The spiritual analogy that describes the human being like a bright light that has been covered with dirt and grime comes to me time and time again. 

At the most basic level all we are is energy.  This has been validated by science/physics.  When we shift our perception to view 'all that is' as energy it is quite easy to see how we are all a part of the same field of consciousness.  However, within the global field of consciousness there are many varied patterns of energy expressing--just like an ocean with so many different currents/tides/waves playing out their unique desires.

At my current level of understanding I view the Soul as a unique pattern of source/creator energy that arises out of the greater field of consciousness.  The soul is the bright light.  There is an essential vibrational pattern that the soul is incarnated with, however, through lifetimes the soul accumulates trauma.  Trauma is the dirt and grime or what I like to call, the interfering energies, that keep our essential light/vibration from expressing.  There is collective trauma that we all carry together and must overcome together and there is individual trauma which we must heal for our own personal growth and evolution.  I believe clearing the dirt and grime off is the process of evolution.

As the interfering energies are cleared away and we begin to know our true vibrational tone--our soul--we are not so vulnerable to these other interfering energies; they do not have power over us because we are accepting and expressing our own creator-given power. 

There are unlimited resources out their for clearing soul trauma.  I currently work with UTUE--Universal Truth Ultimate Education.  Their system is CLEAN, EFFICIENT and basically WORKS.  www.utue.org.  I have also found the process of embodiment to be quite useful.  I have studied in-depth Global Somatics www.globalsomatics.com,  Body-Mind Centering and Continuum Movement which all support the embodiment of the Self (soul, emotions, psyche, etc.) through the body.  Yoga and Meditation have also been an ongoing support for quieting the mind to enable connection to source and soul.

Keep clearing and inviting your soul to express through your personality!
In Love,
Amy

Each of the five major (or, most well known) senses, (eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin) enable us to perceive our environment and our place in the whole of things.  As we journey through life(lives...) the senses accumulate filters. Many of these filters are necessary for survival. 

For example, most of us have the sense of sight.  As you take a walk down the street with your eyes open they are constantly taking in, or more accurately, searching for, information, but what do you actually "see".  What you don't "see" is the result of a filter.  What you do see is the result of a sensory pre-motor focus.   Unconsciously  you have programmed yourself to see the dog sitting outside at the corner house and to not see (filter out) the cat sitting in the neighbor's window.  If we allowed ourselves to "see" everything we could quite possibly go insane as our system would be overloaded--at least at our current level of evolution. 

For our beings to evolve, however, we must gradually begin to de-program and soften the filters of our senses so that we can begin to receive "the big picture" about ourselves and the world we live in.  Whenever we find ourselves in an uncomfortable situation--one that drives us into a state of fear, overwhelm, hopelessness, depression, etc, we are usually navigating in our environment with a specific sensory program and filter(s).  We are perceiving our environment and/or ourselves in a certain light (the program) and choosing not to see (filtering out) the whole of reality.  When you find yourself in one of these states of dis-ease take a moment and de-program and de-filter your senes so you can come into a state of Receptivity.  Being receptive means you are able to easily receive.  This is quite the opposite of how most of us have been trained to use our senses. Often times the senses are in a constant state of seeking out.  When you are able to receive the whole of a situation into your being you will find there are many potential choices to be made resulting in a range of outcomes. And because you are receiving the environment into your being, you will be centered and grounded within yourself, hopefully allowing you to make more authentic choices aligned with your own values.

De-Program and De-Filter Your Senses:
1. Sit/Stand/Walk/Lie down, etc and be present with yourself

2. Become aware of your skin. Allow it to soften. Using touch can help the skin better feel itself.  Imagine every pore opening to receive.

3. Become aware of your eyes.  Notice what you are seeing.  Soften the tissues surrounding your eyes. Blink slowly.  When you open your eyes feel the light pouring in.  Just let yourself receive.

4. Become aware of your nose.  Notice what you are smelling.  Soften the tissues of the nose.  Feel the breath passing in and out of the nose.  Allow your nose to receive the environment through your sense of smell.

5.  Become aware of your mouth.  Is there a taste in your mouth? Relax your jaw, lips, tongue and teeth.  Feel the saliva in your mouth.  Let your mouth be receptivity.  If you have something to drink or eat take a taste and enjoy the rich flavors.

6.  Become aware of your ears.  Notice what you hear within yourself and within your outer environment.  Allow all the sounds that surround you to easily enter your ears.  Let them receive.

7.  Enjoy a few minutes in this receptive state.  Remember it and call upon it the next time you feel yourself in a state of dis-ease.

Be Open!
Amy

Embodiment is the act of fully engaging in each momentl with your entire being.  The 'entire being' includes our physical body and our energy field that surrounds and imbues us as well as all of our emotions, thoughts, beliefs, etc. that express through our being (from my current level of understanding). 

Being fully alive and grounded in our bodies is our birthright.  The body is a highly complex, intelligent navigation tool for helping us get around here on planet earth in a way that enables us to be free and happy.  Yet, because of the current (and past) state of affairs, many of us do not consciously choose to live in the body.  There are many varied reasons for this such as ignorance--not knowing that the body is uninhabited,  repressed pain and trauma--"it's painful to live in the body", and lack of resources and support for assisting the journey back home into the body.

Beginning the process of embodiment is simple.  Here are three steps to get started.

1. Embrace the desire to be fully alive. . .If you are sincere in your desire to experience yourself and "all that is' trust that the universe will align you with the perfect learning environments for you to attain your desire. Affirm daily that you are open to being fully alive in your entire being.

2. Move the body. . .yoga, dance, rock climbing, swimming, tai chi, karate, biking, walking, etc. Moving the body in varied ways will help you wake up, connect to and embody those places within yourself that are not being inhabited.

3. Actively allow yourself to feel. . .learning to feel yourself breathing is an easy and yet very powerful place to begin.  Our whole body breathes. 

There is the Big/Macro Breath (or sometimes called external respiration/lung breathing) Allow yourself to feel the air passing across the upper lip as you inhale and exhale.  Feel your ribcage expand out and release back in as your lungs take in and release air.  Feel your belly rising and falling.  Notice where you feel the big breath moving you and where you do not. 

There is also internal/micro respiration of the cells breathing/metabolizing.  Each cell moves/expands to take in nutrients (oxygen and other things) and moves/condenses to give out waste or substances they no longer need.  This exchange happening at the cellular level can be felt with practice and desire.  As you cultivate this subtle/micro level of embodiment you will discover more and more of yourself and possibly uninhabited places eager to be once again lived in.

Happy journeying! 
 

Beauty behind me,
Beauty all around me,
Above me and below me hovers the beautiful.
I'm surrounded by beauty; I am immersed in it.
In my youth, I am aware of it,
And in old age, I  shall walk quiety the beautiful path.
In beauty it is begun.  In beauty it is ended.
~Navaho prayer

Love is the source in which true beauty arises out of, thus, it is found everywhere and in everyone.  However, in people it is often buried and hidden because we are taught that only certain people or physical traits are beautiful.  The practice of self-love, self-appreciation and self-understanding can open the doorway to accepting our unique appearance as beautiful and  expressing our inner beauty outward.  Loving oneself and receiving/accepting ones own beauty develops the ability to percieve beauty in others.  When you really "see" someone in this light a healing happens. 

Love yourself and believe in your beauty!
Amy