HERBAL BATHS FOR TRAUMA
A few nights ago I was traveling down an unlit gravel side road, thankfully slowly. As I past a junk yard, and before I even knew what was happening, one of the guard dogs ran in front of my car. I saw fur and tail flying as the passenger side headlight made contact with the dog. And all I could think was, “OH PLEASE NO”. I was sure the dog was going under my tire, then dog was gone.
I pulled my car to the side of the road and hopped out. Three workers were closing up for the night and 100% percent unconcerned that I had just hit their dog. They actually tried to wave me off. One looked at my car to see if it was damaged, I think they thought that was why I stopped. Then they saw I was crying and waved me over to the junkyard to have a look at the dog.
There were 3 large, beautiful dogs. I couldn’t tell which one I had hit. They guessed that it might be the one with some dirt on him. The dogs were not stranger friendly, and I couldn’t go in and rub them down to assess if there were injuries. But they were all moving with grace and none appeared to be injured. I watched them for a few minutes before leaving, feeling very shaken.
I actually just pulled around the corner and found a parking spot so I could let the tears flow. And of course, I called my mom. We chatted for a bit, and I calmed down enough to make the drive home. While I wasn’t crying any longer, all of my senses were on high alert. My nervous system was in defense mode and I felt like I was electrified.
I made a stop at my clinic and noticed I was afraid. I don’t reside in fear and this experience felt foreign. I was afraid of going into the dark building, I was afraid of leaving, I was afraid of going to my car. I felt as if doom was upon me. Upon arriving at home I had the same reaction…fear. My phone pinged and I jumped. Noises coming from the street had me on edge. The trauma of what had happened had gotten into my being. Fear was inside me.
I knew I needed some support. After a few deep breaths, an herbal bath and a cup of tea seemed like a good place to start. As I prepared a simple tea using some gentle allies (wild oats, chamomile and lavender) I contacted a friend for some guidance with the herbal bath. I had pulled out some herbs, but when I am going through a stressful situation I usually check in with a friend for guidance. After our quick conversation where I was showered with love, I came up with a plan. Before I added each ingredient to my bath I held it to my heart and said a prayer, repeating it 3 times to each ally. I also invited Great Spirit, my ancestors and my helping spirits to participate in the healing work.
To the bath I added:
Salt- energetically cleansing, mineral rich for relieving muscle tension and inducing relaxation
Rosemary- carries our prayers, focuses the energy of our prayers
Hawthorne berries- heart medicine
Basil- cleansing and brings in a blessing
Bay laurel- very cleansing, breaks attachments that aren’t serving us
Lavender essential oil- emotional balance
Rose oil- heals grief and trauma, brings in the love
Sea buckthorn oil- I don’t know the energetic properties of this oil, but it was calling me. I do know it’s great for the skin and smells divine.
After climbing into the bath, I focused on full deep breaths, holding my intention for a whole and healthy dog and the release the fear and anxiety from my body, mind and spirit. I soaked in the bath, keeping my head out of the water. When I felt ready, I climbed out and let my body air dry while I intentionally shook myself from head to toe. Ever notice how animals do that after a scare? Their muscles twitch, supposedly in the sequence that their muscles twitched during the traumatic event. Shake it off, baby.
That night my sleep was full and restful. I woke up ready to shine.
Also consider my You are Precious aromatherapy rollerball for bringing in heart healing and love.
**Update
The next evening I paid a visit to the scene of the accident. I spoke with the owners of the company and they showed me to the dogs. 3 big, beautiful Turkish guard dogs; either Anatolians or Kangals and absolutely gorgeous. I still could not tell which one I had made contact with, and they all looked well and happy.
I am so grateful for the help I received that night. I was able to release that trauma quickly and move forward.