Greetings, Reader!

After four intensive days talking directly to my pain, I feel more like myself than I have in a long time.

I spent last weekend at an immersive SomatoEmotional Release through CranioSacral Therapy training where I was lovingly held, supported, and challenged to have direct conversations with my Pain* (*Capital P pain, for me, encompasses all forms of suffering, not just physical pain).

Instead of wrestling with the pain, I got really curious about it. During one session, I saw this pain as a scared, suffering child who wanted to be seen, but also wanted to hide; who wanted to be loved, but also felt unlovable; and who wanted to stay, but also desperately wanted to flee. I could feel this push and pull as a sharp, throbbing pain in the left side of my neck, and I could feel the imprint of an emotional scar that I've been struggling to move beyond for a long time.

I will admit that feeling this pain was difficult, but I knew it was exactly what I needed to do, and that I had the support and resources to do it.

Instead of asking, "How do I make this better?" or "How do I make you go away?" I asked, "Why are you still here?" and "What do you need to feel safe?"

The pain told me that she felt threatened and unloved. I let myself feel her pain, and felt the tightness of her fear constricting inside my throat. I let myself cry for both of us, and I allowed myself to forgive her.

It felt incredibly powerful to let her speak, and as I witnessed and stayed with the pain without turning away or hiding, it started to loosen. After listening deeply, she said that she finally felt understood. I gave her permission to go, and I could feel the pain in my neck unwind. My head started to turn from side to side, and my classmates who were guiding me followed the rhythm of my body until I settled into a stillpoint and fell into a deep peace.

SomatoEmotional Release is a way to release past trauma and tissue memory from the body, mind, spirit, and soul. By the end of this one session, I felt like I had integrated this difficult time in my life in a way that no amount of cognitive therapy would have accomplished because I didn't need to change the way I thought about the situation, I needed to let myself actually feel and release it.

It was powerful to be so lovingly and gently guided through the journey, and to let my body be held and assisted through the unwinding process.

I feel radically transformed by this experience. I've always been a pretty grounded, centered person, but now I feel a steadiness that has penetrated all the way into the marrow of my bones, and I've been sleeping like a champ all week!

Between SomatoEmotional Release practice, and CranioSacral Therapy for the Avenue of Expression, which releases tension through the throat and the inside of the mouth, I feel attuned to my inner wisdom, and confident about my voice.

And, a surprising added benefit from this weekend is that my neck and shoulder range of motion quite magically improved. After two years of dealing with frozen shoulder, first in my left arm and now in my right, this feels like a particularly special gift.

I feel like I've unlocked a secret level I didn't know was available, and I'm so inspired to share these practices with you. This work enables the resolution of trauma and reorients the nervous system so you can actually heal. Each session is guided by your inner wisdom, and reveals what your body already knows.

Would you like to experience it for yourself?

In love and solidarity,

Rachel Doctor of Physical Therapy & Integrative Pain Specialist Healing begins when your nervous system feels safe. Rewire your nervous system and break the cycles of chronic pain, depletion, burnout, and overwhelm so you can be fully present for what matters most in your life.

PS: I'm feeling called to deepen my practice through intentional, immersive experiences. If you are looking for extended support unraveling the roots of pain so that you can finally move beyond the patterns that are no longer serving you, I'd love to meet with you. I invite you to schedule a free Nervous System Attunement Strategy Session. You'll get clear on what your nervous system needs and what is keeping you stuck, and we can develop a customized plan tailored to your unique nervous system to help you feel like yourself again. Book some time on my calendar. I'd love to help you find a path forward.