Healing the Scars

I hope you are feeling some relief, some freedom and even a taste of joy as we begin to emerge from the relative safety of our Covid hibernations. But perhaps you, like me, have noticed a bit of reticence or a lingering anxiety hanging around. Or maybe you sense a pocket of tension or tightness somewhere in your body?

I have found that there are little “memory scars” in my body, but also in my heart and soul. There are heavy, dark areas — for me where my shoulders meet my chest — and in my heart, which, while welcoming every hug I can get, still seems to wonder, “is it safe?” And even, “will we ever be really safe again?” How do we heal these lingering anxieties, these scars?

In yoga, we call these lingering impressions samskaras.

A samskara can, of course, be positive or negative; their lingering grooves in our unconscious minds minimal or deep. The more often we return to a thought or action, the deeper the groove. The more impactful or longer-lasting the situation is, also the deeper the groove.

Just as scar tissue in our bodies is quickly laid down for self-protection, so these mental scars become learned habits; some are helpful and positive, others negative and self-limiting.

What to do?

Well first of all, give yourself a break!

To paraphrase the Buddha, “s**t happens!” It is in the response to that s**t, that we can shift.

Whether it’s a rainy day that has you down, or an interminably long and isolating pandemic, the process is the same.

Here are the steps that help me: