There once was a time where I worked on clients personal and business financing helping to achieve goals and solve problems everyday and honestly I loved it. In 2021 I choose to take a step back from the financing world to solve some other problems - ones that I knew well. Today, I let people know of ways to connect or in the case of trauma re-connect what often feels lost.
You may be wondering why I would take such a different turn and the truth of the matter is that I needed to. My daughter had a medical emergency that changed our lives. In the moment all we could do was cope with the unknown however given I was a child that had experienced a lot of trauma I knew what was to come likely was not going to be easy to work through so off I went to solve another problem but in a way to help other parents facing things that I had already knew how to face I just didn't want to recognize I had to do it because I did everything to protect my kids from trauma just as most parents do.
Here's the thing, if you are going through trauma or have an overstimulated nervous system the nervous system changes and it actually re-wires the brain for protection which means when you come out on the other side of trauma you need to help the nervous system to learn when you are safe otherwise you'll create patterns that may not serve you. You also might hurt a few people along the way.
At Lakunakai we've broken down recovery with the help of the creation of our supportive little buddies.
The black leopard focuses on the nervous system, your 5 senses and ways to ground yourself. It helps teach both parent and child by learning different skills and characteristics that a real black leopard has helping with relatability and personal growth. This is necessary step.
The moon jellyfish focuses on breathwork so you can learn ways to shift the autonomic nervous systems response going from a dominate sympathetic state (fight or flight mode) to a parasympathetic state (rest and digest mode). Parent and child learn different skills and characteristics that are real to a moon jellyfish for relatability but again also for personal growth working on communication skills and building emotional intelligence. This is a necessary step and a learned skill.
The sea turtle focuses on different levels of the mind and chooses to be present. Now for kids, they generally haven't had enough experience to date to have an ego state of mind however parents have and sometimes automatic responses need to be brought to the conscious mind so parents can learn, be present and show up as their best selves. Being present is incredibly tough sometimes but also a necessary skill and required.
The fox focuses on learning to play and most importantly how to rephrase. Trauma can be a breeding ground for rumination, negative self talk and more. In order to process big events understanding how the nervous system works, how brain chemicals work and learning ways to gently push yourself (okay, the nervous system and brain) in a positive pattern making direction is helpful. We'd also like to say is necessary as well.
Our buddies were designed for hospital use but can also be used in schools, clinics and really wherever you go. They can undergo medical treatment and procedures along side you and when your ready they can be a great starting point the recovery from trauma and reclaiming the nervous system.
If you are new to Lakunakai, welcome! We are glad you are here and hope you enjoy our love of neuroscience, psychology and eagerness to harness great emotional intelligence.