Recently, I was speaking to a plastic surgeon who called prior to my upcoming procedure. They were about to remove some cancer cells from my face, so he wanted to talk about skin. At this point I felt sharing more details were important, so I volunteered information about my fair complexion and that I grew up on Long Island. Basically, on the beach.
Wasn’t it interesting, I thought, when he responded, “I bet you spent a lot of time on the West end of Jones Beach.” Huh…another Long Islander. Well, yes, I said. I recalled hours on the hot sand near the salty ocean waves. Never one to tan, only burn, I wasn’t a fan of intense sun. My face and back always needed lots of Noxzema to cool off the burn when I got home.
In a practiced mantra he replied, “The skin always remembers.” This got my attention. I immediately thought of what another teacher of mine Dr. Stephen Aizenstat has said, “the body is always dreaming.” How interestingly similar these two reflections. With the surgeon’s comment I began to wonder. What is my body remembering?
What is the Body Remembering
It’s been two weeks since they went in and took out basal cells and then carefully maneuvered my skin to cover the affected area. No way was I going to do the YouTube recording I had planned. Yet I went on camera anyway…inflamed skin and obvious scar and all. I decided that I wasn’t going to hide. My body was telling me something and it was time to listen.
First step – gathering a team of medical experts to begin a process of recovery is a given. At the same time, as a spiritual life coach, I wanted to access a deeper level of my body’s wisdom. I was curious how this medical procedure could be an opportunity to rid myself of other hidden toxins.
In my Dream Circles I share the teaching that “the body is always dreaming.” At night it feels ahhh so good to close my eyes, lay prone and rest my bones. Blessed sleep. Yet, the body doesn’t fully slumber. As our muscles relax the brain begins to pick up body signals. It starts to cycle through a series of discovery, repair, and creation of a new restorative synthesis. While research about sleep and dreaming continues, we know that there are various stages of sleep – all essential to the healing process. The REM level is when most of our dreaming happens.
I believe that receiving insightful messages can also happen outside of night sleep such as when we are meditating or when we are “in the zone” hyper-focused on a creative activity. These are times when we are deeply relaxed and, like sleep, our brain can more easily detect underlining energies. If the body always remembers then tapping into its messages through dreaming and waking visions are important.
In my work I look at what’s hidden on the other side of things. Personally, I feel gratitude when I become aware of clues from the dreamtime or from sparks of insight. My body is my personal landscape. Developing a relationship with her memory and her dreamtime is essential. So, when old wounds reappear, either in a physical form or as an emotion, I want to gently and compassionately engage it in a conversation. These conversations with the body are opportunities for us to participate in the healing process.
Participating in the Healing Process
In my case I used the reappearance of an old sunburn injury, in the form of a benign skin cancer patch, to see if there are any other toxins that are coming to the surface. Here are a few ways I coaxed my body’s memory.
After I learned that surgery was needed, I began to pay close to my dreams in a specific way.
I wanted to see if a character or an object appeared in the dreamtime who was also experiencing an injury or a dilemma that needed resolution?
If so, what does it look like? And were there any emotions or bodily sensations around the figure?
As I mentioned, when doing this work its helpful to gather a team of medical experts and other healing coaches to assist you. At the same time, supportive figures or soul companions can appear in your dreams, in addition to your waking life, so be attuned to these guides as well.
Dreams and meditative insights speak their own language. That is to say, they are not literal and often don’t express themselves in logical story narratives. Before the surgery I had dreams of magic rabbits living two levels below my garden steps. These rabbits had special power. Blue Herons came, as well as a woman who appeared as bright light. Other dreams had two circles, stacks of round smooth stones, and strong emotions.
These figures and feelings allowed me a way to interact with my inner wisdom.
Old stories came to mind as I dialoged with dream figures, stories that I looked at and then decided it was time for them to go.
In meditation I focused on sending healing light to my face where the benign cells were. I imagined cells repairing, healing from the inside out.
I asked the dream woman who appeared as bright light to help me heal the wound. After interacting with her that part of my face felt very warm.
Recovery and repair happens every night when we sleep. Why couldn’t it happen if I intentionally relaxed my muscles and allowed my whole body to assist in the healing process?
The body is always dreaming, always remembers, and is constantly aware of itself in ways that we are only beginning to understand. Gathering healers in waking life and in our dreamtime give us an opportunity to create a new restorative synthesis. What is your body dreaming?
Endnote
Here's a YouTube link to a short film of stacked stones that I found in Rock Creek Park, DC.
Interested in experiencing dream exploration in a Dream Circle? Here is a free opportunity to experience what a Dream Circle is all about. Register for the next complimentary class scheduled for Thursday, September 19 at 1:00 pm ET. Register here.
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