Yoga as Medicine

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam ya'll,

Here're the deal. I figured out that I rarely relate to my body in a

non-medical way any longer. Between medication schedules, doctors

appointments and support groups, everything is health-related. Hell, I

can't hold a baby without thinking about what a bacteria farm it may be!

And KY is in danger of falling in the same category, another pill to take,

on top of the 32 a day I already take, if I don't count my vitamins. I know

all that sounds like a real 'big deal', and it is if I let it become one.

What I'm asking is this. What would ya'll recommend just for getting in

touch with my body? Is it reasonable to think I can separate it? I think

that's the reason I like doing meditations better than mat work. Well, that

and I have Sun and Moon in Pisces and we're just kinda that way.

I've become expert at listening to my body for the tiniest indication of

things gone awry. But that's only one kind of listening. I really don't

think I'm quite sure if I know what I'm asking for right now. Or expressing

what I mean properly. Any ideas?

 

Sat Nam, Leo

[Guest guest]

Dear Leo,

I'm not sure that I can speak to what it is you're asking

about...but I'll give it a shot.

 

So what I think you are saying is that you can relate to your body

in a medical way..but not as much in a perhaps, grounded, this is my

body, I can be in it and accept the process it is going through kind

of way?

 

In the past,I've spent years feeling numb and outside of my body and

at the time I didn't know how to meditate, so I don't no where I

was, I just know I wasn't home in my body. I know other people who

have a natural tendency towards things like medtiation and "taking

Flight" and have difficulty staying present in there body or really

wanting to "be" in their body as well. So I'll speak from my

experience and what I have observed in them.

 

So starting with meditation (from my own experience) I would begin

to ask questions like, why don't I want to be in this body of mine?

Obviously, you are experiencing a disease process which makes it

uncomfortable for you, for sure, but deeper than that, during

meditation begin to follow the thread of emotions, feelings and

thoughts back to the root cause of why is it hard to relate to this

body of mine?

 

We are given our physical body inorder to evolve. It's through the

physical body that we can experience...basically, Heaven on Earth.

Cosmic travels and knowledge are of no use to us if we can't bring

it back down to Earth and live it, in this realm that wer're in, and

share it with others.

 

So maybe look at how you feel and think about your Karmic

circumstances. We have to be willing to experience our karma to

evolve and in that moment of "willingness" ( I like to call

surrender) I believe the grace of God can flow in and temendous

healing can occur.

 

I think acceptance,surrender and then developing trust in the

universe go hand in hand. Continue to give yourself experiences

that reveal True reality to you (Sat Nam). The more of these you

have, the more momentum you will experience towards trusting in the

universe to truely care for you...and that it's a good thing to be

here in this realm, in your body etc.

 

When I first began KY, It felt as if we worked on the navel and

lower three chakras 'til the cows came home and I believe this is

key in being grounded and secure in your body. I've also noticed

this is what is working with the other "take Flight" people I know.

 

I think if we don't really build a strong base for ourselves in the

lower triangle (1,2,3rd chakra) through KY...we lack some of the

ability to walk successfully through the dark when it arises...so we

tend to avoid all the places in the body where there tends to be a

strong concentration of the dark...or if you prefer..the yucky

stuff! or whatever you want to call the subconscious tendencies and

thoughts etc. we find a lot of in the lower triangle. We then feel

totally overwhelmed when we experience it and we get the "H### out

of Dodge" quick.

 

I guess ultimately what I'm saying is that healing requires that we

be willing to witness the shadow as much as the light and we

need "both" of these experiences. We need to witness the light (the

truth) and have that experience in our pocket so when we witness the

shadow, within ourselves, we have a beacon that calls us onward

towards the light and gives us the courage to work with releasing

the shadow parts of ourselves, which is evolution. Forever moving

towards the light.

 

I also found dance to be very effective in "feeling" the body.

Imparticular,African dance. It's very grounding and it's like a

whole chakra workout! I like to call it the mother of all dances!

Funk dance has it's roots in African, so it's grounding as well, but

the content of a lot of funk music can run contrary to soul

affirming thoughts, so you have to keep that in mind as well. (Will

this help or hinder the situation?)

 

 

Perhaps, something I've shared is useful...or maybe it isn't...I

don't know... but it's what came to mind when I read your post.

 

All light,

Sat Sangeet