We are at the beginning of our understanding of what shapes good mental health and what undermines it. We are aware of the obvious events that cause poor mental health but we are just realising the less obvious ones, these are titled the little 't' traumas, they include; an unpredictable home environment, neglect, criticism, isolation, lack of attunement and many others that result from the child's primary caregivers. Parents are doing they best they can with the resources they were given, but with what we know about the negative outcomes from these behaviours we all have a responsibility to challenge the social norms in relation to child nurturing. We once had sayings such as 'spare the rod spoil the child' 'don't cry like a girl' or 'be a nice girl'. These just build shame, guilt, anger and resentment. If we can promote positive environments for children then society benefits now and into the future.
By bringing attention to the feelings and thoughts that are always arising we can delve into the narrative of our internal world that creates our external reality.
The body holds the minds stress resulting in tension in the muscles, by engaging in yogic practices the muscles the brain can gently learn to relax. This stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. This results in relaxation and insight.
Meditation allows the brain to rest, reflect, restore and regenerate. It frees space to allow deeper thoughts to arise and integrate. This creates more mental clarity and stability.
For those who have a traumatic history meditation should be undertaken with a professional teacher.
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True healing requires courage and without a safe supportive environment can be overwhelming. With the amount of people becoming 'self aware' there are those who are embarking on the tough internal work to free themselves of adaptive behaviours that do not serve their overall well being. There are also those who engage in healing techniques yet find addressing the root cause to uncomfortable, this is when it becomes a 'spiritual bypass'.
Expressing oneself from a heart level is at the core of creativity. Engaging in the arts has a healing quality, it helps heal wounds of the heart.