Resilience through Llamas
Recently, I visited a farm animal sanctuary in the Bay Area and spent some time hugging cows, greeting llamas nose-to-nose, and giving kisses to friendly sheep. I felt so alive and happy and felt a significant reduction in migraine head pain after the hours there. My love of animals runs deep – at my home growing up, we had ten dogs, ten cats, one horse, one rabbit, ducks, geese, chickens, and two peacocks (until they flew away) – all at once! During a time when I felt lonely and uncomfortable in my body as a gender non-conforming child in small town South Carolina, I spent hours playing outside with the animals and pretending I was part of the dog family. I felt more safety and belonging with animals than with humans. It is no surprise that in make-believe games, when we chose who would be the mom, dad, or kids, I wanted to be the family dog. My sister and I joke that in my heart, I actually still am the family dog. This connection to animals made my experience of oppression more bearable. At school I felt self-conscious and small in my body – slouching, rolling my shoulders forward, and walking stiffly with my arms pinned to my sides – but at home with the animals, I felt relaxed in my body, present in my senses (the softness of dog fur and poignance of wet dog smell are hard to ignore), and able to laugh and move freely. Animals are an essential source of resilience for me.
“Resilience is our way of bouncing back after difficult, oppressive and/or traumatic experiences. It’s part of how we live through very hard moments or times, and what can fuel happiness, connection and well-being. It’s what keeps hope alive, gives us strength, and lets us thrive.” -Staci K. Haines and Generative Somatics
Resilience is our ability to feel more alive, softer, safer, calmer, and more connected to ourselves and others. We don’t have to attend a workshop and get a certificate to learn resilience; it is a birthright and inherent in each of us. And we can practice tapping into the wellspring of our resilience every day.
Researchers have identified many sources of resilience for people who have experienced trauma. Some of them include:
Spirituality
Animals
Creativity
Nature
Helping others
Making meaning out of trauma and challenge
Positive connections with others
Imagination
Collective movement, drumming, and song
As you review this list, note which of these is a source of your own ability to bounce back, feel softened or more vibrant, safer and calmer. Which are your top sources of resilience and how do you practice them?
If, like me, you want to spend too many hours on Instagram watching videos of piglets cuddling lambs at farm animal sanctuaries, check out my favorites:
