Let's start with my little episode of shingles I was graced with last summer...it's relevant trust me.
Last summer I spent three months traveling solo around Europe. I started in the UK, took a train up to Scotland, puddle jumped over to Ireland, basked in the sun on the island of Mallorca, ate and danced my way through Italy, and ended up spending six weeks frolicking in the mountainous canton of Engadin, Switzerland. It was epic. It was also challenging at times as I was faced with hard truths in moments of intense self-reflection. Nevertheless, I was down for it, I was all in. This is why I bought a one way ticket in the first place! I was embarking on a self-discovery journey. My intention was to leap into the unknown and spend time with my wavering trust in life. Like the understudy I was, I knew that in order to understand the full blown embodiment of trusting life, I needed to surrender any control I thought I had over it. I am not saying that everything in life is out of our control. Not at all! How we respond to everything in life is within our control. I am talking about surrendering to this part of life that wants to assist us. This place where we can become co-creators with life in a conscious way. When we allow life to create with us versus always overriding it with our incessant drive for MORE, life can surprise and delight us with what we sometimes call signs, magic, or synchronicities. I think it's because for a moment we finally got out of the way and life was able to come through and create with us and for us in a way that flows. This is what I learned during my three months, to trust life without abandon. I also knew I would know when my journey was complete and it was time to return home.
How does this relate to body mapping you may be wondering?
Two weeks before I decided to buy my flight back to California I got shingles. SHINGLES! I was a 33 year old woman in excellent health and I got shingles. I didn't just get shingles, my shingles showed up in a very particular spot on the right side of my body that I had been experiencing deep healing with. I was working with my right masculine side of my body and bringing it into union with my feminine left side. I was healing my inner child, my mother and father wounds in a more profound somatic way than I have ever done or experienced. (Spoiler: healing it had so much to do with running, being in nature, and giving it space to reveal itself layer by layer... more for another blog post). The ancestral traumas and pains I was carrying, unbeknownst to me, were surfacing and I was able to lovingly transmute them as I reclaimed my own authentic power. I was letting go of past relationships and grieving parts of myself and others that I was moving on from. Bridgette was bridging the gap between who she was and who she was becoming. It was awfully painful and ecstatic, often interchangeably so.
Being a bodyworker and acutely aware of my own physical form from a very young age, I knew that this flare up of shingles was my body communicating something deeper to me. Having studied and practiced Japanese Shiatsu and Chinese Medicine meridians, I referred to my notes on the meridian point on which my shingles arose. I knew it was a liver point but the description of the exact point was quite astounding: Liver 14: Coming into One's Self. I burst out laughing! Are you kidding me?! Yes! I thought, "Wow, body you are so insanely wise. Thank you for expelling any old parts of me that don't serve me. Thank you for working with me and showing me I am on the right track!" My case of shingles was very mild and hardly painful which I am grateful for. Yes, I exercise and eat a non-processed, organic, non-toxic, no seed oils, sugars, etc. diet. However, I truly believe that my pain was minimal because I have already been doing the deep work and this was just the last part of this particular process I was in.
My story is body-mapping at its essence. We can glean valuable insight to where and how we can focus our healing if we listen to our bodies innate wisdom and language.
Viewing my body as a creator in life with me and a manifestation of thought itself, I am able to work with my body versus against it. I was able to see this unusual shingle encounter as a gift! I really thought of it that way too. As delusional as some may think I am, I was so grateful to my body for working with me on my journey of healing. Getting shingles really was all part of the process of releasing me from my past and stepping out of fear based thinking. I became curious about this flare up and found the wisdom in it rather than project fear on to a condition that our allopathic medicine paradigm would categorize in an isolated symptom based approach to healing. This is not true healing.
So, what is body-mapping?!
Our body is like a road map. It shows where we've been, where we are headed, and the stops we have or will take along the way if we keep heading a certain direction. It also lets us know what needs our attention.
In a metaphysical context, body mapping can be viewed beyond just the physical structure of the body. It can encompass the idea that our bodies are interconnected with our emotions, experiences, and even spiritual aspects.
The concept of "the body keeps the score" is often associated with how our bodies store past traumas, emotions, and experiences. This idea, popularized by psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, suggests that unresolved emotional issues and traumas can manifest physically in the body. Body mapping, in this sense, can be seen as a way to explore how our emotional and mental states are reflected in our physical being. I find this extremely empowering because it means that you and I are the creators of our reality. Our healing starts with being curious and looking beyond our three dimensional form.
From the crown of our heads to the soles of our feet, each part of our body holds a unique significance, reflecting not only physical health but also emotional states, energetic imprints, and ancestral memories.
From a metaphysical perspective, body mapping can be utilized as a tool for self-discovery, healing, and transforming one's relationship with their body. By understanding how different emotions and experiences are held in specific parts of the body, individuals can work towards releasing emotional blockages, promoting holistic well-being, and achieving a greater sense of balance and harmony.
Let's break down the body into sections:
There are so many schools of thought when it comes to looking at the body's energetic patterning. For this blog I am going to focus on what I have learned from my own experiences and training as a bodyworker for the last 10 years. This is no way is a comprehensive guide or the only way to look at this subject matter. Think of it more as cliff notes for your holistic healing journey!
Some quick reference points:
Left Side of the Body. Relates to feminine concerns, such as receptivity, intuition, creativity, and emotions. It can also relate to old wounding patterns, past lives, and ancestral wounding
Right Side of the Body. Consider masculine issues, such as activity, drive, achievements, and thoughts. It can also relate to things we need to let go of and more represents the future or present moment concerns.
Front Side of the Body. Refers to the conscious and everyday issues you are facing.
Back Side of the Body. Relates to unconscious and spiritual ideas and experiences of the soul.
Often times when we feel pain move from our left side of our body to our right it can be a sign that things are ready to move on and out of our body. With the right attention and care we can facilitate this movement for our greater healing.
Body-Mapping: A Quick Guide to Our Mind-Body Connection
Use the following guide as a reference to inquire further into parts of your body that you might be struggling with. You also don't have to have a certain issue with a part of your body to gain valuable wisdom from it and how it might assist other parts of you. All parts of you work together after all!
Read the following information in this order:
Body Part ------ Life Concerns ------ Innate Spiritual Quality
Upper Body: Arms, Shoulders, Head, Hands, Fingers, Chest
Right Side: Issues around knowledge
Arm, right Ability to give blessings Caregiving
Hand, right Taking what self desires Ability to live fully
Eye, right. Practical view of world Practical clarity
Ear, right Receives messages from masculine Acceptance of guidance sources, leading to action
Elbow, right Makes room for others’ needs Other-love
Left Side: Issues around power
Arm, left: Ability to accept blessings Receptivity
Hand, left Receiving of good things Receptivity
Elbow, left Makes room for personal needs Self-love
Eye, left: How soul sees world Spiritual clarity
Ear, left: Receives messages from feminine Acceptance of loving sources, guidance
Arms/Hands/Shoulders/Chest/Torso:
Shoulders Carries burdens; manages stress Ability to let go—let God in
Breasts Maternal love Acceptance of divine love
Heart Ability to give and receive love Honoring of love
Sternum Holds inner child’s goals Innocence
Liver External power Connection to Spirit’s power
Kidneys Childhood fears; relationship with inner child Vulnerability to love; inner child
Fingers How we grasp the world Love of world
Right and Left Wrists Handling world with ease Ease and flexibility
Head/Face/Neck:
Pituitary Hormones, self-image Love of self
Head Holds thoughts of higher self Spiritual connection
Face Shows self to world Honesty
Pineal gland Expression of life purpose Grace
Thyroid Energy to express desires Acceptance of personal needs
Nose Setting of direction Ability to remain on spiritual point
Sinuses Effect of others on self; grief Ability to not personalize
Jaw Decisiveness about what to say Truthfulness
Lips Feelings we share with others Acceptance of feelings
Mouth Communication with others Discernment
Neck Honoring of views Honor and courage
Lower Body: Pelvis, hips, legs, feet
Right side: Issues around love
Thigh, right- Storage of paternal emotions. Acceptance of masculine needs and perspectives.
Left side: Issues around support
Thigh, left- Storage of maternal emotions. Acceptance of feminine needs and perspectives.
Pelvis/Hips/Reproductive/Legs/Feet
Hips Power in world Self-respect
Pelvis Girdle of life, needs, and desires Acceptance of Spirit’s will
Knees Movement forward Ability to follow Spirit’s directions
Uterus New beginnings Universal connections
Ovaries Creativity of feminine self Creativity
Cervix Entryway for earthly needs Acceptance of body’s divinity
Testes Masculine self and actions Masculinity
Prostate Marriage of needs and feelings Sense of adequacy
Rectum Response to pressure Self-regulation
Bladder Storage of life energy Regulation of power
Ankles Flexible action Partnership with Spirit
Feet Advancement of self Ability to let Spirit carry self
Toes Relationship with earth Love of nature
Bones: skeletal system & teeth:
These hold the oldest patterns and are often called ‘the ancient ones.’ The psychological quality of bones is that they’re not emotional, they’re very neutral.
Bones speak to the stories of what was once, what is now and what will be in the future.
Teeth Expressions of innate truths Acceptance of truths
In conclusion....
Next time you get shingles, do a little happy dance for your body is communicating with you! Just kidding, I hope you don't get shingles but if you do it's probably worth being curious about.
Exploring body mapping from a metaphysical viewpoint can lead to a deeper understanding of the mind-body connection and how our physical bodies are a reflection of our inner selves. It allows individuals to delve into the complexities of their being, address past wounds, and ultimately strive towards a more integrated and holistic approach to health and wellness.
I also encourage you to check out the book "Heal Your Body: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Metaphysical Way to Overcome Them" by Louise Hay. It is a great reference book to have on hand!
Is body-mapping part of your healing toolkit? I'd love to know if you have had any experience with it! Let me know in the comments! 🩵
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