Coming Home: Reclaiming Your Authentic Self Through Trauma Recovery
In this return episode of SOS For The Soul, transformational teacher Jennifer Elizabeth Masters explores the journey of "unbecoming"—releasing the survival patterns and trauma-induced identities that obscure our true nature. She provides practical tools for nervous system regulation and emotional healing to help listeners transition from a state of fear to one of clarity and self-trust 00:00.
Detailed Summary
The Cycle of Repetition and the Power of Awareness
Life often presents us with repeating patterns in relationships, careers, and health. These repetitions—such as finding the same type of difficult boss or experiencing recurring health issues—are often signals of unhealed trauma. Masters reflects on her own history of multiple marriages, realizing that she was seeking external love to compensate for a lack of self-love. The first step toward breaking these cycles is the "light of awareness," which makes it impossible for things to remain the same 01:48-07:47.
The 3-Step Transformation Process
1. NoticeIdentify the painful patterns appearing in your life.
2. RegulateCalm your nervous system to exit the "fear state."
3. ChooseAct from a place of safety rather than survival.
Understanding the Mother Wound and Adaptation
Children raised in unpredictable or critical environments adapt to survive by becoming empaths, over-performers, or by "shrinking" themselves. These adaptations eventually manifest as adult anxiety, overworking, or physical symptoms like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Masters uses the example of her 103-year-old mother to illustrate how understanding a parent’s own childhood trauma can lead to compassion and personal freedom, even if it doesn't excuse their behavior 06:21-11:0426:04.
Nervous System Regulation as a Foundation
Transformation cannot occur while the body feels unsafe, as the nervous system will naturally recreate "familiar" environments, even if they are painful. Regulation techniques—such as deep, rhythmic breathing and grounding exercises—are essential. By shifting the body into a state of safety, individuals can move from a "contracted" state of fear to an "expanded" state where they can envision and manifest a positive future 11:06-16:5529:25-32:22.
Nervous System Reset: 4-6 Breathing
Use this simple rhythmic exercise to signal safety to your brain and drop out of your "head" into your "body":
Inhale
Count of 4
→
Exhale
Count of 6
"It’s like a little dance within the body."
Forgiveness and the Authentic Identity
Forgiveness is presented not as a service to others, but as a "divine release" for the self. Using the Ho'oponopono prayer, Masters encourages listeners to forgive themselves and others to avoid the "poison" of resentment, which can lead to physical illness. Ultimately, "Coming Home" is the process of returning to one's authentic identity—an 18-year-old spirit within, regardless of chronological age—and recognizing that infinite love and wealth are tied to one's sense of personal worth 16:56-23:2035:09-39:58.
Key Data
Host Experience: Practicing hypnotherapy since 1998 and life coaching/healing since 2011 01:48.
Case Study: The host's mother is 103 years old and remained active (mowing grass until 90, driving until 98) by avoiding complaining and maintaining movement 23:20-26:03.
Resource: A free 9-minute and 53-second nervous system regulation audio is available on the host's website 40:03.
To-Do / Next Steps
Practice the Ho'oponopono prayer ("I'm sorry, please forgive me, I love you, thank you") while focusing on your inner child. 18:40
Download the free regulation audio from jenniferelizabethmasters.com to use during moments of anxiety. 40:03-42:51
Rewrite your childhood story in a journal, describing it as you wish it had been to help reprogram the subconscious mind. 40:03
Perform the Gyan Mudra meditation (Left hand in Gyan Mudra, right hand over heart) while chanting "I am" to calm the brain hemispheres. 42:51-45:56
Tune in next week for the discussion on Judgment featuring Reverend Katie. 45:56-48:44
Conclusion
Healing is not about becoming someone new; it is the process of "unbecoming" the burdens, shame, and survival patterns you were never meant to carry. By regulating the nervous system and choosing self-adoration over criticism, you can return to the peace and beauty of your true, authentic home 48:45.
