Friday, January 24, 2014
Yesterday I sat down and enjoyed a savory crepe after leaving the downtown YMCA. I went to the Y immediately after my visit to my podiatrist because I needed to work off the excitement and irritation I was feeling after learning that I needed more physical therapy.
I was undoubtedly experiencing the post-workout rush of endorphins when I sat down to eat but what I observed while eating was something I have experienced on other occasions since last summer. Once again I noticed that my sense of taste was quite strong. It seems to me that healing with EMDR therapy can have the effect of heightening the functional capacity of the different senses. Since I began my own healing journey with the use of EMDR I have noticed my senses of sight, touch and taste have all sharpened. Many times last summer I found myself noticing a shift in my eyesight after a session that featured EMDR. My anxiety level initially rose in the early days of my work because I felt confusion as to what was happening to me. Eventually I learned to relax into the flow of the process and simply allow myself to feel confused and not attempt to make such a feeling 'wrong' in my mind.
I assume the changes in my senses must be attributable to the impact of EMDR therapy in particular because it is the only aspect of my current journey that is significantly different from previous times I have entered therapy. It's the only new variable in my 'equation' of healing. So I believe my conclusion is warranted.
Despite the ongoing work of physical therapy that has felt arduous on many days I am nonetheless grateful that I have made it this far. And despite this process that has unfolded simultaneous to my psychotherapy process (and the demands it has made on me) I still find my daily life filled with this element of magic that I cannot recall feeling any time recently. Experiencing sharpened senses certainly makes it easier to perceive the world as filled with an amazing amount of magic. Petting and walking my housemate's dogs on a regular basis has also been so incredibly stimulating for my senses.
Something else amazing also happened yesterday morning. I experienced a tunnel of light as I rode the #5 bus down South 8th Street in downtown Minneapolis. It was the perfect time of morning and time of year for the sun to be aligned such that the northwest-southeast oriented street would catch the full power of the sun. I felt a temptation to stare at the sun because of its immense luminosity and how its light was casting sharp shadows in the bus and outside on the street. It was so cold outside that you simply could not really perceive the warming rays of the sun with your skin. Only my eyes could really confirm it was there. It was wonderful to journey directly towards the sun down the street and to be able to feel such joy at this brief sunbath that I unexpectedly enjoyed.
As I look back now I can confidently state that this experience of being fully in my body didn't really deepen until the shamanic soul retrieval process I did in late November. Thereafter it seems as if my healing process only accelerated. And as I have removed one issue after another from my plate of challenges it has been easier to allocate my energy to my remaining challenges.
With each day that passes I feel better and better.
Yesterday I sat down and enjoyed a savory crepe after leaving the downtown YMCA. I went to the Y immediately after my visit to my podiatrist because I needed to work off the excitement and irritation I was feeling after learning that I needed more physical therapy.
I was undoubtedly experiencing the post-workout rush of endorphins when I sat down to eat but what I observed while eating was something I have experienced on other occasions since last summer. Once again I noticed that my sense of taste was quite strong. It seems to me that healing with EMDR therapy can have the effect of heightening the functional capacity of the different senses. Since I began my own healing journey with the use of EMDR I have noticed my senses of sight, touch and taste have all sharpened. Many times last summer I found myself noticing a shift in my eyesight after a session that featured EMDR. My anxiety level initially rose in the early days of my work because I felt confusion as to what was happening to me. Eventually I learned to relax into the flow of the process and simply allow myself to feel confused and not attempt to make such a feeling 'wrong' in my mind.
I assume the changes in my senses must be attributable to the impact of EMDR therapy in particular because it is the only aspect of my current journey that is significantly different from previous times I have entered therapy. It's the only new variable in my 'equation' of healing. So I believe my conclusion is warranted.
Despite the ongoing work of physical therapy that has felt arduous on many days I am nonetheless grateful that I have made it this far. And despite this process that has unfolded simultaneous to my psychotherapy process (and the demands it has made on me) I still find my daily life filled with this element of magic that I cannot recall feeling any time recently. Experiencing sharpened senses certainly makes it easier to perceive the world as filled with an amazing amount of magic. Petting and walking my housemate's dogs on a regular basis has also been so incredibly stimulating for my senses.
Something else amazing also happened yesterday morning. I experienced a tunnel of light as I rode the #5 bus down South 8th Street in downtown Minneapolis. It was the perfect time of morning and time of year for the sun to be aligned such that the northwest-southeast oriented street would catch the full power of the sun. I felt a temptation to stare at the sun because of its immense luminosity and how its light was casting sharp shadows in the bus and outside on the street. It was so cold outside that you simply could not really perceive the warming rays of the sun with your skin. Only my eyes could really confirm it was there. It was wonderful to journey directly towards the sun down the street and to be able to feel such joy at this brief sunbath that I unexpectedly enjoyed.
As I look back now I can confidently state that this experience of being fully in my body didn't really deepen until the shamanic soul retrieval process I did in late November. Thereafter it seems as if my healing process only accelerated. And as I have removed one issue after another from my plate of challenges it has been easier to allocate my energy to my remaining challenges.
With each day that passes I feel better and better.
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