Reblogged from Esther Newton:

This week, I’d like to welcome Alethea Kehas, with a strong piece of writing, as my Guest Writer.

By Alethea Kehas 

When we begin to let go of the grasp of our past, we begin to heal and move more fully into the present. Yet, it’s often easier said than done. The body and mind like to hold onto what we have experienced. There is a comfortable routine that develops. An experience is lived and stored in our cellular memory, as though with the intention that one day we may wish to retrieve it. Sometimes this is useful. For example, the body and mind’s memory of how to ride a bike, or drive a car. The ability of the body and mind to distinguish healthy foods and how to consume them. The list goes on. What happens, though, when we store a memory that caused us pain, trauma, or various degrees of physical or emotional discomfort?

The one word answer to this is: Constriction.

Perhaps this can best be illustrated by the example of the “flight or fight” response. When faced with a fear-based stimulus, the body will often freeze, or it will run. When the body freezes, it constricts. How many times do you think your body constricts in one day?

Continue reading at Esther Newton