Wow, that was fast- a year gone by. I have learned and grown and blossomed in ways unexpected this year. I have worked hard on my health and well-being to be in a place where I feel safe and grounded enough in my body to tackle the next lessons ahead. Yes, many realizations, welcome and uncomfortable. I will forever be a student of the body’s wisdom but there are a few things I know to be absolute truth regardless of the ever changing somatic landscape.
- The emotional body needs cleansing to create any lasting shift in your health
- You cannot do it alone
- Patience and persistence are the hardest and most necessary “pill to swallow”.
Hmmm… Emotional body?
“Let’s stop being afraid of our body and its reactions. Let’s allow ourselves to express our emotions. We mustn’t forget that emotions affect our physical body. Understanding this is a first step towards a better life.” – Jean- Pierre Barral
The body is a remarkable instrument responding every second to every sensation that comes in contact with it. It is constantly recording every movement, every bit of food and drink, every pleasure, every injury and every emotion. It is created to handle a certain amount negative “recordings” as we have a constant positive and negative charge circulating within us to maintain balance or homeostasis.
My Cranio Sacral teacher at Bastyr University a few weeks ago explained this positive/negative dance in relation to trauma and imbalances in the body. She simply said that when the body registers a sudden traumatic event those negative charges surge and sometimes overpower the body’s ability to balance itself positively. This negative “surge” then has nowhere to go and is trapped within our tissues. In cases of chronic and persistent stress and trauma, those negative signals are reinforced and those parts of our body begin to develop disease as their ability to balance and release has been impaired. (ok- are you following me?). In short, trauma, negative emotions and stress interrupt your body’s natural ability to bring balance to itself.
The parts of the body most effected are typically the abdomen and pelvis. Why? Your organ tissue is the most susceptible to emotional energy which is why you get butterflies in your stomach or the awful broken heart. (read more here). Also, it is now very well known that the body extends past its physical form into the energy or astral body represented by 7 chakra layers that start at the base of the sacrum and rise through our vertebrae and out the crown of our head. This is the basis of eastern metaphysical studies in Ayurvedic principles and is now being scientifically recorded and studied as a way to detect and heal illness in the body. Which is why when we address healing we must address energy. When our chakras are open and balanced we become highly in tune with the healing capacities of our body and our soul.
“Each Chakra is considered to resonate at a different frequency level. With new BioWell software, it is now possible to quantitatively estimate the energy of Chakras and graphically display their level of activation, and indicate whether this level of activation is above or below the level found from large numbers of subjects.” Dr. Pradeep B. Deshpande (1)
So, what does this mean really? It means that as you begin to address your health issues you may have to look at patterns, fears, stressors and trauma in your life- past and present. As mentioned these traumas are typically imbedded in our bellies and pelvic area as most everything sacred about who we are hits right in our center. Which is why I find that most of my clients have a trauma story. From the extreme- victims of abuse, abortions, miscarriages, loss of loved ones to the seemingly less severe but highly impactful such as -disordered eating, unhappy marriages, grief over never having children and life depleting jobs. This is not an easy subject to approach as it stirs fear and emotion. It also stirs truth- EVERY person deep down knows that this is where their energy got shut down, how their chakras became bound and where that golden nugget to begin their emotional detox lies. But, reversing these patterns and bringing that flow of energy and healing into your life doesn’t just happen alone- I know I have tried.
You Cannot Heal Alone
Yes, what a year and I would not be here, writing this to you if it weren’t for the many people who have inspired and guided me along the way. I didn’t come to this realization until it was forced upon me-by me. I did not want to look at my trauma or I thought “I know what to do” and tried incorporating my own unguided healing practices. I fell into a deeper hole as I felt a sense of failure and hopelessness. I hit bottom in the beginning of September, so I prayed- yes prayed. The message back to me was- “get help, your life and health depend on it”. In truth I always wanted help, but I lived behind excuses of not having enough money or time. We all have those excuses and stories and I hear it every day from clients. But, what is the point of living this incredible life if it is in pain- all the time and money in the world doesn’t matter then. And, when you truly begin to follow your path of deep healing, abundance shows up to help you- it’s just the way the Universe works.
So, I listened and I jumped in to the turbulent waters of my life and instead of drowning I was carried by those who showed up to keep me kicking and breathing and floating no matter how much fear weighed me down some days. My body has changed and something has shifted. My 20 year battle with digestive issues has taken a turn and my amazing emotions (haha) are revealing so many gifts. – (I would love to tell you more about what it took and I would love to hear from you below) Guidance, healers, bodywork and maybe a good doctor are all necessary and will shift your healing and your life. However, your path will not fully reveal itself and healing cannot take place unless you truly face the trauma that spurred the imbalance in the first place. And this may mean you leave a job, a relationship and a belief system you have held close all of your life. This will take time and work and support.
Patience, persistence and essential self-care tools for healing.
We live in a fast paced, results now society. All of the incredible advances have allowed us to live a bit longer, more conveniently and more “connected” to the world but so disconnected from ourselves. The last thing anyone wants to hear is that it might take time-a year or more even -to find peace and health within. Time- it goes by no matter what you do and you can either be in the same sick, tired, anxious and depressed state in a year or you can begin to emotionally detox and within one year you can arrive back into the YOU- you know is in there. With that being said, persistence in your process and some necessary tools will move you along your journey at a pace that may satisfy your fear around time and patience.
Emotional Detox Tools-Use Them.
- Meditation. It changed my life. BUT, I have recently come to realize that the advice to just all of a sudden incorporate such a practice into a life in chaos is all wrong and intimidating. You will get to the point of being able to hold your own healing space and daily practice in time. But, in the beginning, as you are starting to heal, you need someone to take you into this space- again you need guidance. Take a mediation class, get a mentor or coach and just commit.
- Journaling. Take account of your life. Talk to yourself. Befriend yourself and your feelings. What are you afraid of? Journaling can be intimidating. What do you write? Is it wrong? So much anger, fear and sadness may come out. You feel blank. I know- that’s the point. One word at a time. It can even be the same word over and over. You just need to start the conversation with yourself and eventually magic will flow out of you- I promise. If you need more structure Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” is one of the most well known creative writing and journaling programs around and it works.
- Abdominal massage. Yes, you should be incorporating abdominal massage sessions into your journey as you need to feel your body and access those places that hold the layers of what is blocking you and those layers are usually in our belly. This also extends to self-care as you can learn at home abdominal massage to keep the connection between sessions. I also recommend giving yourself a good dry brush session every once in a while to literally shed some skin and move some energy.
- Castor oil packs. Castor oil when applied liberally with heat will penetrate the visceral (organ) layers of the body helping to literally detox toxins and soften tissue to allow for more flow of vital nutrients, oxygen, blood and energy. You can get a kit here.
- YOU. You are your greatest tool. Your body knows how to heal when you make the shift to commit to uncovering the deepest layers of your illness and imbalances. Get to the heart of yourself, embrace the journey of emotionally detoxing your body if you want to see a real shift in your health and your life.
Embrace this New Year as a chance to shift- to change- to heal. Use the whole entire year- I dare ya.
This totally resonates with me:) Thank you for the article!
Thank you for reading Sarah.