I am having a very difficult experience right now. It’s probably the toughest experience I’ve ever had, even though I can see so much good in it. I’ve been mining for gold in this experience, looking for what it is I need to learn. What is my body asking for right now? What is it teaching me? Well…it’s actually pretty cool, in the end. My body is taking me to the root of many patterns that just don’t serve me anymore. It’s kind of a funny story…

Once upon a time, I got pregnant. Being me, I decided to renovate my business, website, and home at the same time. (Why not, really?) I tend to do life at full speed, foot on the gas. This is how I did my whole pregnancy. I wrote two ebooks, created all new content for my website, ran several telecourses, and continued coaching, training mind-body coaches, teaching, and running Martha Beck Life Coach Training.

What did I actually want to do during my pregnancy?

Lie down. For nine months.

My body felt terrible throughout my pregnancy. I was constantly nauseous. I had hideous heartburn. In the second trimester, I started having this thing where when I sat or stood, my blood pressure dropped so low that I blacked out. For the entire final eight weeks of my pregnancy, I itched all over my body, all the time, and could only sleep in small chunks. I nearly went insane.

Hmmm. I wonder what a mind-body coach would say to me? Um…lie down? Rest? Stop? Stop the madness?

Then, I gave birth. The birth itself went well, but afterward I hemorrhaged. There was a terrifying post-birth period in which the doctor was working frantically on me and the baby nurse was trying to get my daughter, Aela, to breathe. It was incredibly scary.

Thankfully, everything was okay. I brought Aela home, alive and well, and began my recuperation. I was in immense pain, and soon discovered I had an anal fissure from the birth. My muscles around this injury went into a major spasm. (Muscle spasms HURT.) In the end, I required surgery. Post surgery, my muscles went into deeper spasm. I couldn’t sit down, and still can’t, due to the pain.  Physical therapy seems to help in the tiniest of increments, and incredibly slowly.

Then I started feeling terrible in other ways. I lost all remaining tidbits of energy. I felt deeply depressed. I love my daughter so much, and love being a mother, so this felt like the worst kind of torture – not being able to really bring my full energy to motherhood.

I sank into a place of really low self-worth. I felt like I should be able to heal myself. Not only that, I should be able to do so quickly! Why weren’t my mind-body tools “working?” Instead of using self-kindness (probably the most important mind-body tool), I berated myself constantly.

I was running full speed ahead, and then I smacked right into my wall. Splat! I was knocked flat. All the old thoughts, patterns and ways of being that simply aren’t going to work for me anymore came up. My old life pretty much exploded in a large, hot, painful fireball. Well, that’s one way to clear out old patterns. Yeesh!

Having Aela cut straight to the core of me. It forced me to wake up and be reborn right alongside her.

All the usual stuff – my Achilles’ heels, one could say – surfaced. Perfectionism, self-judgment, not asking for help, pushing my body too hard, blaming myself for physical ills, thinking I should never be ill. Kaboom! Kablooey! It was not fun.

Slowly, one-by-one, I started addressing these issues. I started listening to my body and actually resting. I started hearing its messages. I started reaching out. I started learning how to take care of myself in an entirely new way.

I also fought this experience. I felt angry. I felt incredibly overwhelmed. I felt grief. Despair. You name it. Acceptance came only in bursts and bits.

Following intuitive hits, I found a great doctor. It turned out my thyroid has basically said, “Bleeerg. I’m exhausted.” This meant my poor little adrenal glands had to do a lot of extra work, pumping out adrenaline to keep me going. Then they said, “Oooooof. We’ve had it!”

My body has literally used every possible method it can think of to get me to just stop. Lie down. Be. I was really, really avoiding being. I was disconnected from my body. I was actually having trouble using my own mind-body tools. Why? I didn’t want to face some of my painful beliefs, inner truths, and fears.

When I finally surrendered to the being, I was able to finally be kind to myself and to release. The core beliefs around my body were:

I should be able to heal myself.

I should not need help from others to heal.

Being unwell and needing help/love/attention is shameful and should be hidden.

Which is so funny, because last time I went through a mind-body healing process, I did not do it alone! Several years ago I wrote a blog post about how it takes a village. Yet, I guess I still held these beliefs, and I still held myself apart from others as a result. I still wouldn’t let myself be vulnerable and open and loved. I haven’t been loving the part of me that needs help, is in pain, and doesn’t feel well.

I’ve used all the mind-body tools, but I forgot the biggest one of all: community.

Being a life coach, or a mind-body coach, is not about being happy all the time. It’s not about being well or doing well all the time. It’s about being authentic. I needed to clean up this part of my thinking, because it’s holding me back from being fully authentic. If I’m willing to look deeply into the ways I hold myself back, am unkind to myself, and am not loving myself, then I open the door to truly loving and caring for me, mind, body, and soul.

It’s been a really painful lesson. It’s been really hard.  It has felt hellish. It is still hard. My body hurts. I’m exhausted. I’m having hormonal rollercoaster rides from starting the new thyroid medication. I’m bummed out that I can’t drive around and do fun stuff. I am not a fan of lying in bed a lot. I miss my old way of zipping around. I’ve had to learn that my body heals on its own timeline, and I must trust its wisdom.

And yet – I’m (often grudgingly) grateful that I’m tearing down the walls and opening up to a new way of being, of not zipping around, and of loving. And of being loved.  It’s time for me to fling open the doors and say, “You know what? I want community from you all. I can’t heal all by myself. It’s lonely. It’s not fun. It’s not how it’s supposed to be.”

I mean, really!! Seriously!! Would I tell a client to do it all on her own? NO! Never! I would say to trust her body, follow her intuition, and let it lead her to all the healers, teachers, friends, and modalities that are meant to be a part of her healing journey. Mind-body healing isn’t about healing yourself.  It’s not about using only your mind to heal. It’s about honoring all the parts of you and what they need. It’s about becoming aware of thoughts, feeling emotions, hearing intuitive messages from the soul, and learning to trust and love yourself. That’s it. I’m learning all about it, on a whole new level.

Pretty funny, no? Guess I need to change the title of my free ebook, Hear Your Soul, Heal Yourself! Ha ha! It’s not about healing yourself. It’s about loving yourself. That’s what brings true healing, on all levels. I’ve been in what we call my “blind spot” in coaching. I wrote a really helpful complimentary ebook, but I left out a GIANT mind-body concept: opening up to the healing, love, and support you need from others. It cracks me up!

What is loving to my body right now? What is kindness to myself right now? To share all this with you, and to stop trying to go it alone. To let go of my old story that I shouldn’t be unwell, that I should be perfect, that I need to get it together so I can get back to helping others heal and getting stuff done. It’s quite the opposite. I need to share myself, exactly as I am right now, and be loving of this version of me. I need to open gracefully to this lesson. That’s my job right now. That’s love.

So, yeah. Here’s where I am. I’m at home. Lying in bed. My ass still hurts. I don’t feel well. I miss sitting in chairs. (You just don’t appreciate a good chair until you can’t sit in one!) I work in small chunks, rest (when I’m not resisting it), cry when I’m really down, and love my baby.

She seems pretty happy to be with me, nurse, and be loved. In the end, it’s been perfect with her, after all. I’m writing a blog post about that, too – coming soon. Slowing way down has made me the mom I want to be. Slowing down has given me everything, actually. It’s shown me just how much love and connection I was missing out on before. It’s shown me where pride closed doors, and limiting beliefs held me back. It’s shown me how to let myself experience the one energy of which we are all a part. It has given me a deeper spiritual practice. It has given me so much more understanding and respect for emotions and their innate wisdom.

The other day, Donna Reed, a coach friend, visited me. She was inspired to create a healing circle phone call to create support and community for me. She’s the one who made me realize I’ve been missing this vital piece. I am so, so grateful. Thanks to her, I’m using my brand-new (to me) mind-body tool right now. I’m reaching out and asking for connection and healing from all of you. I’m voicing my truth. Right now, I’m having a difficult time. And no matter how much I’m learning, how amazing it actually is, and how grateful I am, it’s still damn hard. I want help. I don’t want to feel alone or be alone.

With that said, you’re invited to the Healing Circle Call! As of publication, plans include coaches Jeannette Maw, Gail Kenny and Diane Hunter leading the vibration-raising and healing!

Where: On the Phone!

Date: Monday, April 8

Time: 12:30 pm PT/1:30 MT/2:30 CT/3:30 ET

Call-In Info: (760) 569-7676

Access Code:      855742

Many of you are reading this blog because you have experience with chronic pain or you are fascinated with Abigail’s techniques for mind, body, emotion and soul connection, or both!  I’m in both camps.  I came to mind-body connection healing through my long journey with chronic pelvic pain.  I was sold on this work after being coached by Abigail.  I experienced pain relief from learning how to calm my mind, feel my body and emotions, and connect with my soul wisdom.  I’m now living my passion guiding other people in releasing their blockages to health and well-being.  My absolute favorite mind-body tool is the “Let Your Soul Sing – The Core Anamsong Mind-Body Practice.” 

Alchemy Happens

I liken the energy of the physical body, emotions, mind, and soul as vibrating at different frequencies.  In order to connect with these different frequencies it requires different ways of focusing.  Dysfunction in any of these four areas can affect the ability of energy to flow easily through the physical body and the underlying energy body.  It’s most effective to connect with and clear energy blockages by approaching them from the vibration they occur in.  When these blockages are met, recognized and worked with, a type of alchemy happens which can bring profound healing to all levels of your being. 

Habitual Body and Emotion Resistance

I spent many years studying with a psychic and was taught about healing on all four levels: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual.  I did much deep mental and spiritual work through that process but because I was a habitual body and emotion resister, I didn’t know how to connect with my body and emotions on their level and vibration.  I didn’t even realize I wasn’t fully connecting with the felt sense in my body or that I didn’t know how to fully feel my emotions.  My psychic studies helped me to live in a more balanced way, but I still struggled with pelvic pain. 

Discomfort is Here to Help

In the Core Anamsong Mind-Body Process, Abigail has ingeniously created a method to work with all four of these vibrations in one process.  This process includes checking in with the mind, body and emotions, and then going deeper into body, emotion and soul wisdom.  The premise is that any type of discomfort is genuinely here to help us.  I have witnessed in myself and others the deep connection, freedom and expansion that can occur in practicing this process.

Even though I’ve had a few years of practicing feeling my emotions, I can sometimes still automatically repress or resist them.  Practicing the Core Anamsong Mind-body Process helps me to recognize and understand myself at a very deep soul level.  Here is an example of my recent experience where I received coaching from an Anamsong Mind-Body Coach. 

An Example of the Process

I’d had an emotionally challenging weekend dealing with a difficult family issue.  In my mind-body check-in my mind felt muddled and stuck.  My body sensations included   achy toe, tight IT band (outer leg between hip and knee), tight and slightly achy jaw, chest and throat tight, right butt achy.  Emotionally I felt heaviness in my throat and a weight in my chest which felt like sadness, grief, and irritation. 

Guided by my coach, I dove deeper into my mind-body connection.  I felt into the emotions that were present in my body.  I described them as feeling like rock heaviness in my throat, heart and belly.  Inside my heart was a gooey oozing.  As I noticed what I was feeling and felt deeper into it tears began to flow.  My experiences of the last few days flowed with metaphors of what I was feeling.  As I described it I got several aha’s deeply resonating with the recognition of my inner world being mirrored in my outer world.  Then my coach encouraged me to bring in self-compassion from my soul wisdom.  I felt into the unconditional love connection for myself and extended that to feeling love and connection with the members of my family and it felt supportive and validating. 

At the end of the coaching session I felt relief.  There was a sense that it would take more time for the emotions to continue to be felt and for my body to release tension.  I set the intention to just let it be present and unwind in its own timing.  This was a profound experience leaving me with deep insight into my body, emotions and soul.  By the next day the heaviness in my chest was noticeably less, my body felt lighter and I was able to focus back on my daily life.

Deep-Seated Soul Reconnection

I use parts of this process in my daily practice and I go deeper as needed.  This tool can be used for self-coaching as well as in one-on-one coaching.  It can easily morph into different forms or combine with other coaching and intuitive tools.  I’ve had sessions with clients where most of the time is spent exploring how the physical discomfort or the emotional discomfort is here to help revealing fascinating discoveries and understandings. This tool absolutely works for deep-seated soul reconnection resulting in a deeper connection with the true self, creating more ease in the body and life in general. 

Endorsed Coach – Gail Kenny
When I found Abigail I had been struggling with chronic pelvic pain (including pain in my lower abdomen, IC symptoms, yeast infections and myofascial pain) for over 20 years. Mind-body coaching was the last thing I needed to truly get my life back. I know first-hand the challenges of healing chronic pelvic pain and I’m well prepared to help you with your healing. I’m also a certified Martha Beck life coach and trained psychic.

I work with people in physical pain who have already tried all the normal solutions. I help them heal old dysfunctional habits of thinking and feeling. I teach them to relate to their body, emotions, mind, and soul in new ways, creating relief from underlying tension, healing pain from the inside out and getting back to living the life they want. Start with your free pain relief practice here.

As the years passed, I got more efficient with my techniques. I started teaching them to others who wanted to know how to heal themselves. Working with others and continuing to keep myself healthy led to something interesting; I found that I had boiled down my own mind-body practice to a core practice. I relied on this core practice every day to maintain my health, feel good emotionally, and decrease my stress.

After years of chronic physical pain and stress followed by years of using mind-body healing, I know that it is vital to my health and well-being to maintain a light but effective mind-body routine. Without that, I tend to fall back into old patterns, old ways of dealing with stress, my body, my emotions, and daily life. When I fall back into old patterns, I get sick, something starts hurting, or my body finds some way to remind me to get out my mind-body skills.

Yet, I’m also a person who likes to do a lot of different things. I’m usually fairly busy, excited about lots of different projects, and living a full life. I don’t want to devote hours and hours a day to my mind-body practice. That’s why I ended up distilling all those hours of research and all those mind-body healing tools down into my short daily practice.

About a year ago, I started using this distilled core mind-body practice of mine with my clients. I wasn’t sure if it would work for others – I just knew it worked for me. Yet, my clients found it extremely helpful. It seemed I’d found a concise way to help people with the “how-to” of mind-body healing.

Now, I’ve written the core mind-body practice down and created a package for anyone who wants to learn and use it in their own lives – no coaching needed. It’s all there, in a short ebook, a sample recorded coaching session, and a guided audio of the practice. It’s my go-to tool for myself, what I use with my clients, and the basis for everything I do in my personal and professional practice.

Since I’m about to take a short coaching hiatus while I give birth and transition into motherhood, I thought this would be the ideal time to share this Core Anamsong Mind-Body Practice with you. You can learn everything you need to know in the ebook, start implementing it into your own life, and essentially coach yourself! The guided audio will allow you to sit back and be taken through the practice any time you want. I always love being guided, myself, so that I can close my eyes, sink deeply into the practice, and really get great results. And, hearing me coach a client through the practice will help you see it in action and apply it to your own life.

Whether you’re struggling with pain issues, stress, confidence, or even career and business building, the Core Anamsong Mind-Body Practice will serve as a central tool for you to use to create change in your life. I’m so excited for you to try it out, start to see the power of the combined mind-body skills working in your life, and get results.

By now, if you follow my blog, you’ve probably downloaded the Hear Your Soul, Heal Yourself complimentary ebook. (If not, grab your copy in the right sidebar sign-up box!) I’ve written that ebook to give you a good, solid, introduction to the mind-body healing basics. Now, you’re ready to take it further, to a deeper level, to the next step. You’re ready to use the Core Anamsong Mind-Body Practice, which is slightly more advanced, but can serve as a basis for your daily practice for years to come. It’s the practice that will allow you to connect deeply with yourself, heal, and let your soul sing.

Click here if you’re ready to learn more about the Let Your Soul Sing: The Core Anamsong Mind-Body Practice Package!