by Lara Land | Jan 23, 2023 | BOOKS, COACHING, COMMUNITY, LAND BLOG, LARA LAND, Self Improvement, SELF-IMPROVEMENT
As a trauma-informed yoga teacher trainer and trauma sensitivity trainer, you would think that I would know and have expertise in every type of trauma.
That, however, is not the case. Definitions of trauma keep evolving and expanding to include survivors yearning to get their voices heard, and it is deeply important that we listen. It’s how a trauma survivor frames their story that is important and that needs to be acknowledged and believed.
Thenmozhi Soundararajan opened my eyes to the trauma of caste. Though I have spent years in India and was very aware of caste oppression, it wasn’t until her telling of it, that my understanding deepened into a bodily knowing of how traumatic the experience of being caste oppressed is and how much it still very much exists both in east Asia and here in the United States.
Caste oppression also involves religious oppression. It is taught in religious texts that certain castes are not allowed to read, speak or listen to. They are deprived of religion and taught it is due to their karma leaving many wondering what horrible thing they did in their past life. It is cruel and it must be acknowledged and stopped.
I am so grateful to activist and artist, Thenmozhi Soundararajan for sitting down with me to discuss the important topics of caste and religious trauma and how some of us are perpetuating this in yoga spaces even as we are trying to respect Indian culture.
Take a listen HERE and please don’t forget to rate and review!
by Lara Land | Jan 16, 2023 | BLISS BOOK BONUS, BOOKS, COACHING, COMMUNITY, LAND BLOG, LARA LAND, Self Improvement, SELF-IMPROVEMENT
I am so excited to announce that the pre-order bonuses for my forthcoming book,
The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga are now up! There are three bonuses: A Trauma-Sensitive Body Scan, TWO Bonus yoga Sequences, and an exclusive virtual Q&A with me a week after the book launch.
All of these are carefully created bonuses, but the ones I especially want to point out are the additional yoga sequences. What I really want to get across is that they really aren’t extra but were actually meant to be a part of the book. Because of this, I am hoping with all my heart that you will take advantage of the pre-bonus offer by purchasing your copy of The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga before its publication day, May 2nd.
The book is a compilation of over two decades of practicing and guiding trauma-sensitive yoga and teaching yoga teachers and other healing professionals how to share in these practices. It is for both yoga teachers and practitioners and will also support folks who are neither of these but are interested in stress reduction and connecting to their breath and bodies. It includes over 260 photos of yoga poses, many of them in chairs. These simple exercises will support anyone looking to release traumatic stress from their system.
Yoga teachers Kino Macgregor, Seane Corn, Dianne Bondy, and others have already read and reviewed the book. Check out their reviews and more about my first offering with Shambhala Publications and purchase your pre-order copy HERE.
CLICK HERE FOR 30% DISCOUNT ON
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO TRAUMA SENSITIVE YOGA
DIRECT FROM SHAMBHALA
by Lara Land | Jan 9, 2023 | BOOKS, COACHING, COMMUNITY, LAND BLOG, LARA LAND, Self Improvement, SELF-IMPROVEMENT
There is often a sense that we have to heal alone, that our problems are ours that others can’t get, or that we wouldn’t want to sit around listening to other people’s issues.
Maybe we even think it might drag us down even more than we are. I know I had these thoughts even up until recent years when I’ve begun to dive into the power of collective healing and the impact of acknowledging and diving into the collective that we are undeniably anyway in.
There are a few ways that I’ve been exploring this in my work. A few years ago I started to deepen my knowledge of circling and how to create a circle which is also sometimes called council or many other names. I’ve since incorporated it into all my retreats and trainings. The collective knowledge that comes to the surface is so powerful Folks see themselves in each other, often recognizing parts they couldn’t previously put words to. They also feel the group hold and support them.
The power of the collective energy created in groups is undeniable. It’s why in the Jewish traditions there are prayers that must be done with others. We just can’t get the energy right otherwise. It’s also fair to say that we can’t heal alone. Healing is always in relationship. We learn in our interactions who and how we are. Without that, our idea of self is theoretical.
Sabrina Vedete Elmaliah knows this well. In her work she leads circles of women in womb healing using yoga, chanting, crystals, and nature immersion. We met in sauna at our friends at Steady Slope an AirBnB I highly recommend! My conversation with her is the latest offering on the Beyond Trauma Podcast. We explore group healing, energy work, womb healing and more!
If you are interested in circling and deep healing, join me for my Reemergence Retreat this March.
by Lara Land | Jan 1, 2023 | BOOKS, COACHING, COMMUNITY, LAND BLOG, LARA LAND, Self Improvement, SELF-IMPROVEMENT
It’s that time of year when many of us are taking a tally of our year and considering what we want to do differently in the next. Some are making sweeping grand resolutions while others make smaller shifts. Regardless of the size of your new year’s resolution, there is something major you should consider…
How you are going to remember it?
One of the biggest struggles folks have in keeping their new year’s resolutions is remembering to do them, especially when holiday time has passed and life gets busy. It’s not that we don’t want to, it’s just that we forget. Other things come up that distract us and we fall on our own patterns and habits which take less effort to think about and maintain.
How do we make our new goals stick long enough that they become habits we can’t forget?
One answer is to make the reminder for that new year’s resolution super simple and impossible to forget. You can do that by using a single word to trigger your memory and your body’s entire response.
Here’s how you do it. Take some quiet time to think about your resolutions. Ask yourself:
- What is at the core of what you want to create this year?
- What is the energy of the being you want to inhabit?
- What is the vibe you want to put out into the world?
Narrow it down to one word. See how that word feels in your body. Try a different one and compare. Find the word that most resonates with your intention. When you do, write it down. You can put it in multiple places such as on your mirror, in your planner, and on your phone. Let it be your mantra and constant reminder of your deepest intention. Stick with it for a while to allow it to work on your subconscious.
I’ve been practicing one-word resolutions for nearly two decades and found it one of my best go-to resolution practices. When Ezra Klein mentioned he works with single-word resolutions on his podcast I was sure it was something that needs to catch on!
What’s your word for this year? Share it with me in the comments!
Curious about more resolution techniques? Check out these blog favorites!
Want to go even deeper? Order your copy of My Bliss Book life-purpose planner which comes with an automated coaching program with over 25 of my top manifestation tricks and tips.
In the Catskills area? Join me for an Intention Setting Workshop Thursday, January 5th at Diamond Hollow Book Store. RSVP at [email protected]
by Lara Land | Dec 26, 2022 | BOOKS, COACHING, COMMUNITY, LAND BLOG, LARA LAND, Self Improvement, SELF-IMPROVEMENT
It’s taken a few decades, but psychedelics are finally back in the public conversation, and in the discussions around healing trauma.
Their active component psilocybin for many works to release years of trauma that remained in the body even after other therapies.
Folks like Michael Pollen, Gabor Maté, Tim Ferriss, and many others have propelled this topic to the mainstream and their readers and listeners are taking note and trying what many call magic mushrooms for healing trauma.
My latest guest on the Beyond Trauma podcast, Rachel Aiden, is a trauma and psilocybin specialist and is currently the CEO of Synthesis Institute, an organization committed to developing evidence-based practices for training practitioners to safely, ethically and effectively support people on a journey for healing using truffles containing psilocybin. They have a proven track record for leading safe, legal, medically supervised psychedelic retreats for more than 1000 individuals and Rachel maintains that is because of their very specific method.
She wants folks interested in psychedelic healing to know a few things. The first is that there is no magic pill for trauma healing. Plant medicine works in conjunction with set and setting. The right preparation, environment, dosage and support systems before, during and after the experience are deeply important to its power to heal. It is critical that folks, especially those who are trauma survivors, do their research and take their time with this process to make sure they have proper screening for counter-indications.
When it is a fit though, magic mushrooms can work like magic to unlock and release years of stress, provide a deep clarity and connection, and open one’s heart to boundless, universal love. As Rachel puts it, you realize you don’t have to carry the weight of your trauma anymore.
Rachel is at the forefront of the research around psychedelics and trauma healing. Take a listen to our conversation on the Beyond Trauma Podcast and consider whether plant medicine may be the answer for healing your trauma.
by Lara Land | Dec 19, 2022 | BOOKS, COACHING, COMMUNITY, LAND BLOG, LARA LAND, Self Improvement, SELF-IMPROVEMENT
Holiday time can be particularly triggering for trauma survivors. It can bring up feelings of abandonment, loss, and what if’s. For some, traveling back home or to relatives’ homes is not a positive feeling. It can bring up bad memories, feel phony, or even take us out of control and out of our comfort zones.
All of this is normal and understandable.
To avoid these feelings, you may want to start a new family or friend-based holiday tradition at your home where you are more in control. If you can’t or prefer to still go see your relatives, here are some things you can do to make that experience less triggering.
Know your boundaries and make a plan in advance. Decide before you arrive how long you will stay. Make it clear if there are topics or people who are off-limits and make sure everyone agrees to your terms.
Minimize drinking. Though it may feel comforting for trauma survivors to numb out with drugs or alcohol, this can backfire when important boundaries are disturbed through these substances. Choose calming drinks instead like warm milk (even in some hot chocolate) and tea.
Check-in. Make a plan to check in with your nervous system. Take note of your heart rate and breath. Know and recognize any signs you are dysregulated and plan in advance for what you will do if they arise.
Resource Yourself. Come rested and have tools at hand that bring you comfort and increase your capacity to handle triggering family members. This could be a mantra, a squeezy ball, a breathing technique, or anything you know works for you.
The overall lesson for trauma survivors trying to reduce trauma triggers on the holidays and have happy holiday traditions is to plan in advance what you will say and do if triggered and let the family know ahead of time what your boundaries are and agree to them.
Wishing you all a safe and healthy holiday time!
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