​Radix, radicis is the latin word for root. In order to be able to respond appropriately to any situation in life (= in a response-able and constructive way), we need to be aware of the roots of our actions. Why do we do, say, believe certain things? If we are not aware of these roots, we most likely re-act instead of taking appropriate action. Re-action means that we unconsciously repeat actions that are rooted in and based on past situations and experiences. Mostly, those past incidents have had a negative impact of some sort and triggered emotions such as fear, anger and sadness. If we are not aware that our behavior is rooted in negative past events, we keep reacting in a destructive racist ways. We are not able to act responsibly and to make conscious choices: racism in all its forms is a natural consequence of trauma – and not “just” limited to cultural discrimination. You can see it everywhere, if you look closely. It is omnipresent in our systems: political, relational, educational, medical, economical… All the systems currently established in (mainly) Western societies are inherently racist = they root in a negative (traumatic) experience.

As a collective we need to get down to the roots of things in order to deal with this reality. First, we need to become aware of and acknowledge the existence of racism in its many forms and shapes. The attitude of entitlement and superiority is often rooted in a deep feeling of insecurity, a fear of “not enough”, of being overpowered, overrun, not seen, not heard. This is the underlying trauma that is at the root of racist behaviour. It is time to address the roots to initiate fundamental changes.
This means to look inside, to explore the depths of ourselves – and encourage others to do the same when we encounter racism in our lives. It means to sensitise ourselves and to notice when we, or others in our surrounding, re-act in a racist way – and that we allow ourselves to look for the roots of this behaviour. It also means that we take a stand, call out and question racist re-actions.
I see examples of racism every single day. People who feel entitled to take resources, land, lives from others, re-enacting a past trauma and thus recreating the pain without thinking. People who oppose learning another language, acknowledging and respecting differences – cultures, customs, opinions, concepts – without feeling into the roots behind it all. People who (re-) act in unkind, disrespectful and cruel ways, sometimes without even noticing the effect of their behaviour - or without caring. Self-righteousness is the main hinderer on the road to eradicate racism.
 
Self-monitoring, introspection and self-questioning are the first steps to discover and unveil the roots of racist behaviour. Ask yourself: why do I react in a negative and opposing way? What triggers this re-action? What are my fears? What makes me angry? What hurts me? Write it all down or record your “rant” – let it out uncensored in a safe environment. And then revisit, re-read it a couple of days later – being honest and compassionate with yourself.
If you are questioned and challenged by others, stop and listen before you re-act and defend your position. You don’t have to answer straight away. Take time to notice and feel what their questions trigger within you. Allow your emotions to flow and follow them down to the roots. This will eventually lead to self-knowledge, self-compassion and self-understanding that are needed to change racist patterns and structures, within ourselves and our creations.

​If you are confronted with or suffering from racist behaviour, seek support and protection, find allies – there is a growing number of allies “out there”. Tell your stories, point out racist behaviour – so that together we can raise awareness and get down to the roots.

​Anxiety (and various corresponding symptoms) is a more and more common emotional and mental state that has severe consequences on our wellbeing and overall balance and “functioning”. I would like to briefly touch on a few issues, especially in regards to the rise of anxiety in young people and in the collective field.

When does anxiety occur?
Anxiety is a state of mind as a result of constant fear of negative outcomes or consequences. When people are experiencing continuous stress and pressure, they feel overwhelmed and anxious. Our physical and mental “systems” are not able to cope with stress on an ongoing basis.
By default, humans are sensitized to negative (= potentially threatening/harmful/dangerous) information. It is hardwired in our systems to guarantee our survival: Our ancestors needed to know about an approaching fire, in order to look for safer grounds. Our sensory perception evolved to detect dramatic and horrific events that might affect our safety and health. Knowing about dangers and conflicts was and still is a protective mechanism. The media consciously and unconsciously feed on this mechanism: sensational “news” attract and engage a far larger audience – circulation figures show that conflict and drama sell way better than happily-ever-after-stories.
Social media and other apps have inbuilt algorithms to feed users more of what they “like”. This means that those who want to be “well-informed” and “safe” will get more stories triggering fear and a state of alertness in their “news feed”. As they are seemingly interested in “negative news”, drama, conflict, conspiracy, etc, the system reinforces a one-sided perspective by giving them more of it. This consequently distorts people’s perception of what is really going on.
In addition to this the sheer amount of – sometimes conflicting – information often leads to a “system overload”, caused by confusion and frustration. People in modern societies do not only learn about the fire in their neighbourhood or country, but about all the fires around the world! On top of that, many “fires” are so complex and huge that there is no easy solution – they have been smouldering for a long time and some grew into raging blazes that are not easily extinguished. This stimulates a constant feeling of being surrounded by potential dangers and threats and, as a result, an almost constant state of alertness that overwhelms our nervous system. A lot of people feel exhausted and helpless, not knowing how to react and deal with the issues.
The constant presence and awareness of potential dangers and threats, not only in our vicinity, but also on a global level, the complexity of finding appropriate ways to (re-) act and coming up with solutions to restore balance and the corresponding feelings of overwhelm and confusion lead to stress and anxiety in the collective field. Young ones often are the most vulnerable as they are looking for guidance and need reassurance outside of themselves to grow into healthy and balanced adults.

How to deal with anxiety
Here are two main points that I found helpful when working with myself and others:

• No matter if you are dealing with anxiety within yourself or within others: transparency and open communication are key when dealing with anxiety. Acknowledge the “elephant in the room” and address the looming ghost, make it visible! By doing so, the atmosphere (internally and externally) already becomes less scary and threatening.
  

I often get asked by parents and teachers how to do this, especially when dealing with young ones. Many have learnt not to show any vulnerability (e.g. acknowledging to not knowing the answers or showing their own anxiety/doubts/fears is often considered a taboo). They are afraid to scare their children/students even more by showing their own insecurities. This means they “hold back”, suppress, deny and/or present themselves overly confident (“don’t worry” – “we have it under control” – “everything is/will be fine”) to protect themselves and the young ones in their care. However, this approach does not work very well.
There is a difference between a stroll in the park and a hike in the mountains. Be honest! Do not tell yourself and others you are going for an easy walk, if you know deep down that the climb up the mountain might be challenging and long. A lot of young ones instinctively and intuitively sense that the issues we are facing collectively are huge and complex. Telling them that there is an “easy fix” most likely won’t convince and calm them. On the contrary: they often lose trust and feel even more confused, unsafe and lost. Create hope, encourage, but do mention and acknowledge the unknown and tricky parts, if you feel any! There is, of course, a measured and (age-) appropriate way to do this. I recommend to be aware of and look at your own emotional and mental energies in this context before you address young ones in a matter-of-fact, caring and purposeful way.

• Stay in the present moment (presencing). Anxiety often arises when our mind projects images based on negative experiences (our own or other’s) in the past into the future, thus recreating and maintaining constant stress reactions within ourselves. Observe your self, the situation, the circumstances right NOW. How does your immediate environment look like right now? Acknowledge that you cannot solve all the problems of the world – at least not by worrying – and focus on what you can do, right now, in areas that you actually can influence (your Self, your family, your workplace, your community). This is empowering and strengthening, especially for young ones, who otherwise tend to absorb the collective “fear and worry vibes” that surround them 24/7 and react with anxiety, withdrawal, denial, distractive and compensating habits/addictions, aggression, depression, eating disorders, self-harming, suicide – the list goes on...

If you live a privileged life, use your freedom(s) to make simple changes and take actions that have a positive impact on your immediate community and thus on future generations. Look around in your vicinity and find out how you can get involved in concrete practical ways (see some ideas below). Focus on what you resonate with, things that uplift your spirits – increase hope instead of fear.
If you live in difficult circumstances and suffer from restrictions, if you feel your energy is drained and you do not have the capacity or ability to actively do something, reach out and ask for support and help. Regeneration, restoration, recovery are primary topics in current times to sustain life on this planet. Being you, finding balance and overall wellbeing is your valuable contribution on this journey! There are more and more people “out there” who feel desperate, lost, alone and forgotten by social networks, but also more and more people who are willing to connect and assist – those two currents just need to meet to form a flowing river…

10 simple steps
for young (and old) ones with anxiety
Taking action and doing things that make you feel empowered and connected to natural vital energies are great remedies for anxiety and support you to overcome feelings of stress and helplessness.
 
1 Plant a tree
Learn about the roles of trees on this planet, why they are so important, how they regulate water absorption and provide clean air, etc. Trees can teach us how to establish and maintain vital networks, integrating and sustaining diversity on all levels. They survive many generations and are key players in promoting vitality and a life-sustaining energy flow.
You can plant trees on private properties, as part of communal or regional planting and restoration projects, on school grounds, public areas – there are many more options and I am sure you will find your ways.
 
2 Clean & protect waterways
Learn about water cycles, what it takes to keep rivers/lakes/oceans clean, look at water sources in your vicinity and assess their vitality/health, etc. Spending time near or in natural water sources has a deeply balancing and healing effect and restores the natural flow of life energies.
 
3 Establish a garden
No matter where you live, you can always establish a garden: on the veranda or inside in pots, at home or at school, on a rooftop or in the basement (micro greens) – the possibilities are endless. There are school and community gardens, gardens in public reserves and parks… Growing a garden is empowering and establishes a close link to and understanding of natural cycles and “things that nurture us”. Dig holes to compost food scraps directly in garden beds (or pots/planter boxes) or wherever you need it and learn about growing cycles, food cycles, etc. This is another empowering and way to directly connect us with key factors and drivers of evolution, with a natural power to grow, regenerate, change, transform.
 
4 Learn about herbal medicine
“We are what we eat”
“He kai te rongoā, he rongoā te kai”
(Māori: food is medicine, medicine is food)
Learn to make tinctures, balms, oils, pesto, medicinal tea blends, herbal steam baths, etc. Boost your immune system with natural homemade remedies and learn what your ancestors used to heal and balance themselves. It is empowering to know basic tools to gain and sustain good health. Young ones love it, and it gives them (and you) practical hands-on knowledge in how to balance, nurture and vitalize your body-mind-soul.
 
5 Spend a lot of time in nature
Immerse yourself in nature, observe and learn about natural cycles (e.g. tidal cycles, seasonal cycles, moon cycles…). As said before, nature recalibrates your body-mind-soul complex: it calms and balances your nervous system, boosts your immune system and reconnects you with vital energies. Time in nature, amongst trees, near or in natural water sources, is very efficient to de-stress and unwind, allowing us to align ourselves to the steady reassuring rhythm of Mother Earth. Meanwhile, there are more and more studies showing the positive effect of “nature experiences” on mental and physical health – confirming what our ancestors knew already for a long time.
 
6 Connect with other animals
Most humans are not only social animals, we are also closely connected to other living beings and their systems – no matter if we are aware of it or not. Connecting with other life forms who have kept their natural balance, e.g. wild animals such as birds, or pets (if they have not lost their natural ways through domestication and captivity), gives a sense of response-ability and focus. In order to experience a deep resonance and connection with other species, you need to slow down, open and calm your senses. This happens naturally and brings us into the present moment. The experience of deep connection between two different species allows humans to let go of anxiety and feelings of overwhelm.
Animals in the wild depend on their ability to calm their nervous systems, e.g. after an attack or fright, in order to be able to function properly. Especially flight animals who are used to be close to humans such as horses or sheep can teach us a lot and help us to deal with anxiety and other issues.
 
7 Cultivate playfulness, fun, laughter
When we play, have fun, laugh, we cannot be anxious at the same time! Being silly, dancing, going wild, joking around… all these things are contraindications of states of anxiety. Often, adults do not allow themselves to go there to retain control and to “keep it together”. Deliberately hold a safe space where playfulness, fun and laughter are stimulated and can be expressed freely.
 
8 Move your body
Anxiety is often described as feeling stuck in a “dark hole”. Movement requires of us to focus on the NOW – otherwise we might tumble. When we move our body in a playful and fun way, our nervous system calms down and stress (anxiety) is released.

Song, music and dance form the healing triangle used in all cultures around the world and by our ancestors to find balance and realign ourselves with life-sustaining rhythms. Here a simple activity: choose fun and uplifting music (African music seems to work well for most people – maybe because we all descended from African ancestors); dance different animals (e.g. elephant, snake, rabbit…); dance the elements (wind/air, water, fire, earth). If possible, dance/move outside, barefoot on the earth. From my experience, children of all ages love this and are able to release tension and stress.
 
9 Drumming
Drumming is another archetypal activity, combining essential factors into a powerful equation: 
action/movement + rhythm + earth connection (grounding) = stability, focus, awareness of self/other
The steadiness and continuity of the rhythm provide a supportive and reliable structure and trigger a deep inner knowing and memories of cohesion and coherence – thus counteracting anxiety and stress.
 
10 Visualisation
Visualisation is used since ancient times to focus and guide mental activity, set clear intentions and to avoid distraction. There are guided imageries and mindfulness exercises that you can follow. You can also make up your own journeys. Visualising comes natural to young ones who are used to role-play, day-dream, create their own stories. Visualisation techniques not only help to calm the nervous system, but can also support us to keep ourselves focused and motivated and to overcome feelings of despair and overwhelm.
 
There are, of course, countless other things you can do – follow your intuition and your “fun receptors” to show you the way. Young ones are usually pretty good at this.
If you are looking for more ideas and concrete examples, you will find some inspiration in my books Dance into an Inner Light (Active Meditations and Guided Imageries for children) and Power Tools for Power Kids (over 350 pages of exercises, techniques, activities, recipes, art projects to maintain a healthy balance and to navigate challenges in life, for various age groups).

In this article I talk about my experiences and offer some guidance for educators, parents, anyone, really, who wants to support young ones to nurture their spirituality.
When we are born, we are a blank canvas and absorb all the colours and energies around us, painting an image that we carry within for the rest of our journey through physical life. Some energies nurture us, feel good, uplift our spirits, others make us feel unwell, tip our balance, harm us, depress our spirits. We have an innate sensor and discernment of what feels life-supportive and what’s life-destructive. As we grow, we observe the culture (human created structures and systems) around us and we are educated (lat. educere = to lead out of) out of our natural state of being and sensing. We are encouraged to adopt the values and beliefs of our family, community, society and rewarded for it. Whenever we question existing principles and parameters, we encounter resistance and often repulsion. In order to be a “good girl” or a “good boy”, a lot of us play according to the rules. We aim to fit in, to avoid conflict, to play along, to succeed, to be rewarded… A few rebel and resist and ask questions – which comes at a cost and they have to weather the consequences. Rocking the mainstream boat isn’t very popular.
 
I still remember the pain and sadness when I first noticed that animals and other life forms weren’t valued and respected the same way as humans in my environment. I fought for the life of our rabbits, my friends, and realized that my father had kept them purely as a food resource, and not because he enjoyed their company and friendship as I did.
At kindergarten I was devastated about the bullying that happened – often supported by the ways the teachers led the learning environment: the “bad guys” were put in time-out and learned that they had to explore things secretly in order to avoid consequences. The “good guys” tried to stay out of conflict, didn’t get involved, looked the other way, etc. The “victims” responded in our innate human response ways: flight, fight or freeze – none of these were getting them anywhere: fight response often led to adult intervention, flight normally wasn’t possible (they had to go to kindi the next day again), and freeze was a potentially dangerous and harmful option exposing them to ongoing harassment . I hated kindi because of that, as I couldn’t bear to see anybody suffering and was afraid to be at the receiving end, too. What I saw around me, both in the adult world and, as a consequence, reflected in the children’s world, made me sad and was deeply painful.
At Christmas I collected the leaflets from various charities that landed in our mailbox and declared that I didn’t want any presents, but instead asked my family and friends to please give all they could to help the children and ill people that were on the cover photos. How could I receive anything, if there were people so much worse off than me!
I suffered when I saw how people treated each other, I also suffered when I saw how people treated animals, plants, life overall. I didn’t understand the harshness, the brutality, the insensitivity. My spirit felt deeply affected each time I experienced something cruel, unfair, disrespectful – and the inactivity of people in my environment. How could they live their lives without addressing all the burning injustices and imbalances first? I felt helpless and overwhelmed and desperately looked for guidance and options. My parents weren’t practising any religion, but I was surrounded by people who followed Christian or Islamic traditions, so I started praying to this god they were mentioning who would come and support those who needed help. I prayed for all the animals, for the trees that were cut down in the forest (I heard them cry), for all the people who were mistreated, sick, not well, suffering… Sometimes, what I saw and experienced almost broke me: people in my village, my father’s life story, people with different abilities that were ridiculed and made fun of, stories I heard in the news or watched on TV, the stories of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, of my uncle describing reality in Native American reservations… I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t a big revolution. Surely someone had to press “pause” and deal with all the injustice and imbalances, before “life as usual” could go on! Why was this not happening? And what could I do? When I spoke to others, some seemed to agree, some not, but almost no one seemed to take action.
I spent my teenage and young adult years campaigning and “fighting” as an activist – however, I am not a fighter and activism drained my energies big time. I longed for spiritual nurturing, for spiritual guidance to put everything in a bigger perspective, to anchor me and to make sense of it all.
 
When I work with young ones (ages 4-17), I often observe a similar longing, similar questions. Some express their needs, worries, fears and feelings clearly, others try to cope and to function within the given structures and systems, suppressing feelings of despair, frustration, and overwhelm. There are various degrees of denial as a coping mechanism. Modern societies haven’t got much to offer to still the hunger for spiritual nurturing and guidance. Religions try to fill the gap, however, they still have to address power abuse and traumatizing actions that happened in the past (and still to this day) in the name of all major religions. Before that happens, they cannot provide a safe spiritual space. Young people often feel this intuitively – and look for other alternatives. New Age and esoteric options are trending. The use of plant and animal medicine, star and divine ascension teachings are trying to show a way to spiritual fulfilment and consciousness. However, as our ancestors waaaay back knew: all these (originally shamanic) pathways are not easy to walk without experienced and conscious guidance and assistance. And many self acclaimed teachers and guides do not have the depths and wisdom to lead others safely – yet. Without the guidance of elders, of wisdom keepers, or – even better – without rediscovering the “direct link” to spirit within oneself, young ones can end up feeling even more vulnerable, overwhelmed and confused in the long run.

In these chaotic times, when humans reclaim their spiritual identity and traditions, it is important to assist young ones to maintain their innate connection to “spirit world” and to rekindle their spiritual awareness, so that they are able to discern what’s “real” and what’s not. So that their senses remain open and they learn to speak spirit language. We are all spiritual beings. When we are born, this is a vital (= life-giving and life-sustaining) part of us. Excluding, suppressing, neglecting or even dismissing the spiritual aspect of life, of us, has drastic consequences. All other aspects of our being – physical, mental and emotional – suffer, if we do not integrate spiritual energies. It affects our vitality, our creativity and our overall balance. The rise of mental health issues, youth suicide, depression, anxiety, obesity, anorexia and other eating disorders, substance abuse, aggression, ADHD, allergies, autism and so many others are a clear indication of a “system overload”: we are mentally, emotionally and physically drained, stressed and overwhelmed. Our nervous systems cannot cope with the continuous pressure and our immune systems cannot maintain physical balance and health. We need practices that restore the balance and release (suppressed) energies out of our systems. By consciously reintegrating spiritual energies and guidance into our lives, we reconnect ourselves to the bigger picture of life, activating vital life-giving energy sources that are at the base of all life. Shamanic practices are at the core of many indigenous cultures and were applied by our ancestors, no matter where we come from. It is time to re-member these life-sustaining practices, and to hold a space for spiritual connection within and without ourselves so that we can share it, once again, with our young ones.

​What can parents do to support the spiritual development of their child(ren)?
If you haven’t grown up in an environment that acknowledged the spiritual aspect of life, you might feel unsure and unconfident as for how to teach your children in this matter. As is true for all things, we can only share what we have experienced ourselves. I recommend that you begin with yourself and start developing a conscious connection to your own spirituality. Explore yourself as a spiritual being. There are many ways to do this – follow the resonance principle, ask your spirit guides, your ancestors, for support and guidance. Set your intention – and the path will reveal itself. Your children can be your teachers! Allow them to show you the way – they often know how to connect to spirit world and share their insights with everyone who is open to observe and to listen. Trees and birds and natural water sources can also be your guides on this journey.
Lie on the earth, walk barefoot through the forest, watch the clouds pass by and the stars at night…
Slow down and hold space. And in due time, you will discover and reintegrate long lost parts of yourself.
Create your own little rituals together with your children. Listen inside, trust yourself and don’t be afraid to go “wrong” – if you follow your intuition and set a pure intention, you will find your own access way to bring spiritual energies into your life. I wrote a whole book to help parents, educators as well as young ones, to get started and to share some ideas and tools to be in-spired – there is so much to be (re-) discovered on this topic.
On your quest it is good to remember that all of our ancestors have had their own spiritual practices and that we naturally are spiritual beings. If you feel “lost”, allow yourself to stop and to slow down. Immerse yourself in nature, ask your spirit guides to show up, connect with your ancestors – and trust that you will be shown the next steps. Also trust that your children will follow their own spiritual path – if their environment allows and supports this!
When we follow natural cycles (e.g. moon cycles, seasons) and align ourselves to vital rhythms, we allow vital energies to flow freely and strengthen not only our physical, mental and emotional resilience, but also our connection to the spiritual realms. And if we (and, as a consequence our young ones) have a strong spiritual connection and awareness, anxiety and the feeling of being lost goes away. Spiritual connection allows us to feel safe and to calm our nervous system. It helps us to move and release (trauma/suppressed) energies and boosts our resilience, overall stability and a healthy balance. A strong spiritual foundation and connection strengthens and guides us from within and is the best gift we can give to ourselves and share with our community.
 
Here are some resources that you might find helpful to explore with your child(ren):
Dance into your Inner Light – book (paperback and ebook)
Dance into your Inner Light – guided imageries with music (instrumental and guided versions)
Power Tools for Power Kids – book (paperback and ebook)

Trauma can be intergenerational, meaning it originates in previous generations, and/or personal, meaning it originates in our personal lifetime. It can also be collective, meaning a whole community/culture/religion/country/nation suppresses intense energies and thus generates trauma.
Here are some examples: A mother looses a child and doesn’t deal with the pain of the loss, but suppresses the corresponding energies – this can lead to personal trauma of the mother. If the energies aren’t released the personal trauma of the mother might be passed on to the next generation (= other siblings and their offspring) and might cause intergenerational trauma. An example for a collective trauma is the colonization of indigenous people in various areas of the world. Colonization (often a result of colonizers carrying intergenerational trauma) affects a whole collective of people who are often suppressing energies corresponding to colonization (e.g. fear, anger), thus creating the collective trauma of colonization, usually passing it on to next generations (intergenerational collective trauma).
These examples show how most people de facto grow up and live in a traumatized social environment. I will write about this more below.
 
Why do people suppress energies?
The answer to this is easy to understand: if an experience is very painful, horrific, scary, intense, our nervous system is overwhelmed. To protect ourselves from a complete nervous break down, we suppress energies by distracting our minds away from the experience. WW1 and 2, and if we go further down in history, the Middle Ages, long-lasting conflicts like the Israel-Palestine war, and countless other painful experiences left deep wounds in the human psyche and body. As a consequence, all of us who are not born into a functioning indigenous/natural setting live in a traumatized environment with traumatized systems as the energies that have been set into motion by past events haven’t been fully released yet. We carry the trauma (suppressed energies) in our DNA, and we reiterate and accumulate trauma by not acknowledging the intensity of previous and current experiences (“that was in the past; that affected previous generations, not me; we have to look ahead, not dwell in the past”). This means that our actions and decisions are currently influenced by collective and individual trauma.
A traumatized nervous system doesn’t function properly! Colonization, wars, mental, physical and spiritual dis-orders are all consequences of severe trauma that affected and still affects the ability of whole generations to relate to each other in a healthy and balanced way. When our nervous system is traumatized, we cannot be present with each other, we cannot relate to and connect with each other in a balanced way as our vision is blurred and our senses are distorted by the trauma. This leads to “trauma-controlled” (= dysfunctional, disruptive, unbalanced) actions that cause more trauma and a dis-ability to build functioning relationships and connections.
 
How can we release trauma?
All (wild) animals have the innate ability to re-balance themselves. Often the rebalancing is also supported by other individuals in the community/tribe/pack/pod/flock/herd. It is important that disruptive energies are released out of the system – otherwise they will cause dysfunctions (trauma) further down the track. Disruptive energies are set in motion by experiences that trigger fear: ultimately the fear of death.
All living beings, including the human species, have innate release or self-regulative responses that help them to re-balance their nervous system after such intense experiences.

However, as I illustrated above, humans have created another mental response as an emergency coping mechanism: denial. Denial of or distraction from the energy response to an intense (“traumatic”) experience interrupts the natural release response. By telling ourselves that “it wasn’t that bad”; that “we need to keep our act together”; that “big girls and boys don’t cry”; that we have to “get over it”, that we “need to get on with life” etc without acknowledging the effect the experience had/has on our nervous system we suppress the energies that have been set into motion by the experience. We are not releasing the energies out of our nervous system!
If there is a natural release response there is no trauma. Trauma only arises if energies are suppressed and are not released out of the nervous system.
 
How can we step out of this cycle?
Imagine that you live in a beautiful house. Whenever someone brings something into the house that you don’t like, that upsets or scares you, you throw it into one room and lock the door. You don’t look at the things in the room, and just add “unwanted items” as you go. Over time the room fills up more and more. Things are rotting, start smelling badly, some things might wither and fall apart… You might hear funny noises and other odd “occurences” coming from the room. Over time this ominous locked room affects the atmosphere of the whole house. In order to keep things in a healthy balance, you would need to clean out and/or cleanse this room every now and then – ideally, you wouldn’t even store things in there, but instead deal with any unwanted items (energies) at the time or close to the time when they come into your life.
In our individualistic societies people often carry the expectation that they have to deal with personal “stuff” themselves. We think we need to clean our house ourselves. We might get a cleaner in, but we have to pay for him or her – so if we don’t have the money, we will have to do it on our own – or leave things messy. However, to deal with an intense experience or trauma on our own is not easy! Especially if we have to deal with intergenerational and/or collective trauma. Most people will be overwhelmed by this – and, as a consequence, not address the issue and suppress the corresponding energies. Our nervous system is not designed to deal with intense experiences on our own! We are social animals, and this means we need the stabilizing influence of a functional social network around us (family/community/nation/nature) to balance intense experiences. In a functional social system there are always individuals who won’t be triggered as much by the same experience and are able to keep a calm composed state of being. These individuals can then support others who are thrown out of balance. You can observe this phenomenon beautifully in a herd of horses. Imagine a horse that is scared by a bird flying out of a bush. The horse shies and starts galloping (flight response). Other members of the herd raise their heads, some might be triggered and follow in panic. However, there is a wise old lead mare. She assesses the situation, realizes that there is nothing to worry about, lowers her head and starts grazing again – a clear sign for the panicking herd members that there is nothing to run away from, that they can stop galloping. They slowly calm down, breathing heavily, and gradually go back to grazing. The galloping, breathing and grazing are physical release mechanisms that release the triggered energies (fear, panic) out of the body.
As a lot of humans live in a traumatized society and as most of our mainstream systems (health system, educational system, economic system, justice system) are based on trauma (suppressed energies), we no longer release traumatic energies out of our systems in an appropriate way. The majority of the human population is no longer living in healthy indigenous settings and there is a lack of self-regulative mechanisms as well as a lack of healthy individuals who can support others to balance themselves. I meet a lot of therapists, doctors, educators who carry severe trauma without being aware of it. Their path attracted them to be of service to their fellow humans – but they aren’t aware of the “wounded healer” syndrome. We need more conscious support people in our communities: people who are aware of the personal and collective trauma within themselves and within others; people who know self-regulative tools to release suppressed energies, calm the nervous system and balance themselves – so that eventually “the balanced” has a regulative effect on “the unbalanced”.
Other species and intact natural environments can inspire and support us on this journey. By spending time in wild nature, with wild animals (domesticated animals often carry trauma, mostly caused by their close contact with traumatized humans) our nervous system seems to re-balance and recalibrate naturally. Depending on the severity of the trauma and the ability of the nervous system to relax this release process can take a while.
Other methods and therapy programs to calm a triggered, overwhelmed and/or stressed nervous system such as breathing techniques, mindfulness, meditation etc are often not enough to hold a safe space for trauma energies to be released, especially if

• the suppressed energies are intergenerational,
• the living situation of the individual is still overwhelming, unsafe and stressful (= doesn’t allow the person to relax),
• the person doesn’t have ongoing support and social connection with at least one uplifting (balanced) support person,
• the person lives in an unnatural environment and is exposed to or surrounded by traumatized systems and people.

In order to calm our nervous system and to release suppressed energies, we need

• a safe space,
• conscious and self-aware support people who are able to be present with what is and to tune into individual needs and requirements,
• time and ongoing loving support,
• connection to intact natural systems (wilderness, indigenousness that hasn’t been domesticated, colonized or otherwise affected by traumatized human actions) to re-integrate ourselves into a bigger picture and to remember our innate ability to release (suppressed) energies out of our body-mind-soul system,
• connection to the “beyond-physical” and the “beyond-mental” realms = connection to spiritual realms/Spirit World.

 
Mental Health symptoms are an indication of our need and readiness to address all these issues and to release suppressed energies out of our systems. Instead of measures which suppress or distract from highly intense energies even more (e.g. medication, affirmations) we need safe spaces where we can open locked doors and clear out some “stuff” acknowledging what has been and is. This is the key to not only mental health, but also to our emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing and balance.

I have written about this extensively - yet, I still see so many people in my life and immediate surroundings who are not seen and acknowledged for who they are. Instead they are labeled and the gifts they bring to their communities (common-unity) are dismissed. This triggers deep memories in my body-mind-soul, and often stirs up a deep sadness because of this waste of precious potential and resources. Such a cause of unnecessary suffering and pain.

People who are sensitive to energies, to spirit world, used to be honoured and highly esteemed for their abilities. (They still are in some indigenous cultures.) They often were seen as the “gatekeepers” or “world bridgers” who could navigate through spirit world and access important knowledge and guidance. The information they shared was valued by the rest of the community and often served as a foundation for chiefs and political leaders in their decision-making. These people were identified already at a young age and either “left alone” (= not bullied or singled out by the rest of the community) or put under the tutorship of an experienced elder resp. a group of elders.
 
In our modern societies, mental health issues are “on the rise” and more and more people are labeled dysfunctional! Autism, ADHD, Bipolar, Asperger’s, hallucination, hypersensitivity… these are all symptoms of special abilities. Instead of recognising these behaviours as indicators of a heightened sensitivity, people are made believe that there is “something wrong” with them. They are put into mental health care, medicated and generally “shut down” and marginalised. 

​As a child I have been seeing and hearing “things” – and assumed everyone would perceive the world like I do. I soon realized that people in my surroundings either dismissed or ridicule my perceptions. As a consequence I learned how to “hold back” and not share my perspectives and feelings. This also created a deep rift inside of me: on one hand I knew with certainty that what I perceived was real, on the other hand it was clearly not accepted and acknowledged in mainstream society around me. This drove me to the brink of madness many times, as well as to being suicidal (= rather wanting to leave the physical plane than staying on and not being able to share “the full story”). When I look at some of the young (and old) people in my community, I see people who don’t need to be segregated and definitely not be drugged and treated as pathological. There is nothing wrong with them! They are simply highly sensitive to energies and able to perceive different realities.
In my view, mainstream education, health and other social systems have become too standardized. Everyone who doesn’t fit into the narrow framework is left out – or worse. Thus, we miss out on essential treasures: we don’t take time to listen to the wisdom of our elders, our young ones, the ones with special abilities. Instead we try and press everybody into rigid standards – creating more and more exhaustion and overwhelm and “dysfunctions”.
 
Sitting and listening to the stories of the “outcasts”, valuing EVERY member of our community and respect the input and gifts each and everyone brings, is a prerequisite for a functioning and balanced society. Oracles, hermits, shamans, druids, witches, sorcerers, artists, all the weird and wonderful are contributing important aspects to the bigger whole. As said before: they are the gatekeepers and bridgers to other realities. They bring balance and vision and can help the “workers” and the rest of their communities to put things into perspective. In troubled times we need them desperately to look beyond the veil. 

Here is a great video clip that illustrates some of the issues mentioned above - and an example of a natural indigenous approach to deal with it...