Word Up Wednesday*

 My word for 2011 is FREEDOM.

It came to me a couple of weeks ago ~ just appearing in my consciousness ~ and I *knew* it was right.

Throughout the year I will explore what this word comes to represent as the days unfold.  Currently, I am tossing back and forth the difference between freedom 'from' and freedom 'to'.

Back in 2008, when I had what I consider to be my major mid-life feminine awakening, my therapist told me, "This is the path you will walk for the rest of your life."

I was stunned by her remark and a horrified look came over my face.  (How could I *possibly* live this life of struggle, questions, longings, revelations, mysteries, defeats, emotional upheavals, worldview shatterings, for the rest of my life????)

She saw my trepidation and gently replied, "Oh.  I won't always be THIS hard, but you will never go back to sleep.  You will walk this path of womanhood for the rest of your life."

And indeed she was right.

(For what transpired over the past 2 1/2 years, you can see my original blog here.)

Fast forward to this week, when FREEDOM to continue on my healing journey is what is needed.  Freedom to heal.  Freedom to allow myself (aka: get out of my own way) to do what is necessary to take care of my physical/emotional/mental/spiritual self.

SOOOOO much healing has occurred since I commenced this intentional journey of saving my own life and unearthing my True Self.  But I am not finished.

And I need to remember that the need to heal will remain in some form or another for the rest of my life on this planet.

This month, Freedom to heal means:

~adding in more exercise (cardio and weights)
~changing up my supplements & embracing a system cleanse
~adding green smoothies back into my routine (although this is somewhat unappealing when it's 20 degrees outside!)
~supercharging the monitoring and re-directing of my monkey mind
~wearing and using various crystals (my most recent purchase is a Rainbow Tourmaline necklace)
~soaking up as much sunshine as I can get while it's available
~not watching the news or exposing myself to other forms of violence & negativity (people/places/things/conversations)
~spending more time on the yoga mat and in devotional mantra chanting

In my studies of yoga philosophy, I am struck by the meaning of Tapas ~  undertaking certain practices for cleansing the residue of daily living.  Look at that again...the residue of daily living.  Wow.

With the intensity of life on Earth right now, we are indeed collecting all manner of junk that needs to be continually cleared out in order for us to ascend.  (This marvelous woman has fantastic tools for assisting in that process!)

With just a few days of re-committing myself to this process, I can already tell a difference in the way I look and feel.  This reinforces my remembrance that healing is a personal, active, progressive, and transformative practice.

* * *

Are there areas of your life that need freedom to heal today?
Leave a comment and I'll be sure to include you in my meditations.
You can also click here to sign up for a free distance Reiki session with me!

Namaste'

* * *

*Word Up Wednesday will hopefully be a weekly chronicle of my FREEDOM in 2011.  
For those of you not aged enough to remember the original Word Up! song, you can see its history here.