Processing Tragedy

Hi, it's Eve here. Welcome to this guided exercise that has been created to help you take care of yourself when you've experienced or witnessed a challenging event. First thing I'm sorry that you are experiencing any pain. But I am here with you and we're going to do this exercise together. The world we live in can be a very difficult and scary place to be. We are sadly exposed to multiple types of tragedies every day, and it can naturally leave us feeling overwhelmed and helpless. The word tragedy, refers to an event that causes great suffering, distress and destruction. And I think it's important to highlight that because our own individual suffering is unique to us. So please know that you are not alone. And a tragedy is not only reserved for the news headlines, but it is whatever has caused you to feel a great deal of suffering and distress; whether it is you directly or someone you are supporting. So however you are feeling is valid. And together today, we will spend some time gently taking care of ourselves whilst offering compassion to those around us. One of the first things we may experience in times of tragedy, is a feeling of hopelessness. And this especially might be the case when it comes to natural disasters, or where violence takes place on a really large scale. That is not to say that you won't feel helpless in other instances; but when we witness events from afar, where physically there is nothing we can do, it can leave that feeling of not knowing how we can help. I know I have definitely experienced that. And anger may also be an emotion that is present. And anger is often mixed with fear. And to experience anger and fear is very normal. It's a very normal human response; especially if we are witnessing an act of violence; and we actually don't want to try to get rid of these emotions. They are there for a reason. But what we do with them matters. And when we're perhaps feeling threatened or scared, it can be tempting to lash out to others. Our natural response is to try to keep ourselves and those we love safe. We may also feel in need to retreat completely to shut down. And these are all normal responses. But they don't have to be the only way we deal with these bigger emotions. And these emotions are an entity; and nurtured in the right way, can actually lead us to take compassionate action, both towards yourself and others. So let's take a moment to settle into this practice. Either sitting in a chair or lying down, taking this time for yourself is really important to help you process and to take care of yourself. It can be hard to focus on ourselves in times of difficulty. So be gentle with yourself, go at your own pace, as always you can let go of my...