You Are Not Your Mind- You Are Not Your Body- You Are So Much More

For years, I thought my thoughts were me. Anxious ones. Critical ones. The ones that never let me rest. I thought my body was me, too—tense shoulders, a tight jaw, knots in my stomach that never went away. Trauma teaches us to collapse into our symptoms. It convinces us we are the panic, the fatigue, the stories we can’t seem to stop replaying. But healing has taught me something else entirely: You are not your mind. You are not your body. You are the space between. The Mind Is Loud, But It’s Not the Truth. When trauma is unresolved, the mind becomes a looping reel of protection. It spins worst-case scenarios. It tries to analyze every feeling. It turns every decision into a battlefield. And yet, this is not who you are. These are echoes—old, well-worn scripts your nervous system wrote in a moment of survival.

In my healing journey, I was once encouraged to observe my mind from the passenger seat of a car. From there, I could clearly see how it looped, blamed, and clung to old stories. And in that moment, a quiet truth emerged: If I could see it, I couldn’t be it. From that place of observation, I realized I had the power to challenge the narrative—not with force, but with awareness. I could let my mind off the hook. I could dissolve the grip of old evaluations and shift how I related to any situation, simply by changing the story.

This was a turning point. I began to realize that my mind was not a master—it was a tool. And when we approach healing from a holistic trauma healing perspective, we learn how to quiet the mind without needing to silence or suppress it.

The Body Carries, But It’s Not Your Cage, Trauma lives in the body. That’s not just a metaphor—it’s science.We carry memories in fascia, stress in our breath, grief in our organs. The body speaks, but often, it does so in whispers we’re too busy—or too scared—to hear.

Massage, breathwork, and the EMPR Method for trauma release helped me change that. Instead of numbing or overriding the pain, I learned to listen. To follow the tension like a thread, not to a place of more suffering—but to release. The body is wise. It’s not betraying you. It’s trying to protect you. But it’s not you.

You are the one who sees. The one who holds. The one who heals.

The Space Between: The Self That WitnessesThere is a part of you that has never been broken.A part untouched by trauma, untouched by time. This is the Self that watches the mind without judgment and holds the body with compassion.

In my practice, I use the EMPR Method—Emotion, Memory, Pattern Release—to help clients reconnect with that space. It’s not about fixing. It’s about remembering. We peel back the layers of stored pain from the body, untangle the looping thoughts of the mind, and clear the energetic imprints that no longer serve.

When we do this gently, completely, and in rhythm with the nervous system…We come home.

A Gentle Self-Inquiry. Take a moment. Place your hand on your heart, and your other hand on your belly. Breathe softly. Now, ask yourself:• What part of me is watching these thoughts arise?• What am I still carrying in my body that isn’t mine?• What becomes possible when I no longer identify with the pain? Breathe. Witness. You’re doing it.

You Don’t Have to Suffer Any Longer. If your body feels too heavy, or your mind too loud—you are not alone. You are not broken. You are carrying stories that were never meant to be your identity. Healing from trauma is not about coping better. It’s about becoming free.

If you’re ready to begin that journey—or continue deeper into it—please reach out. You don’t have to suffer any longer. There is another way.

With love and compassion,

Mary Lathrop, LMT, Trauma Specialist & Founder of Ripple to Wave Wellness Withinmary@rippletowavewellnesswithin.com | http://mary.lathrop.amtamembers.com