At what age does “being intuitive” become a special power rather than an inherent ability?
Discuss.
When you are sick and need food, what do you think of? Tomato soup? Some people not only crave tomato soup when they are sick, sometimes it is the only thing they can keep down. I imagine the reason is that some time in the world (I imagine the crisp clean ’50s) mothers across the nation were led to believe through genius advertisements (you all watch Madmen, don’t you?) that Campbell’s Tomato Soup was THE thing to serve your sick child. It’s healthy and full of nutrients and gives them a speedy recovery, thus sending them back to school quicker! Now you can get on with cleaning the house so your husband doesn’t divorce you!
So when you grew up, there was a nostalgic appeal to tomato soup. A comfort food for you. A snake oil.
I distinctly remember when my mother offered me tomato soup when I had the flu at about age 8. I don’t have the best memory in the world, but I absolutely remember my caring mother feeding it to me. I ate it, and then promptly sacrificed it to the porcelain God. I could never eat tomato soup again.
Every time I think of it, smell it, or see it, I feel sick. It wasn’t the tomato soup that made me sick. It was the association I created between my sickness and the tomato soup. In my 8 year old mind, that tomato soup was just as much – if not more – at fault for what had just happened than an invisible bug inside my stomach.
So. Where else in our lives do we do this? I think it must be in our emotions.
I came to this realization when a friend of mine was worried about her relationship. She did not understand why she didn’t like her boyfriends best friend. For some reason she got a weird vibe from him. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, didn’t see anything wrong with his friend, and didn’t understand why his beautiful girlfriend couldn’t accept him. Nor did she. The fact was that seemingly nobody else in their circle (or outside of it as far as she could tell) had the same vibe from this person that she did. She began to worry that she was seeing something in this person that was not really there.
That is when it dawned on me. She must be picking up something on this guy that is reminding her of someone in her life (once upon a time or now) that she doesn’t like. Our soul carries everything, but we can only access parts every once in a while. Our brain doesn’t remember every single detail because that just isn’t feasible for most of us. But we do remember tiny things, nuances, characteristics. It could be a twitch of the mouth or a wink of an eye that triggers something way back in our subconscious that then triggers an emotional reaction. Some call it “Fight or Flight”. It sounds more serious than it is. It is rarely used for its real purpose for those of us in America. Instead we use it for small things. Like scary thunder, or fighting with our partner. There are a million little things that we use it for since we don’t (usually) have bears running after us anymore. Really, this is what my friend was engaging when she was around this person. She isn’t going to literally fight or run away from this person, but that sensation has to go somewhere. So it turns into an emotion. Her brain choose the emotion: dislike. (Dislike may not be an emotion, but evokes certain emotions so I think you understand where I am going with that word).
She easily figured out what it was about him that reminded her of so-and-so and so… viola! Cured. Poor guy. He had been tomato soup to her flu all along!
So trust your gut, but ask it questions from time to time. Lookout for creating patterns based on bullshit. And if you find one of these, maybe taste the tomato soup again and see if it still makes you vomit. If it doesn’t, you can check that particular piece of bullshit off your list.
A few years ago, a perfect stranger taught me one of my all time highest rated life lessons. For me it was right up there with “Hold your breath under water” and “Don’t step on that hot coal… oh wait…”.
It was a night like any other. I was unassuming. I certainly wasn’t looking for wisdom in every corner. I was only hoping that someone would dance with me. I was at the Tractor Tavern in Ballard. And although I am very tempted to describe this place to you, I am thinking now against it… because, it doesn’t really matter what this place looks like, or the kind of wonderful music that goes through it, or the acoustics (which are only good for really two kinds of music). What matters about this place is the woman’s bathroom. And the bodacious broad inside it.
The bathroom is small. I think a max of three women shoulder to shoulder would fit in there, without moving. Once you push through to a stall, you immediately have more room and start wishing there was a mirror in there. I do my business and as I was walking out of a stall, a woman passed me to move into my stall, freeing up the sink. In order to maneuver we were forced to brush against each other. Not in a tiny way, but in a “if I didn’t know you before, now I do” kind of way. To which I responded by saying “Sorry!”.
We squeezed past each other and now had breathing room and in that available breath she said “Why are you apologizing? There is nothing you can do about the size of this bathroom. Women over apologize constantly for things that they have no control over.”
Oh. Wait… well, I think you have something there.
In that moment I realize someone had said something that I wanted to go lay down on the ground with, hug it and tumble in circles with. And think about for a few hours. And in your mind go back and re-do all the times you ever said you were sorry for no apparent reason. And how it became a social norm, and definitely replaced other words like “Oh deer!” or even “Excuse me!”. What happened to those words? You’d think about that too! And then you would think about how many times in a day is it really necessary to say the word “sorry”. You would realize that it is not that often that word needs to be used. And you would also realize that by using it as often as you had, you had started to dilute its meaning. And what words are there to replace it that could possibly mean more during the time of need!? There are none! Oh boy, you have been wrong for a long time about using this word. And from now on you cannot even use it in your head with out Inigo Montoya whispering “You keep using that word. I do not think that word means what you think it means”.
What this woman did was a gift. She gifted me the freedom of guilt in a lot of situations that were beyond my control.
Guilt? What does this all have to do with guilt? Well what I found out while rolling down the hill with this idea one summer afternoon is that the truth is, once you have started a pattern of apologizing constantly you subconsciously start to begin to believe that you are saying it because you did something wrong. If you did something wrong, you need to feel bad for it. Right?
But our minds don’t connect what exactly we did wrong and thus we just kind of have a constant feeling of guilt. And that we are wrong.
On a metaphysical level, this is huge! A huge block to our solar plexus (which is our power, and where we process everything – located almost right on the stomach). It is also known as our “gut instinct” and “second brain”. You know that something is wrong when you feel sick over it. When this Chakra is blocked there are a lot problems that may arise. Digestive problems are possibly the number one cause. Heartburn, IBS, etc. There are other common problems, like lack of confidence, walking with your head down instead of up at the world. And because this is the “center Chakra” which joins our grounded lower selves with our spiritual upper selves, there can be a feeling of disconnect and a lack of emotion.
Saying “Sorry” all the time might also be the cause of a blocked Throat Chakra, which is used to express ourselves. Because saying “Sorry” on a whim and as a knee jerk reaction is NOT expressing ourselves. Saying “Dang this bathroom is small! There should be a vacant or occupied sign on the door!” is expressing yourself.
So of course, a Reiki session or other energy work could be done to help open those Chakras and bring you back into balance for a little bit. But the real work is internal. You have to do it all for yourself. The nice thing about energy work is that it helps you to feel what it is like to be in balance and normal. It helps you to want to keep that balance and normality. Which in turn starts to help create a new pattern in your mind!
You can start a new pattern in your mind today by simply changing the words “I’m sorry” to “Oh deer!”. Try it now. Feels better, right?
I am so so excited to announce that we will be holding classes to learn EFT (Emotion Freedom Technique) soon! If you or someone you know is interested in either adding EFT to their arsenal of healing techniques, or just want to learn for themselves so that they can begin to live a more emotionally stable or pain free life, then this is the class for you. Please go to the EFT page for more details.
In Native American traditions, there is a belief that you are surrounded by power animals. You have some that come and go, and some that stay with you forever. The ones that come and go show up at certain times to give your their medicine, because you need it! Perhaps you all of the sudden have an affinity for lions! Maybe you need a lesson in pride.
There are many ways to find your power animal. You can be led into a journey with a shaman. You can pull animal cards. Or you can simply pay attention.
The other day I went into a Goodwill looking for aprons for my class. I ended up in the “art department” (of course) and one particular beaten up frame called to me. It didn’t want me to purchase it, but instead it asked me to open up the back and see what was in it behind the picture.
Now – when I say that a picture frame was asking me to do things, I do not mean that it literally was asking. I mean that I was called to do so through curiosity and a pulling in my intuition.
When I opened the easel from the glass, there was a folded note. The note was a thank you note, as the picture and frame was a gift. Apparently, someone in Seattle was gracious and had hosted a visitor from Japan for whatever reason. Thus a thank you note was written, and this gift given. the note was not a big deal, except the last line. It read something like “My father is an oil painter, so I was going to send you one of his works, but he suggested I send you this image of ’The Great Master’ instead.”
I realized that I had not even looked at the picture in the front of the frame yet, so I pulled it out. It was a postcard from Japan, and on the front was a water color of a forest and a lake, and a tiny white horse.
That tiny white horse is The Great Master?
Of course that tiny white horse is a Great Master! For me he is. He is one of my power animals. He is the master of independence and freedom, of deep service to those who need him, of patience and understanding and of standing up for his beliefs. He is mighty, and equal to humans, if not superior. He is strong. He is mystical. He is a master in all of these.
For me, this was a personal reminder that horse is there. That I have many things to learn from him still and that I can call on his medicine when I need to. I still have a lot of work to do with horse, and he is begging me to heal myself with him so that we may move forward. (I am highly allergic to horses, yet one of my greatest desires is to ride).
Ah… but what if it were the forest who were the ‘Great Master’?
Tonight, as I was preparing for my Touch Drawing workshop for tomorrow night, I was reminded of yet another preparation that is taking place as we sink into fall with winter on the horizon.
We are now moving into the West (or are actually there, I should say moving through it) as it relates to the 4 directions and 4 seasons. In the west we revel in the change of the season and the beauty that beckons in the harsh, cold, dead winter. Which of course the winter is very beautiful when you are in it. The west is where the bear lives and we can learn from bear.
Now we start our own hibernation of sorts. Slowing down from whatever pace we have been moving, to a slow to medium pace. This is very important to do during the winter season. Winter is a time for us to harvest our energy! Which means reclaiming it and allowing dead things to die and go away, and making room for new things that will come in the spring. It really is “Spring cleaning” for the soul. A lot of grieving happens in the winter as well. It is normal to be sad during this time. The sadness you feel is part of the healing process and is not necessarily a bad thing. Having lived in Seattle the last few years, I have developed a sadness that happens every winter. I physically need sun. It is important to know what is sadness that is healing, and what is sadness that is illness, so make sure you always ask.
In the fall it is fun to watch the leaves change and fall from the trees. How does this reflect you? What are you changing? What are you shedding? If you are not doing this, it would be a good time to set an intent to shed and change something you have been meaning to. We simply have more “time” during these months, so there is no reason not to allocate some to yourself.
As the nights get longer, we start to sleep more, which means more time in dream time. During dream time we work on ourselves and others. We learn a lot, and heal a lot in our dreams. Now would be a good time to start remembering to write down your dreams if you are not doing so already. There will be a lot of dreams this winter.
We are also coming close to All Saints Day, Dia de Los Muertes or Halloween. This is the time of year when the veil is the thinnest, and our ancestors come with messages for us! Not in the spooky way that you may think. It can be very subtle and benign. But if you are paying attention, and in intention, you may learn a great deal from your ancestors during this time.
I plan on writing a blog about All Saints Day in the next few days. Stay tuned!
****(Updated 10*10*09) I have a new design for my business, but still think this is fun information. So while irrelevant to my design, you still may find something useful from it.***
Something that just fascinates me is animal symbolism. Lately, rooster has been all over my line of sight. I actually hadn’t truly noticed how much until I started designing my logo.
Previously I have been thinking for some reason that all kitchens need a rooster. Just like they all need a sink and a refrigerator. Prior to my new logo, I had thrown up this picture of a rooster as a place holder on Facebook and other places. 
I had no idea why a rooster, and no one even asked.
So, today I designed the new and improved logo that you see above this posting and, to me, the connection of the eye to the rooster is undeniable. The eye looks like the head of a rooster.
So what does this all mean? I had to know. The first thing I like to do when trying to figure out animal symbolism is to think about the characteristics of that animal. Let’s see:
Rooster: gets up super early every morning. Is loud and proud. Is independent.
The list goes on. Think about it for a while for yourself.
These all kind of work with me. I wake up at 4:30 every morning (that is another blog for another time). I am independent. I am proud. But am I cocky? Perhaps.
A simple google search told me more:
A summary of symbol meanings for the Rooster include:
- Pride
- Honesty
- Courage
- Vigilance
- Arrogance
- Strength
- Watchfulness
- Flamboyance
The rooster is also a sun/fire animal as it wakes each day with the sun and greets it passionately. This is also something that is done in many Native American cultures. To show gratitude for this one day that we are given. To be present for the entire day. To soak in the power of the sun and the energy it embodies. No doubt this makes sense to me. I am a desert girl, and sunshine is my friend.
So what are the traits of a fire animal?
- Blaze a trail
- Sparkle with confidence
- Illuminate on your path
- Be a beacon in leadership
- Need a spark of inspiration
- Need the flames of passion stoked.
- Outshine the competition in your trade
No wonder, with all of that symbolism, that my logo for my Visionary work needed to resemble a rooster.
The next step is to create a relationship with Rooster. And to learn from him. And to be humbled that Rooster came forward to offer his medicine – what some see to be a simple farm animal actually holds so much wonderful possiblities for me.
What animal is trying to get your attention?
Image above is the old “rooster” logo.
Every day we come in contact with energies that are not our own. Some of those stick. Have you ever noticed that if you have a grieving friend, when they leave your presence you still have an “icky” feeling? Or when you go to the mall and you get home and want to shower? Even just dealing with your daily routine, even if you don’t leave the house, you can “obtain” energies that either don’t belong to you or are not useful or for your highest good.The following are symptoms of carrying around energy that is not your own:
1. Feeling run down, even though you are generally healthy.
2. Aches and pains that do not seem to be related to anything. It is especially important to take note if you are an empath.
3. Anxiety for no apparent reason.
4. Not being able to stop thinking about another person’s problems, including people in your family.
(Of course, please see your doctor if you are feeling out of sorts. I never suggest that you substitute metaphysical practice over medical advice ).
There are many methods to clearing yourself of energies that you don’t need. And like taking a shower daily, it is a good idea to clean your energetic body as well. You have so much to work on to heal yourself, the last thing you need is to struggle with what is not yours!
Here are a few tips on how to clear energies from your home and yourself:
A Hot Soak:
If you love baths like I do, there are several ways to use the relaxing bathing experience to its fullest potential.
- Bless your bath or shower water. This is as easy as asking it to be healing for you and telling it you love it. In fact, this is a good habit to get into any time you are in contact with water, whether drinking it, cooking with it, cleaning with it or swimming in it. This will raise its vibration, making it more beneficial to you.
- Add Epsom or sea salt to your bath. You can find Epsom at any drug store and it is really inexpensive. Epsom salt has no smell, and most fragrant bath salts are made with sea salts. Add a few cupfuls to your bath and soak for 20 minutes, making sure you submerge as much as possible.
- If you have sage, you can create a sage bath by simply adding a few leaves to your bath. In the Native American tradition, sage water is equivalent to Holy water.
- Bath crystals can be found at any metaphysical store. These are great and produce negative ions.
- Speaking of crystals, if you have “a real” one, throw it in your bath too! Crystals extract and “keep” energies that are negative or no longer needed. They store them, and have the potential to store anything and everything you want them too. They do not have to be big to do this either. You will be drawn to the crystal that is the right size for what you need.
- You can also gather stones from nature to put in your bath with you. In fact, if you are so called, you may find leaves or other plant life that is healing for you and you may find yourself creating a concoction of your own.
To make your own “tea” (for tobacco, sage leaves or other things that you want in your bath, but not loose) just drop them into an organza bag and steep them right in your bath! It is also very important that you pray (whatever that means to you) during this process. A very simple prayer is all that is needed, along with your intention, of course.
Here is an example of a prayer that can be used in ALL methods of clearing energies from yourself.
“Spirit I ask that any energy that is not mine or is not for my highest good, or is no longer needed, be released from me.”
Visualizations:
There are also a few things you can do with visualization. Using this prayer, you can clear energies from you anywhere you are at anytime.
-Visualize yourself in a protective bubble. This bubble might be gold, or white, clear or blue. The color doesn’t necessarily matter, as it will be whatever color is needed for your healing. So don’t get hung up on the color, but do pay attention. Once you are in this bubble, you are protected from anything “bad” getting in. Imagine that only what is for your highest good can enter this bubble, and thus you. You then visualize anything that is not yours leaving the bubble. This may look like static or black dots. It could really look like anything. Do not get hung up on what it looks like, but do pay attention.
You may also try this technique using two other methods.
- Keeping the bubble and the prayer, breath in only white light. Let it fill your body, pushing out anything that is no longer needed when you exhale, beyond the bubble and away from you forever. Do this until you feel better.
- Keeping the bubble and the prayer, imagine certain parts of your body. Does your heart ache? Ask your heart to release what it no longer needs. You may visualize pulling weeds from your heart. Or perhaps it will pour out black stuff that looks like burned motor oil. Make sure that it is all released to the other side of the bubble and do this until you no longer need to. It works with any part of the body, however the heart is usually the part of the body that needs most of the attention and healing. Once the heart is healing, the rest of the body tends to follow suit.
Smudge!
Smudging is another one of my favorite things to do when I am feeling wonky. It’s simple, fast and smells soooooo good! The following are a few examples of smudging:
-Sage is the most popular substance to use for smudging. You can find sage at any metaphysical or herbal shop in town. It comes in “wands” or bundles that can be lit at one end, but I prefer the “loose leaf” variety. Simply place it in a bowl that is not flammable (you can use a clam shell, an ashtray…) Light one leaf of sage like you would incense. Blow it out and let it smolder. The smoke is the substance that you will use to cleanse yourself. You may use a feather or another object to fan the smoke around you. You may use the prayer that I mentioned above, or you could say something like “The past is behind me, I am here today and I release all that is no longer needed in my journey. My heart is clear and full.” You may also want to try this with sweet grass or cedar. Or something else that your heart desires. Your soul knows what it needs to heal, so let it be the guide. Always.
-One other way to smudge is to take a non-flammable bowl and fill it half way with Epsom salt, then grain alcohol. Let it burn out while saying your prayer.
Cry!
As I explained in my last blog, crying is a huge way to release that which is no longer needed. You do not need to know why you are crying. Just let it all out.
Using one or many of these techniques will certainly help clear out most if not all of the energies that are dragging you down. If you have tried these over time, and they don’t seem to be working, maybe there is something that you are missing. Try to pay a little more attention and see what comes up for you. And if all else fails, ask.
stale I have been called to share a lesson on crying and emotions.
I have struggled all my life with the justification of my emotions. I can’t trace exactly back to where it all started, but I know that my early childhood did not hold space for the emotions that I needed to express to simply survive.
We all have times like these, where we are not comfortable or allowed to let our feelings flow the way that we would like. Perhaps we have been taught that crying is a form of weakness. But I guarantee you that emotions DO make us stronger. Maybe we are at work, or with someone who has a rough personality. In those situations, we can feel that emotions are inappropriate, and so we swallow them, and tell ourselves we will save them for later.
When is later? Sometimes it is later that day, or sometimes they come out at another inappropriate time, and ten times bigger. But most of the time, it is never. Once an emotion has passed, it seems to feel better to not bring it up again.
This is a big disservice to ourselves. When emotions are not expressed, they are stored inside of us. They then become an energy that we need to make room for. Pushing out other things that do not seem so necessary. Like, happiness. Thus leading to depression and other illness.
Obviously this is a simple way to look at it, and there are more details that could be brought up, but I kind of like simple thought provoking writings, so I won’t go into the deep psychological messes we create. I will stick with simple energies. And it might sound strange that we would push out happiness to create room for worry, dread, sadness, anger and other less desirable emotions. Especially when we are not actually “feeling” those things.
This is because of two reasons:
1. Happiness is a need, but it is not as urgent as creating a space for feelings that are damaging. In fact, happiness can be achieved by releasing the feelings that are stored in us, that were not released when prompted.
2. We absolutely are still feeling the anger and the sadness and the stuffed feelings, as evident in the patterns we create in our daily lives. We all have vicious cycles, that MUST be played out with resolution in order to move on and be healed. Even if “played out” means having a tantrum in your bedroom for 5 minutes so that the body releases the stale energy for a “resolution”.
This brings me to another point. We are not always aware of why we cry. In fact, most of the time we are not aware of why we cry, which leads us to attaching other, incorrect reasons to our emotional outbursts. Which then creates new bridges in our minds: when “x” happens, I feel “y”. The reality is that you may have needed an emotional outburst for something that happened to you ages ago. The “reason” you are crying or screaming may not be apparent or relevant anymore, but the stale energy inside you needs to be released.
There are many ways in which we store stale energy. Some of us have body fat that acts as its home. Some of us have illnesses, or mental disorders or aches and pains. So what do we do to release these emotions and stale energy without looking like a crazy person?
There are many ways. But here is a list of a few ideas that will help you learn how to cry again.
1. Simply give yourself 15 minutes in which you place yourself in a safe place. Let yourself know that in this time frame and in this place you may have any emotion you want, unjudged and unbridled. But only for 15 minutes. Set an egg timer. This will allow you to start creating space when needed and allow you to end when needed. Do not judge yourself, your thoughts or anything that you do in this time and space. This is a place for you to act out all of the stale energies in you that you can’t understand, and don’t need to understand.
2. Yoga is an amazing tool for opening parts of your body that hold and store stale energy. When we move our bodies we open Chakras that can be blocked by suppressed emotions. When we pay attention to parts of our body, and what they need, we are giving them the space to release.
3. There is a great meditation… for 10 minutes, laugh. Even if you are faking it for a while, eventually it will become real. Then, for 10 minutes, cry. Fake it until it is real. Then for 10 minutes, dance. Fake it until you feel it. Then, for 10 minutes, be with yourself. Give yourself space to process the meditation.
4. Purge the people in your life that do not allow you to have emotions, or stunt you in any way, for that matter. You do not need to understand the emotion you are having, nor do they. If someone is uncomfortable with your emotions, that means you are mirroring something for them. This can be healing to them if they are ready to heal, or it could be damaging to you, as you will not feel comfortable.
5. Therapy or counseling is a great tool for releasing emotions. It has been my experience that many therapists want to know the “whys” of your emotion, thus helping you heal. And maybe this is something that you want too. However, it is important to find a therapist who also allows you to release when something is triggered without going deep into whys at that moment. Because your mind will get involved and will want attach these emotions you are having to something relevant so that it can make sense of them, once again creating a new bridge between stimuli and response that may not be accurate.
If you are able to do a couple of these ideas once or twice a week (or more!) then you will feel stronger in situations where releasing emotions are not appropriate (work, etc.).
Learning to cry and wanting to heal is not easy. The work that must go into it, the awareness that you must have at all times is incredible. The vulnerability is almost excruciating! However, the benefits of experiencing your emotions are far beyond what any medication can do for you. I urge you to cry.
Like many people, (women in particular), I have struggled all my life with the justification of my emotions. I can’t trace back exactly to where it all started, but I know that my early childhood did not hold space for the emotions that I needed to express to simply survive.
We all have times like these, where we are not comfortable or allowed to let our feelings flow the way that we would like. Perhaps we have been taught that crying is a form of weakness. But I guarantee you that emotions DO make us stronger. Maybe we are at work, or with someone who has a rough personality. In those situations, we can feel that emotions are inappropriate, and so we swallow them, and tell ourselves we will save them for later.
When is later? Sometimes it is later that day, or sometimes they come out at another inappropriate time, and ten times bigger. But most of the time, it is never. Once an emotion has passed, it seems to feel better to not bring it up again. Worse yet is when we do not express an emotion because, even though we are feeling it, we can’t justify it.
This is a big disservice to ourselves. When emotions are not expressed, they are stored inside of us. They then become an energy that we need to make room for. Pushing out other things that do not seem so necessary. Like, happiness. Thus leading to depression and other illness.
Obviously this is a simple way to look at it, and there are more details that could be brought up, but I kind of like simple thought provoking writings, so I won’t go into the deep psychological messes we create. I will stick with simple energies. And it might sound strange that we would push out happiness to create room for worry, dread, sadness, anger and other less desirable emotions. Especially when we are not actually “feeling” those things.
This is because of two reasons:
1. Happiness is a need, but it is not as urgent as creating a space for feelings that are damaging. In fact, happiness can be achieved by releasing the feelings that are stored in us, that were not released when prompted.
2. We absolutely are still feeling the anger and the sadness and the stuffed feelings, as evident in the patterns we create in our daily lives. We all have vicious cycles, that MUST be played out with resolution in order to move on and be healed. Even if “played out” means having a tantrum in your bedroom for 5 minutes so that the body releases the stale energy for a “resolution”.
This brings me to another point. We are not always aware of why we cry. In fact, most of the time we are not aware of why we cry, which leads us to attaching other, incorrect reasons to our emotional outbursts. Which then creates new bridges in our minds: when “x” happens, I feel “y”. The reality is that you may have needed an emotional outburst for something that happened to you ages ago. The “reason” you are crying or screaming may not be apparent or relevant anymore, but the stale energy inside you needs to be released.
There are many ways in which we store stale energy. Some of us have body fat that acts as its home. Some of us have illnesses, or mental disorders or aches and pains. So what do we do to release these emotions and stale energy without looking like a crazy person?
There are many ways. But here is a list of a few ideas that will help you learn how to cry again.
1. Simply give yourself 15 minutes in which you place yourself in a safe place. Let yourself know that in this time frame and in this place you may have any emotion you want, unjudged and unbridled. But only for 15 minutes. Set an egg timer. This will allow you to start creating space when needed and allow you to end when needed. Do not judge yourself, your thoughts or anything that you do in this time and space. This is a place for you to act out all of the stale energies in you that you can’t understand, and don’t need to understand.
2. Yoga is an amazing tool for opening parts of your body that hold and store stale energy. When we move our bodies we open Chakras that can be blocked by suppressed emotions. When we pay attention to parts of our body, and what they need, we are giving them the space to release.
3. There is a great meditation… for 10 minutes, laugh. Even if you are faking it for a while, eventually it will become real. Then, for 10 minutes, cry. Fake it until it is real. Then for 10 minutes, dance. Fake it until you feel it. Then, for 10 minutes, be with yourself. Give yourself space to process the meditation.
4. Purge the people in your life that do not allow you to have emotions, or stunt you in any way, for that matter. You do not need to understand the emotion you are having, nor do they. If someone is uncomfortable with your emotions, that means you are mirroring something for them. This can be healing to them if they are ready to heal, or it could be damaging to you, as you will not feel comfortable.
5. Therapy or counseling is a great tool for releasing emotions. It has been my experience that many therapists want to know the “whys” of your emotion, thus helping you heal. And maybe this is something that you want too. However, it is important to find a therapist who also allows you to release when something is triggered without going deep into whys at that moment. Because your mind will get involved and will want attach these emotions you are having to something relevant so that it can make sense of them, once again creating a new bridge between stimuli and response that may not be accurate.
If you are able to do a couple of these ideas once or twice a week (or more!) then you will feel stronger in situations where releasing emotions are not appropriate (work, etc.).
Learning to cry and wanting to heal is not easy. The work that must go into it, the awareness that you must have at all times is incredible. The vulnerability is almost excruciating! However, the benefits of experiencing your emotions are far beyond what any medication can do for you. I urge you to cry.
Somewhere bound
Some unspoken intention
Under stars or wrapped up in them
Clearing the skies as they follow me
As the miles go on
I am slipping farther into a dream
And I don’t want to wake up
This time I won’t. I know I won’t.
I haven’t seen a road sign for hours
I’m following the dust devils and trusting
They will join forces with my heart
To get me where I am going
God grew up in the desert
God sprang forth from a cactus
God slid down the rock formations
God cried with the red, red sunset
Feeling the wind blow through me
Smelling rain in the distance
Wondering why I got out
Wondering if I will get back in.
Cassandra Sackett
