“It Runs In The Family”, The Impact of Generational Trauma on the Body
In the Hindu and Buddhist practice of Chakra healing, there are seven points of energy in the human body. Each point is represented by a color and chakra. The first chakra is the “Muladhara” or “root chakra”. Located at the base of the spine, the root chakra is designed to represent one’s sense of stability and security. Research also theorizes that the root chakra is also connected to ancestral energy. It is said to possess the memories of the experiences of ancestors and serves as a reminder of origin.
Scientifically, studies show that traumas of the past can have a profound impact on one’s DNA. Journalist Gina Ryder, in her 2022 article for PyschCentral.com, “What Is Genetic Trauma?”, writes, “Epigenetics is the study of how the events that happen to you and your behaviors — such as traumatic events and trauma responses — can change the way your genes work. These changes don’t affect your DNA sequence, but they can affect how your body reads that DNA… Researchers first discovered the generational impact of trauma on the children of people who lived through the Dutch famine (the ‘Hunger Winter’) during World War II. Several studies conducted in the 1970s found that the children of pregnant women during this famine were more prone to higher-than-average body mass and diabetes, thus forming the basis for future research on intergenerational, or transgenerational, trauma.”
The roots of being Black in America runs deep. Throughout history, Black people have expressed several instances of violence, disenfranchisement, harassment, and unfair treatment in various arenas. It is safe to say that every set of ancestors that were born in the last 4 to 5 centuries has been born within trauma. Regardless of the statute of limitations between traumatic events, the impact of racial trauma does eradicate itself so easily.
Understanding one’s roots is pivotal to understanding one’s self. Understanding the fact that one carries the energy of their ancestors is pivotal to understanding their heritage and legacy as a whole. But most of all, understanding one’s roots is pivotal to understanding one’s tolerance for trauma.The body’s response to trauma can manifest itself in many feelings and functions but many times it can’t always be seen and requires deep exploration through acts of prayer, meditation, medical diagnoses, etc.
Furthermore, the Root chakra and the study of epigenetics are great tools for understanding one’s own body as the foundation for not only their genetic DNA but their cultural DNA as well.
