On its most practical level, liberation is about learning how to respond rather than react. Many of our internal systems have gotten stuck on the setting that is solely about survival. And although we still require those strategies, to live fully requires us to learn to deepen in presence, and cultivate a sense of embodied compassion for the human experience. Presence allows us to be ready to act from a place of clear thinking, open heartedness, safety and social connection. A beautiful question to ask ourselves in this moment is, am I alert or alarmed?

There is a collective trance of living from our reactions, chronic distress and overwhelm. After thousands of years of fear programming, disconnection, domination, control. diminishment and being devalued we are letting go of the things that aren’t us and never were true to our nature. We are returning to our divine authentic self and not holding back our gifts. It takes courage to look at the programs that we have internalized because perhaps on some level we think there may be truth there. Maybe our fears are true. Maybe we aren’t good enough or aren’t lovable. But they aren’t true and never will be. And it’s time to see that. So we have to become curious about what happens when we internalize the spell and forget who we are.

Ask your body not your brain, what do I need right now?
And can I give that to myself?
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Many of us are installing new energetic, somatic, neural, subtle body and nervous system templates. Those become the resources we can draw upon. Many of our templates, in the oldest, reptilian part of our brain are there to ensure we survived. And those worked! We survived, but your body may not know this. Now we need alternative neural networks and strategies as we awaken to the possibility that this is more here fo us.
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People pleasing, for example, is actually associated with the “fawn” stress response (fight, flight, freeze, fawn). When you seek safety by merging with the wishes, needs and demands of other, you unconsciously forfeiture your own needs, rights, preferences and boundaries in order to be liked(safe). Taking care of others and needing people to be happy, as a child, was needed because our survival is linked to our caregivers. How are you different now? What support systems do you have in place now. Do you have to play that role now as the unconscious caregiver or do you perhaps sometimes still consciously choose to? Do you see how different these are.
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After trauma we experience life with a different brain and nervous system that has an altered perception of threat and safety. The way we can change how we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to create safety within. Remember in subtle energy work, rather than needing layers of protection meant to block things out, you instead center safety, emotional regulation, tracking sensations, attunement and alignment. There is no denial or running away from harmful things. You just don’t center them.
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It is an important time of knowing we can witness our shadow, our trauma, discover a survival pattern, recognize an unconscious childhood imprint, correct conditioned behavior and take accountability for our programming all without feeling guilt/shame, beating oiurselves up or blaming others. Simply allowing ourselves to embody what is needed or wanted and ultimately most authentic. Make no mistake, this is liberation work.

~ Maryam Hasnaa