Trauma is a widely undiscussed subject that is sadly quite common. Many individuals go through circumstances that separate their lives in “before this happened” and “after this happened”. Whatever the event might have been, it changes a person’s core and it leaves them in a journey of recovery, healing, and self-grow. Trauma can be overcome, but it takes effort, work, and healing. Lauren Schuivens, the founder of Samavira, overcame her personal trauma through meditation and mindfulness.
Lauren’s Story
Lauren Schuivens was a student at the University College of Maastricht majoring in International Development. She was a dedicated student who took breaks between assignments to have fun with her friends. Like every college student, she wanted to make the most out of her experience to carry good memories with her. Sadly, she became 1 out of every 6 American women who has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.
One morning–without recollection of the night before–Lauren woke up in a strange man’s bed, terrified over what she realized had happened to her. When she confronted her assailant, he told her he could have done worse to her. After reporting her attack to the police, the attacker said everything had been consensual, and without enough evidence the case was dropped. It was then she understood it would be up to her to heal and walk the recovery path.
Throughout her healing process, Schuivens discovered meditation was extremely helpful. During this time, she came across the Peace Revolution Project: 42 Days Online Self-Development. This led her into the Fellowship in Thailand, which motivated her to become a Certified Mindfulness and Meditation Trainer. For her, this spiritual meditation journey redefined her life:
“Sometimes things happen to us that define our lives unconsciously and immensely. We may think we have healed, and our life has taken a new turn, yet somewhere, inside of us, unbeknownst to many we meet, we just gave up. We became the victim to our story, believing that life is constantly coming at us, overcoming us and however much we try, we can only go so far. This was my bondage; one that meditation helped me see for what it is, a fallacy robbing me of my aliveness. I learned through gradual practice that I am a co-creator of each process of my life. Spiritual teachers say your outer world is a reflection of your inner world, and I began to see this present itself in my daily circumstances; tired days, negative thoughts, always a victim, always blaming, I was co-creating it all. This awareness was mind blowing!”
Founding Samavira
As time went by and Lauren felt more comfortable sharing her journey with others, she began running sessions, workshops, and retreats in Asia and Europe. She used these spaces to share her experience and insight with people who were going through their own healing process. While doing so, she realized she was expanding her self-growth.
With her experience and desire to facilitate transformation and healing in others, she founded Samavira. This venture became the first global meditation branch. Lauren’s mission through this amazing project is to help people release clutter and blockages from their mind while encouraging them to change their mindset in order to create healthy habits.
Overcoming Trauma
Lauren Schuivens discovered her healing path to overcome her trauma was in meditation and mindfulness. These two resources became her most trusted tools to find herself again without always having to label herself as the victim in her story. She is a survivor who learned to use her attack to expand her self-growth journey. In meditation she found the path to inner peace. Now, she uses her experience and her knowledge to help others through Samavira and their globalized meditation.
