Women’s Energetics: Healing the Subtle Body Wounds of Sexual Abuse and Trauma
10 Exercises for Self-Healing and Empowerment
By Lisa Erickson
V 1.2
Copyright Lisa Erickson 2012
Published by Lisa Erickson at Smashwords
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com, where they can also discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.
Practice 1: Energy Diagnostic and Journaling
Practice 2: Empowering Your Intent to Heal
Practice 3: Initial Release in Lower Chakras
Practice 4: Transforming Anger and Fear
Practice 5: Working with Energy Lines
Practice 6: Deep Release and Empowerment of All Chakras
Practice 7: Strengthening Chakra Flow and Connection
Practice 8: Engaging and Opening the Sacral Chakra
Practice 9: Traveling Through the Sacral Doorway
Practice 10: Integration and Love
Appendices:
Sexual Healing and Trauma Online Resources
This e-book will guide you through a set of exercises for clearing and healing your subtle body of energetic wounds resulting from sexual trauma or abuse. It is based on principles from many different energy healing traditions, and on the very important idea that any of us can facilitate our own healing through working with our own subtle body. These practices are not meant to replace counseling or treatment from professionals of any type, but may augment other help you receive or work you have done on yourself.
Most of all, this e-book is meant to empower you.
One of the most devastating consequences of sexual trauma and abuse is the sense of disempowerment they create. From the perspective of energy body teachings, sexual abuse and trauma most directly impact our first and second energy centers, or chakras – the root of our energetic being. When these are impacted, we often feel as if we cannot fully own our personal power or potential, no matter how successful we may appear in the outer world. By helping you to work directly with these chakras yourself, the exercises in this e-book will help you to reconnect to your own power, and your own ability to self-heal. When this foundation is restored, energy can move through your entire being more freely, empowering every aspect of your life.
You don’t need any prior knowledge of energy healing, subtle anatomy, or the chakras in order to benefit from the exercises in this book. I’ve designed this program for any woman to follow, and I’ve included audio files on my accompanying website to help you along. If you’re interested in learning more about the chakras, I also have many resources online that you can use to do so, but that’s up to you. This is a ‘doing’ e-book – I want to help you jump in and begin to work with your energy body directly. You don’t have to understand chakra theory or full subtle anatomy to do this, anymore than you need to read about dance and understand its history in order to dance around your living room.
You also don’t have to be a victim of overt sexual trauma or abuse to benefit from these exercises. Frankly, I feel that every woman on the planet should engage in a process of this type at some point in her life. Often our subtle body – and our lower chakras in particular – hold emotions or blocks related to sexual inequities, harassment, or cultural imbalances that we may not even be conscious of. The exercises here are designed to first surface, release and heal those wounds and blocks, and then to reconnect us to the natural energies and unique spiritual power of our sacral (second) chakra. In addition to the personal benefits, any woman that does this begins to emit a new kind of light, contributing to the rebalancing of energies that is currently occurring in the world, as these issues get addressed on a wider, and more public, level in our society.
However, if you have experienced sexual trauma or abuse, it’s important not to view this e-book as a replacement for counseling or therapy. Although I believe in the power of energy healing, it is based on the mind-body connection, and we often need to address both the mind and body through other means as well. If you have been the victim of sexual abuse or violence of any sort at any point in your life, please seek professional help if you have not done so already. Whether your abuse or violent event(s) took place recently or years ago, you can benefit from professional help, and there are many affordable options. I have included some resources to get you started in the Appendix, but please also go online and research more for yourself. This energetic process will benefit you more once you have completed, or are at the very least engaged in, a therapeutic process.
In the first two sections of this e-book, I will provide you with some guidelines for working with the exercises, and with preparatory steps you can take to maximize the benefits you will receive from them. After that, each section describes a practice, and links to an audio file online you can use to guide you through that exercise if you prefer (although each exercise is fully described here.) Please don’t hesitate to contact me through my website or by emailing me directly at lameditation@earthlink.net at any time with questions. I am honored to be participating in your healing process, and am here to help.
So now we begin! Peace-
Lisa Erickson
October 2011, Los Angeles, CA
http://www.TheMaatInstitute.com
Working with the Practices
The exercises in this e-book revolve around the chakras. Chakras are energy centers in our subtle or energy body – the field of non-physical energy that surrounds and interacts with our physical body. Chakras are intersections of mind, body, and spirit, impacting our health, personal power, and spiritual connection. Such energy centers are posited in many energy healing and spiritual traditions, particularly in the East.
Although it’s not required, if you would like more background on the chakras and/or the women’s energetics teachings that this work is based on before you begin, you can read through some of the Chakras and/or Women’s Energetics resources I have online. I also have a Women’s Energetics booklist that you can look at for other suggested reading. If you like, you can also read through this entire E-book in advance before you begin, although this isn’t necessary –you will be guided day by day.
Although the exercises in this book will help you work with all 7 of the chakras taught in the most common chakra system, they are particularly focused on the first and second chakras, which are most directly impacted by sexual trauma. Because these chakras form the foundation of our chakra system, when they are inhibited in any way, we can find it difficult to fully access our personal power and passion. A healthy second chakra – located in our womb area - is particularly important for women, because of the central role it plays in the flow of our kundalini, or spiritual life force energy.
There are 10 practices in total, consisting of visualization work, meditations, and journaling. I have created guided audio files for each exercise, and linked to them before the description of each exercise. You do not have to use these audio files, as all of the exercises are also described in writing.
Of course, to play the exercises live from this e-book you will need to be connected to the internet through a browser while you are reading. If you prefer to play them offline, go to the main page for all the audio files before you begin, and download them by clicking on each and then selecting ‘Save As’ from your browser to save them to your disk. They are mp3 files, so you should be able to load them into Itunes and from there onto a compatible listening device if you prefer. The audio files are available here:
The practices are best done in the order they are presented here, as together they form a progressive program that first surfaces and heals issues, and then takes you deeper into empowerment work. However, you can vary this if you like – above all trust your intuition. But do keep in mind that the practices progress, with the focus of the first half of the program on healing, and the second half on empowerment.
Although I initially created these exercises as part of an intensive, 10-day program, you can spread them out over a much longer time if you wish. The pacing and intensity will really depend on where you are in your life, and what you think you can handle. You are in complete control of this process, and can choose your engagement level. This is very important, so I will repeat it – you are in complete control of this process!
You can do this process more than once, and you can pull out any of the practices to do individually as you like, although as I said, they were designed to work together, and in this order. I’ve noted when it’s important to combine a particular practice with another one, but these are all accessible, safe practices for any woman to engage in. Over the time I have been teaching these practices, I have received many questions about them, and if you are interested, you can check out the Frequently Asked Questions (and my answers) online.
Please don’t worry about how well you are or aren’t doing the exercises. Although you will use your mind to focus your intent to heal during this work, the process unfolds on the subtle level. Trust that something larger than yourself is occurring, and that it doesn’t require perfection on your part. The important thing is just to do your best, begin your healing journey, at the level that feels comfortable for you. I firmly believe that these practices are empowered and protected by forces much greater than me or you, and that once you begin, you will feel this for yourself, and be guided by it.
Prepare a quiet, comfortable, safe place to do this work each day. If you already have a meditation corner or spot, use that, or create one for the purpose of these practices. Although you can do them in your bedroom, I do not recommend doing them on your bed. Place some pillows, blankets, incense and/or candles around you. If you have spiritual symbols, pictures, mentors or teachers that are a source of strength for you, consider placing pictures of these around you. You want to create a space where you feel comfortable and safe, and can do the practices undisturbed.
Some women like to do the contemplative exercises – especially the First Practice – as a journaling exercise. You may want to keep a journal or notebook and writing utensil available near your designated space. You will probably also want to print out this e-book to have at your side, although you can simply keep your computer or e-reader nearby instead.
The guided meditations and visualization practices are available in audio form online, and are also linked to individually before each exercise is described. You do not have to use the audio files – all of the practices are fully described in writing here – but if you think you would like to, you might want to download them onto your computer or whatever listening device you are using in advance (although you should also be able to simply click on them on the site and stream them directly from your computer as well.)
You should plan to spend about 15-20 minutes doing each exercise, although time will vary depending on your own preferences and pacing. You can do them at any time of day, but give yourself some space around it – you may need some transition time before or afterwards. Whether you decide to do the work daily, weekly or monthly, you may want to schedule it into your calendar or datebook, to help you stay committed.
Although most women find they get the most out of this process when they do it in a fairly condensed period of time – 2 -3 weeks or so - it is OK if you vary that, especially if it starts to feel overwhelming. If that occurs, give yourself a break, and pick up where you left off when you feel ready. The most important thing is to be gentle on yourself. You can also repeat this process as many times as you like, if you find it helpful, although the first time through instigates an ongoing process of healing, that will continue even after you have stopped doing the practices.
Some women like to coordinate this work with their menstrual cycles, or with the phases of the moon. If you would like to do this, consider starting the work towards the end of your period, and/or on the day after a new moon. This way you are building towards the height of your cycle and/or the full moon as you progress through the initial practices.
If questions arise, please feel free to post them as a comment on the page for this E-book at www.MommyMystic.com or to email me directly at lameditation@earthlink.net. I check both regularly. You may post your comment anonymously or with an imaginary name, if you are reluctant to post openly, and your question may help someone else. But emailing me is also fine - I am here to help.
Finally, healing is a natural process, although sometimes it requires effort and you can feel like there is resistance. Think of yourself like a tree seed sprouting and pushing up through the dirt to find the sun. Any resistance that you feel, in the form of difficult emotions or problems focusing, is natural, and you will find your way to that sun. Although I have tried to make this material non-denominational so that anyone of any spiritual belief system can engage in it, feel free to add prayer, meditations, or spiritual practices of your own to the daily process, in order to empower and spiritualize the process for yourself. No matter what, remember that you are supported and loved as you do this work.
When doing energy work such as the exercises in this e-book, it is important to initiate your session each time you sit down to practice. What follows are four easy steps that will help to center and focus your attention, and connect you with your subtle body. Do these steps each time you sit down to do one of the exercises in this e-book. As with all the exercises, you can listen to the online audio file to help you, or simply follow the written instructions here.
Audio: Practice Initiation Ritual (Click to play online, or Click and then select Save As from your browser if you’d prefer to save it to your hard drive to play later.)
Steps:
1. Ground Yourself: Sit solidly, with a straight spine if possible, and focus on wherever your body is connecting to the floor – your feet if you are sitting in a chair, or your sit-bones if you are on a pillow or the floor. Imagine you are connecting yourself by an anchor of light deep into the earth beneath you. Actually visualize a column of light extending from your tailbone down into the dirt and rocks beneath you in the earth. Allow yourself to feel connected to, and supported by, this connection.
2. Center Yourself: Focus on your heart chakra – the area right in the center of your chest, where your breastbone curves. Picture a beautiful white light glowing in the center of your chest (like E.T.!) Breathe into this space. Allow yourself to feel connected to love and balance. Bring yourself back to this place whenever you need to throughout the practices.
3. Draw Your Boundary: Picture a circle or oval of light surrounding your body – about a foot or so out from you on all sides. You can visualize this extending from just below your navel if you like. This is your ‘safe place’ to do your practices – inside this bubble you are dealing only with the purity of your own energy being. Whenever you feel distracted by thoughts or responsibilities from ‘outside’ this bubble, visualize yourself gently pushing them outside of it.
4. Establish Your Intent: State aloud your goal in undergoing this process. Something like:
“My intent for this practice is to heal myself of any remaining wounds related to past sexual trauma or abuse, so that I may own my personal power to an even greater degree, and live my life in the fullness of joy, passion, and creativity.”
However, you may state it in your own words. You may also ask for help if you like from any spiritual force, guide, or deity that you personally connect with.
After you have completed this preparation work, move into the practice you are currently on.