the gift of inner freedom

I was loaded on a stretcher, carried down the stairs, and rolled out to the ambulance. The pain was close to childbirth, and the nurse kept missing my veins for pain relief. I’d almost become numb to the pain, so I asked him to stop.

I had just moved to the Charlotte area and felt broken in half at every level. The herniated disks in my lower back were a physical reflection of what had taken root in my inner landscape—resentment, not feeling supported, and unexpressed anger.

These emotions had tried to get my attention for a while, but I was not listening. Now, I could no longer turn away. I had lost my ability to move forward physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Each step was pained for a year, and it took a herculean effort not to project this pain into an unending future. So many of us share this story; it could be chronic pain, depression, or anxiety. Each of these experiences can cause us to feel stuck and challenged to move forward. The foundations of this pain is often connected with the past.

A common thread of these experiences is that they can limit our movement—physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. We no longer flow with all parts of ourselves or flow with life.

How do we restore flow?

One way is through movement. Both physical movement and emotional movement (letting stuck emotions flow).

From The Nature Reset:

“Movement not only nourishes our body but can also unlock trauma and release stored emotions. There is great wisdom in the classic Qigong movement of shaking the body. This practice is exactly what it sounds like—standing in a stable yet flexible position and gently bouncing and shaking each part of your body. Not only does this release you from stagnation, but it also reenacts what many animals intuitively do to release and discharge energy.”

Not only is gentle and compassionate movement healing to our bodies, but it also supports us as we transition from winter stagnation to spring’s creativity.

What intuitive movements does your body want to make?

Wandering through a natural area or intuitively moving your body with music, are examples of following the wisdom of your body. Both of these are go to’s for keeping different parts of myself flowing.

With intuitive movement, let your body move how it wants to move and where it wants to move. Free yourself from judgment or doing it right, and see where your body wants to go.

The more you play with free-form movement, trusting and not filtering the movements your body wants to make, the more physical and inner freedom you will experience. Don’t be surprised if tears flow or you experience a release. The more you practice and play with intuitive movement, the more all parts of you will flow.

Movement can be a celebration of life, a sacred prayer, and a beautiful way to celebrate the emergence of spring.

Blessings on entering into the flow,

Kathleen