Joseph Campbell once said, “when we talk about settling the world’s problems, we’re barking up the wrong tree. The world is perfect. It’s a mess. It has always been a mess. We are not going to change it. Our job is to straighten out our own lives.”
I think about this idea a lot, and have since I was a child. So many of us have such a strong desire to help others, and it’s instilled in us from a young age that if we are productive then we are doing well. So in a time of societal crisis, when we are still trying to be productive and help those around us, it’s easy to lose sight of our own needs and our own healing.
Lately I have noticed blockages in my energetic systems from my solar plexus to my throat, and decided I should investigate further. And I realized how universal this might be at the moment. Our solar plexus chakra governs our personal drive in life, and for many of us, it seemed our personal paths just fell off a cliff at the onset of COVID. Our heart chakra connects us to the love that exists all around us, and is blocked by grief, which can seem to be ever present these days. And our throat chakra is our center of truth, how we honestly speak to ourselves and others. And the way our news has unfolded around us over the last few years, hearing lies told as truth day in and day out, our collective honesty could use a bit of attention.
I found this process incredibly healing and grounding, and it did in fact help with some nausea I had been experiencing. I’ll explain what I did, and if it resonates with you, try to carve out some time to try it yourself. If you’re interested in participating in healing art sessions, please reach out either by emailing SweetBriarInk@gmail.com or messaging me on Instagram.
Step One
Find a quiet and comfortable space for yourself. I chose to lie in bed, but anywhere you can comfortably be in silence will work great. Start with a body check-in, and just notice what you can sense as you go from toe to head or vice versa. Can you feel the socks on your feet? Can you feel pressure where your body meets a chair? Simple questions to just connect you in to your body. After you have done a simple check-in, notice what areas of your body need attention. Can you get into a more comfortable position? The further you go into this type of questioning, the more clarity you will receive on what needs healing. If you are familiar with the chakra system, you can focus on anything that needs work. If you prefer to follow along with the solar plexus to throat combination, I’m sure you will find benefit there as well.
Step Two
After identifying what needs healing, take some time to write out your intentions for that part of you. When I write these intentions, I prefer writing an incantation of sorts. I do believe that the more intention you put into any effort, the more you will get from it in the end, and selecting words for an intention can be very powerful. if you prefer, please feel free to use my incantation:
Solar Plexus, settle your storm
The pathway is clear, but first you must mourn.
Heart, so full of grief, I see you raging
Let it all out and be finished with caging
feelings that are so true and alive
Stop resisting your power, go forth and thrive
Make clear the threshold of honesty’s gate
In swirling blue light, I speak truth as if fate.
Step Three
Prepare your space. Make sure you have all the supplies you need for your painting, as well as any objects that bring you comfort or a feeling of safety and calm. I like to light candles while saying my incantation, and I create an altar specific to the task at hand.
Step Four
Select your initial color corresponding to the chakra at hand. For this exercise, we start with yellow. Now, just begin painting. The object of the exercise is learning about yourself, not creating something for your wall. Try to leave your judgments aside and just play with the color. When you need to, take breaks. In this exercise, after painting my yellow background, I lay on the floor and did another body check-in with a further focus on the solar plexus. As you move through your process, when you feel ready, start introducing more colors. The color for the heart chakra is green, and the throat is blue. Don’t necessarily keep yourself in the box of using each color or using only these colors. This is explorative and safe, so do what feels right. As you paint, take the time to notice how the paint moves across the surface, and how the pigments form new shapes and movements.
Step Five
Don’t forget to take time for writing and other breaks. If you’re hungry, eat. Stay hydrated. And if thoughts come up for you, take some time to explore them in writing. Often times this is when I really learn from the process. This is one of the thoughts that came up for me in this exercise:
Time unfolds in circles, these orbs of isolated souls swirling toward bodies alone in space yet joined by so many. Just fragments of time in human form.
And that’s that! I also use flower essences in these exercises, and here is a list of what I used specifically for this one:
Green Hope Essences Shrubby Cinquefoil: The spiritual path can get murky, and sometimes we can get lost or sidetracked on trails that lead nowhere. This essence helps us discern the wisest path for our feet to take and helps us proceed on this path with common sense, a sturdy sense of practicality and resolve, even a sense of humor.
Pacific Northwest Essences Hematite Gem: for use when feeling overwhelmed or quickly drained when in an intense emotional situation; losing one’s ground and center in stressful situations or environments
Tree Frog Farm Cottonwood Essence: use cottonwood tree essence when you want to radiate love but don’t feel able. Helpful when you are unable to sink your roots into the waters of your unloved emotions and bring them into the light. Useful when you feel a lack of harmony with nature.
Tree Frog Farm Sweet Briar Rose Essence: fuels consistent love for yourself and others in all circumstances. I AM constancy with love come rain or come shine.