I’m writing to share some new insights and give you an update on where I am in my work through using life as my teacher. In January, I was given the gift of a 6-month interim position as a school counselor at a PK- 6 school here in MD. It had been roughly three years since I had been full time in a school setting and my eyes were opened wide to the increasing challenges that children, parents, and educators are facing today. In my work I was met with a pervasive level of anxiety permeating the school environment. The children were expressing a host of symptoms and sensitivities that presented with sensory integration challenges, ADHD, Autism, anxiety, fear, suicidal ideation, language disorders, poor executive function, social anxiety, and a general acting out in concerning ways. Anxiety was a common conversation among staff members and students. This of course was not the entire population and out of the 180 students in the school these symptoms were spread out in about 25% of the student population.
To say the least, I was concerned, and also glad that I was there to help and in a different kind of way as my background was unique from the type of counselors, and therapists the school had worked with prior. My role, along with comforting the children, was to observe, ask questions and listen. Then, with that information help parents and teachers figure out the best course of action, albeit a first step in a long process of healing.
“Although I was familiar with, and had worked with many of the symptoms and presenting disorders, and therapies for them, my intuition was saying, “there is something new to learn Lourdes, open to it!”
So I did, I used my intellect and did research, I used my body and felt things, I opened my heart of compassion to hold the suffering and questions, and engaged 100% in the environment and relationships so I could freshly understand and see with my heart what new guidance was available to help.
After setting this intention, a few things happened, all of which I trusted were part of the answer to my question, and there to lead me along the path of my intended discovery.
Within a month, I started to see my own anxiety that I thought was in “check” start to surface more readily and with greater intensity. I began to feel all the old fears, first in my solar plexus, then my stomach, and eventually in my heart center and lungs. There was a churning and twisting feeling inside that required a significant amount of calm breathing and pacing to help subside. This was accompanied with a challenge in concentration, and I started noticing that my memory recall began to decrease, I noticed that I started feeling foggy, and on some days I would vacillate from ungrounded hyperactivity to lethargy. I began to worry unrealistically about little things and I had this feeling that something was wrong and what ever it was would be happening soon and to me. None of this matched the external reality, as I loved being there, was well liked, regarded and appreciated. In fact everyone loved the calm I brought to the school. But there I was in a heightened state of anxiety and fear, somewhat immobilized and unable to fully be present without concerted effort and inner coaching.
“I was resonating with all that I was experiencing, and old and familiar patterns were coming to the surface.”
I had caught the anxiety influenza, and I was experiencing my version of symptoms like so many. It was interesting to watch the inner changes of anxiety and doubt that took place over a period of six months. I am very grateful for my training as a counselor, educator and healer, as I understood what was happening and knew how to work with the sympathetic response I was having to my environment. I would practice my techniques of awareness, breathing and grounding and aligning during the day, and go home every night and do what I was trained to do to clear myself and restore balance. Despite applying my years of study and practice, something wasn’t right and I realized that I was in the same place as the children, using coping methods that were only partially successful.
“Even though I knew what was happening and what to do to reset myself, the symptoms kept returning. The question was why and what am I missing here? “
For me as a practitioner of healing, my body, inner self, and life experiences are my laboratory for developing the wisdom of understanding, healing, and transformation. Despite my realization that the tools in my tool bag were only taking me so far, I understood that I was being led to deeper understanding and healing. This experience was the beginning of an answer on how to help these beautiful children and ultimately myself, and perhaps you. The answers came and I want to share them with you. It’s a longer story about our nervous system, unresolved trauma, and how to heal it. And I invite you to hear the rest of it.
I’m offering a free informational talk to share what I have learned…….
I will pick up the story from my studies at the PK-6 school, weave it into what occurred during a four day Self Realization Retreat in West. Va, then follow us along the path with a few stops, and eventually to the steps of Capitol Hill…
We will touch on :
- The new science of our nervous system, and how it relates to the quality of our life experience.
- How unresolved trauma and long term stress coupled in the nervous system keeps us from deeper healing.
- I will show you a powerful technique I have learned to calm your nervous system, increase social engagement and deepen your connection with your body.
- Talk about how I am integrating new body centered techniques for deeper healing in my work.
Click Below to RSVP….
Monday, July 29th
7:30-8:45 pm
The Healing Studio,
Clarksville, MD
or online in my meeting room.
With Love,
Lourdes