a practice called shaking

Have you ever shaken your body from your head to your toes? Like deliberately and super intentionally stood on your feet and let your entire body shake freely and expressively for a consecutive period of minutes? 

One of the gifts I’ve received during this period of quarantining is the introduction to this shaking. The shaking practice I’ve tried consists of standing on my feet, about hip distance apart..listening to some sort of music and bouncing my body - letting go of all control. Since my first time trying it I’ve learned that shaking is also a form of TRE. Trauma releasing exercise. It’s a modality used to release tension from muscles while calming the nervous system. 

Let me tell you- it may do those things….but a better set of words to explain what it does for me is it completely awakens and liberates my entire being from the constructs of my mind, thoughts, and experiences to a place of freedom and love and expansion and fullness. Wow.

As I close my eyes and ground my feet into the floor I settle into a place of presence. If you’re a dancer…if you love to dance and move your body and you feel that space of joy- then you may feel even more connected to this practice. *Dancing is one of my greatest loves* With dancing there is some sort of control you have over your body, you will it to do certain things, move certain ways, maybe even accomplish something. What happens in shaking is this: I let go and I let be everything that I’m feeling. I shake my whole body- head to toes- I let each part of my body go. I let it free and with that I let free all of the emotions and pains and memories I have stored up in my tissues. Things I have been holding onto and not letting go of. Things I don’t understand. Things that bother me and that invade my space…things that don’t make any logical sense. I let my whole being show up to the mat and I let everything I’m holding onto that isn’t serving me release from my being. Surely each passing moment is adding to my freedom. 

It’s a release from my bones to my skin..and in all the spaces within me I fill up with love and awareness and fullness. In the shaking I get to acknowledge my difficulties, bring them to the surface and watch them dissipate.

My first experience doing it with another person next to me brought on a whole new aspect. This feeling of judgement came over me and I had to face these thoughts of worry and fear surrounding what someone else would think of me. Even though it was my best friend standing on the mat next to me, I still had to face those “what if” thoughts that tend to be overwhelming and all-consuming. Once I saw those fearful thoughts, confronted them and overcame them, the practice seemed to uplift me even more. It was enlightening and freeing as if I was embracing the fully aligned love that I am. The idea that I am a pure being of love and light just like any other being around me became all-encompassing. It made me feel wholeness and completeness and oneness and acceptance and isness (may not be a real word but it sure does feel right). It allowed me to let go even deeper. I found peace. The presence in me that knows theres something far greater than what we “know” going on out here…made me remember that I may know nothing, I know nothing, and that is what’s meant to be. 

Let go.

The shaking is relieving. 

In the space afterwards as I lay on my back and put one hand on my heart and one hand on my belly, I settled. I saw that my thoughts were aligned with my feelings and my feelings were aligned with my presence and I was whole and complete.  

The reason I felt the desire to share this with you is because this practice has helped me on days when I feel like there’s too much going on and I don’t know what to do with all of it. When the world is spinning and my mind is spinning and I can’t get a solid grip on my stance- this form of healing helps me get present, stay present, release tension, feel light, feel love, and realize healing and joyfulness. It’s a space of expression and creativity and liberty, of presence and harmony with oneself. 

I think there are a variety of places you can start. You can start by creating your own experience. Find your own music, do it your own way. Search a video online. Read about it more. Google “shaking meditation.” See if it sounds like something that you could connect with. 

I found shaking on Yoga Girl. It’s a platform where Rachel Brathen offers a variety of yoga classes, meditations, podcast topics and healing circles. It’s wonderful. I’ve been really loving it. 

“Shaking Medicine reintroduces the oldest medicine on earth--the ecstatic shaking of the human body. Most people’s worst fear is losing control--of their circumstances, of their emotions, and especially of their bodies. Yet in order to achieve the transcendent state necessary to experience deep healing, we must surrender control.” -Bradford Keeney

Wherever this takes you next, I wish you well. <3