Your Body as Your Healing Ally
Jan 11, 2024
Ever feel overwhelmed by daily chaos, work deadlines, or sleepless nights with a baby? It's a constant state of hyperarousal, rooted in past experiences, even seemingly innocent ones like a strict ballet teacher from childhood. Yup, it’s a lot!
So, in this post, I'm here to unpack it all for you:
- What our body is telling us through the lens of chakras.
- The impact of our unprocessed past on our body.
- How our body becomes off balance.
- Tips to recognize when your body has a message and how to trust your inner ally.
And to set the tone, let’s kick things off with a quote worth pondering: "The past is never where you think you left it." - Katherine Anne Porter
Let’s talk about important things shall we? Many of my clients, shaped by strict upbringings or Catholic school backgrounds, often carry the weight of shame imprinted in their nervous system. Childhood traumas influence how needs, desires, and their own self-value are perceived.
But it doesn't end there. Memories, from miscarriages to family struggles, linger in the body until integrated. A history of drugs, family issues, or a parent with PTSD can leave your nervous system in a hyper-aroused state, creating your unique unicorn traits.
Genetic and environmental factors inform our brain development, adding layers to the memories shaping us. Today, we're diving into chakras, exploring the body, and gaining insight into healing while deepening respect for ourselves.
Understanding Our Chakras for Healing
Chakras, the energy points in our bodies, play a crucial role in healing. Forget the 114 chakras according to Amit Ray, we'll focus on a few key ones. When these energy points are blocked, issues arise, such as digestive problems or autoimmune diseases.
Naturally, some emotions are just not our favorites. Gasp! In our discomfort, we create “exits” into any other state to avoid the moment. You know, like scrolling social media, doing drugs, eating things that make us sick, texting those people who just offer a grain of rice for love. Fun things like that. Little do we realize, these attempts to ignore our feelings create a snowball of unresolved trauma. Yikes!
Let’s draw inspiration from the timeless wisdom of Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith, a cherished guide since 2000 Ready to unravel chakra secrets? Time to get acquainted with your body.
- First Chakra: Perineal Chakra
- Located at the perineum, this chakra is your survival headquarters.
- Active from birth to the first birthday, a harmonious perineal chakra keeps you grounded and secure.
Balanced State:
- Balanced, it provides a grounding sensation, fostering a strong connection to your physical identity.
Manifestations and Imbalances:
- Off-balance, it triggers fear and manifests in various ways, impacting glands, legs, feet, bones, and large intestines.
- Extreme cases may lead to conditions like anorexia, obesity, Sciatica, or constipation.
- Basically, you feel ungrounded and untethered to the world.
Mindful Perspective:
- Surround yourself with people you trust.
- Connect to the earth and your body daily.
- Remind yourself that you have a right to take up space.
- You have a right to be here. Yup, you!
- Second Chakra: Sacral Chakra
- Centered around the sacrum, this chakra reveals your inherent right to desire.
Balanced State:
- It's where desires find expression, a birthright to feel and want things.
Manifestations and Imbalances:
- Imbalances may trigger guilt associated with having desires.
- Off-balance, it initiates a tug-of-war in the body around private parts, kidneys, and lower back.
- Ignoring this aspect may lead to signals like urinary and sexual issues, prompting a gentle reminder to pay attention.
Mindful Perspective:
- See looping thoughts as the mind’s reruns.
- Become curious about your own intimate needs and desires.
- Implement sensual dancing or art.
- Remind yourself that you are allowed to be a sensual and creative being.
- Third Chakra: Solar Plexus Chakra:
- This chakra, located at the solar plexus, shapes our will and power, defining our ego and sense of self.
- This phase typically occurs between 18 to 42 months, often influenced by scenarios like overly restrictive parenting.
Balanced State:
- Balanced, it ensures a harmonious journey; however, imbalance leads to a sense of shame, feeling out of place.
Manifestations and Imbalances:
- Excessive control and dominance impact the solar plexus, affecting the pancreas, digestion, liver, and gallbladder.
- Fallout includes chronic fatigue, digestive issues, and hypertension.
- Often rooted in familial dynamics, like having a dominating sibling or parent.
Mindful Perspective:
- If you’re feeling unsafe, ask yourself, “Am I in danger?” If the answer is no, then some of the adrenaline will disperse.
- The second question to ask yourself is, “What do I need right now?” This helps you return back to your body.
- A good third question to ask yourself is, “Who has my power right now?” With awareness comes the return of your power.
- Fourth Chakra: Heart Chakra
- Nestled in the heart, this chakra embodies love.
Balanced State:
- A balanced heart chakra fosters peace, shaping connections from ages three and a half to seven.
Manifestations and Imbalances:
- The impact extends to the thymus, lungs, heart, circulatory system, hands, and arms.
- Disruptions can lead to conditions like asthma, coronary heart disease, and lung disease, emphasizing balance.
- Issues manifest in frequent colds and bronchitis, trapping individuals in years of grief
- At times the voice has an energy tinted with sorrow.
- Post-parental divorce, triggering feelings of inadequacy and fear about one's lovability.
Mindful Perspective:
- A history of only receiving conditional love can create trust issues. Allow yourself to receive love and care without being over-generous in return.
- It’s okay to trust your instincts and know when someone truly cares, vs someone who just doesn’t like their own company.
- Tell yourself the whole world loves you while being discerning with your heart.
- Fifth Chakra: Throat Chakra
- The throat chakra, your creative playground, centralizes communication and creativity.
Manifestations and Imbalances:
- When off-kilter, reluctance to speak the truth dominates, usually between ages seven to twelve.
- Repercussions affecting the thyroid, parathyroid, throat, ears, mouth, shoulders, and neck, leading to sensations like a frog in the throat.
- Wonky throat chakra signals sore throats, neck and shoulder pains, and thyroid irregularities - a call for attention.
Mindful Perspective:
- The humiliation of being laughed at can convey a lesson that it's unsafe to be yourself or speak your truth. Say your truth anyway.
- If you’ve ever been around an intellectual bully, you may feel uncomfortable saying what you need. Choose your own integrity and honesty over conflict avoidance.
- When you hold back your wisdom for fear of being rejected, you’re rejecting yourself first. Speak! We all want to hear your thoughts.
- Sixth Chakra: Third Eye Chakra
- Nestled between brows, the third eye is your gateway to alternate worlds.
- Societal influences can mute self-perception, fostering beliefs of inadequacy during puberty, a vital self-discovery period.
Manifestations and Imbalances:
- Imbalances lead to illusions, detaching from our true selves.
- It can affect the pineal gland, eyes, and base of the skull, causing vision problems, headaches, and nightmares.
- Headaches during significant life changes signal suppressed truths and physical ailments.
Mindful Perspective:
- When we have been gaslit long enough, we create an alternate reality of illusion to keep us comfy. But illusion is always painful in the end.
- Ask yourself, “Whose thought is this that I have right now? Is it authentically my voice? If not, what is?”
- Seventh Chakra: Crown Chakra
- Ascend to the crown chakra atop your head, the grand finale of our exploration.
- This is your eagle’s view of your life and perspective.
Balanced State:
- When balanced, fosters a sense of trust in the unfolding of your life's journey.
Manifestations and Imbalances:
- Imbalances lead to an inability to see a new vision for your life.
- Impact on the pituitary gland and cerebral cortex hinders recognizing personal desires.
Mindful Perspective:
- Imagine you have a 100% guarantee that your dreams will come true, how would you design your life?
- What would be the first step to take?
Scott's Journey: Unveiling Healing Through the Body
Here’s a story for you on how the body is always helping.
Let’s chat about a client named Scott (not his real name). Growing up in a chaotic family, he, one of eight children, embraced the helper role. Reluctant to burden his parents, he withdrew, suppressing his needs.
In his job, he just jumped right in and overgave as his “go-to” M.O.
It never occurred to him that his needs and desires mattered. He was so exhausted, his body started to give out on him, and that’s when he called me.
He didn’t know he could say no. Like all the examples from above, he often got headaches from not trusting himself, had extreme gut issues from being afraid of his boss who was a bully, and couldn’t see his way out of this dilemma.
When we took the time to check in with all the areas in his body that ached and had pain, and truly listened to what that part needed, he was ready to do the healing work to release the old patterns from his past.
Scott never wanted others to feel alone like he did growing up, so rescuing everyone was his way of being loving. He didn’t know that by overhelping, he was accidentally disempowering others, and draining his body.
Understanding that it isn’t always appropriate to be the giver and that it’s safe to set boundaries, Scott was able to balance his body and think about his intentions before volunteering to help.
This is why becoming best friends and allies with our bodies is important. There’s a ton of wisdom living within us there to help us. Remarkable, right?
Tips for Connecting to Your Body as a Healing Ally
- Body Scan Meditation: Practice regular body scan meditations to tune into different sensations and areas of the body, creating deeper intimacy with yourself. You will receive loads of information!
- Expressive Movement: Engage in expressive movement activities like dance or yoga to release pent-up emotions and promote a sense of flow. After all, twists and turns help all your organs!
- Mindful Breathing: Incorporate mindful breathing exercises to ground yourself in the present moment and ease tension within your body. This will help you not accidentally tell people off.
- Self-Compassion Practices: Become a fierce guardian of yourself whenever your inner critic pops in for a visit. Treat yourself with self-compassion, love and respect.
- Therapeutic Modalities: Explore energy psychology modalities like Invoke and Release® or Tapping to address and release trapped energy and promote healing throughout your body..
- Nutritional Awareness: Pay attention to your body's nutritional needs, making choices that support overall well-being and energy levels. Remember, your body still feels the effect three days after eating bad choices.
- Hydration: Ensure proper hydration to support bodily functions and maintain a clear mind, contributing to emotional and physical balance. Basically, don’t make your skin and organs dry up like potato chip texture just because you don’t feel thirsty. Hydrate!
- Restorative Sleep: Prioritize restorative sleep to allow the body time to repair and rejuvenate, positively impacting mental and physical health. Put a routine in your schedule, don’t just collapse at the end of the day like you never heard of a sleep routine before.
- Connect with Nature: Spend time in nature to enhance your connection with the environment, promoting a sense of grounding and balance. People, get some fresh air and get away from your phones and computer. Just saying.
- Holistic Health Check-ins: Regularly check in with your holistic health physicians, to maintain this beautiful vessel of a body you get to have. You are, after all, 100% responsible for you! You matter.
Need support healing and integrating your own past? Learn about Invoke and Release®.
What is Invoke and Release®?
- A powerful energy psychology healing protocol to help alleviate the trapped trauma held in your body
- A healing modality that releases our unintegrated past held in our mind, body, and auric field
- An easy-to-use tool to lower stress, improve your sleep, support your immune system, and remove energy blocks to restore your inner peace
What does Invoke and Release® do?
- Assists you in letting go of pain, trauma, fear, anxiety, and more
- Removes limiting assumptions, outdated routines, and old beliefs
- Activates the body's innate healing mechanisms
- Supports our immune system and removes blocked energy
- Improves your sleep and restores your inner peace because, when we're in that state, we're bracing against the world and pushing through it.
The Science of 114 Chakras in Human Body by Amit Ray
