A Guide To Moving Energy And Healing Trauma In Trying Times

In the wake of tumultuous global events, including a tragic war in Ukraine and extreme flooding here in Australia - including our local community in Byron Bay -  many of us have been feeling the ‘heaviness’ of the overall collective energy for a while now. 

This is perfectly natural because the Truth of us is that we are all interconnected beings. We are all affected one way or another by what is happening around us, and around the planet no matter how far away. Whenever there is a blockage to the harmonious flow of energy, there is always a reaction and disturbance that follows. The great healing traditions of the world all knew this, and developed ways to move this collective energy by first moving the energy through themselves. So how do we ‘move’ the current energy through our collective field? How do we care for ourselves responsibly during these intensely challenging times, and thus also contribute to shift the collective in a life-positive way? 

We begin by learning how to move this energy through ourselves, and look to  the innate intelligence of Nature to show us how…. This post is about some tried and true ways to move energy and heal trauma based on our instinctual natural healing capacity.

The first is the breath.

It is free. It is always with us and it is possibly the most potent way to shift and move energy. Through the breath we are able to unify our mind with our body, to assimilate and eliminate the energy we are exposed to, to calm our nervous system, expand into consciousness and achieve inner peace. But all these benefits come from breathing correctly and consciously. If we are not breathing fully, correctly and consciously, we do not receive these benefits. In fact, often when we are stressed or afraid, we hold our breath, or breathe in a shallow way that actually raises our cortisol levels. 

So how do we breathe consciously in a way that helps us move the energy?

Start with breathing through your nose. (A huge amount of research has shown that just shifting to nose instead of mouth breathing can have far reaching effects on our health and wellbeing.) Then start to observe the depth and length of your breath, aiming for slow and long to relieve stress. Feel as if you are breathing deeply - as if to your belly. This intention allows your diaphragm to fully expand, often quickly resulting in a feeling of presence, grounded-ness and calm. 

In his book Breath: The Science and Art of a Lost Art, James Nestor has gathered research from both modern medical studies, elite athletes and many spiritual traditions. He concluded that inhaling for 5 and a half seconds, holding for a moment, and then exhaling for a count of 5 and a half seconds is best, whether resting or running, to balance your nervous system, heart beat and allow for an optimum response to what is required of you in the moment. 

There are also many other breathing exercises that support trauma release, building energy in the body and moving energy in a positive way. These can be explored with breath work experts to help find the technique most suitable and supportive for you at the time. 

As you progress with your conscious breathing, you can observe the direction of the flow of energy in your body, aiming for the current to flow down the front of the body (to move energy that is not supportive) and up the back of the body through the spine (to energise and enliven your energy). Conscious breathing will help to keep this circuit flowing and naturally move energy in the most positive way, for you, and thus for everyone and everything around you. 

The next is to literally ‘move’

By physically moving we can ‘shake off’ stuck energy and allow our natural healing intelligence to flow and help us to heal. 

Dance, run, jump, shake, stretch, swim… move! Follow your natural instincts and allow your body to help you move all of the stuck energy it has absorbed. Move on a daily basis and especially as part of your recovery after a traumatic episode. 

Peter Levine observed how animals in Nature are able to physically shake after a traumatic encounter, and thus reset their nervous systems and capacity to respond appropriately to the next moment. He also observed how, as humans, we can get stuck in the trauma and how debilitating this can be. This formed the basis of his work - Somatic Experiencing - which has impacted trauma recovery the world over. Connect with his work, and empower yourself, your friends and family with this knowledge: we can heal from trauma. 

“I have come to the conclusion that human beings are born with an innate capacity to triumph over trauma. I believe not only that trauma is curable, but that the healing process can be a catalyst for profound awakening—a portal opening to emotional and genuine spiritual transformation. I have little doubt that as individuals, families, communities, and even nations, we have the capacity to learn how to heal and prevent much of the damage done by trauma. In so doing, we will significantly increase our ability to achieve both our individual and collective dreams.”

― Peter A. Levine, Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body

“Trauma has become so commonplace that most people don't even recognize its presence. It affects everyone. Each of us has had a traumatic experience at some point in our lives, regardless of whether it left us with an obvious case of post-traumatic stress. Because trauma symptoms can remain hidden for years after a triggering event, some of us who have been traumatized are not yet symptomatic.”

― Peter A. Levine, Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma

Connect with Nature directly.

The healing power of Nature is without doubt. 

Whether that is cleansing your aura in a body of healing water such as the Ocean, a stream or a lake, a shower or bath filled with mineral salts, or even forest bathing - immersing in a wild place and absorbing the sounds, scents and feeling of the plants, air and wildlife - the healing power of Nature will amplify your innate healing capacity to let go, reset, and restore.

Nature is constantly moving energy to transform life from seeming chaos into harmony. This forms the basis of the bioenergetic principles we follow in the creation of all our products. By inhaling one of our bioenergetic essential oils, or consciously applying one of our skincare products with a healing touch, you are loving your body, the earth and connecting with the vital movement of pure Nature. Physical and emotional health are connected, so by consciously caring for the physical body through more enlightened self care, you are also consciously caring for your emotional state and helping to shift energy for yourself, your loved ones, and the world around you. 

Be witnessed, be HELD

Talking with an empathetic listener or therapist, receiving an intuitive massage, energy healing, EMDR, tapping or acupuncture treatment, are all powerful ways to ‘move’ energy. 

It is so important to either speak through and thus release the trauma we have experienced, or if speaking about it is not possible, to access the trauma locked in the body somatically through the healing touch of an empathetic therapist trained in trauma release. 

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All of the above moved us to create a bioenergetic Aromatherapy response to help move energy. Held Aromatic Roll-on is a holistic healing tool designed to be used in conjunction with breath work, movement and somatic therapy to support the recovery of all of those directly affected or on the front lines of relief efforts. Held Aromatic Roll-ons are donated to various relief centres while 100% of sales go to The Flood Relief Fund. 

Join us for a free workshop to learn how to process difficult emotions and move energy.