Channeling For Self-Acceptance and Trust
One of the biggest blocks to self-love and trust is the belief that we aren’t “supposed” to be where we are, or even who we are. One of the greatest blocks to our flow and creativity is this damaging belief of the “not now, not us.” Some other time, we can open up into channel, we can dive into flow. At some other stage of our self-discovery process, when we are more stable, less emotional, more sure, less uncomfortable, is the time to deepen into the messages of our clearest heart. But not now, not as our current self.
This is one of the reasons why I am uncomfortable with the words “healing” or “healer,” being thrown around so much is because often, in some cultural contexts, such as the wellness world or even in some medical contexts, these words can function as shaming, exclusionary devices.* Either you are healed, or you are not. Either you are completely together, or you are not. Either the illness is gone, and all is well, or it is here, and somehow, because of this illness, you must deny yourself of a rich, full life.
In reality, all of us are in different stages in different areas of our lives. Work might look different than love which looks different than health. All of us move through different challenges and victories at different times. I’m sure you’ve had the experience of some beautiful highs occurring at the same time as some devastating lows. (I highly recommend the documentary American Symphony for a stellar example of this.)
Wherever we may find ourselves, our highest self, our wisest truth is always available to us. We don’t have to wait until the tears dry to flow into deeper understandings. We don’t have to wait for a different, magically better time in order to gain gain access to our intuition.
We don’t have to wait for mountains of evidence and achievements to accrue in order for us to trust that we just might have the answers, we just might be able to trust ourselves enough to figure out the next best step. It can begin in the present moment, as you open to channel.
I’m sharing this from real experience, currently in the most severe healing crisis of my life. I can finally say I am at a place where I have hope and faith in my recovery, and I can share that in spite of some terrifying physical, mental and spiritual symptoms and setbacks, over the last 2 years, I was still able to access my intuitive abilities, and channel teachings and words that resonate.
Because I vowed many years ago to never give up on myself, to trust my inner voice, to honor the power of flow states, I am still directly tethered to my intuition. Even as I’ve spent a lot of time with fists raised to the sky, full of rage and discomfort over being decimated so badly by Long Covid, I continued to honor my flow, honor what ideas wished to come through my energy field, and honor life. My intuition is what has led me to support, protocols, spiritual philosophies, and the assurance that I will recover, I will continue to get better. I am able to access wellness, and wholeness now, because I refuse to turn away from myself: I took a serious vow to not self-abandon years ago, and even though I may falter at times, it is that love vow that has kept me going, and so I rededicate myself through action and practice.
These practices of self-trust and love have led me to the underworld, to meditate with datura, to submerge myself in motifs of labyrinths and pearls.
They’ve shown me that there is great depth and beauty in the darkness, in unseen, hidden practices.
They’ve led me to excavate different parts of myself, listen to them, love them, and decide not to be controlled by their fear or pain anymore. I’ve channelled those parts as well, into ugly cries, uglier drawings, and ultimately, release.
They’ve led me to explore: right now, my channeling looks like handwriting on pink paper, or multi-day ceremonies with plants deep in the jungle. I write down my cards of the day in Many Moons, and journal more about them, as insights come through.
There is wisdom at every stage we find ourselves in, it isn’t our job to reject where we are, or to feel ashamed when we are simply learning lessons. Our task is to accept and love ourselves, as we keep trust alive through engaging in life.
Here are 3 ideas for channeling for you to try.
Prepare your containers. Your body is a container, time is one, environment is another, and so is form. Maybe your body needs deep breaths or a Yoga Nidra session. Maybe it’s a phone timer or a sexy glass hourglass. Maybe you have 5 minutes, or maybe it’s 5 hours you need. Maybe you feel called to write a song, or a poem. Play with various containers until you feel safe or sparked: both of these states are clues that you have found flow, that you are in channel.
Experiment with different approaches. If you’ve worked in one way, play with another. I thought I had writer’s block, until I started handwriting everything—including this piece! Maybe the format you need to explore with is color, shapes, or sounds. Let yourself play.
Channel as your wisest future self. If you are in a challenging time, summon yourself on the other side. What wisdom does this future wise self have for you? What can you take action around, now?
Share. Even if you feel shaky, share. Text photos to a friend. Share on a newsletter or on social media. Practice sharing parts of yourself with the world, and eventually, the world will share back even more. That might mean whispering your poem to the sky, or taking your dancing outside to let the trees watch. Start where you are.
In Clear Channels, my upcoming weekend workshop, we’ll explore techniques and containers for channeling with the goal of creating a newsletter. You’ll learn to get out of your own way, tune in, and connect to your voice. You’ll create: ideas, inspiration, structures, writings, and a plan to help you share your gifts with the world. Yes, we’ll contact our guides, but more importantly, we’ll make contact with our truth and inner wisdom. Sign up here.
*Personally, I love the word healing and healer, but as with so many words overused in certain spaces, such as embodiment or authenticity, I’m often not sure they are being used in the same way. We need new definitions and nuance around certain terms.