Before trauma, early in healing or years down the road...exploring the sensory system in trauma.

Explorations of the sensory system can have many purposes.  They can assist in healing trauma or they can assist people to be more keenly aware of their sensory system in the pursuit of making people more aware of when trauma is occurring to give them voice.  There are several sensations to explore sight, sound, touch or texture, vestibular or how movement affects you, smell, and tastes.  The best gift I have received in a long time was a bag of sensory gifts:
scented candles
scented hand sanitizer
scented soaps
a beaded bracelet
These items were received at a leadership retreat with a theme of healing trauma.  I have really not been in tune with my sensory system, aside from a warm bath or hot tea, in this way in a while.  The gift sat there for a long while.  I was ignoring the invitation to explore.

Then as I was describing self-compassion to a friend, she asked what if you just can't love yourself in giving the gift of compassion to the self.  I realized that most of the trauma healing books I have read have explorations of the sensory system in the beginning.  This is where we find the self again by deciding what we like and don't like in terms of sensory experiences.  Being open and curious about ourselves can deepen our experience of the world.  I took the jasmine soap and Laguna candle out of my collection and had a bath.  I used to sing in the bath and I rediscovered my voice's mello tones, revisiting 'I cover the waterfront".  The whole next day I felt totally connected to my body and like I was enough in myself.  I invite you to explore your sensory system and be curious about the self.