This morning while walking the pups I was asking lots of questions, one of which was, “What can I do today to nurture my body?” The answer I received was a flashback of a moment from yesterday when I listened to my body without even realizing that’s what I was doing. I had just given a healing session when I felt inspired to shake the energy out of my hands. Once I started, I couldn’t stop–shaking of the hands led to shaking of my entire body and it. felt. so. good.

What I was doing was a simplified version of a powerful practice called Guided Movement. I learned this from my meditation teacher, Geraldine Norris, who learned it from Mary White. It’s a full-body, heart-centered meditation and it’s as simple as it gets. I begin by bowing to the four directions and connecting to my heart space (I start in the East and go clockwise). Then I just allow my body to flow with the energy until the energy dissipates. I close with a bow of gratitude. Sometimes the experience is gentle and nurturing, sometimes I’m a whirling dervish, and other times I can’t seem to get my mind out of the way long enough to feel anything. And it’s all perfect. One side note is that this practice is all the more powerful when there are others in the room. It’s awesome either way, but in the company of friends it’s off the chart!

As soon as I can, I’ll post a video of me doing a round of Guided Movement so you can see what I’m describing.

This is a brilliant practice to do when you feel stuck or stagnant and could use a hit of energy. It’s also great when you feel like you’re holding onto something (energy, emotion, sensation, etc.) that it would serve you to let go of–it is very honoring of the body to allow it to release. And one great thing is that you don’t need to know what you’re releasing–this is not head-shrinking psychotherapy, this is life-enhancing energy flow! It’s also a great practice for healers to do in between clients to ensure there’s no holding onto of others’ stuff.

As for whether to have eyes open or closed, ultimately open is your best option. Seriously…it’ll keep you from running into walls, furniture, your pets, etc. It’s also said that eyes open allows for more energy flow. That could just be an interesting point of view, though, so play with it and see what you find. When I first started I did it with my eyes closed because, a) I was self-conscious of doing it in front of others, and b) I felt the sensation of the energy better with closed eyes. Now, though, I keep ’em open the entire time.

And one last warning: it’s best not to do this too close to bedtime. It might amp you up so much you can’t fall asleep.

This is a very powerful tool I’ve had on the shelf way too long. I’m pulling it out, dusting it off, and putting it to use to help shift my reality. Try it and let me know your experiences.