You’ve likely heard the term “the body keeps score”, which comes from a book by Bessel van der Kolk.

This refers to the idea that your body holds memories of different traumas and stresses that you’ve experienced throughout your life. Trauma can literally reshape your body and brain, affecting every part of your mind, body, and spirit.

But it’s not just your own experiences that can shape your reality, it’s also those of your ancestors. The traumas, hardships, and stresses that your ancestors faced can be passed down through genetics as well as through behaviors, causing you to store this information in your body.

As frustrating as it can feel to have to do the healing work for those who came before you, it can also be incredibly empowering –– once you understand how to navigate it.

The role of epigenetics

The idea that trauma is passed down through generations isn’t just woo-woo (which is still totally valid in our eyes), it’s also backed up by the theory of epigenetics. 

Studies on epigenetics have shown that trauma can be passed down intergenerationally by impacting gene expression. One idea behind this is when someone experiences trauma, the body releases stress hormones like cortisol.

These stress hormones can be passed down from parents to their children, and so on. Studies have shown that children of Holocaust survivors and other trauma survivors have altered epigenetic patterns that are associated with an increased risk of mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

You’re not responsible for what’s happened to you or your family, but you can make a conscious decision to heal it through somatic techniques.

1) See a specialist

You’re on your own healing journey but it’s one that requires community. That means knowing who you have to lean on and seeking out specialists who can help you do the deep healing work of untangling these traumas and patterns from your body. 

Here are some specialists that can help support you:

• Ancestral healing practitioners: This is a transformative journey that aims to heal the intergenerational traumas and patterns that have been unconsciously passed down in our families.

• Acupuncture: This uses thin needles to move energy along your meridian lines.

• Reiki: A type of hands-on (or sometimes virtual) healing that helps promote the movement of energy so the body, mind, and soul can heal themselves.

• Somatic Experiencing: This is a therapy that helps people process trauma and stress by focusing on physical sensations. Therapists help you to explore and release physical tension and emotions. 

This deep work can take time to truly unravel and may require a combination of modalities along with other tools.

2) Womb healing

These ancestral traumas and stories can be stored throughout your whole body, but the womb is the seat of all of them. Practicing womb healing can help you heal somatically for you –– and generations to come (whether or not you carry children).

A yoni egg practice can be incredibly potent for womb healing. We especially love our Unakite Yoni Egg ($89 AUD) for ancestral somatic healing. 

 

 

Unakite balances the emotional and spiritual bodies, providing a gentle release of energetic blockages. It helps us to move on from outmoded beliefs from the past. Unakite can also be used to help with past-life regression therapy and facilitates the understanding of previous events and their roles in the current incarnation.

You can dive deep with this guided Womb Healing Meditation ($12 AUD), a 19-minute practice led by YPP founder, Rosie Rees. This meditation is intended to help you clear physical or emotional pain from your womb, release and let go of trauma, re-create your womb as a sacred space, and hear and listen to your womb wisdom.

3) Healing through pleasure

Pleasure is one of the most healing tools we have access to. When we claim our pleasure, we claim all the joy, connection, ecstasy, and all the feelings our ancestors may not have had access to. Pleasure allows us to lean into what it truly means to be alive and feel empowered and present in our bodies.

When you reclaim your pleasure, you reclaim your body while releasing stored trauma from your cells. One of the most potent tools to do this is with a crystal wand practice. 

These are our favorite wands for ancestral somatic healing:

The Lila 2.0 ($129 AUD) is great for those new to crystal wands, G-Spot stimulation, and yoni massage. You can choose from rose quartz, which helps to release emotional conditions, or black obsidian, which is the Shaman of the crystal family and can support the transmutation of shame and trauma while providing grounding into the powerful present moment.

 

 

Our Obsidian Curve Crystal Dildo ($189 AUD), which is also made from black obsidian, is perfect for self-lead sexual healing and self-pleasure as you have the option of starting with the thicker end or the more tapered end.

 

 

The Rose Curve Crystal Dildo ($220 AUD) is a crescent-shaped wand made from 100% pure Brazilian Rose Quartz crystal. The soft bend allows for easeful penetration following the vagina's natural curvature. With a larger bulb on one end and a smaller bulb on the other, this wand lends itself to deep, expansive g-spot and cervical orgasms.

 

 

This crystal wand has been proven to help thousands of women access more sensation in their vagina, unlocking deeper internal orgasms whilst also unlocking a sense of sexual healing by infusing intention with their masturbation practice.

 

 

Go at your own pace and revel in over 14 modules of sexually empowering masterclasses, tutorials, guided meditations, guest interviews and practical yoni egg exercises plus a monthly women's sister circle on Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month. If you desire consistency, connection and community, this VIP Golden Yoni portal is the perfect place to be. Sign up now for only $40/month with no lock in contracts.