sacred energetic medicine for now

I have to keep reminding myself to breathe and be fully present in my body. Invite myself to be home in myself. To listen to my heart (and not the news). To not let my thoughts race and run away with me. Growing up, I experienced trauma from an early age, and my old responses are hard wired into my body & mind. Even after many years of personal & psychological work, my initial response is to disassociate. In that state, I become a numb, shadow of myself. I am able to realize it quickly if it happens now and step away from it (or it doesn’t last long) but it’s still my first defense against trauma & stress. I know a lot of us have survived trauma and carry ptsd and anxiety with us to some degree. I feel you & I see you and am sending you a big hug.

The last 14 days or so have felt like a slowly unfolding natural disaster or extended crisis . I’m reminded of when I was on a plane on 9/11. I remember waiting on the runway for takeoff, they grounded all flights & told us we had to leave the airport on foot, we wouldn’t be able to get our luggage. They turned all the power and lights off and we walked through seatac in darkness, I had my ,then 2 year old, son with me and carried him on my hip, walking as fast as possible until we emerged from the building into the morning light... This experience is for sure bringing up a “best of” traumatic memories reflections for me. But there’s more. It’s showing me my own tenacity & fortitude. Reminding me of how innately capable I am. My connection to my ancestors is intensified.

The ability to weather hardship and call upon inner strength is encoded in my dna and my ancestral line. This is something every one of us has, regardless of race or culture. Those who came before us saw some shit! Our beloved dead did not have the luxuries, conveniences and means that most of us now have. Plumbing, electricity & toilet paper are “new” to the timeline of history. Our ancestors went through struggles on a daily basis. I think of my Mother’s parents. My grandparents grew up in a coal mining town in West Virginia. My grandmother was the oldest of 8 children. Her dad was a truck driver & alcoholic. No one talked about him much but I do know that he left when my Grandmother was very young. My grandmother had to raise her 7 siblings when her mother went to work. There was never enough food, never enough coal, they were always cold and someone was always sick. They ate a lot of oatmeal… My Grandfather’s family lived further out in the holler, the only meat they had on the table were the squirrels and rabbits they hunted for. Vegetables were from the garden or greens they foraged, they did not run out to the store when they needed things… My connection to these lifetimes is activated and I feel the energy of their strength flowing through my blood and bones. They’ve been in this place of uncertainty & vulnerability.

One thing that is different now is the lack of community. Our country’s structure doesn’t lend itself to compassion & looking out for other’s. I have been witnessing full on me me me fear hoarding for weeks. I have been witness to extreme ableism, ageism & self centered-ness. I think a very important aspect of the energetic medicine that is needed now is kindness & community. Connection is so important. Even virtual. I talked on the phone with a good friend for over an hour yesterday & it filled me with so much love & joy.

Kindness, to ourselves and others is a necessity. Watch your words, especially your self talk.

Here are a few simple ways to connect with your own sacred energetic medicines & embody kindess-

*Community-Reach out to friends via phone, text, letter, email. Check on those you love. Check on your elders & folks with health challenges & help with groceries or pharmacy pickups if you can.

A recovery group I’m part of has switched it’s in person meetings to zoom meetings. I’m so excited for this!

Practice patience & empathy. We are all stressed & processing things in our own way. Try not to take things personally.

Donate & share the wealth. Donate money to your local food bank. If you have a secure job, support friends that are artists/independent contractors by promoting their work or buying their offerings. Venmo/paypal gift money to service worker friends affected by this.

Togetherness is important, shine a light on those who are near & dear to you. Let them know you care.

*Ritual- I am sitting at my ancestor altar, lighting candles and offering them water & coffee. Talking to them about my days and asking for their support & presence at this time.

I spend time everyday keeping our home clean, tidy & free of energetic or literal grime. housekeeping as ritual can be very supportive. I burn creosote and mugworth and light beeswax candles. I mop the floor with sacred waters.

Before I get out of bed I set an intention of shielding & safety for my self and my loved ones, including our dog. I envision bright pink energy flowing out of my heart and onto those I love. I make a gratitude list in my mind before I get out of bed.

Intentional food prep. It’s so important to put our loving energy & healing wishes into the food we make. As well as avoiding immune system taxing inflammatory foods (sugar y’all! and processed foods, dairy, caffeine…).

Daily journaling is very supportive for me. I like to start my day with a cup of tea and some writing-before I look at my phone.

*Movement/Get Outside- Many of us in the Seattle area are already self quarantining but fresh air is still needed. Get outside and walk around move your body, walk the dog, honor social distancing but offer smiles or hellos to people you see. Dance, do a pilates or yoga routine (so many on amazon prime if you have that), many websites offer free week or two week trials (try em all out!) and youtube has tons. Work in the garden, talk to your houseplants, hug a tree, look for spring flowers & buds.

*Boundaries- Turn off the news/take breaks (I limit myself to about a 1/2 hour of current news from sources I trust to stay up to speed with this unfolding.), give yourself permission to take a break from facebook etc. Keep a reasonable bedtime. Sleep is SO important. Get your phone out of the bedroom/away from the bed. Stay hydrated, eat well & avoid over-consuming coffee, alcohol & “comfort” foods.

Know that it’s ok to not hold space for stressed out friends & family. Honor your own needs & limits.

*Creativity- Whatever this looks like for you. I enjoy sewing (and all fabric/domestic arts), singing, writing, playing with plant creations, decorating the home, baking… Just move that energy from within and let it come out through your hands & make something, anything, you feel moved to make.

*Spring Cleaning/Get Rid of It- With many events/jobs/gatherings cancelled, most of us are home way more. Curate your things and do a deep letting go of STUFF. It moves old energy and creates space for new experiences to get rid of things that are no longer useful of loved.

*Mindset- Yes things are intense& in turmoil but there are still bits of beauty & moments of joy available to us. Make time for laughter and brightness in every day. I’m not minimizing the situation but I am as prepared as possible and still trying to enjoy life under these new restrictions. I cannot immerse myself in fear programming & hyper vigilance. Your goals and plans still matter, honor them, allow yourself to dream & write a list of things you’d like to manifest. I turn my face to the sun, hold my spirits in my heart & trust that I am being held & supported through this time. It will pass and we will emerge transformed.

This is just a little list of what I have been doing that feels helpful to me. I hope it helps inspire you to connect to your own inner energetic medicine & to walk in beauty & kindness even when the world around seems challenging & heavy. Sending you all lots of love. xoxo