KAJAMA.COM NEWSLETTER

by Emily A. Francis

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

Many times when someone receives physical body work, such as massage or reiki, it seems that often, perhaps just a few days, later their pains return just the same way they were before their treatment. This could be due to two things: First they may have only had one particular layer addressed and treated (such as just the muscles, just the mind, just the energy layers, or just any one avenue of the body in isolation). The second reason is possibly due to the fact that we as a population do not know our bodies and our minds well enough to continue with whatever shift the body has just undergone through a particular treatment. There are no meditation, coping skills, or energy awareness classes offered in school (unless you are super lucky!). Until you journey into this deeper path of awareness, you could miss so many things that your body is experiencing without your conscious knowledge. In my book The Body Heals Itself: How Deeper Awareness of Your Muscles and their Emotional Connection Can Help You Heal I hope to rectify this by at least shining light and introducing you into the various layers that make up your whole being.

How does the body experience feelings and emotions? First, we have an outside stimulus—something that happens that locks into our minds and our bodies. We try to understand it and simultaneously we try to experience it. These experiences encompass positive, negative, and neutral perceptions. When we experience something that is painful we lock it into our minds and into our bodies. We feel it through our nerves (the stimulus to feel the emotions throughout our entire bodies via the central nervous system as they occur), through our blood and plasma (which carries memory), and through our fascia (which moves our energy patterns along the matrix of the fascia throughout our bodies); it shows itself in our auric field in our energy patterns, and embeds itself deeply into our muscles (muscle memory is so much more than remembering how to move). Our muscles hold our emotional experiences very similarly to the way our minds lock in our experiences. When we go through any extraordinary experience, we deal with what we can in the present and then store the rest to be dealt with at a later time. If it never does get uncovered, it can bury itself and plant deep roots of pain, anguish, shame, etc., into our whole bodies. Feelings and emotions that root down or ignored never die nor do they lay dormant. They fester deep within and without being recognized can manifest realities that are not healthy.

In many cases we only attempt to heal ourselves through our mind and cognitive therapy without acknowledging the rest of the body in conjunction to these painful situations. It is my belief that herein lies the divide between understanding our pain, and truly liberating ourselves from our pain. When we shift in our bodies through addressing each of the many layers of our understanding and then learning to transmute that energy into something tangible, this is our liberation. The experiences then become something that we can understand, accept, lessen, and release so that we can finally allow the body to heal itself. We must address each and every layer: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic in order to process it into something we can move forward with in a way that is positive. What our outside influences may be in order to help us heal (doctors, surgeons, psychotherapists, reiki masters, ministers…whatever it may be) are all a necessary part of our path to healing; it is nearly impossible to go it alone. In the end, however, it is our body that decides once and for all whether or not we heal in full. Your body holds all the keys to your energetic wisdom and it is our most powerful ally.

The body communicates its emotions and pain patterns in magnificent ways. The body is reliable and does not play games; it speaks your truth always. Yet we know so little of how to decipher its messages. The communcation our bodies provide through our pain patterns and energy signals is fairly straightforward. If we are perpetually exhausted and our energy is depleted, that is a big red flag that we need to switch it up and look deeper. Maybe we need to change our schedules, adjust our diets, sleep more. If we are depressed or anxious, this is a big sign that we need to seek help from someone to help us get to a new level of being.

Physical symptoms are often coupled with a spiritual crisis. We don't understand our spiritual gifts and instead manifest pain and anguish instead of understanding how to use our sensitivities for something much more grand in our lives. These situations are avenues that are nearly impossible to go it alone. If we have constant pain in a particular area of the body but have no memory of when it started or why, we need to find someone who might be better at communicating with your muscles to help you shift and release. Holding pains in direct areas of our bodies without experiencing a physical trauma, we must look at which muscles groups are storing the emotions and look deeper into why this is. We tend to decide for our body what it is trying to say and we don't reach out for support until the pain becomes a full burden or worse and we find ourselves sick. For example: have you ever felt like you are just stuck in mud or quicksand? You don't know what next step to take and you find yourself feeling lost, confused, lacking energy, not trusting yourself? Chances are, you feel this in your knees. The knees and the muscles around the knees are all about moving forward in your life, figuring out what the next right step is and where to begin. We don't need to overburden ourselves trying to see the whole path, just take that one next right step. Followed by the next one right next step. This can help liberate knee aches, pains, or swelling issues in this area very quickly. Your body and your mind absolutely must be on the same team for anything to work well in your life. It actually can be that simple.

We know when we are sad, mad, happy, fearful, resentful, shame-filled. We have spent a lifetime learning about emotions because they are very mainstream and accepted widely by everyone. What we have a harder time with is understanding why we physically hurt in the same place time and time again. We don't understand fully that those same emotions that we can identify with are also living inside our muscle body just as much. Also, what we don't realize is that by ignoring the signals from our bodies we could actually be leading our selves to become sicker, and more disconnected. Unfortunately, illness is the final signal that our body gives us in regard to all of our systems being out of whack. The good news is that our bodies are magnificent beings and amazing healing miracles can occur simply by understanding and changing the way our body is operating. Our best form of defense is to learn our bodies language and listen to what it has to tell us, followed by feeding it well in response. (This does not just pertain to what you put into your mouth.) Your body's ability to heal is so much stronger and more amazing than anyone has given you permission to believe. Miracles take place across the world every single day. First, however, we must learn to listen to its wisdom, learn to follow in its guidance, and honor the sacred possibility that our bodies can hold. This takes a lot of work, openness, and faith.

I have every faith in you!

Emily A. Francis

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2017. All rights reserved.

My brother-in-law passed away in a tragic car accident. This morning at exactly four a.m., I woke up and opened my eyes and saw that my bedroom light was on. I live alone. (This light is a torch floor lamp; you have to turn the knob for it to turn on/off.) I felt like there was a presence in my room. I lay there for quite some time, unable to go back to sleep. Earlier in the evening, I was watching TV in my living room and saw what appeared to be a dark shadow moving in my bedroom, which is off to the right of my living room. Could this have been my brother-in-law trying to contact me? How can I be more in tune to the presence of departed family members?

Laura

Susyn:

These events could definitely have been signs from your brother-in-law. Since you noticed a dark shadow in your bedroom and then witnessed the floor light come on in the same room, these events appear to be connected. While this could have indicated the presence of any loved one who has passed over, you are wise to trust your sense that it was your brother-in-law, for typically, the first person we think of when something like this happens is the spirit who is trying to contact us.

To me, the most interesting aspect of this experience is how he showed himself in shadow and then managed to turn on the lamp. Perhaps he is trying to convey a message: that although he passed in a sudden, unexpected way that cast a dark shadow over the family, he now resides in the light. I encourage you to share this wonderful message with all those dear to him in case this is what he is trying to say.

Spirits sometimes reveal themselves to a third party instead of their immediate loved ones. It is most likely that he appeared to you instead of his spouse or other family members because those closest to him are still too emotionally distraught to hear or see him.

There are a number of ways you can connect with your brother-in-law. One of the most effective, satisfying methods would be to schedule a session with a psychic who specializes in channeling. If you choose this option, you will be able to receive direct messages from him and also ask questions as well. I highly recommend getting a reading so that you can interact with him as soon as possible.

You could also meditate to invite your brother-in-law in for a conversation, though if you choose this option, it could take a while before you are able to make direct contact. This method may also stir up some confusion if you have trouble deciphering the messages he is sending you.

When a loved one dies suddenly, it can take a while before they are able to interact with us on a regular basis. Typically it takes six weeks before they can communicate, longer if they have not moved into the light yet. Given the manner in which your brother-in-law appeared to you, I would say he has definitely adapted to the spirit world and is ready to communicate with you.

Now that this has happened, you may start to notice other signs that are obviously coming from your brother-in-law. You may frequently hear his favorite song, an aroma that is specific to him, or begin to have dreams in which he plays a key role. Since it seems he is ready and reaching out, you may want to encourage your sister to try and connect with him if you feel she is ready for that sort of experience.

*****

Oceania:

I'm sorry for your family's loss. Your brother-in-law's passing is a poignant reminder of the fragile, precious nature of our lives here on Earth.

If the soul consists of energy, it seems reasonable that it might either accidentally or purposely short-circuit an electromagnetic field and communicate with us via a light or some other electronic appliance. Either you had a visit from your brother-in-law, or you need an electrician to check the wiring in your home!

Author/illustrator Nick Bantock writes children's books for adults, most notably Griffin and Sabine in which you can remove the correspondence of the characters from envelopes. His books are large and colorful, jam-packed with original artwork, and contain delightful, intriguing supernatural stories.

In The Venetian's Wife, a 15th-century explorer is struck dead by lightning, leaving his disembodied soul trapped in electricity. After 600 years or so, he begins to travel through telephone lines and learns to send email from the other side. You might enjoy this magical tale of a spirit who creatively communicates through electricity!

I once woke up in the middle of the night and noticed that a light was on downstairs. I got up to investigate, and upon reaching the staircase, saw my dead stepfather standing at the bottom, looking up at me. No words were exchanged but I clearly understood he had come to make peace. (He died in the midst of unresolved family conflict.)

I believe he appeared to ME because I was the most spiritual, intuitive member of our family of skeptics. I believe your brother-in-law chose you for the same reason. You intuitively sensed it was him. Your question and visit to Kajama indicates that you are paying attention to the spiritual side of life! Like me, you weren't frightened by this experience. That you couldn't fall back to sleep following such an exciting, extraordinary event seems normal to me.

You can be more in tune with departed loved ones by thinking of them, talking to them, putting up photos and sharing memories of them with friends or in a bereavement support group. One thing is for sure: the passing of your brother-in-law is a reminder of how quickly a loved one can exit from our lives.

Please share this experience with those family members receptive to hearing about it. Also, in addition to reconnecting with the departed, spend quality time with the living. By playing games, discussing interesting questions, sharing and listening from your heart and exchanging hugs and other expressions of affection, you can turn your brother-in-law's passing into something positive for the family.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.