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Clearing the Ties that Bind
by Nicki Scully
 When
I began to study Huna in 1982, the first subject we dealt with was forgiveness,
for good reason: it cleared the way for a larger current of energy to flow
through us.
It takes effort to hold on to old guilt, grief, and pain, just as grudges and
gripes contribute to stress. For-giving is what takes us back to before
the giving of the hurt. Or consider it as that which is required before we can
give fully of ourselves. Forgiveness is releasing rather than accepting. It
frees up energy that has been holding stressful patterns in place. When we truly
forgive, we release those tightly held patterns and can access more energy.
There are many ways to approach forgiveness and many rituals to achieve it.
Ritual reinforces the subconscious mind's sense of what is real. When we
ritualize the act of forgiveness, the effect is reflected in our real-time
relationships, regardless of whether the other person is aware on a conscious
level of the work we have done.
A very important key to healing work is to understand that we are directly
connected to whatever we are thinking about. Whether we think about an inanimate
object, a distant friend or acquaintance, an ancestor, or someone with whom we
are in close and loving relationship, our thoughts connect us like a complex
weaving. If I'm speaking of it, thinking of it, or looking at it, I'm connected
to it. We weave the tapestry of our lives just as spiders create their webs. In
our thoughts, we are constantly spinning our connections to everything around
us.
There's a Hawaiian word, aka, which, though possibly not related to
the Sanskrit word akasha, bears a resemblance to it in sound and meaning.
It refers to the essence of the material on which our thoughts ride, the threads
with which we spin our interconnections. The tiny filaments of aka that
we spin with each thought become more and more numerous as our relationships
develop, and the threads are spun into cords. The multidimensional fabric of our
lives is woven and given texture by these fine filaments, threads, and cords
that we constantly emanate and receive as we interact with our surroundings.
In our loving relationships the cords are luminous and vibrant, and energy
moves freely between, helping us to be mutually supportive. When there is
anguish, pain, or misery in a relationship, what started out as luminous fibers
turn dark and dense, which prevents the free-flowing exchange of energy. The
thickness, texture, and weight of these cords, as well as the movement of light
and energy through them, are directly related to the quality of the
relationship, or in some cases, the trauma associated with the relationship.
Instead of being mutually supportive, a relationship can become weighted down
like a tree with many dead branches. We carry that weight with us and use up a
great deal of our energy just to support it. It is actually no different than
natural law in the plant world. Prune your apple tree, removing the dead wood to
make space for new growth, and your tree will respond with renewed vigor.
We can imagine ourselves as a tree. The spinal column is like the tree trunk,
and the main branches extend from the chakra centers. Each chakra center is
associated with an element and specific issues related to the elemental
significance of that chakra. The cording occurs in accordance with the issues
around each level. In complex relationships, such as those between parents and
children and other people who are close, the cords exist in several centers,
possibly even in all of them. Cords representing other specific relationships
can be found at the relevant chakra centers. For example, a cord might connect
you with a teacher at the fifth center because the throat chakra relates to
communication. Your supervisor at work might turn up at the root chakra where
security and survival issues are located, or at the third chakra, where personal
power issues appear.
Each person's tree of life is the source of the personal tapestry woven by
these threads of different qualities and thicknesses, textures, weights, and
colors. Sometimes the tree needs pruning. What pruning shears can we use to rid
ourselves of the old, dense, brittle cords, the limbs that don't serve us
anymore? The answer is forgiveness.
Forgiveness is an amazing thing. With it, you can transform darkness into
luminosity. Or you can simply release a cord altogether. You don't have to worry
about losing your connections to people; even if you release a cord, you can
always build a new one, and hope that the new ones will sustain their
luminosity.
Forgiveness goes in two directions. Sometimes it is appropriate for you to
forgive others, and at other times you need to ask for the forgiveness of the
person at the other end of the cord. Or you can ask the person what it would
take for him or her to forgive you. Be willing to negotiate for that
forgiveness. Sometimes you will find yourself at both ends of the cord, and you
must give yourself the same forgiveness that you give others.
The chakra centers are energetic portals, points of power through which you,
as an individual, access realms of consciousness related to the elements and
basic issues of life. They are arranged much like a ladder of consciousness,
starting with the tailbone. Most of the chakras are in alignment with the spinal
column as it rises upward through the body.
As you proceed through your life you are constantly weaving a
multidimensional lattice of aka. The threads originate at each of your
chakra centers according to the element and issues associated with that chakra.
By understanding this model, you can perceive how various issues -- physical,
emotional, spiritual, and mental (along with their corresponding elements) -- are
linked to your physical body and can be recognized, nurtured, and healed
accordingly.
The descriptions provide a way of perceiving the relationships between the
chakras and issues that contribute to both your illness and your well being.
They suggest where to look for cords associated with specific situations and
people when you perform the forgiveness ritual that follows. Because so much of
our culture has become drug dependent, I am including some of the substances
rampant in our society that affect the chakras. Substance abuse almost always
results in cording that requires forgiveness. Even a single substance-related
event can block the free flow of energy. For example, an embarrassing moment
that occurred when you were drunk may be siphoning energy if it is still
unresolved.
1. The root chakra is located at the base of the spine. It is associated with
the element Earth, and is related to all things physical, including physical
healing. The issues you will encounter here are often associated with survival,
security, fight or flight responses, trust, and material support. Family members
such as parents may be strongly present at the first chakra center, not only
because they brought you into this life, but because they were integral to your
security as a young and dependent person. Manifestation, including abundance and
lack, are also associated with the first chakra. The substances that most affect
the root chakra in our society are opiates, depressants, and hypnotics. When
used in excess, those drugs compromise our basic fight-or-flight responses and
our survival instincts.
2. The second chakra is located in the area of the genitals/womb. It is
associated with the element Water. Emotional issues are found here, as are
issues concerning reproduction, nurturing, sexuality and sexual relationships,
children, sensitivity, and the social pecking order. Cording regarding
relationships, jealousy, and our territorial nature are also included here. The
prevailing substance in our society that influences this center is alcohol.
3. The third chakra is located at the solar plexus. This chakra is associated
with the element Fire, and is concerned with one's personal will and power. It
includes issues around one's identity, motivation, vitality, and action. Some of
the darker issues connected to this chakra involve power over others,
destructive behavior, rage, and violence. Nicotine, cocaine, amphetamines, and
caffeine are ubiquitous in our society. They are often abused and, consequently,
may affect a person's will, thus affecting the third chakra center.
4. The heart is the center of our being. The heart chakra stands between the
three lower chakras (each of which is grounded in the terrestrial laws of
physics) and the three upper chakras (through which we connect to the universal
or collective mind). The heart is the platform from which we move from a
dualistic approach to life to a view of the multiplicity of possibilities. The
intelligence of the heart, recognized in ancient Egypt and many mystical
cultures, is now being validated by science. In the heart center we find issues
related to love, our most intimate relationships, mating for life and progeny,
and the domestic issues around home and family. Our clearest guidance is heart
centered. Chocolate and MDMA are drugs that are associated with the heart.
5. The fifth, or throat, chakra is associated with the element Air.
Communications, sound, art, humor, and 'sthetics are all accessed through this
center. Teachers may be present at the fifth center because it is related to
communication and learning. The fifth chakra is the shamanic doorway, the narrow
passage through which each person must travel alone. It connects our dual,
either/or reality with the larger collective reality in which there are infinite
possibilities. In our culture the most widely used substance that affects this
center is marijuana. Yoga, martial arts, music, and initiatory practices affect
all the centers but have a particularly strong effect on the fifth and above.
6. The third eye, or sixth chakra center, is where all of the elements come
together to support each person's inner vision of reality. Because all of our
senses meet here, it is a primary point of power that we can develop through
yogic disciplines or martial arts, and other advanced practices found in various
traditions. This center is also affected by psychedelic substances, including
sacred plant medicines such as peyote, mushrooms, San Pedro, ibogane, ayahuasca,
and so forth. It should be noted that we can affect all of the centers through
conscious intention and focus, breathing, and both physical and spiritual
exercise. Here cords relate to our psychic perceptions in the spirit realms, and
perhaps to psychic interference.
7. The seventh center, the crown chakra, is located at the top of the head
and can be reached through the fontanel, a point on the brow between the third
eye and the crown. It is associated with the element Akasha and when it is
opened we can have direct access to the superconscious mind, also known as the
upper world or High Self. Issues at this chakra are generally associated with
spiritual or religious belief systems and with access to higher realms of
consciousness, including extraterrestrial and other cosmic intelligence. Both
the lower or inner world of the collective unconsciousness and the higher world
of the superconscious mind are accessible through inner travel -- you have to go
in to get out. There are usually very few cords here, and the only dark ones are
likely to be associated with betrayals of faith or shattering of fundamental
beliefs.
What follows is an exercise that can help you to prune and maintain your own
sacred tree of life. When you have removed or transformed the dead weight of
dense and dark cords, you will have more energy to apply more constructively in
your life. Once you have cleared yourself of all the unwanted attachments, it is
easy to maintain this state by being conscious and forgiving in the moment,
rather than allowing dark and heavy cords to gain hold whenever any of the
issues arise again.
When you do the exercise, you will be able to perceive the cords that exist
between you and others. You will be able to follow those cords to their source,
at which point you will encounter the people and situations with whom you have
issues that you need to resolve through forgiveness. Then you will have the
opportunity to prune your sacred tree by directly offering forgiveness to or
requesting forgiveness from the High Self of the person with whom you are
connected.
It is important to remember that some of the cords are likely to lead back to
you. We are often hardest on ourselves, and we require the same forgiveness for
ourselves as for others. Allow some time for contemplation before beginning this
exercise, and be prepared to do it again and again until you find yourself clear
of blockages in your energy system based on this model. Once you have cleared
your dense cords and have only luminous connections, you'll need to revisit this
process from time to time to maintain a free-flowing exchange between you and
those with whom you continue to relate.
EXERCISE: Forgiveness Meditation
Close your eyes and ground and center.
See yourself as a transparent being. Focus your attention along the vertical
alignment at the central core of your being, which may appear as the trunk of
your sacred tree. Seek the sensations that identify the chakra centers. You may
perceive them as luminous wheels of light. Take the time you need to allow these
images to become strong and clear, in whatever way they develop. That may be
through feelings, thoughts, knowing, or images, or your own personal and unique
perception...
Begin by focusing on the first wheel of light at the first chakra center at
the base of your spine. Look there for the threads and cords that emanate like
branches or twigs. You will see lots of connections, many of which are luminous
and some of which are dark and dense or brittle. Reach in with your inner hand
to remove those dark cords that come away easily.
Choose one of the dense cords that remain, and follow it to its source. There
you will get a picture or thought of the person at the other end of the cord.
When you perceive the being at the other end, you will know whether you must
offer forgiveness or ask for it.
Open your heart as best you can. . . . Offer forgiveness by saying in your
mind to the person, "I forgive you completely." If you feel you need forgiveness
from the person at the other end of the cord, ask what you can do to be
forgiven, and be willing to negotiate...
Notice as the dark and dense cord that connects you either vanishes or turns
clear and luminous...
Work your way up through the chakra system from the first to the seventh
chakra, dealing with as many cords as is reasonable and comfortable.
When you have dealt with as many of the cords as you are able to at the
moment, release the image you have created and ground and center yourself.
Notice how much lighter you feel.
You can return to complete the work over a period of time, after which
maintaining clear chakras is easily accomplished by checking in and doing the
exercise periodically.
 This
article was excerpted from Alchemical Healing, ?2003, by Nicki Scully.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Bear & Co.(Inner Trad.).
http://www.innertraditions.com
Info/Order this book.
About the Author
NICKI
SCULLY has been a healer and teacher of metaphysics, shamanism, and the Egyptian
Mysteries since 1982. She gives lectures and seminars worldwide and guides
spiritual tours to Egypt, Peru, and other sacred sites. The author of
Power Animal Meditations and
numerous audiocassettes, she lives in Eugene, Oregon, where she maintains a
healing center.
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