Reclaiming Power: How Trauma Steals Agency and How to Take It Back
When people discuss trauma, they usually center on the incident itself—what happened, how severe it was, how much damage it produced. But the sense of powerlessness accompanying trauma is what defines it, more than the actual occurrence. When we confront something overwhelming—something we cannot escape, fight off, or control—trauma results. The unifying denominator in all […]
Integrating Daoist Wisdom into a Western Healing Framework: An Overview
Does the sheer variety of healing techniques available sometimes overwhelm you? You’re not alone in feeling this way. Anyone trying to heal from childhood complex trauma can find themselves seemingly standing at a crossroads. While holistic approaches such as the Daoist healing arts stress balance, energy flow, and harmony, Western medicine offers therapy, drugs, and […]
10 Common Ways Childhood Complex Trauma Affects the Body
When contemplating the idea of trauma, we usually focus on its psychological and emotional effects—that is, anxiety, depression, or maybe problems in relationships. But childhood complex trauma (CCT) impacts the body as well, sometimes in ways we would not have predicted. It doesn’t only leave its mark on the psyche. You might experience stomach problems, […]
The Roots of Anger: How Unresolved Childhood Trauma Shapes Political and Social Rage
Anger seems to dominate political and social debate in today’s society. This is most clear nowhere more than in the strong allegiance many people have for leaders like Donald Trump. His rhetoric, full of defiance, retribution, and dominance, speaks to his followers quite deeply. This begs a crucial issue, though: Why does this rage last […]
Understanding Pathology in the Daoist Healing Arts: The Foundation of Imbalance
When you hear the word pathology, you could imagine any number of concepts from Western medicine—extensive studies of tissues, cells, and bodily chemistry changes among them. Pathology is somewhat different in the Daoist healing arts, though. It focuses on general illness processes and how they could be corrected, not about microscopic alterations. Pathology functions as […]
Liver-Soothing Qi Gong: A Gentle Practice for Releasing Tension and Emotional Healing
If you’ve ever felt a vague sensation of tightness, tension, or discomfort in your body—like something’s not quite flowing smoothly—you could be dealing with a common problem known as Liver qi stagnation. This form of discomfort is more of a subtle, bloated sensation or an underlying tightness that’s difficult to identify than it is of […]
Your Body as a Community: Understanding the Daoist Organ System Concept
Think of your body as a vibrant community. Though everyone works together, each element has a specific job or function. The heart, lungs, stomach—they’re all interconnected, aiding one another to keep everything running as it should. The others join in to help any one component that’s struggling. In the Daoist healing arts, the concept of […]
Embracing Winter: A Daoist Perspective on Seasonal Challenges
I woke up this morning in a melancholy mood. You know the kind of sensation when everything seems a little darker, heavier, and you can’t exactly identify why. I just felt… blue. A little depressed, really. It’s not the first time I’ve observed this kind of winter slump before, particularly following the holidays. But something […]
A Daoist Perspective on Depression: Understanding the Balance of Qi, Yin, and Yang
When pondering depression, most people view it as one large, overpowering affliction—sadness, heaviness, or a numbness difficult to overcome. From a Daoist standpoint, meanwhile, depression isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” infirmity. As every one of us is distinct, so are our experiences with depression; their foundations and characteristics vary. While some of us feel blocked or “stuck,” […]
Obvious Causes of Childhood Complex Trauma: The Pain That’s Hard to Miss
Most people’s conception of childhood trauma is of the major events—that is, abuse, violence, or extreme neglect. Whether the signs are physical or emotional, this kind of trauma is difficult to ignore since the marks are so obvious. Many times, these events remain in memory like flashing warning signals. Although this type of trauma—the obvious […]