How much time are you spending on your trauma story? In this episode, we dive into the idea that “where your focus goes, energy flows.” Sankalpa is a Sanskrit word that means an intention formed by the heart and mind -- a solemn vow, determination, or will. It helps give our lives a direction instead of letting trauma drive our lives: It’s living your purpose at this time in your life. Join us as we walk through the steps to uncovering your purpose and taking a step towards healing. 

How do you uncover your purpose and jump back in the driver’s seat of your life?
Here are the steps we took:

• What do you want
• What are your goals
• What is the theme of your wants and goals
• How would your life feel if you had your wants and goals
• Why did this come up for you? 
• Take a few days or weeks to journal and ”try it on”
• Live with this purpose and check in with it every day

We want to hear from you! Did you uncover your Sankalpa? If so, let us know how it went! Feel free to share your Sankalpa with us if you’d like! We’d love to hear your life’s purpose at this time! 

Links to things we mentioned in today's episode:
Pinterest
Mount Lai (not sponsored)
How to support your community

XOXO Tay & A

Fear surrounding past conflicts often holds back trauma survivors. This fear is often related to shame, and this popped up for us this week through a text. Someone texted Tay, and she had a visceral reaction. In this episode, we talk about how shame is a feeling that we get in our bodies, and we explore lovingly exposing our shame. We don't want to keep secrets and hide in the darkness anymore. 

Babes, let's hear from you! Tell us how shame has affected you. Has it shown up as fear? What has it cost you? Are you ready to shine a light on your shame? DM us on Insta, Facebook, or send us an email!

XoXo 

Tay & A

The article that Tay discussed in the episode: https://greatist.com/connect/emotional-body-maps-infographic#does-this-work

Trigger warning: self-harm, ED, sexual assault, and suicide.

In this episode, Tay walks through her trauma which all surrounds the theme of unconditional love. We all have layers to our stories. Like yours, Tay's has a complexity that can not be unpacked in just one 30 minute podcast. This episode is an overview. 

After her father's suicide, forgiveness was the foundation for beginning to heal. 

Tay' steps to growth after trauma include: 

1. Forgiveness. Commit to love and forgive yourself.
2. Acknowledgment and awareness. Admit to yourself what happened and then become aware of how your trauma is speaking for you. 
3. Inward reflection: Journaling and self-understanding. 
4. Commitment to yourself. Commit to loving and forgiving.
5. Gratitude. Find a sense of appreciation in the small things throughout your day and in your story. 

"Darkness often reveals what daylight would hide from us." 

Our stories give us an incredible gift. We can sit with people who have experienced immense amounts of pain without fixing it for them. We can hear their experiences with 100% non-judgment and see them as they are. As trauma survivors, we can sit with others and validate their experiences, but we often forget to validate ourselves. Babe, you deserve to be validated. You are worthy of forgiveness and unconditional love. 

Resources:

Suicide

• https://www.newportacademy.com/resources/mental-health/teen-suicide-prevention-facts/
• https://www.thetrevorproject.org/trvr_support_center/mental-health/

Funerals

• https://funeralcompanion.com/help-with-funeral-expenses/
• https://www.supermoney.com/planning-affordable-funeral-find-financing-assistance/
• https://www.lhlic.com/consumer-resources/need-help-with-funeral-costs-knowing-your-rights-can-save-you-money/

Signs of Depression

• https://www.bridgestorecovery.com/blog/5-warning-signs-of-suicidal-behavior-that-are-easy-to-miss/
• https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/recognizing-suicidal-behavior

Link to our Pinterest board

https://www.pinterest.com/traumatalkspodcast/

As humans, we tend to compare things, including our traumas. We tell ourselves things like, "his story is so much worse than mine, and I shouldn't feel so bad." Or "why is she so upset about that?" "It doesn't seem like such a big deal." Trauma is an event that fundamentally changes the way you see the world and yourself, and that will be different for each of us. In the episode today, we talk about our values and about A's trauma. 

Our Values:

1. Every human is welcome in our safe community. 
2. Listen with an open heart and open mind. 
3. Speak your truth as it is right now
4. Believe in the power of post-traumatic growth. It's a journey and a process with no end destination, but it's an essential piece in your path to healing.

A's Story is about shifting from a place of shaming and blaming to a place of taking credit for the hard shit she did. She went through years of trauma, but she felt a sense of support when someone stepped into her corner. That support was a pivotal moment, and A uncovered what had been hiding inside her for so long. She began taking back bits of her life before she ever knew there was this thing called post-traumatic growth. She reclaimed herself and her life. 

We are so excited to be releasing our Podcast! We want to share the gratitude we have for our listeners, and that means a giveaway! You can win the book Transformed by Trauma, Tay's fave mug (in your choice of yellow or blue), and A's fave candle!

To Enter Our Giveaway:

Follow Trauma Talks Babes on Instagram

Listen to an episode

Leave us an honest review

Take a screenshot of your review and post it on your Instagram story or feed and tag us in your post! 

Extra Entry: For an additional entry like our giveaway post and tag a friend in the comments section! 

*You must be following us on Instagram* 

Our giveaway ends April 28th, 2021, and the winner will be announced on May 2nd, 2021. Good luck, babes!

(This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram) 

As trauma survivors, our fundamental trust in the universe is often fractured. We usually have a passive sense of everything that happens for a reason - what is meant to be will be or will not be. A really shitty way to move through life! In this episode, we share the story of how we met and the first step in changing our trajectory as trauma survivors. *Spoiler* Being vulnerable is key to growing through your trauma. 

"Tell the story
Of the mountain
You climbed.
Your words
Could become a new page
In someone else's
Survival guide"

Be vulnerable! Tell your story! It's the first step, and we are here for it. 

XOXO Tay & A

We are so excited to be releasing our Podcast! We want to share the gratitude we have for our listeners, and that means a giveaway! You can win the book Transformed by Trauma, Tay's fave mug (in your choice of yellow or blue), and A's fave candle!

To Enter Our Giveaway:
✨Follow Trauma Talks Babes on Instagram
✨Listen to an episode
✨Leave us an honest review
✨Take a screenshot of your review and post it on your Instagram story or feed and tag us in your post! 
✨Extra Entry: For an additional entry like our giveaway post and tag a friend in the comments section! 
*You must be following us on Instagram* 

Our giveaway ends April 28th, 2021, and the winner will be announced on May 2nd, 2021. Good luck, babes!
(This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram)  

Welcome to Trauma Talks, Babes! In episode 0, we share why this podcast came into being and our purpose. You'll get an unvarnished, truthful take from the people who have experienced trauma and a ready to take back their story. 

In season one, we dive deep into our stories and the lesson we have learned from them. We also have some wonderful guests lined up to share their stories. We understand that trauma speaks for you - but you have the power to take it back! We welcome you to our community with open arms!

We hope that our conversations will empower you to speak your truth.