Quarantine, Healing and Reclaiming Beauty
In the face of uncertainty and sense of threat that we are all facing in these times of the coronavirus, many of us are feeling what happens in our attachment systems when our sense of safety is disrupted. With the persistent sense of unknown, and an inability to find safety in the connections and relationships that we count on for regulation, we have an opportunity to feel into our deeper attachment wounds. Feelings like loneliness, fear, grief, abandonment, unworthiness, panic, hopelessness may be coming to the surface, and in quarantine we have less opportunities to regulate through connection.
For the past year I have been working with a model for healing which I call the Reclaiming Beauty Healing Process. This spiral healing journey begins with our embodiment, and expanding into life. We are born into this world with a sense of our original beauty - the gifts and strengths we carry as a person. If safety and attachment are threatened, we are unable to clearly sense our inherent value and we lose our connection to this original beauty. Beliefs we form about ourselves through this process - I am not good enough, I am unlovable, I am not worthy of love, I don’t belong, I am not valuable - come to the surface. In the face of this pain, we may turn to disordered eating behaviors to regulate ourselves, or negatively focus on our bodies as an attempt to feel a sense of worth. Many of us are sitting with these painful parts of ourselves during this quarantine time, and resorting to old coping patterns. Here is where we have an opportunity to heal.
The healing journey begins with developing an understanding of the connection between our attachment system and our nervous system, and learning how to resource ourselves back to a sense of safety and security. As we develop these skills, we are able to gather the courage it takes to face these wounds. We learn to compassionately sit with all parts of ourselves, develop skills for self-soothing and connection, let go of the beliefs that no longer serve us and reclaim our inherent value. From there we are able to access our original beauty, and offer our gifts in service to the world.
I have long wanted to create a virtual Reclaiming Beauty circle offering, and now feels like the time for this gathering. Stay tuned for more details, and until then - I am wishing you a sense of safety, well-being and connection.
