Nov 29, 2023
Hey beautiful souls,
This episode is a fascinating
discussion with Kendra Toothill -- We talk all about
SCARS.
And before you press 'skip' and
move on because you can't imagine what scars has to do with the
quality of your present day life ... pull a chair up. Turns out
that the scars we carry (visible and invisible) hold potent stories
and the work that Kendra does helps uncover and heal both the
physical and emotional energy within.
Kendra began
discovering the potential of scar tissue as an Athletic Therapist
working in elite-level sports over ten years ago.
Over her professional
career, she has been refining her geeky scar obsession, which has
ultimately birthed a holistic healing method that helps people make
sense of their multiple health symptoms in an integrative way,
using scars as an anchor point into deep physical, emotional and
energetic healing.
In this episode
we talk about:
- The definition of scar
and what role they play in the healing process.
- How Kendra came to
this work and made her way into this niche treatment.
- From Athletic
Therapist to scar and deep fascial work and working with women who
do breast explant surgery.
-
How scars
contribute to various bodily dysfunctions, including digestive and
breathing problems, nervous system issues, anxiety, and chronic
pain.
-
Working on
scars to assist the body in rewiring more productive nervous system
patterns.
- The role of emotional
and energetic healing in the scar treatment process.
- The emotional
implications of surgery, injuries and often birthing experiences
that are held in the scar tissue of the body.
- The dysfunction in
surrounding muscles and how the scar attempts to priotize the
healing of tissue to provide safety and security.
- The opportunity for
emotional and physical healing when you address scars in the
body.
- What PDTR
(Proprioceptive Deep Tendon Reflex) treatment is and how Kendra
uses it in her treatment.
- Kendra's in-person
work in Uvita, Costa Rica as well as her online offerings and
in-person retreats in Austin, Texas.
Timestamp of today's
episode:
00:00
Praises Kendra's impactful work with scars.
04:51 Fascination with scars led
to healing practice.
10:30 Body compensates for
injuries, requires ongoing care.
14:16 Emotional healing through
physically working scar tissue.
16:28 Learning to work with
emotional scars deeply.
20:24 Remaining neutral while
observing client's emotional connection.
24:44 Courage in holistic
practice, acknowledging emotions crucial.
28:38 PDTR quickly rewires
nervous system, removes trauma.
31:08 Scar tissue affects body
dysregulation, needing rewiring.
33:46 Diverse experiences after
breast explant surgery.
37:43 Physical injury led to
self-doubt, introspection, healing.
41:40 Avoid stimulus, focus on
natural healing process.
44:17 Developing online sessions
and in-person retreats.
48:37 Gratitude for listeners and
call to action.
Notable moments during
the episode:
The Transformative Power of
Healing Scars: "And it just kind of began this experiment
of really seeing how much you can unpack in a single scar. And so
it has a huge hold and restraint physically on the tissues local
but also general to the whole body and all the body systems. But it
has this really important piece that I really love that opens up
the whole kind of gateway of what really a healing journey is and
that's working with the emotional body and how the energetic
signature can really get literally entangled and encapsulated
inside the scar tissue."
— Kendra Toothill
The Significance of Scar Tissue
in Healing Processes: "The scar is just any kind of
mending process that has happened where the tissue has healed in
some way to form a different bond. The actual components of scar
tissue is different than your muscle tissue or your skin or your
ligament tendon."
— Kendra Toothill
Respecting the Body's Healing
Process: "So when people do hurt themselves and they do
have an open wound from accident surgery, giving birth, I always
say, like, step one, let the body do what it needs and wants to do.
It is seeking a solid, firm, stable anchor point."
— Kendra Toothill
Healing Emotional Trauma Through Scar Tissue
Therapy: "And why I love working with the emotions in this
way, using the body as a way to stay grounded and in connection
with yourself, is when these emotions come up to be processed,
you're pretty embodied at that point, like you're building a
relationship up with the scar. You're understanding your processes
and why things are happening."
— Kendra Toothill
Emotional Scar Tissue and Healing: "And if you
were a little child, that created a lot of confusion and that
energetic signature of feeling abandoned goes right into the scar
tissue."
— Kendra Toothill
Emotional Healing and Physical Contact: "You
can't grab happiness or fear out of the air, but when you work with
it from being in your body and touching your body and making
contact with yourself, it allows those emotions to be worked and
explored in a more nourishing way."
— Kendra Toothill
More About Kendra Toothill:
Kendra Toothill began discovering the potential of
scar tissue as an Athletic Therapist working in elite-level sports
over ten years ago. Over her professional career, she has been
refining her geeky scar obsession, which has ultimately birthed a
holistic healing method that helps people make sense of their
multiple health symptoms in an integrative way, using scars as an
anchor point into deep physical, emotional and energetic
healing.
As best she can, Kendra strives to walk her talk,
which is centered around being empowered through your own healing
process, taking chances, being curious (& dorky!), not taking life
too seriously and swallowing the "red pill" of self-responsibility,
self-awareness and living a life aligned to truth.
Kendra now lives in Costa Rica, and when she is not
guiding people through a health and healing process, you will find
her exploring nature, enjoying exotic fruits and soaking up the
epic sunshine!
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