"A lot of the work that I'm doing now is because of what happened in the backseat of that car... I would be lying if I said that that is resolved... I am recognizing that I still have a freeze response… It's taken me nine years of resisting that there was still work to be done from that - because I didn't want to investigate it… I lived with a very, very deep sense of shame until the last few years… The event plus the shame created this shut-down - a lack of circulation, a lack of life, a lack of movement in the middle part of my body… And even though I couldn't articulate it, I [began] moving toward something that was regulating my nervous system and making me feel better... So I think it's this really beautiful dance between the top-down information that I've learned and the bottom-up primal work that I've been doing. It's helping me put myself back together."
In this episode, Molly interviews Lauren Dollie Duke about her new memoir, Sh!thouse, which is the story of her own brutal girlhood and her ongoing journey of untangling herself from intergenerational trauma. In this rich conversation, she and Molly explore themes including:
- Complex/relational trauma and its relationship to sexual trauma
- The importance of both top-down (cognitive) and bottom-up (somatic/body-based) approaches in healing
- The idea of "story follows state" and "fake it 'til you make it"
- The nervous system, polyvagal theory, and trauma (look for Stephen Porges's work if you'd like to learn more)
- The paralyzing potential of sexual trauma and shame and how that might relate to digestive issues, shallow breathing, and an overall lack of pelvic sensation/connection
- Yoga and breathwork techniques as tools to bring our whole bodies back online
- Teacher as student and healing as a lifelong journey
Lauren Dollie Duke is a writer, educator, healer, entrepreneur, community activist, and thought leader. She has taught thousands of yoga students over the last 15 years, led dozens of retreats and trainings, and continues to push the edges between yoga, mental health, and trauma. In a sea of corporate yoga, where most independent studios don't survive, Lauren Duke founded a one-of-a-kind Community-Care/Yoga studio in Encinitas, California, creating a thriving community where she teaches and hosts a variety of beloved yoga classes, educational seminars, and writing workshops.
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Contact Lauren: lauren@gatherencinitas.com
Get her book: theunapologeticvoicehouse.com/lauren-duke/ (also available on Amazon)
IG (personal): @dollieduke83
IG (book): @shithousebook
FB: Surviving, Healing, and Evolving
Contact Molly: www.theembodyconnection.com // molly@theembodyconnection.com
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Special thanks to:
Jenn Baykan, virtual assistant for creatives: https://www.jbaykan.com/
Dave Hiltebrand for intro and outro music original composition: https://www.davehiltebrand.com/
Gina McLaughlin Photography for photo and graphic design: https://www.facebook.com/ginamclaughlinphotography/?fref=tag
