I listened to an amazing podcast a couple weeks ago with Lacy Phillips and Shaman Durek. You can listen here.
In it, Shaman Durek gives a simple exercise. You lie down on the earth (or your bed or the floor or in the bath, preferably naked because you're vulnerable) and say to yourself, "I give myself permission to feel my body." Then you feel into your body and notice what happens. You acknowledge whatever comes up. Then say again, "I give myself permission to feel my body." Over and over. For as long as you can.
I started doing this about a week and a half ago and the results are profound. The first time I did it, I started crying as soon as I said the words, "I give myself permission to feel my body." I probably started crying before I even finished the sentence. There was resistance. I spent a lot of my life disassociated from my body, uncomfortable in my body, so giving myself permission to feel into my body isn't the norm.
Once I allowed myself to feel, pain and heaviness and aches made themselves known. "I feel you. I feel the pain. Thank you for showing yourself to me. You can go now. It's safe for you to leave." I would say this or some similar version to each feeling that arrived. I would ask Mother Earth to take this energy and recycle it.
And so it would go. Sharp pain in lower belly. "Thank you. I feel you. You can go now." And I would stay with it until it went away. "I give myself permission to feel my body." Pressure on the ribs. "I feel that." I would send my breath and all of my attention to that area. "Thank you. You can go now." And I would keep breathing until it dissipated. "I give myself permission to feel my body." Aching at the back of my heart. Feeling of heavy metal armor behind the ache. "I feel the ache. I feel the sorrow. Thank you for trying to protect me. I don't need this armor anymore. You are free to go."
The amazing thing is that after 10-30 minutes, I would give myself permission to feel my body...and I would feel my breath moving freely. I would feel spaciousness. I would feel ease in my body. And I would stay with this feeling of freedom, of gratitude, of appreciation for my body. All it took was 10-30 minutes!
I've been doing this twice a day (once in the morning and once in the evening) and as needed if something comes up during the day. Just for a week and a half. I woke up today and my entire torso felt clear. I breathed big breaths into it as I was starting and it was at ease. I'm working with my neck and some pressure in my head now. But, wow! I'm blown away.
A friend and I exchange Shamanic healing sessions each week and part of that is a chakra clearing. She noticed this week that I had brought up a lot of energy to be cleared as well. That got me to thinking about creating a short guide to the chakras. As I've been going through this process, I notice which chakras carry the most pain and energy because that also gives me information about what areas of my life to be looking at. If it's the sacral chakra, this is related to creativity, sexuality, being in flow with life. If there's an imbalance there (a lot of pain or sensation), those areas of my life might be suffering. It's helpful to have that connection and be able to make adjustments as needed.
I invite you to try out this process for yourself and see what comes up for you. Listen to the podcast. Check out Lacy Phillip and Shaman Durek-they are both full of wisdom. And get my free Chakra Guide for Beginners here.