There is something extra special in each of us that makes us who we are, it influences the decisions we make day to day, it is sometimes hard to ignore, it conjures up emotional reactions, good & bad, to situations in our lives and frequently has the power to rule over us in ways that we may not even realise or be evident. I am referring to ‘our past‘ and how something that might have affected us several years ago can potentially affect us long-term and how our brain adapts to cope with those situations in our life now.
I was fascinated to find a book on my book shelf recently, unread it had me hooked, it discusses the intricacies of the brain and how we are wired. It was an enlightening read and made me recognise that my nocturnal epilepsy is probably the result of what I went through in my early twenties that was deeply painful and very traumatic for me. The Body Keeps The Score written by Bessel Van Der Kolk, is an insight into the lives of people who have suffered serious, major trauma in their lives so it surprised me to read about seizures and uncontrolled sleep disorders mentioned in his book which covers lots of the issues I still suffer from today.
We are a product of our ‘past life experiences’ and there are many things we do today that are shaped by those experiences which we learn to manage in the best way we can. Unfortunately, we are encouraged by the medical world to resort immediately to prescribed medication for lots of conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress disorders, which doesn’t always cure but disguises the symptoms, however, I prefer to look at alternative therapies rather than resort to medication alone (never stop taking any medication prescribed by your doctor), and so did Mr Van Der Kolk by way of something he established and called neurofeedback that he talks about a lot in his book.
“Neurofeedback is a kind of biofeedback, which teaches self-control of brain functions to subjects by measuring brain waves and providing a feedback signal. Neurofeedback usually provides the audio and or video feedback.”
Today, he uses neurofeedback in his practice to help treat those who suffer with hyperarousal, confusion and concentration problems caused by severe developmental trauma. But he also says it can help with a variety of other conditions such as relieving tension headaches, reducing anxiety and panic attacks, learning to deepen meditation states, treating autism, improving seizure control and self-regulation in mood disorders and more.
There is plenty going on in the medical world to help with past trauma or PTSD that we can only begin to imagine or understand, but for me, in the meantime, I will continue to practice Sophrology as it may not cure my epilepsy but it does help calm me, it improves my sleep and provides me with a sense of balanced harmony so I can live a happier life, free from the guilt or sadness of the things I felt I did not do or achieve in my life but can learn to accept more easily and move on.
Try this little Sophro Balance anchoring technique to help ground you… You can use this in times of unrest or if you ever feel you need to bring your awareness back to the present moment, it can help relax you instantly!
“Close your eyes to better concentrate on yourself, notice the breath going in and the breath going out, do this a few times then focus on a positive, happy, memory from the past, recalling the feelings you felt in every detail, then taking those feelings of wellbeing, take your forefinger and thumb by pressing them together as if taking a snapshot of that peak experience. Then open your eyes.” Continue breathing gently, notice how you are feeling now, and by simply pressing the forefinger and thumb together it will trigger a sense of calm within you when need a moment to reflect.
Please leave me a comment and if you could share this post with your friends it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading…
SOPHRO BALANCE for Wellbeing 
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