ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 09 June 2026) — Yesterday, we saw distressing videos showing just how traumatizing the major earthquake was for a large number of young people in General Santos and neighboring provinces. We are incredibly grateful for the flag ceremonies and other outdoor activities scheduled for the first day of school; these gatherings ultimately prevented a vast number of students from being trapped inside buildings when the earthquake struck.

Having worked in the Peace Center of my university during past conflicts in Mindanao, I know firsthand how critical early intervention is when addressing trauma — especially in youth. Because it may be impossible for professionals to immediately reach every single person in need, we must empower caregivers with practical tools. Below is an information guide featuring natural methods centered on mindful awareness and breathing techniques to help our youth (and the adults as well) safely process shock and heal.

A Unified Somatic and Self-Awareness Protocol for Teachers, Parents, and Caregivers

When a strong earthquake strikes, the sudden shock floods a young person’s nervous system with intense survival energy. If this energy is suppressed or ignored, it gets locked in the body, potentially leading to long-term anxiety, sleeplessness, or physical ailments.

By combining Somatic Experiencing (releasing shock safely through the body’s natural reflexes) and Self-Awareness Processing (dissolving emotional fear through gentle, mindful presence), we can help students safely discharge this stress and reclaim a true sense of inner safety right at the start of the school year.

PHASE 1: Somatic Release (The Body)

Based on the clinical trauma work of Dr. Peter Levine. Immediately after a threat, the body naturally seeks to discharge its survival energy.

• Allow the Trembling: If a child is shaking, shivering, or crying, do not try to stop them or force them to calm down prematurely. This physical shaking is a primitive, healthy biological response used by mammals to safely discharge adrenaline and reset the nervous system.

• Normalize the Reaction: Reassure them that their body is doing exactly what it needs to do to heal. Speak softly but firmly: “It is okay to shake. Your body is just letting go of the scary energy. You are safe here with me now.”

• Physical Grounding: Have them sit comfortably with both feet flat on the floor. If appropriate and with their permission, hold their hand or place a gentle hand on their upper back to provide a steady external anchor.

PHASE 2: The Self-Awareness Protocol (The Mind & Senses)

Based on the Self-Transformation methodologies of Vicente Hao Chin Jr. This uses rhythmic breathing and non-judgmental tracking to dissolve somatic blockages.

1. Establish the Breathing Anchor

Guide the youth to softly close their eyes or drop their gaze to the floor. Instruct them to breathe in slowly through the nose, and breathe out gently through the open mouth. Ensure the exhale is long, slow, and relaxed. If possible guide them to inhale and exhale from the diaphragm muscle. This acts as a biological brake on the fight-or-flight pathway.

2. Scan for Physical Sensations

Ask them to bring attention inside their body. Help them locate where the shock or fear is currently hanging on. Ask questions like: ‘Do you feel a tightness in your chest? A heavy weight on your chest? A tight knot or fluttering in your stomach? A lump in your throat?’

3. Observe Without Judging

Instruct them to direct their full focus right into the center of that tightness or heaviness. Tell them explicitly not to fight it, try to change it, or force it to go away. Have them mentally sit with it and say: ‘I am aware of this heavy tightness in my chest.’ Breathe into it and let it be there.

4. Witness the Dissolution

Maintain the rhythmic nose-to-mouth breathing while quietly watching the sensation. Because ‘whatever we fully accept and observe, dissolves,’ the youth will quickly notice that the edge of the sensation naturally begins to soften, shift, move, or entirely fade away.

PHASE 3: Sensory Re-Orientation (The Environment)

Bring the youth fully back into the shared current environment to reinforce that the acute danger has completely passed.

• The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique: Have the student slowly scan the room and name out loud or internally: 5 items they can see clearly; 4 textures they can physically feel (e.g., their chair, uniform, skin); 3 distinct sounds they can hear; 2 things they can smell; and 1 thing they can taste.

• Somatic Orientation: Have them slowly turn their head to the left and right, noticing that the room is intact, the walls are completely stable, the floor has stopped moving, and they are surrounded by peers and adults who care for them.

IMPORTANT CAREGIVER NOTICE: Navigating the ‘Crest of the Wave’

As you guide a young person through this awareness processing, the trapped fear and physical discomfort will often feel MORE intense before they go away. This is an entirely normal phenomenon and a clear indicator of active healing.

When we stop running away from an emotion and shine the light of awareness on it, the nervous system opens up to process it. The trauma acts exactly like an ocean wave: it builds up, reaches a peak (crying harder, deeper shaking, or heightened tightness), and then breaks and washes clean away. If a guide does not understand this, they might panic when a student cries and inadvertently halt the emotional release.

• Do Not Interrupt: If they begin to cry deeply or report that the tightness feels heavier, stay calm. Do not distract them or cut the session short. They are right at the crest of the wave.

• Anchor with Your Presence: Keep your voice soft, steady, slow, and thoroughly grounded. Remind them gently that they are safe in this physical space right now.

• Validate the Sensation: Say softly: ‘It is okay if the feeling feels bigger right now. That is just the trapped energy moving up and out of your body. Keep doing your nose-to-mouth breathing. You are entirely safe.’

• Watch for the Shift: The person can also stop anytime if the sensations is so intense. If you maintain a non-reactive space, this intense peak will typically last only a few moments before the system automatically breaks into a deep sigh, a yawn, or sudden deep muscle relaxation.

Core Psychological Principles for Guides

• Co-Regulation: Children look directly at an adult’s facial expressions, vocal tone, and posture to determine if they are safe. Ground yourself first, slow your speech, and maintain calm, measured breathing.

• Never Suppress or Force: Avoid dismissive phrases like ‘Don’t cry’ or ‘Be brave.’ Instead, say: ‘It makes complete sense that you felt scared. Let’s sit with it and breathe through it together.’

• Watch for Release Signifiers: Involuntary deep sighing, yawning, localized stomach rumbling, and a noticeable dropping of the shoulders away from the ears are clear signs that the nervous system has successfully reset. 

(Bebot Rodil is a retired Associate Professor at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology and former Acting Director of MSU-IIT’s Peace and Development in Mindanao. This piece was first posted on her social media page on June 9, 2026. The author granted MindaNews permission to publish this.)