Persona
Persona 1: Creation
If we have a hard time trusting ourselves, sometimes creating a persona within ourselves feels like we have someone to check in with.
What are the qualities of the person you trust the most?
(Caring, all-knowing, accepting, always having your back, etc.)
What does your gut instinct physically look like?
Does it have a gender?
What are some physical qualities that make you feel safest? (Someone who looks strong like Wonder Woman or comforting like a Grandmother)
What are its core qualities?
Give your persona a name/nickname.
Be creative, this is your OWN creation!
Persona 2: Bonus or "Damn, I look good!"
What do YOU look like when it’s your best self?
How does this version of yourself feel?
What are the main emotions you feel when you’re in alignment? (Example: free, excited, unstoppable, relieved, empowered, etc.)
How do you show up when you’re REALLY knowing your worth?
Trauma
Understanding how trauma impacts our energy
RECOGNIZE WHAT THE TRAUMA IS AND HOW IT FEELS:
Was this one incident or a series of repeated behaviors/actions?
What emotions do you experience when feeling triggered? (fear, abandonment, grief, rage, sadness, etc.)
How does your trauma response show up? (becoming withdrawn, more anxious, heightened level of confusion, need to run away, immediate body pain/headache etc.)
When do you notice it most? (a certain environment or specific location, a particular person or group dynamic)
What situation comes to mind where your response/reaction seemed much stronger than what was actually necessary in that moment? (example: Plans falling through at the last minute and then feeling deeply abandoned and heartbroken. THIS is a trauma response)
Is this trauma-response helping or hindering you at this point in your life? Does it show up when it's no longer a helpful response? Are you ready for a new experience?
KEEP IN MIND:
When you're remembering/re-experiencing these memories/emotions, it's completely normal to feel triggered or upset, it can even linger or show up within the next few days. It’s important that you understand why you’re feeling this way. This is intentionally working with your trauma instead of being blindsided by it. It’s surfacing so it can clear. Be easy with yourself, be gentle and take care of yourself. LISTEN to what you need.
AWARENESS:
This level of protection is no longer serving me, it’s actually hindering me.
AFFIRMATIONS FOR INSTINCTS:
"I am ready to heal the activated response within me."
"Thank you for keeping me safe when I needed help. I am deeply safe now."
"Thank you so much for serving me."
"You did your job, now you can step down."
EFT Exercise: Situation
EFT for talking through an entire situation
Talk through an entire situation/experience that happened, especially a deeply ingrained memory. This memory could be a traumatic one OR any time you felt at odds within yourself. Trust your instincts on noticing which memory comes up for you first. Notice how you felt when you were in that situation and say the feelings/thoughts that you’re experiencing.
Tapping prompt begins with: “Even though…”
Say whatever comes to mind and tap through the memory. There’s no right OR wrong way to do this! Trust your instincts and tap away. Watch how the root of the situation reveals itself.
End the exercise with the affirmation: “I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
Do this exercise for at least 15 situations.
Ho'oponopono
Forgiveness approaches: Straightforward and Sneaky
I’m sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you
I love you
Make a list of 25 instances (25 sounds like a lot, but once you get started watch how easy that list grows) that could use forgiveness. You don’t have to go into major detail on the list, just write down the person/event in a way that YOU know exactly what it represents.
Straightforward approach: close your eyes, presence the situation, put your hands over your heart, say/offer the prayer, deep breath.
For the holding-the-grudge situation/sneaky approach: presence the situation and direct the prayer towards yourself in that moment.
Repeat this technique until you notice an internal shift within yourself. A shift can be a stronger level of clarity, feeling less triggered/more removed from the memory, or any type of emotional reaction. This is helping to move emotional energy so it’s completely normal to feel different emotions while working through this. THIS is the shift happening! You can offer this prayer more than once (WAY more than once depending on how charged the event felt). Keep repeating the prayer until the emotions feel less triggered.
Forgiveness Bonus Tip: this can be said throughout your head ANY time! (And yes, I have done forgiveness work en route to Thanksgiving.)
Deep breaths, you got this.
"I'm sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you."
AFFIRMATION:
I. Deserve. Peace.