Our nervous system is wired to keep us alive. When there is a threat or anything we perceive as unsafe it does its job to protect us. I think it’s very important to understand that our nervous system, has circuits that are geared to help us survive even without our awareness or intentions. This can look like fight, fight, freeze, or even a dissociating response. These strategies stay functional if they’re used for short periods of time. When our body is in a chronic state of survival and expressing the responses such as flight, fight, freeze or dissociating for a long period of time, this is when mental and physical illness are expressed. This is very common in today’s world especially if you are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, where many spaces can be retraumatizing, triggering or unsafe when we are living in a structurally racist and violent society that repeatedly oppresses non-White groups. How do you find physical, emotional or social safety in this environment? Since In order to regulate our nervous system we need to give it cues of safety and connection.
Reclaiming your relationship with your body is one the most important gifts you can give to yourself. I also want to make space here that if reconnecting with your body doesn’t feel safe at this time, because it’s been carrying emotional and physical scars, let that be heard and trust your body that it’s not what it needs at this time. I would like you to take some time to thank your body and show it compassion instead.
By reclaiming your self-compassion, self-care, self-acceptance, your nervous system, your ancestral wisdom, you reclaim safety into your body. Safety does not have to be meditating, journaling and endless breathwork. Safety starts with little moments of inner peace. Speaking from a personal level, I find inner peace with things that bring me back to an emotional connection or nostalgia. This is easier for me to ground into because it’s personal, I can visualize it and feel it in my body.
I wanted to share a couple things that help me find safety:
- Dancing or listening to songs that I grew up listening to as a kid, especially cumbias.
- Doing an egg cleanse and setting an intention of releasing bad energies and attracting
abundance. - Eating a Guatemalan dish such as plantains, black beans, scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee.
- Looking back at old photographs of my parents or childhood.
- Calling my mom or sister.
- Reading books by Latinx authors.
- Wearing my evil eye bracelet for protection against bad energies.
- Having a space or altar in my home that brings me peace.
Other patients have used:
- Repeating certain affirmations/ stories family has passed down to them.
- Reciting prayers or scriptures from their religion.
- Practicing cultural Breathwork and Chants.
- Surrounding themselves with friends, family and/or a community that supports them.
- Connecting to their ancestors and indigenous wisdom.
- Using certain herbs, crystals as protectors or healers.
I would love for you to reflect and think of things that bring you safety surrounding your culture and community. I hope you find some practices that can help you anchor to safety in your body, because you deserve it.
Sending you so much healing love.
Dr. Martinez
Dr. Francis Martinez
Dr. Francis Martinez is a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor, specializing in the mind and body connection. She has a Bachelor's degree from University of Washington in Public health and Geography and a Doctorate degree in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University. As well as a certification in integrative somatic trauma therapy, and a certification in integrative pelvic therapy with a focus on somatic dialogue and trauma informed care.
She is a first generation Latina, a creator, a spiritual coach and a healer. She mostly works with first generation Latinas to get to the root of their unhealed intergenerational traumas on a spiritual, emotional and physical level. Some of the symptoms of these traumas on an emotional/spiritual level are anxiety, negative self-talk, self-doubt, unhappiness, perfectionism and unhealthy relationships. On a clinical level some symptoms can look like fatigue, chronic stress, anxiety, hormonal imbalance, digestive issues and nervous system dysregulation.
