The Healing Process: through difficulty or ease?

The epic Closing of the Bones ceremony

An ancient postpartum ceremony that honors and initiates the mother. I have learned this in Miss B’s Yucatec Maya lineage and have experienced it twice after the birth of each of my children. For many this ceremony is healing and blissful. Like returning to the womb to be held and tended to by the spirits and plants. For me, this ceremony both times has had an intensity to it. It has brought facing fear to the surface. Moving through intense restriction, speaking up for myself and working with my edges. Knowing when to ask for help and when to coach myself through and surrender. As the intensity unfolds and loosens, I have been able to drop in and access peace.

Traditional healing is special. It’s beautiful and it also has a tendency to be rough and gruff. But my healing style has evolved to be breathed into softness. It’s not a no pain no gain kind of game I’m working with here. You get to feel safe and held. You get to feel the yumminess of plants surrounding you and in peace. Yes sometimes intensity comes up (especially when you’re being bound with a bunch of cloths ) but I intend to continue to bring extra ease and grace into this work.

In our culture we have a tendency to think that a little something extra comes with suffering. That healing comes through hardship; that “more is more”. That if we’re not having a big, explosive experience with visions and difficulty then we’re not doing the work- that we didn’t drop in, didn’t take enough, didn’t open up or surrender enough. But I’ve learned there is magic in the subtle. In the softness and gentle loving touch. I’ve learned that actually less can be more. And that there is deep potency and healing available to us if we can learn to lean into the subtle effects of being held in gentle, quiet loving space.