And the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.
T.S Eliot
What is Post-traumatic Growth?
Many people think trauma only applies to extreme situations like death or violence. However, as Stephen Joseph explains, a traumatic event is anything that tears at the psychological skin that protects us, leaving us emotionally wounded. Trauma is an event that leaves us exposed and causes a deep sense of loss; it causes us to grieve.
Any big transition that takes us away from our routine or challenges our core beliefs about how life should be is traumatic and can trigger grief. This can include loss of life, health, love and even a loss of normalcy or expectation. Understanding this can help us to recognize our trauma and grief and be better able to process and heal.
Most of us are familiar with the idea of Post-Traumatic Stress as a reaction to trauma, but what about Post-Traumatic Growth? This exciting new field of research is based on the idea that painful circumstances offer us the opportunity to change and grow in ways we otherwise could not. This is more than resiliency. Beyond just bouncing back to baseline, traumatic events can be a launching pad to a life with more depth, meaning, fulfillment and success.
Growth from trauma is not guaranteed and it’s not an automatic process. It can be easy to get stuck in our grief and pain if we don’t learn how to heal. Luckily, there are concrete steps you can take to facilitate this process and turn your trauma into growth.
And I can help.
Labyrinths and Post-traumatic Growth
Labyrinths have existed in various forms and various cultures since as early as 2000 BCE. They have been painted on cave walls, woven into baskets, etched into stone and laid out in gardens, meadows, churches and cathedrals all over the world. Though they have been used in a variety of religious and spiritual ceremonies and traditions, they are not affiliated with any particular group and can offer wisdom to anyone who chooses to walk. Unlike a maze, which is designed for you to lose your way, a labyrinth is designed for you to find your way. I walked my first labyrinth at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco over twenty years ago and have been called back to the labyrinth over and over again ever since.
One of the most common uses of the labyrinth is as a form of meditation, a way of centering so that we can access higher wisdom. In addition to being a beautiful form of meditation, labyrinths can also help us create a sense of safety and stability, which is often missing after trauma. When we’re processing the difficult, and often overwhelming, emotions that come from grief, labyrinths can be a container to hold us and all we’re feeling.
Try out a guided labyrinth walk below or contact me to learn more about how the labyrinth can help you.
Try out a guided labyrinth walk below or contact me to learn more about how the labyrinth can help you.
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Guided Labyrinth Walk
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