resonates with you) is here to learn. The hardships you go through do not break that inner energy. Instead, they get filtered by the body. Your body is a quite incredible conduit for energy and emotions; it protects your inner being from traumas by storing them in its tissues. Think of your body like the exterior of a house, and your soul like the electricity within. Anything that tries to affect the home has to get through the house walls to affect the inside. It’s part of your job to take care of your body, and that means working through our traumas to release the pent-up energy stored within, allowing you to return home. This trapped energy can cause you to become and feel stuck and stagnant.

This post will primarily focus on trauma, how it shows up in the body, its various types, and how to move through releasing it in a healthy manner. I am not a doctor, but I have worked through my own traumas with little professional help, and there are things we can do to alleviate traumas on our own. Some traumas may be more intense and require a therapist, counselor, or psychologist to assist you, and that is absolutely okay. We are all at different levels, and we all need various methods to heal, so take what resonates and leave what doesn't.

So, without further ado, let's dive into why and how you’re not broken, because we’re all just heading back home.

Understanding Trauma: What Shapes Us, Not Shatters Us

Trauma isn’t just major catastrophic events. It's any experience that overwhelms our capacity to cope, leaving a lasting imprint on our nervous system, mind, and body. It’s about the impact, not just the event. It’s the aftermath that typically leaves an invisible scar to heal, after all is said and done. This is what often feels "wrong" within us; this is what we're left to deal with on our own because not everyone can plainly see our invisible scars, but they can see the physical ones. And it’s often the invisible ones that are more profoundly impactful on our minds and bodies than the visible ones.

These invisible scars can come from disagreements that leave you devastated, mental abuse, things you shouldn't have seen, painful breakups, the death of a family member, rejection, or the profound abandonment by people who should have shown up for you. Your "Monkey Mind" (or amygdala) takes these experiences into your mental library and ranks them the same as a lion attack. Seems silly, but it's true! All the profound things that hurt and affect you are the modern-day equivalent of surviving a life-or-death situation. This is because our "Monkey Brain" is hardwired to keep us safe at all costs, even if that means keeping you in a "hell of a reality."

The Loop of Stagnation & The Path to Unapologetic Self

The whole point of the body is to keep us alive in the best and most efficient way possible, and that can mean getting stuck in repetitive loops and routines. This might seem detrimental and can degrade our mental health, but to the body and mind, this stagnation means staying in the known, and the known means safety.

The anchors keeping us stagnant cause us to create coping mechanisms to simply keep living. These mechanisms often surface when we're triggered. Here's the critical truth: these mechanisms don't mean we are broken and need to be fixed. Rather, they are signals that we need to find a better way to navigate those triggers so we can remain in our power. The power within us that makes us uniquely ourselves is inherently resilient and opens us up to feel and live again. It’s part of becoming unapologetically ourselves (you can read more about this in my post, "Unmask Your Authentic Self"). Our cores are always present, and they are unbreakable; they are pure energy, and as the law of physics states, energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. It’s a matter of recognizing this inherent power and returning to them with intention.

To get out of this loop and entrapment, which is meant to shield us from dangers, we need to look at the roots of our anchors. This way, we are able to look inward and see what we have truly been through; this is the beginning of finding ourselves again. Awareness and acknowledgment are always the first steps in any healing process.

The Many Faces of Trauma: Imprints, Not Defects

There are many different types of traumas, and many times they also compound and form our reality. The following trauma types are not exhaustive, but they should lay down some form of foundation for how each one may affect you, or why it might be relevant to your journey. Again, please take what resonates and leave what doesn't. (This information is for educational purposes only; do not attempt to self-diagnose.)

A. Childhood Trauma

As the title suggests, this trauma stems from childhood experiences. Things like psychological, physical, and sexual abuse, bullying, family dysfunction, unstable environments, injuries, abandonment, and many other things can profoundly impact a young mind. The weight of these experiences affects overall self-worth, trust, self-esteem, and perception in a developing mind. It often creates the first layers of coping mechanisms within oneself and significantly impacts how we show up in adult relationships, how we get our needs met, and how we communicate with others. These types of trauma have the ability to shape our whole lives and create the "masks" we wear with certain types of people or in specific groups. These can be very deep and painful due to the rapid level of development the mind goes through in early adolescence and even into early adulthood.

B. Adult Trauma

These traumas can also include all the types experienced in childhood, and they may overlap, as some of these experiences might be ongoing or re-triggered in adulthood. Traumas typical of adulthood include job loss, the profound loss of a loved one, chronic and/or painful illnesses, accidents of all kinds, relationship betrayals, natural disasters, and many, many others. These experiences compound on top of those from childhood, creating even deeper wounds that cause more problems in everyday interactions. This dysfunction in daily life can lead to identity issues, disruptions in our sense of security, skewed or hindered future planning, and profound grief or helplessness. Traumas in adulthood can make it more difficult to pinpoint the root or first wound created in childhood, or they can become our dominant story, identity, and reality. These layers can solidify into walls to hide behind, even trapping us in a never-ending loop of despair.

C. Ancestral Trauma

Ancestral traumas can be tricky to identify as we tend to take them on as our own, making them feel intrinsically "us." The thing about traumas passed on from generation to generation is that they are literally passed on in our genes – the very makeup of our cells. So naturally, you’d think this is from you, not even recognizing that your family members are also affected by the same patterns of unresolved pain, suffering, and significant historical events passed down through generations. Things like famine, war, systemic oppression (like the global impact of slavery or colonialism on diverse communities), displacement, so-called "generational curses," and ingrained family ideals are all on the table when it comes to ancestral and generational traumas. These can obviously be more difficult to work through, but modern neuroscience has found that our actions, behaviors, and subconscious can, in a sense, rewrite our genetic makeup. It takes dedication and consistency, just like working through other traumas, and the conscious intention not to follow in the same painful footsteps of family members.

D. Collective Trauma

This one is similar to ancestral traumas in that it affects a large group of people and can be passed from generation to generation. The recent pandemic is a fantastic example of collective trauma; everyone became suspicious of anyone who coughed or presented any other COVID-19 symptoms. We had to go on lockdown, isolate, and wear masks even after lockdown lifted to protect ourselves from others who might be sick. This, alongside major social injustices, widespread violence, and climate disasters, all cause collective traumas; they transcend individual families and affect entire communities. The collective as a whole may experience shared grief, anxiety, distrust, and a heightened sense of vulnerability that impacts individuals within.

E. Physical Trauma

These are typically the traumas most people think about, but these physical traumas often create an even deeper wound than the actual injury itself. They can come from injuries, chronic pain or illnesses, severe illness, accidents, or medical procedures that leave both physical and often profound emotional scars. These experiences leave the affected person with many layers to work through, not just the initial physical recovery, if any. They can be debilitating and cause a sense of, or actual, retraction of freedoms once enjoyed. This can lead to deep emotional wounds that those around them may not understand or be fully aware of. The emotional impact of physical traumas has been neglected for hundreds of years, and it’s important to take care of the individual from the inside out, not just addressing the external and sometimes obvious symptoms.

F. Mental/Emotional Trauma

This trauma encompasses other traumas, holding its own focus on persistent negative mental and emotional stimuli. These negative stimuli stem from psychological abuse, gaslighting, bullying, emotional manipulation, chronic stress, or prolonged exposure to toxic environments. The saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may never hurt me," comes to mind, as words do hurt, and perhaps even more so than sticks and stones. This type of trauma erodes self-esteem, creates profound self-doubt, and can lead to anxiety, depression, complex PTSD, and difficulty trusting one's own perceptions. This can cause a never-ending loop of self-deprecation and a lack of self-trust, making it hard to even believe in one’s own abilities to participate in healing efforts. Emotional trauma can truly be very dangerous and may stem from, or exacerbate, other forms of trauma.

Your Unbreakable Essence

The fact of the matter is, we as people experience things differently. What one person may not find as impactful may completely cripple another. We are not here to discredit ourselves or the people around us due to what they or we see as "not as bad." Our feelings are valid. What we experience is our truth, and if it feels like getting hit with a truck to you, but Johnny says it was like turning a page in a book, both experiences are valid. But that doesn’t give you the right to downplay your emotions or let Johnny tell you "it wasn’t that bad," because you are not Johnny and Johnny is not you. We are all unique and all experience things at different levels.

Each of these types of traumas may cause deep wounds that may feel like we’re broken, but the fact of the matter is, we are not broken at all. Our soul, our resilience, is intact and inherent. If you’re reading this right now, that means you are looking for solutions or are interested in helping another navigate their struggles. That in and of itself shows just how resilient you are and how much you believe in the fact that you can heal, and you can become better equipped to deal with life's struggles. You are already aware, and your soul has brought you here to learn and develop into your best self. Be proud of the work you are doing and will be doing.

Your Healing Journey: Returning to Wholeness

The healing process isn’t about getting rid of your past or becoming someone you’re not. Rather, it’s a lifelong journey towards a more complete and stable version of you. It’s about learning from the experiences you’ve had and developing a new sense of stability, knowing that your past doesn’t dictate your future, your relationships, your job, or anything else you are a part of.

This level of healing requires you to be deeply committed and steadfast in your own abilities to help yourself. While going to a trauma therapist is incredibly helpful, the real, transformative healing ultimately comes from within. You know yourself best, you know what you need, and sometimes a bit of outside help is necessary to show you how you can do it yourself. It’s important to keep an open mind, as with any advice I give here. When your mind is open to possibilities, answers will come to you, typically when you least expect them. It is absolutely okay to reach out for help, and I encourage anyone with the means to do so. But when you do, always keep your desires and needs in mind. Do not forsake yourself and give all of your power to outside sources; they don’t know you like you know yourself. It’s vital to be an active participant in your healing process, because truly, you can’t be helped if you are not willing or able to aid in your own "rescue."

To actively participate in your healing process, you must remember to be kind to yourself and provide yourself with unwavering love and tenderness. The last thing you need is someone telling you you're doing it wrong, not fast enough, too fast, or just not enough – and often, that someone is yourself. Through this process, you will gain profound self-love, unwavering devotion, and deep trust that will reshape your life and your inner world. We are meant to thrive, and to do so, we must first believe in ourselves. We are with ourselves 25/8 – that extra hour and day that goes beyond the regular and mundane, because we make time for ourselves, beyond the demands of the ordinary. So wouldn’t it be nice if you became your fiercest ally instead of your worst enemy? (If this topic intrigues you, you can read more in my other posts, "Self-Love is Self-Care" and "Radical Self Love is Your Deepest Trust.")

When we dive deep into the healing process, we find that it is often messy and grimy; it is not always pretty or beautiful. This is a form of shadow work that may bring out the worst, most intense sides of you before we can "get to the good part." To be honest, the goal here is not to be "fully healed" in a way that suggests an endpoint, because for some people and some traumas, that is just not possible. There is no absolute ending to this road; there is always something new that comes up, or something we want to tweak. It’s really just a lifelong journey to find our truest, most authentic selves – the self we were before all these events happened in our lives – and learning the best way to move into a healthy relationship with ourselves. Because at the end of the day, it’s just you, and no one else truly matters in the equation of your life; they are all just people who are there along the journey that you assign significance to.

Practical Paths to Healing & Integration

A. Acknowledgment & Awareness (Shining a Light)

The first step, always, in any healing process is the awareness and acknowledgment that healing or intervention needs to take place. We can cultivate this by noting the pain and its impact on our lives through journaling, mindful meditation, body scans, simply noticing without reacting, or, more accurately, objective observation. The point here is to get acquainted with it and gain a sense of understanding and compassion for ourselves through this act of acknowledgment. This gives the trauma its own identity and allows you to separate yourself from it – like it’s an uninvited party guest you are consciously choosing to spotlight. We don't need to accept this pain and welcome it in our lives, but we do need to acknowledge its existence and become fully aware of its impact.

B. Emotional Release & Processing (Letting the River Flow)

When we are working with these traumas, emotions will inevitably come up: anger, sadness, despair, fear, and dissatisfaction, to name a few. These are the companions of this uninvited party guest, and they only desire to run their course and leave. We may see them as unnecessary, but let me be the first to tell you, they are fully necessary. As human beings, we are emotional, and these emotions flow through us as energy in motion. It is important to let them come and flow as we feel them; damming them up only causes more problems and adds "salt" to the wound. So scream if you need to, cry, flail your arms, roll on the ground, rage on your pillow, work out hard, shake your whole body – just remember to drink plenty of water and do these things in a safe space.

C. Re-patterning Beliefs (Rewriting Your Story)

This step is crucial in the healing process, because the fact that our traumas are still prevalent today is often due to the fact that we are still telling ourselves the same old dusty stories that desperately need to be buried. These negative narratives may sound something like: "I'm not worthy," "I'm not safe," "I am a horrible person," "I am stupid," "I have horrible luck," or "I will always be this way." These need to be replaced with empowering truths like: "I am worthy," "I am safe," "I am an amazing person," "I am brilliant," "I have the best luck," and "I will heal from this." This is due to the phenomenon of confirmation bias in psychology, which states that what we believe/focus on in our subconscious will find and filter in anything that affirms those beliefs, and actively ignore anything that goes against them. The opposing, positive stories will feel "wrong" at first and maybe even very uncomfortable, but after intentionally instilling these understandings instead of our negative narratives, they will become your truth. This act raises your vibration and brings you into a more positive mental space.

D. Somatic Healing (Connecting Mind & Body)

Our trauma is stored in the body, and healing involves releasing this stored energy. This can be accomplished through gentle yoga, breathwork, Trauma Release Exercises (TRE), conscious movement, grounding exercises (I have a whole post on grounding here) , and gentle stretching. The act of movement and intentional breathing can actually help move trapped emotions and traumas, creating a profound sense of peace. Our bodies are meant to move; we are built to move. The more stagnant we are, the more physical and mental health complications we will encounter. It is important, if you can, to do some sort of movement each day and allow your body to release tension in this way. It calms the nervous system and strengthens our mind-body connection.

E. Seeking Professional Support (Guided Navigation)

As I have stated multiple times and will always highlight, some traumas genuinely need external assistance, and it’s important to recognize, acknowledge, and be open to this possibility. There are many types of therapy available, not just traditional talk therapy. There is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Somatic Experiencing (SE), Emotion Code, group therapy, and this only just scratches the surface. If you have specific needs or know that traditional methods of therapy haven’t worked for you or are not appealing, you can always do your own research to see what appeals to you and be open to the various methods of healing that a certified practitioner can help and guide you through.

F. Spiritual Connection (Your Unshakable Foundation)

A more energetic way you can heal from trauma is through spiritual practices. I believe in a higher power, a Creator that we all originate from and dwell within. I also believe that my Higher Self, or soul, is one with me – never apart, always ready for my inquiries and guiding me through my difficulties. The importance of connecting with some form of higher being is paramount if this is the path you choose. When we connect to this higher power through prayer, meditation, connecting with nature, or spiritual practices that resonate with you (Creator, Universe, Spirit, Source, God), we gain a sense of divine help and guidance. Our souls can then channel this guidance into our physical bodies. It requires an open mind and the ability to be grounded in the moment, because we only truly have the here and now; there is no "how" and "when," because that is not up to us. When we can release the control of "how" and "when" we will heal and focus on the "here and now," the answers flow to us like water in a creek. It brings us an unshakable inner peace that goes beyond our current circumstances, and it’s something no one can take from us.

G. Setting Boundaries (Protecting Your Sacred Space)

Boundaries are essential for creating unshakable inner peace beyond circumstances. They are not impenetrable walls or tools to bully others, but rather to protect our peace and energy. They can change as time goes on and are not necessarily rigid but fluid, allowing for healthy adaptations. Boundaries allow us to step fully into our power and experience protection from negativity stemming from people, situations, and even our own thoughts, safeguarding our energy and healing space. This comes with learning how to say "no," communicating needs clearly, disengaging from toxic dynamics, and recognizing a full-body "yes." Because if it isn’t a full-body "yes," it’s a "no." But remember, this doesn't mean you shrink from new experiences and things that aren't familiar, because those things may be life-changing in the best ways. Use your best judgment and honor yourself in everything you do; this will help you forge and enforce boundaries. They are ultimately meant to create safety, foster self-respect, and prevent re-traumatization.

The Unbreakable You

So repeat after me: "I am not broken." We are not broken, just trying to find our way home to who we are at our core, and that adventure begins with a single step. You may fall back a bit, but trust me, that only means you’re human, and success is not linear; honestly, nothing in life is truly linear. The parts of you that may present as broken are usually traumas presenting in trigger responses. This part of you deserves to be helped, shown compassion, and provided a safe space to release and pass through. Traumas leave imprints on the body, but your essence, soul, or spirit remains untouched and is always available to help you progress. Each challenge asks you to go inward and connect to your most authentic self; it’s up to you to take the leap and trust.

The act of healing is a courageous, non-linear journey of returning home to ourselves, integrating all parts of our experience to benefit our higher good. Each day, it is important to take one small, compassionate step towards your healing, because there is only the here and now. So, meet yourself where you are. Maybe your first step is just going on a short 5-minute walk each day, or choosing to say "no" to things you really don’t want to say "yes" to. It can be anything; the point here is to just start somewhere and not get stuck in the paralysis of analysis. There will be plenty of time for analysis once you begin taking actionable steps towards releasing trauma. Remember to offer compassion to yourself as you embark on this journey and realize that you’re not alone; we all have healing to do. Celebrate the small wins because only you truly know how far you’ve come.

When we heal, we bring everyone around us up as well. You will make waves with your small ripples.

That's all for this post, dear Adventurers. If this message brought you value or resonated with you, please consider sharing it with someone who might benefit. Remember, we're all on this journey together, and the more companions we help guide, the brighter our collective future will be.

I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments below or reach out directly via my Contact Me page or social media accounts (linked in the site’s footer). If you feel called to support this work, I'd also deeply appreciate any monetary donation to help keep this site alive and improving. You can find the donation page linked in the site's footer. I truly look forward to connecting with you and reading your insights as I prepare for next week's adventure.

With Love and Light,

Jamelah Luckett