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Join Kirk and Friends TONIGHT for "Old Wounds" with Warriors for Lilfe (WFL)

Come join Volunteer, Peer Support Specialist Kirk Poe for "Awaken Your Inner Healer!" edition of Warriors for Life (WFL) Online, sponsored and presented by Victory for Veterans, Inc. (VFV).


We are asking everyone to share who we are and what support Victory for Veterans provides via WFL. If you know someone who is a veteran, first responder or a family member/caregiver, please ask them to join us for at least one meeting so they can learn more about what we do and how they can share their wisdom with others who may be able to learn from them.



TONIGHT's Topic: "Old Wounds"



Join Kirk and Friends, TONIGHT and let's get together online for the Warriors for Life (WFL) as we talk about "Old Wounds" We repeat what feels familiar, not what feels good. Healing begins when we help the nervous system relearn what safety actually feels like.


Trauma creates familiar patterns of feeling unsafe, leading us to repeat unhealthy behaviors because they're known, not good; healing involves consistently introducing new, gentle experiences to retrain the nervous system that it can feel safe, shifting from survival to regulation through grounding, connection, and self-care. 


Why We Repeat the Familiar


  • Trauma's Imprint: Past traumatic experiences embed deep patterns in our nervous system, making it constantly scan for threats, even when the danger is gone.

  • Familiarity vs. Safety: Your nervous system mistakes what's familiar (even if painful) for what's safe, trying to finish unresolved past events.

  • Survival Mode: This leads to hypervigilance, tension, and chronic stress responses, as the body stays "on guard". 



How Healing Begins


  • New Experiences: Healing isn't about time passing, but about providing repeated, reliable experiences of safety and care, teaching your system it's okay to relax.

  • Gentle Actions: This involves grounding techniques, deep breathing, gentle movement, warm drinks, cuddling pets, or connecting with supportive people (co-regulation).

  • Somatic Therapies: Trauma-informed and somatic therapies help the body process stored stress through natural release (trembling, yawning) and sensory input. 


In essence: You break old patterns by showing your nervous system, through consistent, gentle actions, that the present moment is different from the past, allowing it to finally update its operating system from survival to safety.



A core principle of trauma recovery and nervous system regulation, emphasizing that healing from stress or trauma involves retraining the body's survival response to recognize safety through consistent, gentle practices like deep breathing, grounding, movement, and sensory awareness, shifting from "fight/flight/freeze" to a calmer "rest and digest" state. It's about the body learning safety through felt experience, not just thinking about it. 


Why the Nervous System Needs Relearning


  • Stuck in Survival Mode: Chronic stress or trauma can keep the body's internal alarm system (sympathetic nervous system) activated, making it feel perpetually unsafe and unable to rest.

  • Familiarity vs. Goodness: The system often repeats familiar patterns, even if they feel bad, because they're known, not because they're healthy. 


12 Ways to Regulate Your Nervous System



How to Help Your Nervous System Relearn Safety


  • Breathwork: Slow, deep breaths activate the parasympathetic system (calm).

  • Grounding: Connecting with your body and the earth (e.g., feeling your feet).

  • Mindful Movement: Gentle stretching, walking, or dancing to release stored tension.

  • Sensory Awareness: Tuning into senses (sight, sound, touch) to stay present.

  • Self-Soothing: Creating comfort with warm baths, soft music, or gentle touch.

  • Setting Boundaries: Protecting your energy from constant threats.

  • Somatic Theraoy: Therapies that work with the body to release trauma. 


By consistently practicing these gentle, real-time adjustments, the nervous system gradually builds new neural pathways, updating its baseline to recognize that the threat has passed and that it is safe to relax and heal.  


Warriors for Life (WFL) Online "Awaken Your Inner Healer!" edition presented by Victory for Veterans, Inc. (VFV) - Monday (TONIGHT), February 2, 2026 @ 4:30 PM PT, 5:30 PM MT, 6:30 PM CT, & 7:30 PM ET



Thank you,


Kirk Poe, Certified Peer Support Specialist, Reiki Master, Certified Body/Emotion/Belief Code Practitioner, & Volunteer Facilitator, Victory for Veterans, Inc. (VFV)


"You are Worthy of Every Opportunity to Heal!" 

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