At a recent Community Healing Event on November 24 at Bend of Ivy Lodge, I shared some of my favorite Somatic Experiencing (SE™) and Qigong practices. These simple techniques helped me reset and resource my nervous system during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, sometimes practicing them up to 15 times a day.

Many attendees asked me to provide a written guide to these tools—so here they are!

1. Warm Up with Gentle Qigong Openers (2-3 minutes)

Rope Swings: Stand and swing your arms like loose ropes, bouncing gently on your legs and heels. Let your body loosen and relax.

Adrenal and Kidney Swings: Stand with feet aligned under your shoulders. Swing your arms in opposite directions: let one hand gently tap your chest while the back of the other hand softly lands above the kidney (that’s where the adrenal gland is located). Alternate sides and repeat for 1-3 minutes.

2. Engage Your Extremities

Moving your arms and legs helps release tension and reconnect with your body.

Slowly roll your wrists, and sense into the movement of each wrist. Then reverse direction.
Now, do the same with your feet. Roll each foot slowly, pausing and then reversing direction.
Stretch and move your legs, allowing each to loosen and flow naturally.

3. Breath and Adrenal Support

Diaphragm Breathing: Place your hands on your waist, fingers resting on the lower ribs. Feel your diaphragm (lower part of your lungs) expand and contract as you breathe.

Adrenal Support: Rest your hands on your waist, with thumbs on your abdomen and fingers on your back, just above the hips. Hold this position for a minute to give touch support to your adrenal glands. This eases the stress hormone, cortisol.

4. Exploratory Orientation

Ground yourself in the present moment through your senses. From that present moment you can see more, take in more. Do so in the following order.

Sight: Notice and see, savor three visually interesting things around you. Ie… candle, art item, trees
Sound: Pause, listen and identify three distinct sounds. Ie… birds chirping, wind blowing, fridge hum
Touch: Feel three objects and sense into their texture, Explore their sensations. Ie… the smooth chair arm, silky scarf, rough corduroy pants

Orientation helps bring you into safety and reconnects you with the "now." It’s a super power to be able to do so.

I hope these practices provide comfort and support for your nervous system. If you’d like additional help, I’m offering for a limited time a free 45-minute Somatic Experiencing session (virtual or in-person) for WNC locals impacted by Hurricane Helene. Follow-up sessions are available at sliding-scale rates through early 2025.

To learn more or schedule a session, email me at susan@intentionalgrowth.org.

0 Likes

Photo by Susan Walters. Ivy River at Bend of Ivy Lodge river glade on September 25, 2024.

A Collective Trauma: Healing After Hurricane Helene

On Friday, September 27, Western North Carolina experienced a collective trauma: Hurricane Helene. For those who lived through it, the event was life-altering.

We now understand that collective traumas, like natural disasters, leave lingering impacts that can remain embedded in the body, nervous system, and emotions for years—often unconsciously stored as "issues in the tissues."

If you were here and experienced the surreal devastation of Helene, you know exactly what I mean.

The days following the storm were marked by unforeseeable destruction. People, homes, land, rivers, animals, and nature endured a cascade of hurricanes, landslides, and floods—a vortex of chaos. Our communities experienced what can be described as a Collective Boundary Rupture.

How Do We Heal and Build Resilience?

Science and medicine show us that sustainable healing—addressing the whole self: body, heart, mind, and spirit—can be achieved through somatic (body-mind) healing. One profoundly effective modality is Somatic Experiencing (SE), pioneered by Dr. Peter Levine.

SE is a powerful tool for healing trauma from natural disasters as well as other life experiences, including childhood, family, relationships, accidents, and loss. Personally, it has been transformative in my own healing journey, both past and present.

In June 2023, I began training as an SE™ practitioner to integrate this work into my coaching practice. During the first weekend of November, my gifted SE teacher visited Asheville to provide trauma support and tools to our cohort, helping us navigate the aftermath of Helene.

What Is Somatic Experiencing (SE™)?

SE is a gentle yet powerful approach to resolving the symptoms of stress, shock, and trauma stored in our bodies and nervous systems. When we become stuck in fight, flight, or freeze patterns, SE helps us release these responses, fostering recovery and resilience.

My Experience with SE After Helene

On the first day of Hurricane Helene, I knew my body and nervous system were in shock—"stuck on." I felt trapped in a survival mode of navigating, protecting, and responding. Symptoms like brain fog, exhaustion, and a sense of being ungrounded accompanied an almost manic drive to help others.

To calm my body and nervous system, I turned to SE tools and practices I had learned. Daily, I carved out quiet moments—often in nature—to perform specific techniques up to 15 times a day during the first two weeks. These practices helped me regulate and find grounding amidst the chaos.

I also sought support from my SE practitioners, mentor, and teachers, scheduling sessions to deepen my healing. These resourcing and orienting practices have been essential in building resilience—not just during this period but for the challenges to come.

Moving Forward

Trauma, whether personal or collective, is an inescapable part of the human experience. In a world marked by uncertainty and change, tools like SE offer a path to healing, growth, and resilience.

With Love,
Susan

PS… If you’re curious to know more, or feel you want support to help you navigate past or current traumas, life experiences or transitions then I’d love to connect to see if I can help to support you. Email me, Susan@intentionalgrowth.org or schedule a Discovery Session (Free).

Ways to Calm, Reset & Build Resilience: 4 Somatic Experiencing (SE™) & Qigong Practices.