Uncovering Stories

Hello everyone,

Before I went away, I wrote to you about unblocking energy, connection and oxytocin, and how all of it pertains to the project I started in July.
 
I began with six incredible women on this project, which has already grown, all of whom inspired me with their incredible life stories and their unique energy.
 
Which brings us to the next part of what exactly it is that I’ve been doing with them - life stories, secrets, an uncovering of some layers we hold deep within us. One of my clients described it as opening a window into some parts of herself that she hadn’t realised were tightly shut.
 
Recently, I took a course in how to help people release trauma, and one of the things I learnt was that telling someone about a trauma you’ve been through, even if the person listening doesn’t understand the language you speak, already lessens the burden.
 

Essentially, just being heard makes a difference.  
I’m not saying that we can heal as simply as that, of course not, but sharing our stories in a safe space does have a positive effect. And we already know this - we’ve all sat with someone, listened and absorbed, and seen them look lighter afterwards.

But how often do we take the time to really listen to someone's story?

How often do we give people a non-judgemental space to be their whole, messy selves, with all of their beliefs and values, and simply acknowledge them, bear witness to their life unfolding, to their moments of grief and joy?
 
Humans are social beings, but we’ve become more isolated in recent years. Even if we don’t feel lonely, society can be so harsh that we don’t necessarily feel like we can truly be ourselves, or be honest about our beliefs and feelings, for fear of judgement. Never mind the fact that we may not be accepted simply because of who we are/where we’re from/what we look like.
 
But no matter how different we are or how diverse our experiences, I truly believe that if we take the time to pause and listen to each others’ stories without judgement, we can understand and truly feel what the ‘other’ has been through, and we can learn from it.
 
I’d like to believe that anyone can actually relate to someone else’s experience if they try hard enough. And the more we do that, the more understanding and connection there will be in the world, and therefore more healing and movement towards the kind of society I know we’d all wish to live in.
 
And so, part of this project became this simple act of providing space, sharing and connecting, listening, so that we can sift through the rubble of your life and find the hidden gems, the beauty and the lessons that are hidden beneath your skin.

The body is a map, each memory and experience stored somewhere, waiting to be released.
 
Through writing up your stories, I also hope to reflect back to you some of the wisdom you’ve gained, or share the stories and secrets you wish to be shared (anonymously or otherwise, that choice lies with you).
 

Divulging our struggles isn’t always easy, but it does mean that you’ll no longer have to carry them alone.

I’m here for that, we’re all here for that.

Tamzin xx