Somatic educator, mindful embodiment teacher, and cultural anthropologist Karine Bell joins Terry to examine the nature of multi-generational trauma, how it remains alive in us today, and the collective healing so vital to the well-being of future generations. They consider how colonialism and hyper-individualism have traumatized not just black and brown bodies, but also white bodies — confining our hearts, and disconnecting them from communal resources and the natural world. They explore collective healing modalities, vulnerably share their fears of re-traumatizing one another during this challenging process, and imagine how we can operate from our most deeply-seeded commitment to each other and a new way of living together.
Karine Bell is a mindfulness, embodiment, and somatics teacher, and a somatic experiencing practitioner dedicated to spreading the word about healing through the body. Karine is the founder of the online community Rooted — “a global village healing the human family and co-imagining new ways of being” (you can learn more and join the waitlist here). She is also a facilitator of Embodied Gatherings alongside Resmaa Menakem. Karine is a mother, and motherhood was a powerful catalyst for her commitment to trauma alchemy work — transforming inherited and early life trauma so that we don’t pass the same pain onto our children and the next generation. A bi-cultural black woman, she is also a cultural anthropologist working with how our present bodily and mental experience is shaped by cultural narratives and our collective histories.
Here are some of the questions we discuss in the episode:
- In our lifetimes, can we “meet the demons that previous generations have not known how to metabolize” and become vessels for completing those healing processes?
- Why are trusted communal resources and safe containers necessary before attempting more nuanced and complex healing?
- How might we focus less on removing old systems and more on joyfully building the world we want and attracting others to join us?
- How can specific somatic practices help us manage our deep trauma so that we minimize their negative effects on future generations?
For more information on Karine Bell and Terry Patten, check out the following resources:
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