Humans are wired for resilience

Guest contributor Diana Johnson is a former middle school art teacher who developed an interest in how people stay resilient after a turbulent period in her life. She now works as a life coach helping other people navigate change in their lives with resilience using insight and tools from neurobiology, ancient wisdom traditions, and the arts.

The star of the astonishing 2020 documentary My Octopus Teacher was a creature who could shapeshift in an instant to protect herself from threat—changing color to disappear against a rock wall, swaying gently to blend in with a clump of kelp, or retreating into a crack to regenerate a lost limb. Most astonishing of all, however, was the close relationship that developed between the octopus and the filmmaker when she felt safe enough for connection after months of his quiet observation.

Scientists are just beginning to understand the near-magical abilities of an octopus, made possible by a remarkable nervous system in their body and arms. Humans are vastly different from octopuses (we are more closely related to dinosaurs), but we have at least one thing in common: our nervous systems are wired for resilience, with capacity to flexibly respond to stress and recover a state of balance. Science has recently made great strides in understanding the role our nervous system plays in both protecting us from threat and restoring our health.

Like that of the octopus (if less dramatically), the human nervous system drives both our defensive behaviors and our ability to recuperate, most often without our conscious awareness. Dr. Stephen Porges coined the term neuroception to describe that process within his Polyvagal Theory, introduced in 1994. (“Polyvagal” refers to the extensive vagus nerve, which plays a critical role in connecting the brain and the body.) Often without being aware of the trigger, we can find ourselves in either an activated state of fight-or-flight or a collapsed state of freeze. Threats can be detected within the environment, interpersonal relationships, or oneself. And if our nervous system lacks resilience, we can stay stuck in a defensive state that interferes with our relationships, robs us of vitality, and makes us sick.

The gift of Polyvagal Theory is an understanding of how we can cultivate our resilience with awareness—not only of our triggers of danger but also of the cues of safety that help us live into our full human capacity. Such a state of balanced awareness is essential for maintaining both our physical health and the emotional well-being that comes from connection with others. Polyvagal Theory has been especially influential in the treatment of trauma. Trauma held in the body can interfere with the accurate neuroception of safety, triggering a habitual defensive state that is no longer helpful. One reason Polyvagal Theory is so valuable is that its principles apply not just to trauma survivors but to anyone with a nervous system who encounters stressors large and small—which is all of us.

Each person’s nervous system has a unique makeup—one person’s triggers of danger or cues of safety will differ from another’s. Taking time to get acquainted with your nervous system is a valuable exercise that will help you recognize the warning signs that you are heading towards a defensive state before you find yourself hijacked. Similarly, awareness of your system’s cues of safety will help you structure your days and marshal your resources to maximize your resilience and live your fullest, most vibrant life.

That’s another important message from My Octopus Teacher. The filmmaker blundered into the project at a time of personal and professional crisis. Remembering how much he enjoyed swimming as a child, he embarked on a daily habit of freediving in the frigid waters off the coast of his native South Africa. That would not be a cue of safety for everyone’s nervous system, but it was for his. The awe and wonder of his evolving connection with the octopus helped bring balance and health back to his personal life, and catapulted him to a new level of professional success.

The Center for Resiliency Arts is dedicated to helping clients cultivate resilience for navigating the stress of everyday life using techniques informed by Polyvagal Theory. Contact Diana Johnson at diana@resiliencyarts.com or check out her website at resiliencyarts.com for more information.

What has changed? What have we learned?

After a year of living under the dark cloud that is the coronavirus pandemic, we’re still struggling with uncertainty and trying to maintain hope. In spite of increased vaccination rates, the infection rates continue to be high. Being vaccinated does protect us from severe expression of the disease, but not as much against contracting or spreading the disease. This means we still need to be vigilant with safety practices and avoid exposure as much as possible. 

During the past year, most of us have tended to turn inward and develop new ways of living and being. For some, the solitude has been a relief, while others have struggled with isolation. Those of us who found comfort in our seclusion are feeling a bit anxious as society around us starts to reawaken. It feels awkward and rushed, somehow. At the same time, we are all craving the hugs and the face-to-face connections that we have been deprived of. 

Many of us have been asking ourselves and each other: What has changed permanently? What have we learned? What will go back to what it was like before? Many have enjoyed the flexibility of working from home, while others feel separated from their coworkers. We have developed new technologies for communicating with others from anywhere in the world, both for work and learning opportunities and personal connection. Some of these technologies may continue to be useful when things return to “normal.”

What has changed at Red Clover Clinic?

For the time being, we continue to uphold the protocols that we implemented at the start of the pandemic. We screen everyone who comes through the door; clean all contact surfaces after every client; schedule slightly longer appointment times, for the most part; and, of course, we require masks. 

The thing I have appreciated the most during the past year, is the extra time with my clients. It has allowed room for sharing ideas, venting, mutual support, and problem-solving. In time, we may be able to relax our protocols a bit. The thing I miss the most is having table warmers and sheets on the treatment tables. The paper just seems so cold, loud, and wasteful!

What have we learned at Red Clover Clinic?

I’m grateful for the work of Dr. Frank Springob, the brain behind Morphogenic Field Technique (MFT). At the start of the pandemic, he jumped into gear and developed test kits that have been extremely helpful during this time. I’m starting to see more and more people who are struggling with the after-effects of COVID. I’m grateful to have more MFT tools to assess and treat “long hauler” symptoms. In my limited experience so far, it seems that these tools are effective, but it does take time for the long haulers to fully recover. 

Dr. Springob also developed ways of testing the after-effects of the COVID vaccines. These symptoms have been so far much easier to address. One clinical pearl that I have found to be very effective at moderating the intense immune reactions following a COVID vaccination is Echinacea Premium by MediHerb. You may not be able to fully avoid the symptoms, but they should be a lot milder and shorter in duration by taking the herb.

Whether or not you choose to get vaccinated, it is very important to continue to support your immune system, and live as healthfully as possible. A healthy diet, exercise, and good sleep are the most important things we do everyday. Supplements and herbs are a bonus. If you need help developing or tweaking your routine, let me know.

I think it is important that we all give some thought to what we are grateful for and what we want, as individuals and as a society, as we reorganize, reintegrate, and return to the world. We can choose to be mindful, compassionate, and gentle as we move through the process. 

Healing the body by addressing the mind and spirit

There are many factors that affect our health: physical, environmental, social, emotional. To fully understand and heal a condition, we must untangle and address all of these factors. For example, even if a case of back pain was caused by an overt injury, there may be an emotion or a pain memory that, left unaddressed, prevents the original injury from healing. 

The power of German auricular medicine is its ability to address all aspects of the mind, body, and spirit. To explore this idea further, we must revisit the concept of focus activity. A “focus” is a stubborn and hidden blockage to healing, caused by either a body/brain memory of a particular stress or trauma or from a physical or emotional wound that is concealed within the body. The body becomes consumed with healing these blockages and can’t attend to healing other day-to-day issues.

Once we have identified the focus point (we do this by scanning the ears with particular tools, until we feel a change in the pulse) we must dig deeper, to see if there is an emotional component to the blockage that is preventing the focus from healing. We can scan for emotional points or we can look for past traumas. You can look back to the June/July 2020 edition of the Red Clover Clinic Newsletter, where I discussed treating traumas of the soul.

Many emotions are mapped out on the ear. There is an interesting correlation in auricular medicine between organs and emotions that often relates to Chinese medicine theory. In Chinese medicine, the heart is associated with joy, the liver with anger, the spleen with worry, the kidney with fear, and the lung with sadness and grief. On the ear, for example, the anger and rage points relate to the sympathetic chain (the nervous system connection to the organs) of the liver and gallbladder. Another interesting example is that the bullying and violence point is the same point as the pancreas.

In cases where the organ point relates to an emotion, it is important to distinguish if there is an actual organ problem, or if it is purely emotional. Not every physical issue has an associated emotion, and not every emotional blockage is associated with a physical issue; however, the connection comes up frequently. We must remember that traumatic experience exists on a spectrum. The extent of the trauma is dependent on the perception of the threat by the individual, as well as the individual’s stability and constitutional strength.

All of us have a mind, body, and a spirit/soul, and to heal and maintain health, we must address all of these aspects of ourselves. By treating only the physical aspect of back pain, the condition may remain more chronic. If we treat the emotion underlying the pain along with the back pain itself, and any other blockages that may prevent healing, we have the hope of actually healing the condition more successfully.

Treating traumas of the soul

One of the things that kept me busy during the pandemic shutdown was an online German auricular acupuncture course on identifying and treating soul trauma. Soul trauma refers to psychological wounds and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most of us have experienced some form of shock, trauma, injury, or abuse in our lives. There may even be an event that we are not conscious of, such as birth trauma, that is still having an effect on our whole being. 

The assessment

As with all German auricular acupuncture methods, I use the pulse to find the points that need treatment. This method uses several different flower essences to help identify, and in some cases treat, the trauma. 

The process begins by scanning a portion of the back of the head along the Governing Vessel, one of the energy pathways in Chinese medicine. If there is an active pulse reading, we can pinpoint a certain age range of when the trauma happened. The client is then asked to think back to that age, and try to remember if there was a traumatic event that they experienced. Most of the time, the client has an immediate recognition of the trauma. 

Next, the active area must be scanned with a few different flower essences, to determine which one will be useful to treat the trauma. There will be a point on the ear that corresponds with the selected flower essence that will also be treated. Again, the pulse is used to find a resonance between the flower essence and the points.

The treatment

The treatment is composed of three parts.

1. The recall and acknowledgement of the traumatic event. 

2. The flower essence that resonated with the point on the timeline can be taken internally, daily, for up to a few weeks.

3. The point on the ear that is associated with the flower essence can be treated with a semi-permanent needle, a regular acupuncture needle and/or laser treatment with the frequency associated with the flower essence. 

The area on the timeline will need to be checked on subsequent visits. The point may be cleared, or it will require further treatment. Sometimes a new area will show up. If multiple points show up, the trauma that happened earliest in life is the one that is addressed first. Often it will clear the subsequent traumas. 

In light of the traumatic events surrounding the murder of George Floyd that have happened here in Minnesota in the past few weeks, I found the timing of this new-to-me method to be quite relevant and well-timed. Many of my clients are showing up still in shock and experiencing anxiety. By addressing the older traumatic events, I’m hoping that they will be more able to process these new traumas in real time, so they don’t suffer a lasting effect. 

Working with my clients at this level has been a gift. I feel like they have allowed me a glimpse into their lives, and we have been able to process these deep traumatic experiences together.

A global pandemic is no retreat

What a strange few weeks we have experienced. It has taken me over two weeks to feel settled enough to even write anything meaningful. I have spoken with many friends, clients, and fellow practitioners, who have been experiencing similar patterns of anxiety, lack of focus, and frustration. It seems that the new and unknown territory we’re wading through causes us to experience a feeling of chaos. The thing is, isn’t the future always unknown? Certainly, our usual, day-to-day lives have a routine and familiarity to them that helps to keep us grounded, and more able to cope with the unexpected. 

As I’m finding new routines, I’m starting to feel a bit more productive. As a small business owner, the learning curve has been steep, figuring out when to close, how long to close, understanding the disaster relief programs, how to stay in touch with clients, planning for new practice procedures when we go back to the clinic, furthering my education on immune support during this pandemic, and more. The large number of emails, phone calls, text messages, and webinars has been supportive and informative, but also distracting and overwhelming. It’s hard to stay focused, when there is always another thing to pay attention to. I’m the type of person who craves a quiet retreat. One would think that physical distancing would create such an opportunity, but in my experience, a global pandemic is no retreat!

That said, I have enjoyed sleeping a bit longer in the mornings, eating more regular meals, and taking more moments here and there to think. As many of you know, I am a crafts person of all things wooly. This time period has made me somewhat more productive, but not necessarily more creative. I have found that the action of doing something repetitive in nature has a calming effect on my nervous system. 

This doesn’t seem to be a time to achieve big things–rather, we need to find joy in all of our small accomplishments: a clean closet, a healthy meal, a fresh-baked loaf of bread, a pot of chicken stock, a repotted plant, a completed craft project.

Wishing all of you good health and safety during this difficult time.

How to support your immune system, during the time of COVID-19

• Create a daily routine

• Maintain consistent meal times

• Keep bed and wake-up times consistent

• Get daily exercise

• Avoid sticky foods, such as gluten, dairy, and sweets

• Emphasize hydrating foods, such as soups, stews, and porridges

• Eat more warming foods, and limit cold foods

• Eat mindfully

• Breathe in fresh air whenever possible

• Meditate

As always…the best preventive medicine is made up of healthy habits and nutritious food!

Supportive symptom management of COVID-19

A few days ago, I watched a webinar put on by Janice Hadlock, an acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine professor. She shared a technique that appears to greatly calm the symptoms of COVID-19. It is a simple, self-applied procedure that you can learn here.