In Search of Dragons…
Chinese New Year Float
As you may know, Chinese New Year is today, and Tibetan New Year is one lunar month later, on February 22nd. In both astrological systems, it is the Year of the Water Dragon.
I don’t celebrate Chinese or Tibetan New Year, or follow either astrology closely, although I always write about them at BellaOnline this time of year, because they are celebrated as Buddhist holidays in many countries. But this year I felt myself called to dragons (or by them!), and embarked on a ‘dragonquest’ to see what they had to say to me. Whether you view this kind of message as psychological – symbols speaking to us from our subconscious – or spiritual – actual beings communicating – doesn’t really matter (and really, I view it as both.) But it pays to listen to them. I thought I would share some of what I found here, in case dragons have something to say to you too. I should tell you right now, this post has no ‘point’ – it is just a sharing of dragons, largely through images, so enjoy! (And most of the images are public domain, those that aren’t link to the source.)
One thing I found very interesting is that although European and Asian dragons are vastly different in their appearance and mythology, they are both connected to the serpent. The European word dragon is rooted in the word for snake or serpent, and in Asia dragons literally look like serpents.
Japanese Dragon, by 18th-century artist Hokusai, with serpent body typical of Asian dragons.
A typical European dragon, as depicted in a statue in the capital of Slovenia - Four-legged and winged.
Spiritually, serpents have very different connotations in the East and the West. Of course in the standard interpretation of the Old Testament, the serpent is seen as the bringer of evil, tempting Eve to eat the apple that leads to her and Adam’s exile from Eden. In the East, there are many conflicting legends of serpents, and nagas – their deity counterparts, but they are certainly not simple bringers of evil. In fact, the kundalini itself, the spiritual energy that moves up through the chakras, is often depicted as a rising snake, as are the nadis, or spiralling energy lines through which the kundalini travels upward.
One Chakra Mapping, showing the two spiraling nadis as serpents.
These differing views of serpents carry through into the views of dragons. In European tales they are usually troublemakers, hoarding wealth or kidnapping princesses, and the hero of the story sets off to vanquish them. In Asia, they are mostly symbols of power, protective forces, and good fortune. It’s so interesting to me how this parallels the differing views towards evil that you find in Western and Eastern religions (and forgive me for painting in broad strokes here) - Judeo-Christianity focuses on evil as a force outside of ourselves, that needs to be vanquished, while the Eastern take is that evil is the result of an internal misperception or misalignment – our own delusion that we are separate from light.
Either way, I found that dragons, wealth, and royalty are linked in both European and Asian lore. Of course in the Arthurian legends Arthur’s royal lineage is of the Pendragon – ‘ultimate dragon’ – line. In historical China, dragons were associated with the Emperor, and also considered symbolic of wealth. In Tibet, White Jambhala is sometimes referred to as the ‘wealth deity’ and is shown riding a dragon. Of course there are exoteric and esoteric interpretations of the link between wealth and these deities – in the esoteric interpretations, wealth is associated with spiritual insight, much as the ‘gold’ of alchemy traditions is interpreted by some to be symbolic of enlightenment.
White Jambala - Tibetan Wealth Deity - Riding a Dragon
Across cultures dragons are also considered an old power, part of the ancient order of the world, and linked to old magic. In Asia they are often depicted as sea creatures, the sea being the primordial source of life. In this, they are also linked in some spiritual traditions to the ancient pathways to enlightenment. In other traditions, dragons are themselves representative of the seeking, as in Chinese depictions of a sea dragon chasing a pearl, which itself represents a closed lotus blossom. Lotuses represent enlightenment, and the dragon swallows many ‘pearls of wisdom’ along its path.
Chinese Dragon chasing a 'pearl of wisdom'
In some Tibetan traditions, dragons are seen more as ‘dharma protectors’ – protectors of the sacred teachings for true seekers. Dragons are also one of the ‘Four Dignities’, along with the snow lion, the tiger, and the garuda (a large mythical bird), each representing a different aspect of the Boddhisattva. The dragon represents compassion, and sound, as in true hearing, and the way that both compassion and true hearing can break through delusion.
In Japan, there are a lot of dragon legends, but not many of them linked to spiritual traditions, although I did find this fascinating picture entitled Buddha Riding a Dragon (I couldn’t find much more information about it, however.)
Buddha Riding a Dragon by 18th century Japanese Artist Kunasada
Another favorite dragon depiction of mine was also 18th-century Japanese, by Hiroshage, who painted in a Chinese style, and entitled Dragon in a Cloud. It speaks more to the ethereal or ‘spirit dragon’ idea, which is also prevalent in Asian tales.
Dragon in a Cloud
Interestingly, the idea of a spirit or guiding dragon is one that has taken off in contemporary Fantasy fiction. Although interpretations vary, in most totem systems dragons represent the ability to burn through obstacles with their fire-breath. As companions to ‘dragonriders’ in contemporary Fantasy series such as Eragon or The DragonRiders of Pern, dragons are fierce in battle, and intimately, spiritually linked to their riders. I actually think the artwork done for the Eragon books is lovely, and conveys a lot of depth – this eye of Saphira from one cover is an example:
Eye of Saphira
The prevalence of the dragonrider concept in Fantasy fiction (it’s part of the Game of Throne series too, although as of the fifth book still undeveloped), is really fascinating. The dragons are usually depicted more like winged European dragons, but have spiritual symbology more connected to the Asian interpretations. Either way, these dragons are spiritual guides, and spiritual warriors. I love this one, which I think is based on some of the Pern books, although I am not sure:
This one too, spoke to me – as you can see, there is a strong tradition of white dragons in fantasy series, and they are very often feminine – the dragon is itself symbolic of feminine power:
And finally, progressing all the way into the spirit dragon realm, I found this:
Spirit Dragon
Exactly the opposite in many ways of the sea serpent-like Asian dragons we started with. And yet throughout all the dragons and dragon lore I encountered, the connection to ancient knowledge, enlightenment, burning through obstacles, the feminine, and dharma protection shone through. For me, these are the themes of 2012.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this dragon tour, and that these dragons speak to you in some way. Happy Year of the Dragon!
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P.S. I will soon be combining this blog with my teaching site into a new site, and will begin posting weekly, including a once a month guest post or interview. If you write or teach something related to the themes of this blog, and would like to share it here through an interview or guest post, please email me at LAmeditation [at] earthlink [dot] net. Namaste-
Happy New Year! Thanks to all of you that participated in the giveaway last month, I’ve contacted the winners and also posted them in a final comment on that post. We have empowered the enlightened feminine!
Chantal
Along those lines, I’m so happy to start 2012 by sharing an interview with friend and colleague Chantal Monte. Chantal is an energy healer and intuitive consultant whom I first met through our mutual association with Cyndi Dale. Chantal emanates an exquisite, refined, other-worldly energy both in person and in her work (which I have personally experienced and love.) Although trained in multiple modalities, her primary training occurred in Bali. In the following interview I spoke with her about her experiences in Bali, healing as ‘remembering’, her kundalini experiences, and her current work offering kundalini activations and workshops. Enjoy, and please feel free to post questions or comments for Chantal, myself, or both in the comments!
I would love to start with hearing about your relationship with, and spiritual training, in Bali. I know this is such a big part of who you are and what you do. When did you first go and why?
I went by myself in 1998, and I had absolutely no idea what to expect spiritually, emotionally, or physically. I knew nothing much about what I was going to arrive into, other than that my grandmother was from Jakarta, Indonesia – she was born and raised there. I grew up in a very Eastern-based household in San Francisco, and from my grandmother I absorbed a lot of the beliefs and lifestyle from her roots in Jakarta.
What is the belief system of Bali? How did this influence you growing up?
Bali is a mixture of Animist, similar to the native shamanic tradition, and Hinduism. Bali Animism is very focused on the power of nature and the elements, and their form of Hinduism is really a celebration of life, expressed in ceremonies and rituals, and incorporating Hindu deities like Brahman, Shiva and Vishnu. My grandmother taught me a lot about her beliefs related to the light and the dark, healing, the power of plants, and natural medicines, as well as feng shui.
Why did you decide to go to Bali? Was it part of wanting to connect to your roots?
I really wanted to connect to a different rhythm of life, one that I hadn’t found elsewhere. I had traveled to Europe, and around the States, but I knew that I wanted to experience a more Eastern-based philosophy. I had grown up with it, it was part of me, but I hadn’t fully explored it yet. I wanted to feel that rhythm, be immersed in the flow of life, that is offered there.
Afterwards, I called it my death journey, because I was completely going into the unknown, and I didn’t know who I was going to be when I got back. I was ready to transform, to die to my old self, and come into a new self.
When I got there, I arrived in a family compound, and the women there looked like my great-grandmother, and so I knew that was a good sign. I immersed myself into the culture, rather than visiting as a tourist. That was a huge advantage, because I wasn’t on the outside looking in. It allowed me to learn so much so quickly.
I met one of my teachers there on that first trip, and I got to explore Bali on a different level through that. Bali is very in between the worlds. It’s part of the earth, and yet also energetically in between here and somewhere else. So I got to explore with my teacher all sorts of different dynamics of realities.
So you mean in a Mists of Avalon kind of way, where the place itself is a doorway to other dimensions?
Yes. The people are, the way they live is, and the energy of the island itself.
How did you find your teacher?
It came about in a couple of different ways. First, I asked for a Balian, which is a traditional Balinese healer. But the Balinese don’t like to discuss who is a Balian, it is really kind of taboo. The Balians have so much power, and work in both the dark and the light, so they do not like to draw attention to themselves, and hence the Balinese don’t like to discuss them, especially to a non-Balinese. So asking directly didn’t work out so well.
But then one day I was in an herbal store, and I was looking to heal something, and a man came up to me and said, “well, you need this, this and this.” He did this just by looking at me, I hadn’t even said hi. And he was right on, in terms of what I was looking to do. From there we started talking, and gradually it evolved into a different kind of relationship, with more intense teachings. We would meditate together, and travel in awareness.
Please talk more about this traveling, and what you learned?
I’ve traveled like this since I was a small child, because I was trying to escape my reality. Whether it was my imagination doing this or if I was really traveling in awareness, it didn’t matter. My inner worlds were much more profound than my every day life. And so I preferred to go out, and discover that my imagination had no bounds. I preferred to travel than to deal with what was right there in my every day world.
Over the years, especially as an adult living in Santa Fe, I had a lot of altered experiences, and moving back and forth between worlds was very common for me. It was something I always needed to tune into, to survive in a sense – part of my being, of who I am.
But then, studying with my Balinese teacher was pretty incredible, because we could see the same things at the same time, which I had never done before with someone. I remember once later on, when I was back in the States and we were on the phone, and he was trying to show me something, and I couldn’t see it, couldn’t get there. And he said, “ok, wait a minute, I’m going to come and get you.” And I could feel myself being pulled out of my body and pulled into this place! It was mind-blowing – I had never felt that kind of power before.
Amazing. How did your time with this teacher unfold?
It was very intense, over a couple of years, both in-person and over the phone, and in dreamtime too. He has passed over now. It was like a ‘remembering’ from another time – like he was showing me things and saying ‘Remember this? Remember that?’ And it was a lot of play, a lot of wonderment and experimenting. The wonderment that happens when you work with energy – what can it do, what are the boundaries of it, what’s possible, how does it move, things like that.
Talk about this ‘remembering’, because I have heard you use this word before. What does it mean to you?
I see it two different ways. I see remembering as accessing things that are already there, but just covered. And I also see it as literally re-membering – putting something back together. Putting it back together in a new way.
Healing has always been very personal for me, part of my spiritual journey. Working with others was a natural evolution from my own self-healing work. And healing before always felt like “there’s something wrong, we need to fix it.” I find a lot of healing is done that way, and it’s great, it can help the personality, and the ego, and assist us in every day life. But I’m finding now that we can actually move around the cause or issue, or through it, more easily, by accessing what’s already there. Accessing information that’s already there, or the truth that’s already there, or the healing that’s already there, into more of a wholeness, and bring it forward.
I think we all have this potential, this vast potential, that’s just waiting for us to tap into it. Waiting for our arrival. Remembering is about tapping into this and bringing it forward, uncovering it and reminding ourselves who we are.
Beautiful. So how was Bali, and studying with this teacher, the tipping point for you, in your own remembering?
It wasn’t only my teacher, it was really a lot about the Balinese people, their way of life, the integration with nature, and the natural joy that shone from everyone.…Part of my healing was learning to live in my body, because I didn’t really like it, I felt very limited by my body. But in Bali I saw people very gracefully living in their bodies, and still cycling amongst all these other realities. Everything was in harmony, body and spirit. And so my disjointedness came together, into oneness.
So even though you were having all these amazing experiences traveling through awareness, it was actually a grounding experience for you living there. Your body wasn’t a liability anymore.
Yes. I was around people that could feel their feelings, and be in their physical bodies, and still have the most amazing spiritual experiences. Everything worked. The body for me became more than a vehicle, it’s really a temple – how you treat it, how you pray in it, how you bless it. We experience everything life has to offer in and through our body.
How do you think this has informed your work, and particularly the kundalini work you are doing now?
Well I should first say that I think there’s some controversy around kundalini empowerment work. Some people feel that you should either awaken it on your own through practices, or go to a guru for an initiation, a transmission called shaktipat, downloaded into your system. Traditionally, this transmission is a very big download, and you lose yourself (the ego or identity of self), and over time the guru helps you learn to live with this new awakened energy and process it. So based on that model, there is controversy over whether healers should really be giving out or awakening kundalini energy to heal people, and to help them transform their lives.
Part of what led me to this work was a spontaneous kundalini awakening I had about 8 years ago, several years after first going to Bali. I wasn’t trying to activate the kundalini, but I just woke up one day overloaded, and it was very scary….I woke up and I had many traditional adverse effects of a kundalini overload – I couldn’t see, I couldn’t walk, I couldn‘t process my thoughts. I couldn’t filter anything. There was so much energy going through me that I felt like I was short-circuiting. I got very scared, and even with my healing background I didn’t know what to do. So I called my teacher at the time and asked him to help make it stop, and he did.
After that I began to research what had happened to me, and kundalini, and how these adverse affects arise. I learned how to access kundalini energy in a subtle way, and eventually when my path crossed with Cyndi’s, I began to learn her approach also, and we began to work together. Her technique really offers a very graceful, feminine energy, which is what I call the opening, accessing or remembering. It’s really a heart-based kundalini energy that I use in my client sessions. It’s a very safe and manageable kundalini that slowly unfolds and opens your life.
I want to hear more about your current work, but first, when you look back now at what happened 8 years ago, what do you think caused it?
Kundalini is a spiritual energy, and sometimes the spirit is ready, but the body is not. The body just can’t handle the influx of energy yet.
It’s not a large enough circuit-board yet.
Yes, your vibration is not high enough, or the body strong enough, to manage the energy. So it starts ping-ponging around the body, trying to find it’s way around, pushing, pulling. And you might have chakras that are blocking it, issues sitting in the chakras blocking it, or locks on the chakras that haven’t been unlocked yet, so it starts backing itself up. It short-circuits the system.
What is the work you are doing now, and how does it avoid these problems?
Well, the kundalini course Cyndi and I developed for DailyOM, currently scheduled for February 2012, will be a set of 5 lessons that begins with gentle, safe ways you can activate this energy yourself, because we all have this potential. It’s latent in everybody. These methods are about the breath, working through illusion, sexual energy, and other approaches for moving this energy in and through you. In the DailyOM program the lessons are more like offerings, as everyone is so individual. The format provides outlines for you to play with, and discover your own way. We want people to feel like this energy can be fun, light-hearted – it doesn’t have to be supercharged, or scary.
Cyndi and Chantal
Cyndi and I are also offering a 4-week Sunday teleseminar starting January 15th, in which we are offering 4 different empowerments. You don’t have to be on the phone live to receive them. We are focusing on four different chakras, with a different empowerment each week associated with them. We’ll talk about what the chakra represents, and how the kundalini works with it, and then move into a guided meditation where Cyndi and I will transmit the kundalini energy into each participant. It’s a gentle way of accessing the kundalini, to help you move forward in your life, live your dreams, and sometimes to open up spiritual gifts that you have.
So in each chakra, it’s clearing and strengthening that part of your circuit-board to allow the kundalini to flow in the associated part of your life.
Exactly. And my kundalini activation process with clients works in a similar way. Level 1 starts in the heart, it’s an opening and clearing of the heart. The through-line that clients have used to describe it is that it’s very peaceful, and euphoric – it feels like they can breath into their heartspace, and it expands out from there. They feel they can relax and be fully supported by the universe.
Level 2 is more about merging the divine with the human self. That feels very empowering – I describe it like being on your path and your path becomes narrow or focused, less distracted. You are more on purpose. It’s my favorite.
Level 3 is the fire. It’s about transformation. I bring it up and through each chakra, and at each chakra it opens and clears and burns out the issues, and brings them out to the surface, so you can transform them. Once you transform the issue, you’re done with it. Sometimes the transition can be a little bit difficult, because of the issues that come out, but afterwards life is more expanded offering a sense of freedom.
So when you look back now at your life the last 8 years, do you feel like the kundalini that was triggered back then has come back in a slower, more manageable pace for you personally?
Yes, and it continues. The process is less physical now, although there is a physical component. It’s more of an unfolding day by day, building gracefully upon itself. It’s more feminine in a way, and gentle, it’s not abrupt. Actually, every time I do an activation for someone, I can feel mine activating with theirs. Which I think is a really great way for healers to know that the work is circular – when it comes through you, and into your client, and then back to you. You know what they are feeling, and that the transmission is pure and clean, and also that it’s not draining you personally.
So I feel like it’s very manageable – I can feel it as I work with clients, and yet at the same time I can see the effects in my own life.
And you’re ready now.
Yes, I’m more ready now. But I’m also grateful for my own spontaneous kundalini awakening and the way it happened, because it’s shaped the way I work with people. I might not be as responsible or aware of the intensity kundalini can have on others had it not happened to me. And I know the kundalini activations I offer to clients are safe and manageable. So, very gracefully, it’s come full circle.
And I’m glad it has! Thank you Chantal, for sharing your experience and beautiful energy.
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Please feel free to post comments and/or questions for Chantal, myself, or both in the comments. You know I always love to hear from everyone, and I will make sure Chantal sees them as well. Namaste-
2012 as the Year of the Enlightened Feminine – GIVEAWAY
Last week I was contemplating what I wanted my final post for 2011 to be about, and what theme I wanted up here as we roll into the New Year. I knew I symbolically wanted it to represent something important to me, something I would like to empower. I choose to observe Solstice and Christmas as celebrations of enlightenment, and I am currently focused on women’s healing and empowerment on this site, so in a flash it was very clear – the Enlightened Feminine. For myself, I would like to declare 2012 the Year of the Enlightened Feminine.
To me, fostering the Enlightened Feminine isn’t just about women’s spirituality – spiritual tools and practices for women – although I do think these very important and relevant. It also isn’t just about fostering women spiritual leaders, although I also believe this is very important. And it isn’t just about empowering women, or healing them, or changing relationships between men and women, although all of this is part of it.
When I say the Enlightened Feminine, I am talking about the rebalancing of feminine/yin and masculine/yang energies that is occurring on the social, spiritual and personal levels. We all – men and women – have been and are experiencing this shift. I’d like to think 2012 is the tipping point for this shift. As it continues, there WILL be more and more women spiritual leaders, and more healing and empowerment of women, and an opening of tools and practices that represent yin energy, and yin doorways into enlightenment, available to both men and women.
In honor of this shift, and in order to thank all of you for your readership, comments, and support, I decided to do my first ever giveaway. Yes, that’s right, I’ve been blogging for 3+ years (albeit with several extended breaks) and have never done a giveaway! I just didn’t want this blog to seem too commercial, and I wanted to keep it easygoing. But I’ve decided this is a great way to ring in the New Year, and I’ve selected offerings from 3 of my favorite contemporary spiritual teachers:
Kundalini: Divine Energy, Divine Life by Cyndi Dale
Hidden Treasure: Uncovering the Truth in Your Life Story by Gangaji
Mandala of the Enlightened Feminine Audio Course by Tsultrim Allione
I’m giving away new copies of all three! These are all teachers I have mentioned here, and at BellaOnline, before – in fact I interviewed both Gangaji and Cyndi Dale here at Mommy Mystic 2 years ago. My reviews of each of these offerings are also on Amazon – just click on the links above and look for a 5-star review by L. Erickson ‘Mommy Mystic’ to read them if you would like more information on them. It’s worth noting that none of these three offerings are geared specifically for women, although they are all offered by women teachers. And they are very different from each other. But each has been of immeasurable value to me, and I want to share them.
To enter to win one, all you have to do is leave a comment, and include your email address (although this will not display.) You don’t have to use your real name, and you can comment on anything you like, although I’d love to hear what the Enlightened Feminine and/or 2012 mean to you. I will draw a winner for each item from a hat on New Year’s Day, and use your email address to contact you for your ‘actual’ address if you are a winner (I won’t use your email address for anything else, pinkie promise.)
May your Solstice, Holiday, and New Years be filled with joy, love, and light. Thank you and Namaste- XOXO
Lisa
Transmutation – Working with Difficult Emotions
If you want to shrink something,
You must first allow it to expand.
If you want to get rid of something,
You must first allow it to flourish.
If you want to take something,
You must first allow it to be given.
This is called the subtle perception
Of the way things are.
- Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation)
This quote captures perfectly for me the essence of transmutation work, something I’ve been trying to do a lot of moving into this Solstice and New Year season. Transmutation energy work is when we work with our problematic emotions, or any energies or personal patterns we may have, in an embracing way, seeking to transform them rather than release them (or repress them, which is what all too often happens when we don’t face them at all.)
I say ‘problematic’ emotions a little hesitantly, because part of the idea is to break through our self-imposed judgments about what in ourselves is good and bad. Instead of approaching ourselves from the perspective of self-improvement – what needs to be fixed, what needs to be changed – we assume all that is within us has its own power and love, and that if we befriend every part – every cell of our being – we will ourselves come to full embody that power and love.
I live in an area with many wild peacocks – they are a daily part of my life actually. It is a strange thing, because I am in a suburban neighborhood, but long ago there was a farm in this area, and the owner imported peacocks. They thrived, and when the farm was shut down, he let them all loose, and they’ve become a trademark. As it turns out, in some Tibetan writings the peacock is the metaphor for transmutation work, because the peacock is said to be immune to toxins that kill other birds, and in fact, processes those toxins in such a way that results in its beautiful feathers. In other words, the peacock’s very beauty is a transformation of what might be considered poisonous by others.
I will tell you from personal experience that peacocks are not sweet birds. The dogs in this area – even very large ones – quickly learn to stay away from them. And that is really a perfect metaphor for true transmutation work, because you do have to be brave. You have to be willing to face yourself, on all levels. It takes a ruthless level of self-honesty. It also takes a healthy does of self-love. You have to let go of conditioned beliefs that tell you that you, or at least some parts of you, are no good.
This judgment-based conditioning typically goes deep, and infuses so many aspects of schooling, religion, society, and even self-help thinking that it is sometimes hard to see. For many of us self-judgment and self-critique is actually easier than transmutation, and when we embark on a spiritual path, we unconsciously fall into old patterns of self-berating (“Yes, sure, we are all Light, we are all Source…except for this one tiny little part of me that I will keep hidden from everyone including myself so that no one finds out I’m fake.”)
In transmutation work, we open up that little box inside of us that we want to keep hidden and invite whatever is in there to come out to play. Rage, fear, unworthiness, self-hatred, contempt, despair, hopelessness – whatever it is you usually seek to keep at bay, you sit down with the intent to engage with it. Not release it, or indulge in it, but engage with it. As you engage, you seek to truly understand this part of you, what it needs, why it is with you, and then to find that within it which actually serves you – that within it that is powerful and loving and actually part of Source, rather than being a block to it.
For example, if we are working with anger, we will sit with that anger, seek to let go of the ‘story’ of that anger – how it came to be, how it is justified, what we should do about it – but at the same time keep and own the incredible force behind the anger- the strength that is there. Anger has passion and intensity to it, and those are things we need. We don’t want to push our anger away entirely, because we may end up repressing all our passion and intensity. What we want to do is own our strength, and develop a relationship with our anger that allows us to express it in constructive ways, rather than repress it or act out on it in destructive ways.
Fear is another great example (and for those of you that did the Healing Subtle Body Wounds of Sexual Trauma E-book, the Transforming Anger and Fear exercise on Day 4 is a variation on this work.) If we engage with our fear, we often discover a great empathy at the root of our fear – an acute sensitivity to pain that actually feeds our fear, but can also feed our compassion if we open to it. Engaging with fear allows an opening to vulnerability, and vulnerability is at the heart of compassion, and of love.
In these examples I’ve mapped anger to strength and fear to compassion. But there are many different mappings of what ‘positive’ energies might lie underneath our ‘negative’ ones – what gems we might find in our own rough (and of course I put positive and negative in quotes because we are trying to work beyond all that judgement, right?) I don’t want to put one of those lists here though, because then it’s too easy to mimic the process – to try and skip the actual engagement part and jump straight to owning whatever positive trait you’ve been told you are supposed to find. We are each 100% unique, and what we will discover hidden within ourselves is too. Let it unfold.
There are a lot of different models for this kind of work, coming from various traditions – spiritual, energy healing, occult, and psychological. I think 3 basic steps that can serve as the foundation for anyone to begin to work this way are selection, exploration, and engagement:
- Select a memory that represents the pattern or emotion you would like to work with – this is usually a situation that triggered it. Remember just enough to trigger the feeling without going into the ‘story’ of it – without getting involved in rewriting it or hashing it over and over in your mind. Try and sit with the feeling itself, without moving away from it. Sit in the energy.
- Now explore it. A good place to start with this is to explore where you feel it in your body – can you locate it? Then think about how you might describe it – what does it look like? Does it have color and shape? Is it more abstract and if so, how would you describe it? Does it remind you of anything? Go into it – does it have layers? What do you feel underneath it? Sometimes fear is under anger, anger is under despair and so on.
- Now engage with it. What does it want from you? Where did it come from? How do you need it – how are you attached to it? How does it feel when you push it away? Now how does it feel if you invite it fully to be a part of you? Can you befriend it? Are there parts of it you can see that you want to own more fully? Can you work with it, rather than hiding it?
You might do this in a sitting, or more piecemeal over days, weeks or months. If you let go of the idea that something definitive is going to happen, often what occurs is that at some point you realize your relationship with this energy has shifted. A transmutation has occurred. Sometimes this happens in an epiphany fashion, but often it doesn’t. Often it is a quiet shift. But once it has occurred, there is a newfound freedom, and a newfound power, because you don’t have to put so much energy into hiding a part of yourself. And often you have found a new power underneath the difficulty – as in the anger and fear examples above – to draw upon.
This kind of work is really endless. We are never ‘done’. We each have inside us all the shadows of the world, and this is nothing to be ashamed of. It is the human journey. But it’s also important not to only do this kind of work, because we can become trapped in it, not wanting to move back into the light. It’s also not the kind of work you want to do when you are in the midst of a crises or trauma, when you need to simply let yourself feel whatever it is you feel. It is really perfect for transitional phases of your life – phases like many of us are experiencing now, as we move into a New Year.
Although I wanted to keep this post general, one book I highly recommend that explores transmutation in an accessible but fully empowered Tibetan-based practice is Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict by Lama Tsultrim Allione. Some call this work Buddhist, come call it Jungian, but whatever you call it in essence you actually seek to befriend your demons, and transform them into allies.
I’d love to hear your experiences with practices such as this, or any other thoughts, questions, or comments. Namaste-
FAQ for Healing the Subtle Body Wounds of Sexual Trauma E-book
Before moving on to new topics, I decided to post answers to the most common questions I have received regarding the Healing the Subtle Body Wounds of Sexual Trauma Ebook. Most of these were received by email. I know that due to the subject matter, many women are reluctant to pose questions in comment form on the post itself, but please feel free to do so anonymously. That way, your questions and the responses might benefit others – part of the trauma of sexual abuse is the silence that surrounds it. Sharing is a way of breaking that wall. That being said, I am always happy to receive questions by email at LaMeditation [at] earthlink [dot] net. I will add to this FAQ over time based on the questions I receive.
One general note I wanted to add is that I deliberately kept the E-book brief and focused on describing the exercises, rather than offering a lot of background or explanation. This is so there would be space for each person to personalize the process. It is designed for you to connect to it at whatever level, and in whatever way, feels best for you.
As always, thanks to all of you that have engaged in and shared this process. It is an honor to have contributed to your healing journey in this way.
1. How was the process developed?
I have been working with women’s energetics for the last 10 years – chakra mappings and energy exercises developed specifically for women based on spiritual and healing traditions, most particularly Tantric Buddhism and kundalini meditation. Over the years, many of the women who attended classes or emailed me had suffered some sort of sexual trauma – rape, incest, or other forms of sexual abuse. Others had been victims of intense sexual harassment at some point in their lives. Still others had not necessarily suffered explicit abuse or harassment that they could remember, but reported having extreme difficulty accessing their second chakra energy.
I began to realize that for many women, healing these wounds, and helping them connect to their sacral chakras, was essential to their spiritual journey, and so began researching and developing exercises specifically for that. The exercises in this process grew from there. However, this exact 10-day program was really empowered by a meditation experience I had earlier this year, involving Yeshe Tsogyal and Green Tara. I felt that they instructed me to formalize this particular set of exercises into this exact sequence, length, and format. I felt they actually guided me through the entire writing process, and when I had questions, that they helped me to resolve them. At the time I was also involved in an energy healing and intuitive development apprenticeship program, and the techniques I was learning in that program also influenced the process.
So overall, like much work of this type, it was a culmination of research and work over time, and divine inspiration/instruction.
2. I have no background in the chakras or energy work; can I engage in this process?
Absolutely, yes. The process is designed for anyone to benefit, and the exercises are all fully described. The audio files will help with this, although at the time of this writing they are a bit staticky – a problem that should be resolved soon (someone is helping me edit them, and if that doesn’t work, I will re-record them.)
Really this process is designed to trigger your own self-healing abilities. Follow along as best that you can, and the process will unfold for you as it should. Trust is a big part of this process, so trust yourself and your ability to engage in this. Don’t worry too much about how much you are ‘getting’ intellectually – our subtle bodies operate on another level from our mind. By focusing your intent to heal, you will benefit.
3. I have never meditated, and my mind wanders throughout each exercise – will I benefit?
Absolutely, yes. Even the minds of experienced meditators wander quite a bit! Perfect focus is not required. Just do your best, and relax. Trust that something larger is unfolding within you, and be proud that you have triggered it within yourself.
4. I am Christian [or I am Jewish or I am Pagan or I am Atheist - substitute any belief system] – is this program spiritually compatible?
I cannot answer this for you, but my opinion is yes. I believe that our energy body or subtle body – the level of our being that this program focuses on – has nothing to do with a particular spiritual belief system (or lack thereof.) I believe it is as ‘real’ and perceivable as our physical body. Virtually every culture that has evolved on this planet has at some point developed an energy body mapping of some type, as part of either a healing or spiritual tradition.
I have tried to make the material as ecumenical as possible. If you would like to ‘spiritualize’ it for yourself, please do so! You can add prayers, readings, affirmations, or other spiritual practices to your Daily Initiation Practice, and at any point in the process. Personalizing it in this way can only add value and relevance for yourself. This is YOUR healing, and YOUR process; in some ways I have just provided a framework.
5. I have not suffered any sexual abuse, is this program relevant?
Yes. The social climate and conditioning that most of us, especially women, experience growing up often results in a sense of shame and/or repression when it comes to our sacral chakra and sexual energy. This process can help you clear any residual blocked energy related to your sacral chakra, and to connect with it as the center of your energetic and spiritual self.
6. I am a man that suffered sexual abuse as a child, is this program relevant?
Yes, for the most part, although it was designed for women, based on women’s energetics. Certainly you will benefit, although I would love for someone to do one specifically designed for men (and if no one does, perhaps I will be called to do so some day.) Days 1-7 are very adaptable for men. Days 8-10 are a little different, because they are specifically focused on the 2nd chakra, and this chakra does function differently in men and women (just as our sexual and reproductive organs – the 2nd chakra’s physical counterpart – do). However, even these are easily adapted. I can respond in more detail by email if you are interested, but feel free to use your intuition to do what feels right.
7. I have not had formal therapy, and feel drawn to this program, but you warn that it is not meant to be a replacement for therapy – should I do the program?
Energy work and emotional work (the “2 E’s”) work best hand-in-hand. The entire premise of mind/body medicine, of which energy work is a part, is that the mind (and emotions) and body (and subtle body) are connected. This is the main reason that I emphasize the importance of engaging in counseling or therapy for any sexual abuse you have suffered. There are often so many issues and patterns related to shame, trust, fear, anger and more that need to be worked through. Yes, it is possible to do this without formal counseling, but it is also possible to fool yourself into thinking you have worked through something when you do not have an external guide. And there are many programs available, including free ones through universities, clinics, and women’s organizations (please do an internet search on these – I have opted not to link to any because I can’t personally endorse one approach over any other.) As in all things, trust yourself regarding selecting a counselor and counseling approach. That being said, if you truly feel drawn to this process, my own opinion is that you should trust that. Perhaps it will inspire you to engage in other work to continue your healing journey.
8. Although I have gone to counseling, I am still afraid I won’t be able to handle this process; I am afraid of the feelings it might bring up – what advice do you have?
Remember that you are in control of this process. You can engage with it at whatever level feels comfortable. You can quit at any time. You can even take it slower than 10 days, doing the practices every other day if you like. YOU are in control.
This is perhaps the most important thing to remember, especially for victims of sexual abuse, since you experienced disempowerment on such a basic level. This process is entirely within your power. It is ABOUT your power – about triggering your own natural self-healing abilities. It is something you are choosing to do, for yourself, by yourself. Or not – if it doesn’t feel right for you at this time, there is no reason to force yourself. Maybe it will at some point in the future, or maybe it is just not the right healing practice for you. Trust yourself.
9. I don’t like using the audio files, but if I use the written materials I keep having to look down at the instructions throughout the meditations; is this OK?
Yes, this is fine, although you may want to try reading through an exercise and then doing it from memory – many of them are brief enough to do this. However, it’s not a problem for you to glance back and forth from the E-book.
10. What should I expect to experience as I undergo this process?
It is highly individual. Some people find it very technical and unemotional – they find they are so focused on the exercises that it is not really an emotional process for them. Others find that the process is emotional, and they allow space to center themselves after each day’s exercise. Some report not experiencing anything during the exercises, but then experiencing profound insights or breakthroughs at other times of the day. Some feel dramatically transformed as the process ends, or have dramatic spiritual experiences during it. Others experience nothing like this, but a few months later realize that a quiet shift has occurred.
Healing is an ongoing journey that unfolds in different ways, and at a different pace, for each person. There is no right or wrong way, or typical or atypical way. This process is just one part of your healing journey, and your overall journey as a human being. I think the best advice I can give is to try not to have any specific expectations, and not to judge yourself or your reactions. I also would advise not giving up partway through the program solely because you don’t feel any immediate benefit (although of course you may quit at any time if you are uncomfortable or just feel it isn’t right for you.) Try and let this be a process of discovery, and be fascinated with how you respond – you will learn something about yourself. And remember that you are triggering a process that unfolds over time.
11. What if I have to miss a day, or several? Or decide to quit?
No problem, do what feels right. And don’t judge yourself or feel guilty – two things we women are prone to! Just let it go, and trust it was meant to be. Feel free to try again another time if that feels right.
12. What is the end goal?
Joy and empowerment. Our sacral chakra is connected to our ability to feel and live from joy. And in women in particular, it is also central to our personal power, and manifesting in our lives from a place of empowerment. Of course moving towards these things is a process, and you may not wake up on Day 11 feeling drastically different (although you may – the universe is a magical place.)
13. Can I do it more than once? Can I use the exercises outside of this program?
Yes and yes. Feel free to try the process as many times as you would like. And all of the meditations and exercises can be done individually outside of this program. However, it is the sequence and combination of them here that provides a specific empowerment for self-healing the wounds of sexual trauma. It is larger than the sum of its parts.
Feel free to post more questions, suggestions, or feedback in the comments. Namaste-
Sharings – Chakra Guide, Books, Links
Happy November:-) I’ve been busy at various places online recently, so thought today I would share some of what I’ve found and participated in. I’ll do a regular post next week. I would also love to get suggestions for future posts in the comments here, and also any blog suggestions you have (including your own.) I like to visit new blogs, and participate in discussions in the comments when time permits. And that goes for this blog too, so please, comment away!
Chakra Series
I’ve been meaning to post my own guide to the chakras here as resource material, and finally have done so. Here’s the legend/key to the information included for each chakra, and then there are posts for each of the 7 in-body chakras I currently like to work with. I’ve tried to include information from both an energy healing and a spiritual perspective. Most is pretty standard, but it does vary by tradition – in the legend/key I’ve included book suggestions if you want to explore one area in more depth.
I’m also very excited to be joining Jan Lundy (who I interviewed here awhile back) in the relaunch of her (free) online magazine Buddha Chick Life. I’ll be writing a monthly column on Women’s Energetics there – here’s the first, Understanding Your Feminine Energy Body. Please consider subscribing, as there are many wonderful writers and teachers contributing each month, including Jan herself (who is a truly beautiful and wise soul.)
This month I’ll also be participating in Julie Geigle’s 28-day Dare to Meditate Challenge over at Heaven Sent Healing – which actually started yesterday but it’s never too late for you to join in. Julie will be posting daily 20 minute guided meditations during the week, and guests will be contributing on weekends – I’ll contribute 2 chakra meditations later in the month. Joining a challenge like this is a great way to jump-start a meditation practice, or to reinvigorate an existing one.
And finally, in terms of online time, I’ve also just recently joined Facebook – if you would like to connect there, please send a Friend request. I’m still getting the hang of Facebook, so be gentle:-) I’ve long been on Twitter, so if you want to connect there (which I have to say, so far I much prefer!), find me here.
OK, on to books. This month I really loved The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman. It’s a novel based on the story of Masada in 70C.E., a towering fortress atop a mountain in Israel (still standing today) where hundreds of Jewish exiles survived a Roman siege for months, before most succumbed. It’s written from the perspective of four women there, and filled with magic and feminine spirit throughout.
I’ve also recently read, appreciated, and reviewed Cyndi Dale’s The Intuition Guidebook: How to Safely and Wisely Use Your Sixth Sense and Meryl Davids Landau’s Downward Dog, Upward Fog (spiritual chick-lit). I’ve reviewed both of these on Amazon so I won’t go into too much more here (click through to see my reviews there if you are interested.) I’m currently reading Gangaji’s Hidden Treasures and Tami Kent’s Wild Feminine: Finding Power, Spirit and Joy in the Female Body, and hope to review both soon (love both so far.)
I haven’t done a lot of new blog visiting lately, but would like to, so please comment if you have a blog you would like to share. One recent find that I did enjoy is Tango Heart – The Tantric Journey of Argentine Tango – I love her sharings on the Tantric union that occurs spiritually/energetically while she and her partner are engaged in Tango dancing. If you are looking for more blogs to visit, please do check out my blogroll to the right – most of these are longstanding favorites, with a few newish ones sprinkled in.
Finally, a couple of recent news items that I found very interesting. First, The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics went to three astronomers who discovered the universe is expanding at an accelerated rate. I found this so interesting because the description resembles some of the classic descriptions of karma speeding up as part of the Kali Yuga. So many teachings in the Vedas, Upanishads, and other classic Indian scriptures now seem to be getting validated in various ways through scientific discoveries, mostly in physics. The sages who were the oral source for these teachings discovered them through meditation:-)
Also, there was a lot of coverage this week about the world population hitting 7 billion people, and a lot of ensuing demographic information published. One thing that I found interesting is that the current percentage of the world population that has access to the internet is thought to be about 30%. That means 70% has no access to the internet, let alone regular access. I found that a refreshing and humbling reminder for myself, because it is so easy to get caught in the internet ‘bubble’. And while there is no doubt the internet is changing the way history unfolds in the world by connecting so many of us, and also no doubt it is playing a major role in shifts in consciousness, it is not, in the end, quite yet the center of the universe.
Namaste-
Eating For Your Subtle Body
Before I get into the heart of this post, I wanted to thank all of you that have linked to and/or tried out the Women’s Energetics e-book. I so appreciate it, and hope it will reach whomever it is meant to reach. Since I first posted I have fixed some typos and made it available on Smashwords in many e-reader formats, including Nook, Kindle, Ibooks, etc. Also, I am working on fixing the static that comes through in some of the accompanying podcasts.
Now for that most loaded of subjects – for some of us anyway (especially women) – food. Food is energy, and so of course it makes sense to approach food vibrationally – not only in terms of nutrition or calories. I have been working with this myself for some time, and it has been truly helpful.
Since I work with the chakras, one of my primary reference points is the work of nutritionist and energy healer Deanna Minnich, author of the book Chakra Foods for Optimum Health. Although I can’t possibly incorporate all this great book discusses here, in general, here are the foods that support the function of each chakra energetically:
Root/First Chakra – proteins, root vegetables, red fruits and vegetables
Second/Sacral Chakra – water, essential fatty acids/Omega-3s, tropical fruits, orange fruits and vegetables
Third/Navel/Solar Plexus Chakra – whole grains, high-fiber foods, low-glycemic carbs, yellow/tan foods
Fourth/Heart Chakra – cruciferous vegetables, leafy greens, sprouts, raw foods
Fifth/Throat Chakra – sea plants, soups, high-water fruits like melons, juices
Sixth/Third Eye -caffeine, chocolate, spices, alcohol (particularly red wine), purple-red berries and grapes
Seventh/Crown Chakra – pure foods of all types, sunlight, clean/pure air and water
Just like with nutrients, it’s important to approach eating for our chakras holistically, with an eye to overall balance. But we can also use chakra eating to better understand and address common eating challenges or poor eating habits. I find this is especially true for individuals that are very sensitive energetically, and/or intuitive (one or both of which you probably are if you are interested in the topics of this blog!)
Working with this system, problems arise when we feel a lack or need related to the energetic function of a particular chakra, and instead of eating foods that support that chakra, we reach for something else that gives us a fake or temporary boost in that area. This is very similar to what most of us call ‘emotional eating’ – eating too many carbs, sweets, or other comfort foods in response to stress, depression, anger, or to reward ourselves.
In this case, instead of ‘emotional eating’, we engage in ‘imbalanced energy eating’ – eating in response to different energetic forces or deficiencies. Getting in touch with our energetic cycles and needs can positively impact our eating patterns, just as working through emotional eating issues can. For those of us that are energetically sensitive, a common problem that can arise is eating incorrectly to ground ourselves, or to shield ourselves.
If you are naturally a very upper chakra person, you may at times be prone to feeling spacey, unfocused, floaty, or in short, ungrounded. This can cause you to be drawn to heavy, rich foods – usually refined flour carbs and high-fat dairy. These do temporarily bring you back to earth, but they don’t truly help you ground. A better choice for grounding is to focus on foods that support your root chakra – primarily protein. Although any protein is grounding, the denser the protein, the more the grounding, i.e. meat is more grounding than legumes (although both will work.) Incorporating more root chakra foods into your diet on a regular basis – root vegetables, red foods – will also help support the grounding function of this chakra.
Eating to shield yourself might also be an issue – eating in response to psychic/energetic overload, such as being in a crowd or being involved in an angry or otherwise difficult energetic interaction. The root and navel chakras are both heavily involved in our ability to shield ourselves energetically – our ability to create and maintain healthy energetic boundaries. Eating the foods that support these chakras on a regular basis – proteins, fibers, low-glycemic carbs, red and yellow/tan foods – will help support these boundaries (in addition to visualization and self-awareness work to develop them.)
Craving sweets can be a sign of a few different things. It might indicate that you need more second/sacral chakra energy in your life – joy, passion, creativity, sensuality, and yes sex (did you know increasing the amount of sex you have is highly correlated with losing weight?) If that’s the case, eating second chakra foods – those with essential fatty acids/Omega-3s, tropical fruits, orange fruits and vegetables – will help reduce the cravings. Sweet cravings can also be a sign you need more third/navel/solar plexus strength – that you are seeking a quick-fix way to shield yourself from energetic pain or over-stimulation, and in fact need better energetic boundaries.
As a woman, another thing to consider is where you are in your monthly cycle and/or energetic life phase. We are already more energetically absorbent in general, and are particularly sensitive in the days leading up to menstruation, and during perimenopause. This means that eating to shield ourselves – supporting our root and navel chakras – is especially important during these times.
I think another issue that can arise for intuitive people is eating foods that stimulate the third eye to an unhealthy degree. Obviously the foods that support the third eye are fun foods for most of us – coffee, tea, chocolate, wine, berries – fun:-) But any of these in excess is problematic. In addition to the physical problems, it can overstimulate our third eye, causing too much energetic data to flood in, resulting in a vicious cycle of craving heavy carbs or sweets as a quick-fix way to shield ourselves. I know for myself I realized at one point that when my energetic boundaries were weak, I would feel unfocused or out of touch with my intuition, and thus impulsively overdo it on third eye foods – particularly coffee and chocolate – in an attempt to reconnect with my intuition, when what I really needed was foods to support my root and navel chakras to ground and shield myself.
One thing that eating for your subtle body really highlights is that you may need different foods from an energetic perspective depending on your situation. For example, on days you are surrounded by lots of people, or face a difficult commute or meeting, grounding and shielding foods may be more important, while when you are on a spiritual retreat, eating heart and third eye foods might be exactly what you need.
Mindful eating is also essential for getting in tune with how foods impact your unique energy body. We are each different, and although the list above provides a general guide, you may notice other patterns for yourself if you really focus on how you feel before and after you eat different foods.
Another thing that has been quite helpful to me is a tantric approach to food. In tantra, distinctions between good and bad, pure and impure, are discarded, and the focus is instead on working with all experiences energetically on a deep level, and to find Source/Light at the root of all these energies. So for me, tantric eating means 1) focusing on the pleasurable aspects of eating, and 2) focusing on my ability to absorb what I need from foods energetically and urging my body to discard the rest. This means that while I do attempt to eat pure, healthy foods, when I have or choose not to, I can energetically draw what I need from the foods, and release the rest.
I’d love to hear ways that you eat for your subtle or energy body, or ways that you feel you might engage in ‘imbalanced energy eating’ (in the present or past.) Namaste-
Women’s Energetics E-book: Healing the Subtle Body Wounds of Sexual Trauma
I am so happy to post a free E-book I have been working on, Women’s Energetics: Healing the Subtle Body Wounds of Sexual Trauma:
This is a 10-day guided chakra-based self-healing practice, based on work I have been doing with women that have come to me in the last few years, many in response to my 21 Ways to Care For Your Sacral Chakra post. Although it is primarily designed to help women heal energy-body wounds from sexual trauma, I actually think any woman can benefit from this work, as it is designed to heal and strengthen our entire energy body, and connect us most specifically with the feminine power inherent in our sacral (second chakras).
Below I have posted an excerpt from the introduction, as well as the Table of Contents. Note that all of the meditation and energy work practices are also available as audio files (mp3s). Although I recommend doing the entire 10-day program, you can select individual practices as well if you like.
On a personal note, I’d like to add that this E-book was an ‘assignment’ of mine, from the universe if you will, and I feel there are many woman who could benefit from it – that it has been called forth for them. Although I wrote it down, it’s not from me. Please help me spread the word about it, so every woman that could benefit from it can find it. It has been an honor and privilege to be given, and to share, these practices.
I would like to thank Cyndi Dale, whose intensive 1-year program I have just completed, and which really helped me develop this work. I would also like to thank Yeshe Tsogyal and Green Tara, whom I feel helped me along (and will help anyone who engages in this work.) And mostly I would like to thank the women who have already engaged in this process with me, for sharing their insights and themselves, so that others might benefit.
Namaste-
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You can read an excerpt from the Introduction and Table of Contents below, or go ahead and download now:
Download Full E-Book (in PDF format)
Alternatively, you can download the book in other E-reader formats (Kindle, Nook, Ipad, etc.) at Smashwords (reviews always appreciated.)
Access Audio Files – MP3s of Guided Practices Included in the E-Book
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions Re: the Program
Introduction
The energy practices and meditations in this E-book are for healing the wounds of sexual trauma on a woman’s energy body. The practices are chakra-based, and particularly focus on the first and second chakras, which are most directly impacted by sexual trauma. Because these chakras form the foundation of our chakra system, when they are inhibited in any way, we can find it difficult to fully access our personal power and passion. A healthy second chakra is particularly important for women, because of the central role it plays in the flow of our kundalini, or spiritual life force energy.
You don’t need a pre-existing familiarity with the chakras, or subtle anatomy of any type, to engage in this process, although it may help. The practices are organized into a 10-day process – a self-healing journey, where each day you will engage in either journaling or energy work, or both. You will be guided through the practices for each day step by step, and all of the meditation and visualization work is also available online at www.MommyMystic.com in audio form as a guided session (note that there is also a basic introduction to the chakras and chakra meditation available there.)
You also don’t have to be a victim of overt sexual trauma to benefit from this process. Frankly, I feel that every woman on the planet should engage in a process of this type at some point in her life. Because of the imbalances in masculine/yang and feminine/yin energies that exist at a social, cultural and energetic level in today’s world, most of us sustain energetic wounds, or at the very least blocks, to our feminine power. This process is designed to first surface, release and heal those wounds and blocks, and then to reconnect us to the natural energies and unique spiritual power of our sacral (second) chakra. In addition to the personal benefits, any woman that does this begins to emit a new kind of light, contributing to the rebalancing of energies that is currently occurring.
It is important that you do not view this process as a replacement for counseling or therapy. If you have been the victim of sexual abuse or violence of any sort at any point in your life, please seek professional help if you have not done so already. There are many counseling and therapy programs available worldwide, including free ones. Whether your abuse or violent event(s) took place recently or years ago, you can benefit from professional help, and there are many affordable options available. Go online and research them for yourself. This energetic process will be more beneficial to you once you have completed, or are at the very least engaged in, a therapeutic process.
You can do this process more than once, and you can pull out any of the practices to do individually as you like, once you’ve completed the entire process once. I’ve noted when it’s important to combine a particular practice with another one, but these are all accessible, safe practices for any woman to engage in. The important thing is just to do your best, begin your healing journey, at the level that feels comfortable for you. I firmly believe that these practices are empowered and protected by forces much greater than me or you, and that once you begin, you will feel this for yourself, and be guided by it.
Table of Contents
Practices in red have corresponding guided audio files (mp3s)
Introduction
Preparation
Daily Initiation Practice
Day 1: Chakra Diagnostic and Journaling
Day 2: Empowering Your Intent to Heal
Basic Chakra Rotation
Day 3: Initial Release in Lower Chakras
Root/Sacral Chakra Release
Day 4: Transforming Anger and Fear
Anger and Fear Release and Transmutation
Day 5: Working with Energy Lines
Cutting, Clearing and Strengthening Your Energy Network
Day 6: Deep Release and Empowerment of All Chakras
Releasing and Empowering Your Energy Body
Day 7: Strengthening Chakra Flow and Connection
Chakra Flow
Establishing Masculine and Feminine Chakra Links
Day 8: Engaging and Opening Your Sacral Chakra
Energy Kegels
The Sacral Lotus
Day 9: Traveling Through Your Sacral Doorway
The Cradle of Life
The Sacral Vortex
Day 10: Integration and Love
Linking the Sacral and Heart
Final Notes
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Download Full E-Book (in PDF format)
Download from Smashwords (For Kindle, Nook, Ipad, etc.)
Access Audio Files – MP3s of Guided Practices Included in the E-Book
Thank You!
As you may have noticed, I never did launch the new version of this site – or the new chakra series – I mentioned in prior posts. Let’s just say my offline life has been particularly engaging this Fall:-) And as we head into the Winter Solstice transit, I have come to see that Mommy Mystic has naturally come to an end. I am still interested in many of the topics I write about here, but this blog itself is feeling ‘done’.
So I’ve decided to take a break from blogging, and return at some point in 2011 with a new blog. I’ll leave the material up here at Mommy Mystic, and eventually migrate some of it over to the new location. If you’re interested in getting notified when that occurs, just stay subscribed here, and I’ll be sure to let you know.
Either way, I can’t say thank you enough. Really, when I look back at the last 2 1/2 years, it’s hard to believe how much Mommy Mystic, and interacting with all of you, has changed my life for the better. I started out knowing absolutely nothing about blogging, hoping to improve my writing. Having regular readers has certainly helped me with that, but it became so much more. I have made some true friends, learned so much from your comments and fellow blogs, and become aware of a wider spiritual network out there just bursting with information, ideas, and inspiration. It’s been an honor and privilege to write here, and I can’t thank you enough for reading.
Have a wonderful Solstice/holiday/New Year. See you on the other side!
XOXOXO
Lisa
