Generational Trauma Conversations

 with Jen Grobowski

Perhaps you are carrying more than just your stories… perhaps generations of stories!

“Hey Mom, it’s your fault I have these fat thighs!”

“Oh no, dear, that’s your great-granny’s fault!”

“Really Mom? And why do you say that?”

“Well, let me explain my dear.”

“DNA is not just our genetic code which makes us unique. If you think about it, our DNA is made up of aspects of all who have gone before us.”

“Wow, Mom!  How many people are in our family tree?”

“If we count you as generation 1, your father and me as generation 2, granny and grandpa, ouma and oupa as generation 3, then just going back 15 generations means you could have aspects of over 16 000 people in your genetic make-up.”

“That’s mind-boggling Mom!  So, how does that link my pear-shaped figure to great-granny’s large hips?”

“Hmmm, I remember overhearing a traumatic story, when I was young, about your great-granny going missing when she was about 10. She was eventually found a week later in the forest nearby, badly beaten, raped and weak, but alive. Nobody ever mentioned it again in my presence, except to say that she put on a lot of weight after the incident and she remained a large woman until the day she died.”

“Oh, that’s shocking. Uhm, now you’ve kicked my brain into overdrive. We learned in biology how mitochondrial DNA is passed on from the mother, but you know how it is at school – dry information like that without a context doesn’t really mean much. So, are you really trying to tell me that I may have inherited not just great-granny’s big hips but the trauma that went along with her weight gain?”

“Yes dear, you are starting to fit the puzzle pieces together nicely. When you have a traumatic experience, the extended exposure of the chemical stress hormones in your body can create actual physical changes to your DNA. It’s as if the trauma is imprinted into your DNA. Issues which are not really ‘yours’ can be triggered by anything to do with your senses.”

“Give me an example please, Mom.”

“An unknown song, an unfamiliar fragrance, or perhaps a loud bang are all triggers which can elicit emotions from us, so those triggers could be reminders of sounds, smells and situations from deep within our DNA. If the triggers are linked to traumatic abuse experienced by our ancestors, it is known as generational trauma, whether it be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, or most likely a combination of two or more of these levels.

“So, now that we have established that I most likely inherited great-granny’s trauma, what on earth can I do about it?  You know how healthy my diet is and how much I exercise. I don’t drink like my friends do and I haven’t embraced the whole coffee-culture movement, so it’s always confusing to me when I read about how coffee causes cellulite, but I don’t drink it. And do you think all pear-shaped girls are carrying past trauma? It makes sense to me; how many girls have been abused, especially sexually, in our world? Do you think they put on weight around their hips as a form of protection?”

“Whew, dear. Slow down, one thing at a time. It’s a lot to take in and think about. There are many ways to help with processing generational trauma. I’m going to make a list and we can see which ones resonate with you. It’s important to find therapists with whom you feel comfortable. Odyssey magazine is a great place to start. Read the articles now with a fresh perspective and see if you find someone who ‘speaks’ to you.”

“Thanks Mom. Before you do your list, is this the same as past-life issues?”

“No, it’s not. Past-life issues are to do with your soul pathway. Generational trauma is linked to your physical DNA, but it can certainly be experienced on all levels i.e., physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.”

“So, Mom, we’ve talked about us pear-shaped girls, but what about boys and men who have experienced trauma – how does it show on their bodies? Or does it show?

“I’m not really sure dear. Perhaps it is something we can research together, because it seems to be a topic that is not spoken about much at all.”

“Yeah, I’d love that. I can see how opening the door to generational issues is like opening a huge can of worms, or perhaps we should rather call it a Pandora’s box of exploration.”

Suggestions for releasing generational trauma:
* Meditate with intent: Ask your intuition to guide you and give you signs that your issues are generational and ask for guidance on how to process them.
* Find a therapist who will help you work through generational trauma issues and release layers from cellular memory in a gentle way. Choose from Reiki, kinesiology, Accunect, hypnosis, Access Bars, NLP, Soul Journey work and many others.
* Attend self-exploration workshops which give you prompts and space to explore your layers and allow you to process your trauma. Art therapy is great for processing any trauma.
* Automatic journaling, writing with your non-dominant hand, allows you to access information from your higher self. This was the method Jen used to write her book Secret Onions, guided with the message that the stories are from those whose voices were suppressed, stories from her DNA which needed to be told. It is in the telling of these stories that we can break generational habits, patterns, and traumas. Bringing the light of awareness to deeper issues is the start of healing.

“It is in the bare skeleton of these stories where the magic of the paradox lies waiting – waiting for the imagination, the memory, the memories to be pulled back viscerally, to be acknowledged, accepted and brought into the Light for healing to occur.” Paula Hulley

This book recognises that now is the time to let the light of our conscious minds examine, reveal, and allow these stories to surface from the depths of our shared experiences, and so heal ourselves and one another.” Louise Graham

We are the generations alive now who have access to amazing healers and therapies which allow us to explore the stories trapped in our layers. Be the change that your family line needs; be bold, be brave and dig deep. The rewards will heal, through the layers of ether, those who have been waiting for you. The time has come to break those patterns!

Jen Grobowski is a Soul Journey healer who has been in holistic healthcare for 25 years. She is an international teacher and workshop facilitator whose divine purpose is to guide people to higher levels of consciousness. She is also the author of Secret Onions: 22 short stories to inspire others to weave their own journeys into the spaces between the words and tell their own stories.  Connect with Jen via [email protected] or http://zenitherapy.simplybook.me

We will be giving away three copies of Secret Onions: 22 short stories – Open to Odyssey Community Members If you are not already e member register on www.odysseymagazine.co.za/join-our-community

Closing Date 31 January 2022