Our bodies are incredibly knowing animals that we’ve systematically learned to ignore, shut down and ultimately poison. Healing is about letting the wisdom of the body re-emerge. … and
“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” – Akira Kurosawa … (reflections and links…click through for more)
Sitting still in meditation may be the common image that comes to mind when one thinks of Buddhist practice—but just as important is cultivation of awareness through movement. … [click on title to read and view more]
The body is our vehicle of awakening. Through the body we receive the wisdom, love, and compassion that animates us. All we are, all we know, all we feel, all we experience is via the body. Listening with our whole being is wise indeed … [click on title for the rest of the post]
The below picture is what it feels like to be in my body. No kidding…the psychiatric drug brain injury opened me up to intense sensitivities and this piece of amazing artwork expresses what it’s like. We are not alone in this experience. Many people are being greatly challenged in similar fashion. Learning to interpret all these sensations can be overwhelming. I am grateful that people everywhere are getting clued into this reality. We need only pay attention. Then we not only start to learn about the mystery that we are living we also start to find one another. Awareness is key. It’s time to wake up. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
The concept of non-doing has been a big part of my practice lately. It’s a way to always have exactly as much energy as we need. It is what happens when we find ourselves living in synch with nature. Paying attention in mindfulness helps one get a sense of this being a profound living reality of which we need only become aware. . … [click on title to read more]
In the first part of the discussion about developing “Somatic Wisdom”, we used a technique that involved scanning the body for any distress and then using a four part process to describe it and name it. In this post, I will discuss how we can access the body’s innate wisdom to learn ways to transform any stuck energy and release it for better health and emotional well being. Again, the point of this practice is to engage the wisdom of the body to discover areas of distress. Physical distress in the body has an emotional component that often lays dormant without our conscious knowledge. These charged emotional states are essentially messages from our body. When we take the time to tune in and really listen the messages become clearer and more apparent. The simple process of scanning and listening often gives us strong insight into the emotional and spiritual reasons we are feeling uncomfortable. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
The Somatic Wisdom Technique (SWT) is a way of accessing our body’s innate wisdom, to become aware of any deep set negative emotional state and then to develop the tools to loosen and release that emotional state. The first step in utilizing the SWT is to sit or lie down in a comfortable place. Allow yourself to breathe deeply and slowly for 10 long breaths. Allow your body and mind to settle down. If anything is bothering you from the day, allow your mind to see your thoughts and then gently move back to following your breath. Sometimes it is helpful to count between 6- 8 seconds on an in breath and between 8-12 seconds on an outbreath. … [click on title to read and view more]
Illness and what creates illness with Gabor Maté. If you’ve been reading Beyond Meds for any length of time you’ll know that Gabor is one of my favorite human beings. He is an inspired brilliant man who is helping us change the healing climate on this planet. … [click on title for the rest of the post]
Donna Eden also healed herself from Multiple Sclerosis after western doctors told her she only had months to live. She works with a lot of people with auto-immune illnesses too. Psychiatric drug withdrawal often triggers serious auto-immune issues and they are often a part of the constellation of issues that people with protracted withdrawal have. I have dealt with several serious auto-immune issues some of which have healed completely and others I’m still working on.
When she had MS she also had severe food sensitivities to the point that she could only eat one food. Those all cleared up for her too. Many of us with protracted withdrawal issues also have such hypersensitivities. I do as well. Lately they’ve been starting to clear up for me as well.
She underscores that everyone heals differently (and we all experience energy differently) and that we need to, above and beyond all else, listen to ourselves and trust ourselves. Doesn’t that sound familiar? … [click on title for the rest of the post]
Generally when we start tapering, we all start with the expectation that we can hold our taper and our bodies to a calendar schedule.
Unfortunately, bodies were invented long before calendars, and healing doesn’t follow a numerical schedule. (Just try telling a broken bone that it has to heal exactly 10% every two weeks.)
And what I see is that the people who do best with their tapers are the ones who listen to and follow their bodies’ internal wisdom, rather than some external notion of a “correct taper” or some schedule given to them by someone outside. [click on title to read more]
Everything Matters 