Horrible news today from Paris. When I used to work in television news, I remember this would be one of those events where all hands would come on deck and cover the story exhaustively 24 hours a day until the news stopped breaking. This is a triggering event for many who remember the horrific times of 9/11 and even a handful of other shootings across the US in recent years.
As a mental health counselor, I deal with many traumatized people. If I encounter them shortly after the traumatic event, I see that glazed look of shock. Often times I tell them they are in shock, and they can expect to start going through the stage of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. We are all reacting internally at some level to this event. Even if we live far away and don’t have any relatives in Paris, we are still getting second hand trauma like second hand smoke through the constant shouting of the news feeds and TV reports.
While all of this badness is happening around us, one of the best things we can do is our Yoga practice. Stop and do yoga. Give yourself a half hour, or hour away from this madness. I am not saying to ignore it or be indifferent. I am saying don’t traumatize yourself any more than you have to.
When you are doing Yoga, you are not rioting in the street. When you are doing Yoga, you are not calling 911 or going to the emergency room. When you do Yoga, you are not causing more traffic. You are taking a time out from the crazy world to set things straight with yourself. If people would do this on a mass scale, we would have fewer fewer problems in the world.
May you be peaceful during this difficult time. Many blessings for those affected by this tragedy.
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