The Shift
The neat thing about Bodywork is that stuff comes up, and it’s pretty hard to not notice it. The jaw points (hinges) are major blockages for most people. This is where we “bite off” how we express ourselves, and what we mostly repress are our passions (for life, sexual and sensual expression, etc.) Pushing there often elicits pain at the point, movement of the pelvis, and nausea. Nausea could be described as “sickness over all the shit I’ve swallowed.” In other words, it’s like the body acknowledges that, by looking outside for satisfaction, and for swallowing our passion and zest for life, we’ve become sick to death.
The Path to Curiosity
In the past, I’ve said that emotions are like thermostats. They let us know that something is “up” for us (metaphorically, that ‘our temperature is rising.’) So, really, no matter what arises, the point of the feeling is to get us to pay attention.
Sacred Sexuality
This is the “Sex is Problematic” posture, if you’ll excuse the pun. Many people “do” sexual things, while “hotly” denying their sexuality. Of course, the joke is that sexuality is an energy, and as an energy, is simply (and indivisibly) a part of us — it’s there all the time. That we repress it, deny it, or try vainly to relegate it to the back burner does not change the fact that we are born, live, and die as sexual beings.
Centering
Thus, the relationship chakra is about how you enact your life, as you relate to what is around you.
What is your behavior, how do you relate, to your nearest and dearest?
The useful approach is to let go of clinging to labels, having judgements, and demanding that others change so that you can be happy. You own your experience, your feelings, and your actions. You see each thought and action as it is—a moment and a behavior in the here and now.
Grounding Your Self
Finding ground is the essential first step in living a mindful life. Here are 10 things to experiment with, each designed to connect you firmly to the ground.
Body Voices
There is a certain reluctance, for most of us, to exit our heads and to pay attention to our bodies, senses, emotions, and spirits. We begin to look at how to barely listen to the voice of our body, and in this way to become more centered and calm.
Zen Based, Present Living
