And not all resources come from the inside (although yes, those practices are powerful, too, and if they feel supportive please keep doing them!).
I hope that as we heal, as we hold our own hearts and nourish our own nervous systems, we can also hold that our systems need healing, too.
More to come on nervous system nourishment that doesn’t erase trauma (and healing) as a systemic and collective phenomenon soon.
XO Jess
Image description: an open window into a lush dark green forest and a tweet that reads: Nervous system regulation happens when we’re resourced. THIS is why healing is collective and trauma is systemic. THIS is why as we heal I hope we heal these systems that leave so many underresourced.
you don't owe anyone your story
You don’t owe anyone your story. If you are a practitioner, it doesn’t need to live in your bio. If you are a survivor of something, you don’t need to disclose your history or narrative.
Can it be healing to share a story or experience? Yes, of course. But frankly I’m a little tired of…
You don’t owe anyone your story. If you are a practitioner, it doesn’t need to live in your bio. If you are a survivor of something, you don’t need to disclose your history or narrative.
Can it be healing to share a story or experience? Yes, of course. But frankly I’m a little tired of this whole thing: “tell your story and you’ll be set free! share your story and help lift the shame and stigma!”
Shrug that pressure to be a changemaker off your shoulders. Only share your story if and when it feels safe to do so. (Because sadly, and that’ll be another ranty post, it doesn’t always feel safe to do so.) For those of us with stories, getting through is challenging enough. Why add more pressure?
Hold your story close and trust in your timing. Whether you share or not, make that choice for you.
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Jess Jackson, Soft Path Healing
Soft Path Healing is trauma-informed bodywork and nervous system nourishment in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Curious about working together? Feel free to be in touch.