The Opposite of Trauma, The 4ps

Trauma is widespread in our world, so before we dive into the opposite, let us first gain clarity on what trauma exactly is.

The word trauma itself comes from the Greek word Τραῦμα, which translates to wound.

Now if you go to google, or webster dictionary, you’ll find a “clean-cut” definition of the word.

Merrium Webster: a bodily injury or wound, or a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury.

Yet, trauma is anything BUT clean-cut, so I much prefer Dr. Peter Levine’s definition

“Trauma happens when the organism is strained beyond its adaptational capacity to regulate states of arousal. The traumatized nervous system disorganizes, breaks down and cannot reset itself. This manifests in global fixation, in a fundamental loss in the rhythmic capacity to self-regulate arousal, to orient, to be in the present and to flow in life.”

Now, I could go on about trauma. That’ll have to be its own article, but today we get to discuss the arguably sexier topic of the opposite of trauma or as I like to call it-The 4 P’s

Dr. Levine claims that Play is the opposite of trauma. We have our first P! When I first started sitting & embodying Play, I not only learned Dr Levine’s claim to be true, but that Play was one of my superpowers. So, I did what any good heroine would do-not just spread the word but the ACT. This led me to the discovery that most people aren’t playing regularly if at all-because they don’t know how! (more on this later)

After 9 months of spreading the gospel of Play, I read a christopher sexton poem that birthed this idea to dive deep into what I call “The 4P’s”

In the poem Christopher Sexton says:

“maybe the opposite of trauma isn’t healing.

maybe its presence.

pleasure.

play.

permission”

I read that and BOOM! It wasn’t just lightbulbs that went off in my head, it was a full-blown firework extravaganza!

So I took time to sit with each P’s individually and here are my discoveries

They all play off of each other, bounce around in a beautifully whimsical half choregraphed dance (because Perfection is NOT one of our P’s)

Presence.

One of my favorite lessons from my teacher, Layla Martin, is that the Presence is infinite! The pure essence of engaging with life-without getting attached. Presence will always be stronger, bigger, more powerful than fear, shame, guilt, trauma.

Being present with emotions—and the sensations that arise with them—empowers both those who avoid feelings and those who become entangled in them to recognize a deeper truth: you are not your emotions, but the conscious being experiencing them. To sit in presence with every moment, every sensation is to reclaim your power!

What I found most intriguing when I began to dance with the 4 P’s was how they intertwine, how they bounce & cocreate together.

For example, Permission

Do you give yourself permission to play?

Where in your life do you give yourself permission to be present?

How can you give yourself permission to experience more pleasure?

(PS-I invite you to borrow these questions as journal prompts ;)

What I found most profound in my own practice staying Present in the Permission.

I created a sort of “check point” with myself. Whenever I give myself permission to play or schedule time solely for pleasure, I take a moment, a minute to relish in that decision. Let my body feel the sensation of permission!

What I have also uncovered is the Play can teach you Permission-

When was the last time you painted a picture, not for the purpose of creating a masterpiece but for the sake of painting a damn picture? At what point in our childhood did we stop creating art, dancing, singing, because we weren’t “good” at it?

I say FUCK that!

When we allow ourselves to paint or dance based on our impulses, we are giving ourselves Permission to Play! When we play, we become curious! Curiosity is a skill we see a lot in children, who are also really good at playing. I believe we can learn a lot from how children view the world. Curiosity allows us to move away from shame, guilt & judgment of ourselves & others around us.

So, in case you needed it, here is your invitation to PLAY more!

And here we land at out final P, Pleasure.

Pleasure, honored as sacred sensation, rewires the nervous system letting the body reclaim safety, Presence, and choice beyond old wounds.

Your nervous system has one goal, keep you alive and while it may not have interest in your pleasure, it has the capacity to experience pleasure beyond your imagination!

Your nervous system is the motherboard to your computer (your body)

Prioritizing pleasure is life changing

Pleasure teaches your body to soften & to gently release trauma, teaches your body safety, Permission!

When we allow The 4P’s to dance their fantastical dance,

when we can Play in the Pleasure,

have Pleasure in the Play, be Present in both-

stay Present in the Permission,

the Permission to Play,

to experience Pleasure,

the Permission to be Present

it’s not healing that happens

It’s reclamation

It’s coming home to ourselves

Its wholeness