h e l l o

It’s been a long time but I’m back and ready to pour myself into this space in a new way. Thank you to everyone who’s subscribed (mostly because of the gorgeous humans who recommend me on their newsletters - thank you to all of you too).

In my absence from this space a lot of living has happened. I qualified as a Holosomatic Bodywork therapist. This work is fulfilling on a level I’ve never experienced before. I am so grateful that I was willing to face my own trauma and in doing so, I’ve learned how to help others heal themselves too.

We have all been witnessing a genocide for 394 days - I haven’t consciously lived through a more universally traumatising time - nor been in such close proximity to raw, human suffering. The Palestinian people deserve an immediate ceasefire and return to their land, with no oppression. We have been living through U.S. election hype for months (years, it feels) and it really in so many ways feels like the end of the world is nigh. This use to scare the living daylights out of me (and was used as a scare tactic in the cult I was raised in) but I’ve come to a different understanding of it now. This world as we know it must end - we can’t continue living like this. And so we look for a new world. We must build it with our bare hands, our blood, sweat and tears. We must build a community of care, not just for our own needs or those of our immediate family, friends or local community but for everyone.

I don’t have answers or even a plan but I feel it. I am dreaming it into life. I am starting here - healing myself, healing my community and I want that work to expand outwards to everyone who needs it.

The thing about trauma though is the stories it tells us - we must stay small, invisible and preserve the little peace we have. So every time I’ve come here to start writing I’ve given up because the words just sound so hollow, so lacking in the form and grace I think they need to have. Every time I try to promote the work I’m so passionate about I have to smash through so many feelings around my fear of being seen. But as I continue to do the work of healing myself and others, the trauma-stories fade and my self-belief and self-worth grows.

Holosomatic Body therapy uses conscious connected breathwork (CCB), a breathing technique where the inhale and exhale are the same length and there are no pauses between them. By engaging in CCB you can enter a flow state where emotions, stress and tension can rise to the surface and be released. This breath pattern allows you to consciously activate the sympathetic nervous system and complete unfinished nervous system responses - i.e. fight, flight, freeze or faun - that may have arisen from a traumatic experience.

Alongside breathwork the client is encouraged to move in various ways to accelerate the release of emotion - unwinding the spine, shaking, dancing and using their voice. In addition the facilitator may also use bodywork, tapping and energy healing to assist the client in truly embodying their bodies, revealing and releasing stuck energy and stress. The whole process is led by the client’s experience - as a facilitator I’m paying attention to you at all times, checking in with verbal cues, making sure you are not overwhelmed or dissociating. This client-led approach is really important in terms of trauma healing because releasing too much at once can be harmful and re-traumatising.

If you’re curious about the technique or have any questions I am always open to a one-on-one 15 minute intro call where we can discuss your specific needs and whether Holosomatic Body Therapy would be suitable for you.

I am also facilitating a group session at Barefoot Body & Soul studio, Cregagh Road, Belfast on Thursday, November 14th at 7pm. Group sessions are a great way to explore Holosomatic Body Therapy especially if you haven’t done a breathwork session before. The presence of other bodies around us as we move through the practice reminds us we’re not alone on our healing journey. If this sounds like something you’d like to experience, please click below to send me a message and I’ll be in touch.