So I experienced something today that was beyond my realm of understanding. Still feeling the current within my body, I'll do the best I can to explain what happened and I'd like to while it's fresh in my mind. But lets establish that I am OK.
Tonight Petri talked to us about healing techniques:
- Physical - those we can use in the classroom when giving adjustment.
- Mind body - while manifesting healing for another purely with the mind and without touch.
- Deep relaxation - using a combination of both mind body and physical. Sometimes the use of hypnosis is used here.
We started off my learning one of the most important and frequent postures in the Primary series, which is the forward bend. Petri discussed using your hands to massage the sacrum, and then thumb walk up the sides of the spine (or line 1) all the way to the skull, while doing so you're thinking relaxation and upward movement. Trying to lengthen the spine. This technique was really lovely and felt great for releasing tension in the lower back and was actually a very therapeutic experience. For the next healing technique we did the same exercise but just placed our hands on the middle of the back, and then mentally focused on relaxation and channeled it to the recipient. We maybe used 2-3kg of weight but it was all about the touch. It was amazing to see how deeply people were folding forwarded. All of this was in a safe and sound environment, no forcefulness. The next exercise, was to heal with the use of the Mind body. For this, the exercise was to stand over the recipient. As them to tell us where the tension was, and to focus on that area. Once you could feel the energy you were supposed to massage it and try to send relaxation to the area - but again you would do this in your own body. So the concept is that you transfer the pain to your own physical body and then try to help aid in the relaxation for the recipient. I worked with Grace, fellow American who is from SF! She was having some tension in your lower abdomen so I focused on this. I immediately felt my i stomach harden and upon touch it hurt. I've had this feeling before, so I recognized the sensation, but I know that I wasn't experiencing this before trying to connect with Graces' energy body. I started to massage my belly and rub it with soothing strokes. After a few minutes, Grace described what she felt, and WOW! She could feel me massaging her stomach without actually touching her, and said it felt like bubbles popping and the pain was melting away.
If you're not buying into this 'energy' stuff yet, well here is where shit gets real folks.
Lastly, Petri started to discuss deep relaxation. Which is a combination of the mental and physical, but mostly you're channeling energy to the recipient to try and get them to relax. I volunteered to have Petri work on me in front of the class. I was thinking deep relaxation is exactly what I need right now. I had woke up severely congested with a head cold, and I haven't been sleeping much, and I've also been battling some belly issues along with sore muscles. So sign me up, because this gal could use some deep relaxation in one or all of the above areas. For purposes of the demonstration, Petri was positioned in front of me, and I had feet hip distance apart and hands in prayer pose. He was going to demonstrate a drop back (standing backend) through use of deep relaxation energy techniques. So I'll explain this from what I can recall and then I'll include the version from my fellow classmates.
Example of the drop back process
I stood there and tried to relax ... first time was unsuccessful. Again we tried and I was not relaxing. So finally on the third try I truly tried to relax, but was still pretty stiff. The next thing I know, darkness crept over my eyelids. I completely blacked out. I'm not sure for how long but it felt like a really long time. The next thing I know I felt like I was falling forward my vision returned just for a moment long enough to recognize that I was in a forward fold, arms dangling and I was a bit skewed to the left side of my body. I couldn't hear anything, except for Petri asking me if I was okay, and what was I feeling. I responded to say I blacked out and my fingers felt tingly. Slowly, Petri started to pull me back up, with his hands on my waist, all the way very slowly until I was standing on both of my feet. This felt like a rope was pulling me up one vertebrate at a time. When I stood up, my I vision went black again. Petri had me in his arms and very slowly sat me down on the mat, and then laid me down. I couldn't see very clearly and it was hard for me to understand what was being said. Eventually my hearing returned and Petri asked me how I was feeling. I described a tingling sensation in my body and that I blacked out. I continued to lay there until I could start to move my wrists and ankles, and felt somewhat normal. He helped me to stand up and walk over to my seat where I sat. I was not very aware of what else was happening in the room, but I felt that all eyes were on me. Petri asked the students to try out a lighter version of this technique on one another, but caveat that he had gone very deeply on me, and that this would not be the suggestion to practice here and now.
So, once I sat down, Grace and Petri accompanied me. I asked them what happened. Here is roughly the conversation, If I remember correctly:
Petri: You were not relaxing into the back bend. The first few times we started to drop back you were still in control. So, I went deeper into the energy and then you relaxed.
Grace: He started to lift you back up and massage your back, and then you dropped forward from the waist, and looked like a puppet whose strings had been cut. (Readers: Petri was holding my waist, so I didn't collapse and hit the floor or anything of that sort). When you flung forward there wasn't a sound in the room, everyone looked at one another and visually said 'oh shit', because as you went forward, you tilted towards the crowd and your eyes were WIDE OPEN, but you were white as a ghost. Your arms were shaking and it looked like you were having a seizure (Grace later told me that because I was wearing a striped shirt, I looked like Beatle Juice - ha!).
Me: I remember this, but I couldn't hear what everyone was saying. This is when I was waking up and felt like I was falling.
Grace: Nobody was saying anything.
Me: (I thought to myself: Wait, really? I thought Petri was explaining the technique?) How long was I out for?
Grace: Just a few minutes.
Petri: I did pull you back up to standing like I was pulling a rope.
Me: Did you have your hands on my body to help me back up?
Grace: No! He was not touching you at all! He was just using his hands in a way that looked like he was pulling an imaginary rope. Your body was reacting like you were being pulled back up by a physical rope.
Me: WHOA, it felt just like that!! Whoa, my fingers are still tingling, I feel like I've got a body high, like maybe I smoked marijuana.
Petri: Yes, like a kundalini sensation. Once you experience this, you've opened a door, you'll be able to experience this again. We went a little deeper than I planned. That's about the deepest relaxation one can attain. You'll be able to heal others now.
_____
I continued to sit there for a moment, just taking it all in. Feeling very light, but also aloof. I went to the bathroom, because that was one sensation that crept up pretty quickly as I came to on the mat after I regained consciousness. Then for the rest of class, I kept going over in my mind what I had just experienced. I couldn't partake in the last portion of class, where we learn to heal ourselves, because I was just trying to reground myself back down to planet earth! So if you're wondering if I am still okay, I am indeed. I ate a bit of dinner and just sat there very quietly. Grace and Sonja were in disbelief, usually I'm the chatty one, asking about everyone's day and sharing stories. But tonight I was very stoic, like I was in another place. Which they were right, I felt light, but disconnected from that moment in time. I was aware of the conversations but wasn't actively partaking. I called Devin to tell him about what happened, and as he put it, "Mystical, unexplainable experience in India. Check". It was so surreal but here I am two hours later and I can still feel the tingles in my fingertips. When I close my eyes, it feels like my eyelids are dancing.
I have only experienced energy flow a few times before this. And always on a much smaller scale. I'm fascinated and intrigued by what I experienced this evening. I'm hoping I can channel some of this deep relaxation and sleep soundly tonight. I am fairly exhausted, so that's it for tonight.
_____
The Next Morning
So, I slept for 12 hours and feel like I could still sleep longer. I feel very relaxed, my head feels better, not nearly as congested, and my body feels very soft and light. I joined the girls for brekkie and told them about my night. While I was falling asleep I could hear all the sounds. The cricket outside my window, the couple next store fighting and crying. The motorbike coming from miles down the road. The odd thing is that I do have good hearing, but I felt like I could hear much much more. Even now at the breakfast table, I can hear those around me in conversation from half a room away and I feel like I'm sitting right next to them. I saw Petri and he checked on me, and was glad that I just slept and rested. He also encouraged me to take it easy and continue to relax, so that's exactly my plan. The plan today is to rest by the pool, and observe in the afternoon class. I can't really explain how I feel today other than just different, there is a new softness.
