84 Recovery skills 1
TO THE TRAINER
PART II: THE TRAINING
Recovery skills 1
Aim. To learn how to reconnect to the present moment through our senses.
Recovery exercises redirect our attention and our senses
When we are traumatised, our attention focuses entirely on anticipating and avoiding danger. When memories of trauma are triggered, our attention is flooded. The Butterfly Woman needs to learn skills that bring her back to the present moment. When we focus on what we see, hear, touch, smell and taste, these sensations connect us to the here and now. They act as anchors to the present moment. By the same means, we can awaken our senses to good experiences. We can learn to calm ourselves when we are overwhelmed by feelings and energise ourselves when we lack energy. By attending closely to our immediate sensations, we can recover the feeling that we are here and now, in a safe place.
When body and mind are resynchronised in this way, it stabilises the nervous system and nervous responses. The effect is to calm a person who is over-aroused and waken one whose nervous system has‘ closed down’ and lacks energy. When we connect to the present, memories of the past stay in the past.
KEY POINT
The story shows
• How to reconnect to the present moment, through our senses.
TEACHING INSTRUCTION.
Remind the group that all the exercises on the training need to be practised if they are to work. Wherever possible, they should be practised in an environment that is peaceful and safe, because this will help survivors to gradually internalise them. Eventually, they can make use of them whenever they need, even in stressful conditions.
Reassure the participants that you will demonstrate each exercise, using role play, and that you will show them how each exercise can be used to calm a triggered survivor.
Remind the participants that exercises are most beneficial if you follow three rules. Practise them
• When you are in a peaceful and safe environment.
• When you are calm( this assists learning).
• Over and over again, every day for some time. If the participants do this, in time they will be able to use them even when stressed.