Nanae Ito (she/her)

Do you feel a readiness to explore the pain, grief, and fury around loss of language, of personal history, legacy, a disconnect from your roots? Whether it was kept from you, taken from you, or forcibly erased by white supremacy? To begin building, molding, and crafting a container for yourself so you feel enveloped rather than scattered? I invite you to unfold your stories at your own pace while offering gentle questioning and guidance towards understanding the roots of your pain.

Does your anxiety show up as feeling overwhelmed, on overdrive, moments of panic, taking on more and more work (professional or personal), inability to sleep, shallow breathing, and excessive worrying like thinking extensively about possible scenarios and how they can go wrong? I'll walk you through exercises to help settle your nervous system and teach you tools to support yourself in moments of high anxiety. The goal is to lessen the grip that anxiety has on your day to day life.

Those moments where you feel jumpy, highly reactive, rageful, overcome with numbness or overwhelming sensation, and the shame or grief that follow does not define you as a person nor is it your personality. I walk you through what your body's normal survival responses can look and feel like and how you can increase your capacity to maneuver through stressful situations. Not only will you gain tools to soothe your trauma responses, you'll also increase your capacity to feel joy and ease.

The stories we are instructed on (school, government, societal), the stories we consume (media, news), and the stories we have been told (elders, families, community) can solidify into what we believe to be true about ourselves. Sometimes, this can lead to us feeling disconnected, numb, and in pain. Through skillful questioning in a space that feels safe to share your stories, you will find a way back "home" to your authentic self.

The body must sense safety before we delve into trauma, identity, and pain. We slow down the overwhelming sense of overdrive and the anxiety with the goal that over time, these moments of ease will arrive easier and for longer. I ground and center us through a variety of breathing and awareness exercises, which you can learn to utilize before, during, and after stressful moments on your own.

Perhaps you're already someone who feels deeply in your body, but feel overwhelmed by the sensations, as if they are taking over. Or, you may be someone who has learned to protect yourself by feeling nothing at all, and you're ready to sense into yourself and the world again. At your pace and if it feels ok to do so, we gently release the grip of tension and tightness through trauma conscious techniques and exercises.