Trusting the body when life turns upside down

This is the second in a 3-part reflection on healing, trust in the body, and why B’Etzem is rooted in an inside-out approach.

In Part 1, I shared my view on psychedelics versus creating “altered-state-like” experiences from within. Today, I want to take you into two life experiences that taught me even more about pacing, safety, and the body’s natural capacity for healing.

When it comes to Focusing and the body, trusting the body means it will bring up whatever we’re ready to face.

Of course, any modality can re-traumatize someone if it’s not handled carefully. But I’ve heard too many stories of women with sensitive nervous systems being so overwhelmed by psychedelics that it took months, even years, to recover.

And here’s the thing: life itself gives us more than enough to work with.

This past year, I lived through two wars under rocket fire. I would never have consciously chosen those experiences, yet they brought deep healing because they surfaced things I wouldn’t have otherwise faced.

During the war with Hezbollah, my primary survival response was to hide. I often retreated to our bomb shelter, sometimes even without a siren, just to let my system rest. I called it “playing dead,” lying there and disconnecting from reality for a while.

In the war with Iran, my experience was very different. Before it began, I had been in a creative groove mapping out summer programs and filling pages with ideas and plans. After the war, I reread those notes, and they felt flat. I had changed as a person. The experience had brought up another layer of my inner world that needed healing, and once that layer healed, I was no longer the same.

In that war, I had hyper energy. I created videos, used humor, and poured my fear into creative expression. In both wars, I reminded myself these were normal responses to abnormal situations. I allowed them in short bursts, trusting my body to move through them when it was ready.

In B’Etzem, this same trust and pacing is foundational. We meet what’s alive right now, let the system decide how much is safe to process, and trust that growth happens from being with, not from forcing. By honoring the nervous system’s own rhythm, we prevent overwhelm and deepen integration, creating change that lasts.

Living through those wars showed me something important: the same principles that got me through those huge, life-changing events are just as relevant in the everyday.

Whether it’s a rocket siren or an interaction at the grocery store, the body responds in the moment to what it perceives as a threat or challenge. And the way we meet those responses, hopefully with presence, pacing, and trust, is what determines whether they become openings for growth or places we get stuck.

The deepest openings don’t always come from the biggest events. They can emerge from the smallest everyday moments.

In the final part of this series, I’ll share why the smallest “mini wars” in daily life can lead to the deepest breakthroughs, and why the skill of working with what’s truly ready to emerge is essential for facilitators.

In B’Etzem, you’ll learn how to hold space for those moments in yourself and in others so they lead to real, lasting growth without pushing the system past its limits. If this is the kind of work you want to embody, I’d love to have you join the upcoming training on zoom from September 8-11 (Lakewood and Israel dates coming soon).

For the Zoom training:

You can view the flyers below for more details.

When you’re ready to apply, please complete the application form here: [Google Form Link]​

Warmly,
Rena

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