When the body remembers
- Magical Muse
- Jan 18
- 3 min read
What happens when an old wound is touched and how to make yourself feel better
Recently, while speaking with someone I hadn't met before, I felt something sting in my solar plexus. A tightening. A soft sickness. My body spoke to me before my brain caught up.
Later, during the conversation, I learned they are close with someone who once hurt me deeply. Someone I loved, someone I was close to.
Until the door to our relationship was suddenly closed. I know now how that this person's own mental health was at play, that their actions were not designed to harm me.
Yet still, for me, it touched an old nasty wound.
The place where abandonment lives. A familiar echo from earlier chapters in my life. Parents, partners, family, friends. A pattern my body remembers well.
Memories stored in my body.
At first, I felt unsteady. Then something shifted.
I remembered this feeling was not here to harm me.
It was a messenger. A gift.
An invitation to notice the hurt again not to relive it,
but to meet it with different eyes.
To turn towards that tender part of me
that once felt left behind.
To sit with her.
To soften.
To offer love where there was none before.
And in that moment, the ache became a doorway.
Not back into the past, but home to myself.
I felt relief as I began to remind myself that I am safe.
These old stories and patterns, are just that. OLD!!!!
Our bodies trying to protect us from being hurt again.
But I have grown and learned a lot over the years.
I am able to see the bigger picture.
To recognize and remember that I am in control
. I have beautiful boundaries in place. Not boundaries that restrict me, boundaries that keep me safe, but give me the power to grow.
Here are a few practical, grounded ways to work with this kind of trigger, simple, embodied, and not bypassing anything.
Using breath
When the solar plexus tightens, the nervous system is reading threat.
Place one hand on your solar plexus, one on your lower belly.
Breathe slowly downwards, letting the belly soften first.
Inhale through the nose for 4,
exhale through the mouth for 6.
Let the exhale be a release, not a correction.
Work with a flower essence
Dandelion is especially supportive here.
It may assist with:
stored tension
long-held emotional patterns
solar plexus contraction linked to old stress or shock.
Take it when you notice the tightening begin, or daily for a short period while you’re consciously meeting this pattern.
Let it support release rather than “fixing.”
You can find out more about my plant spirit essences here. More being added as time permits.
A short meditation
Sit or lie comfortably.
Bring your awareness to the solar plexus or wherever you feel uncomfortable.
Don’t analyze the feeling.
Just notice its shape, temperature, movement.
Then gently say (silently or aloud):
“I see you. I’m here now.”
Stay with the sensation for a few breaths.
No story.
No trying to change it.
Just presence.
Often that alone is enough for the body to soften.
An invitation
Old stories don’t disappear because we understand them.
They shift when we meet them differently.
If you’re noticing familiar patterns being triggered. abandonment, sudden endings, emotional withdrawal, along with abusive situations, this is the kind of work I support clients with.
Through gentle body awareness, Reiki, NLP, breath, massage and flower essences, we create space together so you can meet old wounds without re-entering them.
You don’t need to relive the past to heal it. You just need support to stay present with what arises.
If this resonates, you’re welcome to book a session with me.
We’ll work at the pace your system can trust.
Thank you for reading, I hope you find this helpful.
Fancy a FREE online Holy Fire Reiki session this Tuesday evening 20th January 7pm-8.15pm?
Brightest Blessings
One and all
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