Somatic Tao

29/07/2025

27/07/2025

SOOTHING SUNDAY - Mother Nature's Evensong ...

Mother Nature hopes you will listen to her English countryside sunset serenade.
She hopes it will relax your vagus nerve.
🌳 🌼 🎵🎶🎵 🌼 🌳

26/07/2025

HOW BEN BECAME NEGLECTED - Part 1

On 24th June 2024, I introduced “BEN” which stands for Babyhood Emotional Neglect, where the latter is defined simply as:

“The failure of caregivers to respond enough to a baby’s emotional needs.”

In essence, BEN amounts to emotional deprivation.

Now, that word “deprivation” sounds pretty awful and consequential doesn’t it. Yet our true understanding of BEN still remains in its “babyhood”. All hindered by certain long-held beliefs and perceptions of the past, e.g.,

1) trauma was an affliction of the mind;

2) babies and infants didn’t possess sufficient awareness of their own mind, (conscious awareness or cognitive abilities), to enable them to understand the relevance of neglect

Add to the above that:

👉 Neglect refers to inaction rather than wrong action;
👉 Neglect is not necessarily evident, noteworthy nor memorable;
👉 Neglect is an omission.

and it becomes a little clearer why our understanding of BEN has been very slow.

Yet, none of the above reasons and justifications would stand if one, long ago, evident observation had been remembered.

Over a century ago psychologist William James, (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910), noted that being on the receiving end of indifference, (lack of input or concern), was likely to be as bad as receiving actual physical torment. He even wrote of rage and sense of impotent despair being provoked by the behaviour of others implying you didn’t exist to them.

Such an observation was very perceptive indeed. Over a century ago James had identified the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system in the lack of something rather than just an excess of something. He saw that lack of emotional input drove action in the nervous system. Yet, action for BEN remained largely non-existent for the next one hundred years. How ironic that, even to this day, BEN remains largely neglected.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BEN:

📌 Introduction of BEN:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=894198262721482&set=a.457198723088107

📌 BEN & ABEs:
https://www.facebook.com/somatictao/videos/1446371733408059

📌Information about Adverse Babyhood Experiences, ABEs: https://chronicillnesstraumastudies.com/abes-introduction/

📌 Initial results of ABEs Survey: https://www.facebook.com/chronicillnesstraumastudies/posts/1179576644173141?notif_id=1738967061305781¬if_t=mention&ref=notif

📌 Proposed link between BEN and Mental illness:
https://www.facebook.com/somatictao/videos/1022711879639033

24/07/2025

CBT CAN'T BEAT TRAUMA

👉 Trauma doesn't live in the mind, it lives in the non-cognitive nervous system and the body.

👉 Sense of trauma results from incomplete emotology, the emotions of which remain in the body and the nervous system driving sense of distress and causing disease.

👉 To help to resolve trauma we need to work somatically using the body's felt sense to promote our emotology - our body and nervous system's ability to process emotion.

👉 Promoting emotology helps incomplete emotion energies related to trauma to complete, thereby helping the body and nervous system recover balance, ease and health.

22/07/2025

BEN & CAREGIVER HISTORY OF BEN

Birth, and the cutting of the umbilical cord, thrusts a baby into total dependence on the outside world for its life-sustaining needs. To ensure these needs are met, babies are born with an autonomic nervous system, (ANS), already wired to act and attract. Their neurophysiology is equipped to mobilise energy to drive instinctive behaviours essential for survival. In this way, even a newborn can be seen to have basic ability for emotion.

Babyhood Emotional Neglect (BEN) occurs when a baby’s signals of need go unnoticed by their caregiver. Such neglect or "missing" can cause internal energetic mobilisation so intense that it feels more threatening than the original emotion of need. Add lack of access to co-regulation, (due to lack of availability of the caregiver), and the baby’s nervous system quickly becomes dysregulated. And as fight or flight are unviable options for a baby, their ANS often defaults to freeze. The emotion energy is halted; emotology is disrupted; and progression of emoturity interrupted. BEN puts a baby at risk of becoming an adult who struggles to:

📌 Identify and label emotions
📌 Somatically feel or connect with emotions
📌 Express emotions, e.g., appearing emotionless or prone to emotion outbursts and projection
📌 Regulate emotions, e.g. frequently feeling overwhelmed or dysregulated
📌 Recognise, understand, or empathise with the emotions of others

Such inabilities can deeply impact the quality and depth of relationships throughout life, including relationship with their own baby. When the nervous system isn’t wired for attunement to emotions nor tolerability of emotions, it becomes very difficult to offer that to another. Hence, a caregiver with their own history of BEN is at high risk of unconsciously and unintentionally repeating BEN with their own baby. In this way, BEN is actually a form of intergenerational trauma.

⚡️ Let’s help INTERRUPT this often unseen but powerful root cause of emotional and physical disease.
⚡️ Please RAISE awareness of BEN.
⚡️ Please SHARE this post.
⚡️ Please TALK about BEN.

It’s never too late to support emoturity. Begin today by exploring felt sense of your own emotions in your body.

OTHER INFORMATION:

📌 Introduction of BEN: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=894198262721482&set=a.457198723088107

📌 BEN & In-utero, Birth & Separation
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16V89C7TSG/

📌 BEN & Maternal Complications
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EMuNdNyAw/

📌 BEN & Feeding Issues
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AY8b7J8Wb

📌 BEN & Distracted Breastfeeding
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15uqVbXCZ4/

📌 BEN & Caregiver Stress/Lack of Support
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19XTYtMes3/

📌 BEN & Caregiver “Mental” Illness
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E3WANEjQS/

📌 BEN & Domestic Violence
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D9gJgrX3j/

📌 BEN & Caregiver Substance Use
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14Gun6yqaL7/

📌 BEN & Caregiver Poverty
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16kRm3eH4R/

📌 BEN & Caregiver Trauma History
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BBacVEt1x/

20/07/2025

SOOTHING SUNDAY - Nurturing Transformation ...

How might you
Hold and take care of
Your fragile parts
To support the change
Necessary to reveal
The Authentic you?

19/07/2025

BEN & CAREGIVER TRAUMA HISTORY

Globally, up to 90% of individuals will experience at least one traumatic event during their lifetime [1]. That’s a lot of potentially traumatised parents! No wonder Philip Larkin wrote the now famous line, “They f**k you up, your mum and dad”.

Effects of trauma can be attributed to incomplete emotion processes in the neurophysiology, otherwise referred to as incomplete emotology, (Somatic Tao’s workihg hypothesis). Emotion energy is meant to act. It is the energy of “doing” and drives all behaviour in our biology, from the synthesis of neurochemicals to the gross movement of our organs and musculoskeletal system. When emotology is impeded, the unused emotion energy remains in our neurophysiology creating internal imbalance, heat and toxicity. Not only that, impaired emotology impedes development of emoturity, (neurophysiology emotional maturity), which in turn shapes behaviour, attitudes and personality traits. All of which influence ability to relate to others and to parent/caregive.

Poor caregiver emotology and emoturity increases risk of caregiver emotional dysregulation [2], and nervous system overwhelm, dissociation and freeze. All can have a profound impact on caregiver-baby bonding; lead to impaired [3] or adverse parenting behaviours [4]; and even increase potential for baby abuse [5]. For example, research has shown caregiver trauma to be associated with adverse developmental outcomes in children including PTSD symptoms, externalising behaviour, (e.g., aggression), and internalising behaviour, (e.g., anxiety, depression) [6].

On a positive note, improvements in caregiver emotology and thus emoturity can:

📌 foster more consistent and nurturing caregiving; and
📌 support babyhood emotology and emoturity [7]; and thereby
📌 promote development of neurophysiological resilience [8]; where
📌 neurophysiological resilience helps protect from future psychological and physical illness

To conclude, trauma likely results from impaired emotology leading to impaired emoturity, where the latter goes on to impact ability to emotionally relate. Hence caregiver trauma puts a baby at risk of BEN, Babyhood Emotional Neglect.

OTHER INFORMATION:

📌 Introduction of BEN: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=894198262721482&set=a.457198723088107

📌 BEN & In-utero, Birth & Separation
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16V89C7TSG/

📌 BEN & Maternal Complications
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EMuNdNyAw/

📌 BEN & Feeding Issues
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AY8b7J8Wb

📌 BEN & Distracted Breastfeeding
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15uqVbXCZ4/

📌 BEN & Caregiver Stress/Lack of Support
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19XTYtMes3/

📌 BEN & Caregiver “Mental” Illness
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E3WANEjQS/

📌 BEN & Domestic Violence
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D9gJgrX3j/

📌 BEN & Caregiver Substance Use
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14Gun6yqaL7/

📌 BEN & Caregiver Poverty
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16kRm3eH4R/

RESEARCH:

[1] Benjet, C.; Bromet, E.; Karam, E.G.; Kessler, R.C.; McLaughlin, K.A.; Ruscio, A.M.; Shahly, V.; Stein, D.J.; Petukhova, M.; Hill, E.; et al. The epidemiology of traumatic event exposure worldwide: Results from the World Mental Health Survey Consortium. Psychol. Med. 2016, 46, 327–343. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291715001981

[2] Pat-Horenczyk, R.; Cohen, S.; Ziv, Y.; Achituv, M.; Asulin-Peretz, L.; Blanchard, T.; Schiff, M.; Brom, D. Emotion regulation in mothers and young children faced with trauma. Infant Ment. Health J. 2015, 36, 337–348. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21515

[3] Muzik, M.; Morelen, D.; Hruschak, J.; Rosenblum, K.L.; Bocknek, E.; Beeghly, M. Psychopathology and parenting: An examination of perceived and observed parenting in mothers with depression and PTSD. J. Affect. Disord. 2017, 207, 242–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.08.035

[4] Leen-Feldner EW, Feldner MT, Knapp A, Bunaciu L, Blumenthal H, Amstadter AB. Offspring psychological and biological correlates of parental posttraumatic stress: review of the literature and research agenda. Clin Psychol Rev. 2013 Dec;33(8):1106-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.09.001

[5] Cohen, L.R.; Hien, D.A.; Batchelder, S. The impact of cumulative maternal trauma and diagnosis on parenting behavior. Child Maltreatment 2008, 13, 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559507310045

[6] Moog, N.K.; Cummings, P.D.; Jackson, K.L.; Aschner, J.L.; Barrett, E.S.; Bastain, T.M.; Blackwell, C.K.; Enlow, M.B.; Breton, C.V.; Bush, N.R.; et al. Intergenerational transmission of the effects of maternal exposure to childhood maltreatment in the USA: A retrospective cohort study. Lancet Public Health 2023, 8, e226–e237. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00025-7

[7] Powers, A.; Hunnicutt, K.; Stenson, A.; Jovanovic, T.; Kaslow, N.; Bradley, B. Associations Between Emotion Dysregulation Dimensions and Parenting Behaviors in Trauma-Exposed African American Mothers. Child Maltreatment 2022, 27, 43–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559520988352

[8] Lang, A.J.; Gartstein, M.A. Intergenerational transmission of traumatization: Theoretical framework and implications for prevention. J. Trauma Dissociation 2018, 19, 162–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2017.1329773

17/07/2025

BEN & CAREGIVER POVERTY

For decades, the link between family income and children's cognitive abilities and academic achievement has been very clear. Poverty is also now linked to increased tendency for externalizing behaviors, (e.g., aggression), and internalizing behaviors, (e.g., anxiety, depression), in children and adolescents [1]. But what about its impact during babyhood?

Historically, babyhood poverty was only recognized through low birth weight and infant mortality [1]. Today, thanks to advances in attachment theory and neuroscience, the impact of babyhood poverty is now understood to be multidimensional in nature involving factors such as:

📌 HEALTH & NUTRITION POVERTY: during pregnancy poor maternal health and nutrition can directly impact foetal nervous system development and birth weight. After birth, nervous system development can still be impacted by poor breastfeeding or other “poverty” of feeding.

📌 RELATIONAL POVERTY: poverty-stricken parents often face more health challenges than wealthier parents [2, 3]. These factors affect caregiver-baby bonding leading to a “poverty” of sensitive, nurturing care and co-regulation. There may also be “poverty” of positive early learning experiences [4], or even increased aggressive or punitive behavior towards the baby. All are shown to affect nervous system development.

📌 PHYSICAL POVERTY: inadequate access to basic life needs like proper clothing and safe housing, e.g., due to socioeconomics, (see below), war, or natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, floods, wildfires), can affect a baby’s physical and emotional security. A baby can literally experience “poverty” of such things as a threat to life.

📌 SOCIO-ECONOMIC POVERTY: environmental stressors e.g., crime, substance abuse, unemployment, and lack of healthcare, reduce a caregivers' sense of safety and stability. This once again acts to destabilise caregiver-baby bonding.

All in all, poverty creates toxic levels of stress that not only interfere with early life nervous system development, [5,6,7], but also disorganise caregiver-baby bonding. The latter leads to poverty putting a baby at risk of BEN, Babyhood Emotional Neglect.

OTHER INFORMATION:

📌 Introduction of BEN: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=894198262721482&set=a.457198723088107

📌 BEN & In-utero, Birth & Separation
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16V89C7TSG/

📌 BEN & Maternal Complications
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EMuNdNyAw/

📌 BEN & Feeding Issues
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AY8b7J8Wb

📌 BEN & Distracted Breastfeeding
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15uqVbXCZ4/

📌 BEN & Caregiver Stress/Lack of Support
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19XTYtMes3/

📌 BEN & Caregiver “Mental” Illness
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E3WANEjQS/

📌 BEN & Domestic Violence
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D9gJgrX3j/

📌 BEN & Caregiver Substance Use
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14Gun6yqaL7/

RESEARCH:

[1] Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne & Duncan, Greg. (1997). The Effects of Poverty on Children. The Future of children / Center for the Future of Children, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. 7. 55-71. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13921271_The_Effects_of_Poverty_on_Children

[2] Early Intervention Foundation Blog, 28 Mar 2018, retrieved from https://www.eif.org.uk/blog/childrens-development-and-family-circumstances-exploring-the-seed-data [2025-07-16].

[3] Adler, N.E., Boyce, T., Chesney, M.A., et al. Socioeconomic inequalities in health: No easy solution. Journal of the American Medical Association (1993) 269:3140–45.https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nancy-Adler-4/publication/233894923_Socioeconomic_status_and_health/links/550060f10cf2aee14b547660/Socioeconomic-Status-and-Health.pdf

[4] Blair, C., & Raver, C. C. (2016). Poverty, stress, and brain development: New directions for prevention and intervention. Academic pediatrics, 16(3), S30-S36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.01.010

[5] Brito, N.H., Noble, K.G.. Socioeconomic status and structural brain development Front Neurosci. 2014; 8:276 https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2014.00276

[6] Hair, N.L., Hanson, J.L., Wolfe, B.L., et al. Association of child poverty, brain development, and academic achievement. JAMA Pediatr. 2015; 169:822-829 https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.1475

[7] Alexander J. Dufford, Pilyoung Kim, Gary W. Evans, Chapter Four - The impact of childhood poverty on brain health: Emerging evidence from neuroimaging across the lifespan, Editor(s): Angela Clow, Nina Smyth, International Review of Neurobiology,
Academic Press, Volume 150, 2020, Pages 77-105, ISSN 0074-7742,
ISBN 9780128167526, https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irn.2019.12.001

15/07/2025

THE POWER OF PRESENCE

According to Taoism, the philosophy behind Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM:

👉 the PAST is formed, material fact, unchangeable and so relates to YIN;
👉 the FUTURE is unformed, energetic, changeable and so relates to YANG.

The only way to move between PAST and FUTURE is to move through the moment of NOW.

NOW is where everything can change.
NOW is where everything reconnects to the Tao, the Way.

Hence, connection to one's felt sense in the here and now has the possibility to change:

💫 that of the past into a different opportunity for the future;
💫 imbalance back to harmony; and thus
💫 one's biology back towards health.

"The truth is that the only power there is, is contained within this moment: it is the power of your presence."

Eckhart Tolle,
Spiritual Teacher & Self Help Author.
MORE INFORMATION:

DUALTY OF THE TAO:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FiapKRYjN/

ILLNESS IN TAOISM:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1YrFGEwZkW/

HEALTH IN TAOISM:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EvTbbDgvo/

TAO OF EMOTIONS - SUPPORT:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/197UgirEPP/

TAO OF EMOTIONS - MODERATION:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CDsN3PviX/