In a June 2023 conversation on the Point of Relation podcast with Thomas Hübl, PhD, Bessel van der Kolk, MD shared a simple yet profound practice to help us connect more deeply with ourselves. His invitation?
Sit.
No screens.
No distractions.
Just sit in your chair and be.
As Bessel van der Kolk, MD said:
“Just spend about five or ten minutes just noticing yourself. It’s a miraculous thing.”
Take a few moments to:
Feel your breath.
Notice your chest, spine, and the weight of your body on the chair.
Spend time observing yourself from within.
In this beautiful conversation, Bessel van der Kolk, MD explains that trauma often leaves us feeling numb, withdrawn, and filled with shame—sensations that show up physically in the body. However, through collective and creative experiences, practising self-compassion, and reconnecting with our bodies, we can heal.
The episode also touched on many insightful topics:
– The importance of trauma awareness
– How relational safety forms healthy societies
– Generational trauma and its impacts
– How safety influences academic performance
– Reigniting physical sensations as part of healing
– Healing workshops and their processes
– The cycle of trauma and how to break it
– Collective healing experiences
– How being connected makes us Earth-conscious
– MDMA-assisted trauma work
– Spirituality as a powerful healing resource
Bessel van der Kolk, MD suggested that listeners might feel they are sitting passively and not engaging in the dialogue. I have to respectfully disagree.
As I listened, I found myself pausing the episode multiple times to take notes and reflect. Far from passive, my mind was enthused throughout. That said, I’ll gladly take his advice to sit in a chair later and simply…sit.
For the full conversation, check out the podcast here:
Point of Relation with Thomas Huebl: EP19 | Bessel van der Kolk, MD – The Cumulative Effects of Trauma
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