Into the Shaman's Tent
It happened on Thanksgiving Day. I went to my Sister-In-Law's gym in Maryland for a workout but only one set in I found myself pretty much unable to walk, having seriously injured my back. I spent the rest of the day on ice barely able to move because of intense pain.
I know how to care for my back because of my years of yoga experience, but this took things to a whole new level. I've never experienced pain like that from an injury before. I did what I could do from my yoga experience, I talked with Todd about what to do, I saw my brother's wife (she's a physical therapist) for a physical adjustment to put my bones back in place, I iced, and I generally took it as easy as I could as I moved gingerly around my home. But I could feel that while my body was physically in the right place again and just needed time to heal the soft tissue -it was definitely still on HIGH ALERT because of the shock and surprise that happened with the injury.
Enter Shamanic Healing.
Earlier this year I discovered the work of Sarah Seidelmann, MD who is not only a Martha Beck Trained Life coach but a highly skilled Shaman. I worked with her early in 2016 to make some shifts in my mind and body. Along the way she helped me find some resources for taking myself on Shamanic Journeys for healing and restoration.
One morning, a few days after I hurt myself, I rested back and turned on the recording of drumming that helps me move into a deeper state where I can connect with guides and support that are always available. On this morning I asked for healing for my back.
Obviously I didn't go anywhere. I stayed right at home on the floor of my office.... but I did "go". I found myself inside what felt like a tent or dome. High ceilings with circular walls. And what I felt was my freaked out, flustered, scared energy that was pinging around the walls of the tent. I spent several minutes with this feeling and included deep breathing and telling myself to settle, that it was ok.
And then, it all totally shifted. That pinging, fluttery feeling dissipated. I felt my energy calm and settle down into my body. With the settling of my energy I felt my body rest back deeply. A few minutes later I left the "tent" and while my body didn't feel immediately "healed" I knew I had experienced a shift.
A week or so later I worked with my Alexander practitioner and she was amazed that while my body was still injured she could tell that my energetic system wasn't in high alert. She told me I was lucky not to be in spasm at all or to have major amounts of tightened gripping muscles trying to compensate for the injury and related trauma.
I write this in part because it may be interesting to others. But more than that, I write because I am realizing there are so many things at work in us that have NOTHING to do with what my Western brain was socialized to believe. In this case, maybe healing has at least as much to do with energy as it does with "medical science." And maybe the power of healing is more in our own hands than we have been lead to believe.
At three weeks out from the injury I am feeling a LOT better and I have to say I believe it to be as much a result of the Shamanic work I am continuing to do, and the prana I'm intentionally flooding into my body via yogic practices as it is a result of ice, rest, and simple physical alignment and rehab. We will see what the next steps will bring.
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If you are interested in Shamanic work I highly recommend that you check out Sarah Seidelmann MD. On her page you can sign up for her newsletter and get a recording for connecting with an animal guide... a fun place to start!