An Ancient Healing Practice For Embodiment
Hello dear friends!
I was lying on my yoga mat, 2 minutes into a luxurious savasana, when I felt my hands move almost of their own accord. They came to rest on my body- left hand over heart, right hand over abdomen. Then I heard something arise in my mind. Four distinct phrases that I hadn’t thought of in years. I repeated these four phrases over and over, allowing the cleansing tears to flow down the sides of my cheeks, dripping onto my mat.
Over the past few months, I’ve been digging even deeper into my own relationship with my body. My body and I have been through a lot, especially over the last decade. Coming from an adolescence of sexual shame and eating disorders, then into my 20’s with crippling chronic physical symptoms, it hasn’t always been an easy road to feel at peace in this physical home of mine.
I know, acutely so, the pain of being trapped in a body that feels broken. A body that seems to be doing everything wrong. A body that doesn’t fit societal ideals. A body that rebels when you eat certain foods. A body that keeps you up into the middle of the night with pain or anxiety. A body that limits you from doing all the things you want to do with your life, like go to school, hold down a job, or even go for a walk around the neighborhood.
It’s easy, when given a body that struggles, to wage war. This is, after all, what our culture reinforces. We’re taught to be “warriors,” to “fight” disease, to “push through it.” The metaphors of violence are everywhere if you’re looking for them. I know I had/have internalized these messages, seeing my body as the enemy. Whether I was pushing myself to lose a few more pounds, or desperately trying to stand up without fainting in the shower, it was like my body had its own agenda...one that often contradicted my own.
Through the years, I realized that while this type of mindset may have served me for a while, by giving me an “enemy” to fight against, it ultimately blocked my healing process. When we are at war with our bodies, it creates an energetic vibration of mistrust, fear, violence, anger, and resentment. And healing simply cannot happen within these frequencies. And so, being able to forgive, and ideally befriend, my body was (and is) a key piece in my journey to health and happiness.
I’ve also noticed this conditioned hatred or resistance in nearly every single client I’ve ever worked with. Either through shame around body size or appearance, or through the damage of chronic illness, these people had learned to believe that their bodies were not to be trusted. What a sad reality that millions are living with, every day. These physical vessels may not be perfect, and we may not always understand what they’re up to, but they are our homes. They’re the one place that we inhabit, day after day, until we make our transition. We’re stuck with our bodies, whether we like it or not. And I believe embodiment is a key part of our soul contracts here on Earth School, and necessary for true and lasting healing.
There are plenty of techniques for embodiment, but it wasn’t until my recent savasana experience that I thought of another one. A very powerful one. And that is the ancient practice of Ho’oponopono. This beautiful technique comes from the people of Hawaii, particularly the elders and shamans who used this practice as a path for healing and a path for resolving conflict among villages.
You may have heard the four simple phrases of Ho’oponopono before. They go like this:
I am sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you
I love you
At first glance, these seem pretty basic, or maybe not even applicable to your situation. But when you begin to recite them, like a chant or mantra, they can unlock some powerful emotions. While most uses of Ho’oponopono are focused on our relationships with others, I think it is incredibly transformative when applied to ourselves, particularly our physical bodies. I don’t know about you, but I have plenty that I am sorry for, and would like forgiveness for, when it comes to my body. And of course, there is so much to thank my body for, for how hard it works for me, how it supports me every day, and it is most definitely deserving of my love.
I invite you to try this Ho’oponopono practice, speaking to your physical vessel. This magnificent starship that you’ve been given, that has kept you alive for this long. Even if you have a difficult relationship with it. Especially if you have a difficult relationship with it.
Come into a quiet, still moment. Maybe place a hand on your heart if that feels good to you. Then softly say to your body…
I am sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you
I love you
It’s okay if you don’t feel a magical shift right away, or if you feel like you don’t quite believe the words you’re saying. It took me some practice with this ancient ritual, before it unlocked something within me.
Coming back home to our bodies is a winding journey for most of us. So, let’s use all the tools we have. I hope that Ho’oponopono becomes one that you revisit often, diving deeper into its sweet nectar each time.
As always, lovely friends,
Take care and be well.
P.S. If you’d like some 1:1 guidance with healing practices like this one, reach out to book a session. I’m still offering 50% OFF through the end of the month. Use the code WEGOTTHIS when booking.