The sciatic nerves are the body’s two largest nerves in the human body, extending from the lower region of the spine (lumbar area), crossing the buttocks, thighs, down each leg to the soles of the feet and big toes. Sciatic pain can be caused by osteoarthritis, a herniated/ruptured disk, pinched nerve or slipped disk. When its nerve fibers become inflamed, pinched or irritated, the pain is brutal! Striking/stabbing/burning pain can felt anywhere along the path of the nerve causing great distress. Most sciatic pain occurs down one side of the body, but it has also been known to affect both legs.
“The metaphor of sciatica is being frozen with fear around manifestation. Struggles with time and money and a fear around survival are significant contributors. A person is usually overburden and feels like they’re carrying the weight of the world on their back and have nobody to help carry the load or to support them. There is deep-seated resentment, survival anxiety, loss of direction, and avoidance to do what they know they need to do. A person is hypercritical, overburdened, overwhelmed, overextended, and overly independent. They don’t ask for help or want help, but get disgusted when no one helps them. Another metaphor for sciatica is a dog chasing its tail, visualize it going in circles and not sure which way to go.
Associated emotions: Resentment, frustration, anger, disappointment, and loneliness” Healing Happens with Your Help: ~ Carol Ritberger
Another cause of sciatica is ‘piriformis syndrome’. The sciatic nerve passes through the piriformis muscle (in the buttocks), which can spasm and entrap the nerve. Physically it is commonly caused by overuse and oversitting and is seen in people with low-movement jobs like office workers and truck drivers.
Piriformis syndrome
“The piriformis syndrome is a condition in which the piriformis muscle irritates the sciatic nerve, causing pain in the buttocks and referring pain along the course of the sciatic nerve. This referred pain, called “sciatica”, often goes down the back of the thigh and/or into the lower back. Patients generally complain of pain deep in the buttocks, which is made worse by sitting, climbing stairs, or performing squats. The piriformis muscle assists in abducting and laterally rotating the thigh. In other words, while balancing on the left foot, move the right leg directly sideways away from the body and rotate the right leg so that the toes point towards the ceiling. This is the action of the right piriformis muscle.” http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/piri.html
“Nerves have to do with communication and sensitivity. Sciatica implies that there are emotional issues affecting the back and legs, and that these are deep, inner issues. These may be issues to do with being able to stand up for yourself. Perhaps something is happening that you cannot take anymore, and it is making you want to go in a different direction. Or perhaps you desperately need more support and cannot cope with everything on your own any longer.
Sciatica may indicate doubt or fear about where you are going and your ability to cope with what lies ahead.
Are you concerned about where you are going and what is going to happen?
What inner emotional pain are you sitting on or holding back? Is someone or something restricting your freedom to move?
Are there financial or emotional issues putting pressure on you or weighing you down.” YOUR BODY SPEAKS YOUR MIND ~ Deb Shapiro
If you grew up in an emotionally tense environment, areas of the body that keep your feet firmly planted on the earth will be affected. These can show up as problems with the lower back (lumbar, sacral), pelvis, rectum, hips, legs and feet.
The hips and buttocks are the foundation of our physical being: the movement of the hip joint is crucial to our survival – whether in running away from danger, kicking an attacker, or moving in the sexual/reproductive act. Sciatic sufferers can display a lot of rage and anger when they are overly sensitized from being judged critically, verbally abused or punished. In fact they may often punish themselves because they’re afraid of trusting their own judgement.
When the hips are out of alignment so too are the liver and gallbladder meridians .. these two meridians help us to move forward to begin motioning towards something. Unbalanced, they can metaphysically be caused by feeling angry/hurt inside, feeling used, unappreciated, let down, alienated. Who or what are you carrying on your hips? What are you taking responsibility for? Who is it you are supporting when you should be supporting yourself? Are you feeling insecure about something? Do you feel controlled by someone?
(Other people’s thought forms, projections and hooks can be attached to highly charged areas in your energy field and influence your actions and perceptions. Highly charged areas in your field are where you’ve not integrated emotional issues, like, poor self-esteem, pain, fear, anger and so forth….. any part of you that works against your higher path and purpose can become a receptor site for lower energy.)
The liver and gallbladder meridians run down the sides of the body and reflecting our ability to choose which way to turn. An unbalanced gall bladder is associated with being either indecisive, or over-decisive, perhaps impatience, or possibly too much thought interfering in one’s decision making. When under stress, the gallbladder causes a disorderly flow of ideas, your head may spin with dizzying ideas; or talking nonstop about all the ideas and possibilities.
“In fact anything that makes us anxious (all unconscious) will tend to make us angry as well. You’re trying to do a good job; you hope it turns out well (anxious) but you’re also resentful of the problems with which you must contend, like other people and their needs.
“…..an important source of anger and resentment, of which we are usually unaware, stems from our sense of responsibility to those who are close to us, like parents, spouses and children. Though we love them, they may burden us in many ways and the resultant anger is internalized.” Healing Back Pain – The Mind-Body Connection ~ John Sarno
John Sarno in his book “Healing Back Pain” shows many examples of unconscious anger. One in particular talks of a young father with a first born that’s a non-sleeper. “He not only loses sleep, but his wife is pretty much tied up with baby around the clock. He has to pitch induring his free time, their social life is much curtailed and what was a long honeymoon efore baby came is now a grind. He develops back pain because he’s mad at the baby (ridiculous), and angry at his wife because she can no longer minister his emotional and physical needs as she had before (absurd). And to make matters worse he has become a part time nursemaid and cook. But he doesn’t know about any of these feelings—they are deeply buried in his unconscious and to make sure they stay their het get back pain—TMS”.
In Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) the body is seen as circuits of energy. The mind and emotions are closely related to health and dis-ease. When we look at the seven emotions – joy, anger, melancholy, brooding, sorrow fear and shock – an excess of joy can damage the heart, anger can damage the liver, melancholy the kidneys, brooding and sorrow the spleen and fear and shock to the kidney.
CHILDHOOD TRAUMA
What we don’t often recognize when our problems stress us out is that, we are locked in old patterns—old beliefs, old ways of thinking and doing things, old wounds, old memories—that unconsciously undermine our conscious desire to be free of suffering. We are at the mercy of our past history. These deeply imprinted patterns and beliefs slow down our every move. We feel off balance, reacting out of habit and fear, and rarely in control.
Fears create a lack of confidence and when we lack confidence we are affected by other people’s moods .. kind of like a leaf flying helplessly in a storm. When we have a low self-worth it prevents us from using our imagination and to find a creative outlet. Fear also causes us to hold back and repress our emotions which can cause problems in relationships.
Past wounds that don’t heal, deplete and waste our energy. We just keep going around in circles with no escape in sight. Always with the same message, always eliciting the same reaction, every waiting to spring out at us. These reactions are an intrinsic part of your survival mechanism…your physical emergency response. If you were severely traumatized in the past, you may overreact or underreact to situations and relationships for much of your life.
It’s possible your mother may have been deeply troubled, psychologically or perhaps physically unavailable; whatever your situation, her negative responses to your needs and feelings, led you to believe that you had no right to have feelings. The hurt or trauma you experienced then may have resulted in a deep-seated decision never to make yourself vulnerable again. “I’d rather die than need you.”
Often sciatica signifies an inability to bond with the mother, though a deep inner bond with her exists. This bond exists because you need to hold on to her physically, mainly due to not being nurtured and loved by her. If your mother didn’t respond to your nonverbal (and verbal) signals, you learned to distrust closeness to other people and failed to develop a healthy degree of trust. Trust is about moving beyond your comfort zone. With sciatica we are afraid of diving into our feelings and needs because we associate them with attachment to home and family.
EMOTIONAL PAIN
Most sciatic sufferers don’t know how to show their true feelings to others. They may have tried as children and found their words hushed or misunderstood. No matter how loving or caring their parents were, they couldn’t have possibly met all their needs. Sometimes our parents didn’t understand what we needed because our own needs were so different from what they needed when they were children. Sometimes our parents are unable to give us what we need because they didn’t get their own needs met.
When we aren’t able to express our true feelings or fears, we don’t feel safe or secure. When we don’t feel safe, we either withdraw or get angry. Either way, our anxieties grow and our self-expression shrinks because we can only access behaviors that are allowed to be seen. We’re unable to be who we are, so we become a characterization of what we think we should be. If you had to compensate your feelings/emotions to meet the expectations of your parents, teachers or friends, etc… your feelings/emotions might have become sealed in your sacral/hip area for a long time.
Many sciatic sufferers see themselves as chameleons, adapting to the likes and dislikes of the people around them. Most of them fear that their needs and feelings will upset or anger other people. Being uncomfortable with their own feelings, they are also unable to tolerate anybody else’s feelings. As you become familiar with your own needs and feelings, you will learn how to be comfortable with other people’s feelings as well.
As long as you are focused on outer solutions—you won’t be able to address the inner pain that drives you away from yourself in the first place. The process of recovery leads you inward to learn who you really are and what you really need.
If you do not care for yourself or listen to and trust your own feelings, you can easily become dependent on others. If you do not trust the messages of your body due to a past traumatic experience, your body becomes numb and shuts off. A wounded heart has a limited capacity to trust and be open to infinite possibilities. Emotional numbness can create codependent relationships; dependency occurs when we lack self esteem or harbor a poor body image.
Sciatic pain can either make you reclusive, shy and retreating in nature OR it can cause you to become aggressive, overbearing and deceitful. When you get angry and really ticked off, you attract people who want to talk about the same problems you’re going through. This is where you have to pay attention to the conversations you’re having every week with others. How do they embrace your own issues? Were you able to see solutions to your/their problem. These are also your issues and we all have to embrace our stuff.
“Sciatica may be experienced if you are insecure about your future or have an unconscious fear of lack of material abundance. I emphasize unconscious because, in my observation, sciatica is especially common in those who are materially and financially comfortable, but would have a difficult time if that were lost. ….Sciatica. therefore, is located in the body at the level of having. You are probably not consciously aware of your fear of lack because you don’t think of yourself as attached to materials things……attachment makes you feel guilty because you believe it is not spiritual…..guilt however, impedes your progress and prevent you from taking a leap…..
If you are experiencing sciatica, your body is giving you a signal your way of thinking is a pain and is causing you distress; it’s really getting on your nerves. Pain always indicates guilt; therefore what are you punishing yourself for? What do you feel guilty about?” YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU: LOVE YOURSELF! ~ By Lise Bourbeau.
Louise Hay in her book “Heal Your Body, describes sciatica as “being hypocritical”, not being straight with yourself. She continues to say, “A sciatic issue also relates to ‘fear of money’ and the future”.
“If you suffer from lower-back or hip pain, it’s time to look at your relationship both with yourself and with the people around you. Honestly assess your life and make some changes. Do you get support from your family that you’re not getting elsewhere? Notice where you are getting support and openly acknowledge it and have gratitude for it. Do you tend to always blame others when things go wrong? Try to see the whole picture and see whether you are doing something that might be contributing to the problem. Do you feel out of control when it comes to finances? Look closely at any financial downfall and try to pinpoint where things shifted from good to bad.” All is Well, Heal Your Body with Medicine, Affirmations and Intuition ~ Louise Hay and Mona Lisa Schulz
THE ROOT CHAKRA
“The Sanskrit name for this chakra is Muladhara, which means “root support.” The sciatic nerve, traveling from the sacral plexus down through the legs, is the largest peripheral nerve in the body (about as thick as your thumb) and functions much like a root for the nervous system. (See Figure 2.1, page 61) The feet and legs, which provide locomotion, enable us to perform tasks necessary to obtain life sustenance from the earth and its environment. Our legs touch the ground below us and connect our nervous system with the earth, our first chakra development. We respond then, kinesthetically to gravity—the basic underlying force of the earth—constantly pulling us downward. This force keeps us connected to our planet, rooted in material existence.” Wheels of Life ~ by Anodea Judith
The root chakra’s is linked with the earth’s energy. Its main function is to build the basic foundation of our identities; it’s here, we build a place called home—it’s a sense of belonging—a vital system that cannot be constructed without an identity. The root chakra is largely driven through our instincts and premonitions which help to build our personal and physical identities which are built from our conditions, upbringings and education.
Early in the healing process, many people have no idea who they really are and what their truth is. Not only have they used addictions and other distractions to hide their true feelings; they have also spent much of their time focusing on other people’s feelings and needs. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with caring or being concerned about other people. However, if it is at your own expense, it’s not only unhealthy for you, it’s unhealthy for the person for whom you are sacrificing yourself.
You are not responsible for everyone you care about. If your life is overwhelmed by responsibility, then it’s time to stop doing everything and let someone else share the load. Some have said that it’s almost like the bottom has to drop out of your world before you can grasp the significance of this stuff. Listen to your sciatic nerve, what is it trying to tell you? If old wounds surface, it means that the situation you are in now is draining your energy, and will continue to drain your energy until you acknowledge the emotional triggers. That’s really what your sciatic pain wants, to be acknowledged.
THE SACRAL CHAKRA
The sacral or 2nd chakra is connected to the sense of taste, the element of water and the lymphatic glands. It’s affected by our emotional mood swings and what we love in the sense of our “tastes for life” (fashions, money, relationships, creativity, sexuality).
The 2nd chakra interacts well with the 1st. The 1st chakra connects us with the element of earth, while the 2nd connects us to the element of water. Earth offers stability, water brings a sense of movement. Water is also linked to the moon, it connects with time, and tide, fertility, menstruation and ovulation in women and the production of semen in men.
Sexuality (sacral chakra) holds our greatest pain and denial. Every shred of unfinished business and all our emotional issues will keep reappearing until we get in touch with how our body is feeling. When we open the floodgate of our emotions they will turn our lives upside down. Anything not in harmony with our Self will come up to be processed and healed. All your fixed thoughts and ideas will come loose and you will feel as if you are shifting through time. It will feel as if you are being crushed as your past and future collide. However, this will also free-up an enormous amount of energy opening you to your creative juices and your joy.
Visualize a water fall over a rocky terrain, imagine looking closer and see how the water has slowly created (carved) the bed-rock of the earth into an expression of beauty; it looks alive, full of the “life-force” created from the power of fluid and motion. Without water the earth would “dry up” become sluggish, infertile, and lifeless; our bodies need water to stay healthy, young and productive.
Therefore water needs the earth to hold and “restrain” its emotional desire to “shape and control the world around it”. This means that the 2nd chakra relates to issues of power in the outer world and your need to control, people, events, and the way things happen.
In relationships, we look for someone who will validate, protect and connect with us on an intimate level. But if we suffer from low self-worth and unable to stand up for our rights, we’ll keep finding relationships that constantly reopen our wounds or traumas.
CASE STUDY
Physically, sciatica means pain from a compressed or pinched sciatic nerve which can be felt in the back of the thigh, down the back of the leg, on the outside of the calf, on the side of the foot and in the heel.
Wayne contacted me, via email, because he had been suffering on and off from sciatic pain in his left leg (deep buttock/hip socket) area and lumbar for about 5 years. Each time the sciatica returned, he tried different forms of physical therapy, chiropractor, therapeutic massage, daily stretching as well as anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen and naproxen sodium) all to no avail.
Two weeks ago, he again developed sciatica in his left leg that was so intense he couldn’t bend over to put on his socks or shoes and he couldn’t walk because of the pain. An MRI revealed he had bone spurs, two intervertebral disks that had herniated and the doctor scheduled him for surgery in May. Wayne didn’t want surgery. He had recently read my blog on the metaphysics of lower back pain and decided to contact me.
Wayne gave me a quick run-down of his history and after sending emails back and forth, we scheduled a time that both of us could connect energetically at a distance. Healing this way, allows a client to actively participate in the healing, either by relaxing, or meditating. The vibration of a client’s name, birth-date and country they live in, creates a spiritual link and as they relax, I scan, listen and make notes of the symbols and messages the client’s body/mind shares with me….. distant Reiki is then gently sent to areas (chakra/endocrine glands/organs) where the body needs it most.
THE HEALING
The hypothalamus in our brains sees everything as world war III so when a memory (young or old) is remembered, our bodies respond to the chemicals .. so the body is the one that suffers the pain of being fired, of losing a promotion or being rejected/abandoned by a parent. The body doesn’t have a clue if the event is currently happening or happened fifteen years ago. Just thinking about previous emotional hurts can cause the body to respond as if those hurts are occurring in that every moment.
Remembering emotional hurts causing the muscles to tighten and clamp down upon the adrenals, causing a huge output of adrenaline/cortisone as well as the sexual hormones. With too much adrenaline, the feeling one gets is of ‘being wired’, electrified—adrenaline interferes with the brains neurotransmitters, leaving you feeling scattered, irritable, confused—physically, the body’s getting ready to fight/flight or freeze.
This is what was happening to Wayne. Fear, anxiety and mistrust was having such an adverse effect on his insides, that his aura and body was instinctively pulling in to protect itself, causing his lower back muscles to contract and clamp down on his sciatic nerve, causing reduced mobility and depriving his cells of oxygen and life-force energies. When this happens toxic thoughts and emotions become trapped inside the body, creating a form of ‘muscular armor’ in an attempt to feel safer and less vulnerable, but it takes its toll on the adrenals and the body’s natural fluidness. When this happens the fascia tightens and becomes brittle.
Wanting to know why Wayne suffered sciatic pain to his left hip and leg, I posed this question to his mind/body/soul. The left side of the body is linked with the feminine aspect, which is about receiving, being and the inner self. When the left side is unbalanced or blocked it creates a feeling of unrest or a disconnection from the truth about ourselves. Wayne had literally cut himself off from his life-force and the left side of his body was telling him to stop denying this feelings.
When we disconnect from the truth of ourselves, we are cutting ourselves off from our very life force, and we are in fact weaker, less … But in the beginning, it is simply the inner self saying, “No more denying these feelings!
Wayne’s mind/body spoke of feeling dissatisfied and confused about the self. Filled with self-doubt he always feels he has to be more.With the right side having to compensate for the left, there is delusions about oneself and one’s motives. This can cause a person to cling to a fantasy about their own identity. After the healing I asked Wayne if his father was estranged from him in some way. He told me his father was seldom at home due to his work in the mines, so essentially Wayne felt abandoned by his dad. The lack of a father, or authority figure, creates poor boundaries in a child and lack of what is normal in the reality of his life. The lack of life-rules can be very disorienting for a child, who will take great pains to hide the real self.
Hurting deep inside becomes a stumbling block, you can’t move forward and you can’t move backward. You hang on to what is ‘familiar’ refusing to let go of a stagnating job, a person or situation that no longer fulfills you. But you stay because it offers you some sort of security from the constantly changing world. Childhood traumatic events, which are so common, at any young age—jeopardize trust and faith—causing the exuberant wonder of a child’s spirit to falter.
When Wayne and I first made contact and I asked him to write about his life. He had written a wonderful story, painting a picture that his life was great……except he forgot to mention his father was absent for most of his childhood, that his parents divorced when he was seven and he suffered the loss of his brother five years ago from an accidental drowning. Wayne realized his life was incomplete and that he was seeing only one side of his life; this was why his sciatica kept coming back. He was determined to explore the reality of his life and get to know his inner self.
To heal, we have to make a choice to willingly explore the pain, to put forth the effort to grow or we’ll stay a victim of the pain. But once, we begin to understand it, we can start to grow from it and begin making new choices for ourselves…better choices…choices that allow us to heal. As we push through the pain and really examine it, we can ask ourselves, “Why is my sciatica resurfacing again and again”? “What thoughts are keeping my sciatica alive? Why did I choose to experience this”? Relax your body/mind and allow your soul/spirit a chance to speak. ♥
Update
Recently I received an email from a health-coach regarding metaphysical differences between the right and left side of the body. I’ve inserted the body of the email for those that are interested.
The left hemisphere of the brain governs the right side of the body which is concerned with logical, mathematical and scientific thought and verbal analysis; while the right, hemisphere of the brain, governs the left side of the body and is concerned with all forms of artistic creativity, spatial and ‘intuitive’ thinking – and is very subtle in nature. The left side though creative, lacks the ability to express itself verbally (expression is masculine in nature).
In regard to sciatica and its relation to emotions/family, I’d say 90% of people contacting me have suffered from sciatica on the left-side of the body. The left side of the body is passive – the right side is active.
In the body, feminine energy (yin) is in the feet, the front, the left side and right hemisphere of the brain; Male energy (Yang) is in the head, the back, the right side and the left hemisphere of the brain.
The metaphysical energies of the ‘hips/thigh(s)’, has to do with past issues, parental problems, traumatic childhood memories, anger and or resentment. It’s also associated with our sexuality and intimacy, which we learned as children from our parents.
Masculine energy (Right sciatic person) is focused, aggressive, goal oriented, strong, structured, logical, and driven. Masculine energy is single focused; it’s physical rather than subtle (Feminine). Masculine energy is about Doing. It’s logical rather than intuitive. If you can’t see it then it doesn’t exist.
Anatomically masculine energy is a giving energy or an energy that is moving outward, penetrating and directing energy in a certain way. Your masculine energy is your protector when used in a healthy way.
Speaking out loud, using the hands for manual activities and exercising or playing sports are yang activities controlled by the left brain. These activities (if not overdone) help to restore a person’s energy balance.
Right Sciatica People
Let’s look at the Right sciatica first. They are all go-go-go and unable to relax or meditate to get in touch with their intuition. Though they are sore and exhausted, they like the excitement and variety of life. They are exhilarated, bold and vivacious .. all masculine energies. The root of the problem, they are out of touch with their inner guidance and this creates a lot of anxiety for them. To combat the anxiety, they try to keep their minds busy at all times. If they can do this, they feel they can keep their anxiety and negative feelings out of their conscious awareness.
As far as their childhood (many not all) Right side sciatica’s feel they were cut-off (abandoned) or neglected by their mothers .. They were cut off from the feminine side of their nature. Maybe they were either displaced from her attention by a younger sibling or perhaps she was ill when they were a child. Right sciatica’s found at a tender young age, they had to take care of themselves. They also had to repress their feelings of frustration, hurt and fear. As children they focused on their toys, games and other children to distract them from their feelings. Some of them as adults are extremely impatient and may suffer from panic attacks. Some are very insecure and suffer from revved up manic personalities. They also don’t like to be alone. They fear losing connections with others and may hold themselves back from moving on to stay in a not-so-good relationship.
Left-Side Sciatic People
Physically, the feminine is the left-side of the body and the right hemisphere of the brain. The feminine is also your emotional intelligence and your spiritual energy. As a symbol it can most easily be described as a circle or sphere or, similar to the womb. The left side of the body is known to be the natural receiver of the earth’s energy.
The left side (feminine) is creative, emotional, introspective, intuitive and dynamic. If a greater proportion of symptoms are on the left side of the body this would indicate that there is an imbalance in that quality of one’s life. In other words, they have trouble dealing with incoming emotional energy.
Feminine energy is open to receiving; receiving guidance, receiving touch, receiving support for example. It’s about not having to go anywhere or do anything. Feminine energy is about slowing down and relaxing, letting go and allowing the flow of life to take its course. It is about being present and not directing the flow; it is about allowing events to flow. Going with the flow is an example of feminine energy. But too much feminine energy can leave you vulnerable and open …
The Left Sciatica person is totally opposite. They are very spiritual, and always trying to maintain a happy peaceful face .. even when every one else around them is fighting or arguing. They daydream and retreat a lot in the clouds, some are chain smokers. They don’t exercise hardly at all and if they don’t move around, their energy stagnates to a point their lymph system is very sluggish, creating a buildup of toxins in their system.
Left Sciatica people weren’t allowed to assert themselves when they were young. Some had very volatile parents, or a parent who was an alcoholic and was told to keep out of their way and not rock the boat. So they grew up never learning to assert themselves and they learned to repress their anger. They do not like the limelight like Right Sciatic people, they prefer to work behind the scenes and where other people’s emotions can’t touch them. They are very empathic and feel responsible for the welfare of others which causes them to lose a lot of their flexibility and ability to make their own choices.
LINKS
Sciatica Nerve Pain & Supplements
6 Natural Ways to Relieve Sciatica
Herbal Supplement for Sciatica
Quite fascinating! This article pretty much describes who I am and all my life experiences. And this is just sciatica and piriformis pain.
Hi Renee,
Your right. The sciatic nerve (longest nerve in the body) is “quite fascinating”. If this blog ‘speaks to you’ then perhaps a deeper inspection into its metaphysics will help you ♥
ravenstar x
Do you also have a book with all this information in it?
Hi Renee,
I have looked at the possibility of writing a metaphysical book. What I encountered, was critical legal issues (in self-publishing) regarding limitations in images, quotes and other copy-writed materials. Many of the best-selling authors quoted in this blog have been instrumental/monumental in my spiritual development and for many, many other people too. That’s why I quote them.
So for now, rather than having to adjust and follow the ways of tradition, I’d rather continue with the freedom this blog offers me. If there’s a blog(s) you enjoy, please feel free to download or print this material. We are all here to help one another ♥
ravenstar x
Reblogged this on Nwyddau Nodau'r Nant.
Thank you so much for your blog,
I am currently taking time out to heal my life and see what direction my life’s purpose takes me. I have financial debt from a previous business in yoga and healing , I had to close a large center , Since taking the time out , I have a lot of nerve pain , sciatica and neck pain. My partner is very kindly supporting me financially while I take 4 months out but I am ending up having physio [to no avail] which has been expensive and very challenging for me to receive for extras though he gives graciously. I am 49 and also my youngest child is about to leave home . My relationship with my mother is strained , we are very nice to one another but I only visit occasionally out of duty, I feel impatient every time she rings me , I feel judged and despite best efforts I always want to leave her company or conversations as soon as possible. I have the luxury now of this time which I am grateful for though I am worrying about the future, I feel that I am not to teach yoga anymore but I all I know is that my purpose is to be and spread love wherever I go I am a student of a course in miracles , I have always felt huge love and compassion for people and now all I feel is that most people or things are irritating. For example I get a text from a past student of mine , an older lady whom I thought for 3 years , I instilled in my students the practice of gratitude and now she texts me her gratitude lists everyday and it drives me insane. I feel really unkind and uncaring and wonder what is going on.
I have a facebook page called the House of Love and I am struggling to post on it at the moment and yet fear that if I dont ‘keep up’ I will be failing to be what people expect of me , which of course I have created in the first place.
I would be really grateful if you have any suggestions as to what I might do with the gift of this time , I feel quite lost despite prayer and meditation , I feel at times like I am disappearing, I have done a lot of intense work through ACIM and a spiritual teacher of tantra and some times I just seem to fill with fear and other times feel deeply connected to source. I also want to say thank you for this space as I am usually trying to be upbeat and positive but today I felt free to call it as it is having stumbled upon you and your beautiful writing.
Lots of Love to you Ravenstar,
Mia Sera
Hi Mia,
I’m thrilled that you feel safe to openly expressed yourself to myself and others ♥
“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. ~ Anatole France”
I think you’re going through a huge healing at the moment, you’re going though the ‘muck’ of some past conflict that is now preventing you from establishing a ‘better way’ for yourself. And since you mentioned your mother, I think patterns of your childhood have become the pain-in-your-neck and your sciatica. Your fears of feeling insecure, helpless is trying to show you that security does not come from material things. It comes from integrity.
By the way did you see the article on The Metaphysical Causes of Neck Pain, https://ravenstarshealingroom.wordpress.com/?s=neck
(Integrity is the ability to find your ‘root, your inner-most core and be able to ‘stand’ through the many turbulent changes and transitions in life. Integrity is all about your inner truth. Integrity is the deepest point within ourselves, it’s not a static point, it’s not just a thing, it’s a ‘presence’, it’s like a Star-light and very few people live consciously in that point of their life. Our quest is to discover who we are in this most deepest point and take the risk of being unique in ourselves. We then will find the way of living and feeling rich, empowered and authentic.
In life, we all bounce off each other in different ways and we can get along with anybody as long as we are okay with “who they are”.)
Feelings are meant to be felt, they can’t be prayed away. Spiritual practices are meant to enhance our connection to the Source but they do not remove anger. (Anger is a physical energy ‘housed’ in the body). If we can’t express our anger, (or spontaneously feel and express whatever we want) it’s because as a child we couldn’t be ourselves then. We couldn’t be ourselves because we feared abandonment. Until you conquer your fears, you’re going to be afraid to be yourself. The problem with that is, we escape our anger by using addictions such as TV, sleep, cigarettes, drugs, food, compulsive thoughts and behavior to numb us against feeling.
Most of us react to anger by shutting down or running away .. we act against our nature. Why? Because anger led to pain and abandonment. And because anger is felt so strongly in our bodies (explodes outwards), it scares us to death. So we escape into our heads and and freeze our feelings while rationalizing what someone or something did to us.
Are you familiar with Alchemy? Alchemy involves the use of mirrors, images and reflections. As you know, when gazing into a mirror the image one sees appears to be backward. “True alchemy appears upside down, not backward.” You’ve been tossed by the winds and hanging on one foot by a thread (sciatica). Are you familiar with the Hanged Man in the tarot? If so, then you know you’ve been turned 180 degrees, upside down, where all those nasty aspects from the past hang out. However, healing those nasties, creates an anchor which helps to approach the future or a project in a fresh new way. But to do this you have to ‘surrender’, ‘let go’.
Mia, you have a great need to establish a “firm” foundation in your life. Even if you have total freedom to heal, as you do right now, you feel uneasy. You, more than others, need this secure centre, the problem is, this drive for security, (which most likely comes from your past), is making you rigid and fearful about moving towards anything new. It’s made it difficult for you to change and adapt, though you are quite resilient. Us humans, can become so preoccupied with what has happened to us, that we have no energy to focus on what is happening at-the-moment. Unfortunately we cannot gain meaning or purpose from the ‘larger story’ (different perspective) when we’re stuck.
The lady sending you her gratitude notes has no idea, that in doing so, she’s helping/guiding you. This older woman is showing you one way to move through the mud, by expressing gratitude for what you have in your life right now. You’re annoyed and irritated because you’re not resonating with that vibration at the moment (your life is going through a massive change). But it’s exactly that vibration that you need at the moment. ♥
Hugs,
ravenstar x
Thank you so so much,
I really appreciate you taking so much time and your very generous response. I had a beautiful dream with a tortoise last night showing himself to me, and then a grizzly bear appeared during a healing today. I am certainly in a change. I have reared 4 children as a single parent and with little security and I moved house 12 times, renting , I have no difficulty with moving , making a new and beautiful home. My kids are now in early adulthood and moving on , the youngest in January . I am in a beautiful relationship for two yrs living with my partner. He has always had security , savings etc , he also works as a very conscious Tree surgeon and is wonderfully grounded,where as I have been the opposite, wild gypsy spirit, flitting about . But I don’t even know where I want to live , what I want to do …. except spread love . I am committed to the relationship , to love and there is a part of me that longs for a home that we can really rest into and serve from and that reflects us but I am terrified of such a life too , I am literally afraid of the stability of a home. I could live in a hotel room easier than put down roots , yet as I say part of me longs for it. When I rent I make a beautiful nest , surround myself with pretty things, though minimum, I have no attachments , I can let go of physical things so easily, clothes, furniture, careers and in the past relationships but this is now a beautiful relationship, we strive for integrity , the mirror of my partner has shown me so many aspects of my character I have been hiding , my anger in particular, my relationship with money and more. The strongest message at the moment from all directions is to rest , to be in nature , to allow my humanness, to spend time with my Mom and my children ….. to stop feeling guilty that I am not saving the world…..
Is there a way to contribute to you .I would love to send you a small(for now) donation ,
Lots of love and sparkles,
Mia.
Hi Mia,
It’s very honorable and kind of you to offer a mini-donation to this blog, thank you. My paypal account is registered under ravenstarshealingroom@gmail.com ♥
It’s very interesting you dreamt of a Tortoise and then saw bear in your healing. It may be of interest to look up both Tortoise and Bear as they both represent ‘going inward’ (feminine energy) to understand/digest what they’ve learned. From what I know, Tortoise represents the Earth (groundedness) and is “at home” anywhere because it carries its home on its back. Like you, it has no need to become attached to places, for it is free to search for new opportunities where ever they may be found. And bear represents introspection and asks you to trust your dreams. It represents reflection, silence – bear asks you to step back from the world, and let go for a while, to enter into new realms…
I understand you want to spread love, and have felt guilty of your inability at the moment. It’s good to let that go, as guilt greatly diminishes your self-healing abilities; many illnesses cannot be fully healed while guilt remains active in the psyche. We see ‘again’ the Spirits of both Tortoise and Bear asking you to let that go 🙂
Healing is a constant challenge to keep growing, to helps us let go of old and worn-out energy patterns that we’ve held onto too long. I think Bear and Tortoise are helping you to reconnect your emotions to your spirit and your spirit to your body, so you may re-build a stronger healthier foundation. And a greater connection to your children and your mom.
I received from DailyOM yesterday, an inspirational email on “Send Healing to Yourself” https://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/display/articledisplay.cgi?aid=59880
“Those of us who have chosen to make healing the world a vocation are grateful for any occasion to send light and love to people in our immediate spheres of influence and beyond. As we apply our passion and our principles to this altruistic endeavor, we often forget to send ourselves the same bountiful gifts of wellness, though we ourselves may be in dire need of it. We overlook ourselves, not because we forget, but because we fear that focusing on the self is an indicator of selfishness. It is moreover much more difficult to heal oneself than to heal others because the seeds of uncertainty are more easily banished when we act on another’s behalf. When we send healing light to ourselves, it is important that our intentions and our self-trust be stronger than ever to counteract doubt. ………”
With Love,
ravenstar x
I have been struggling with sciatic pain as you describe for the last year. I too have tried myriad methods, some giving temporary relief when the fascia is released through massage, acupuncture and various release exercises. Having read a little of Sarno’s material I do believe the root causes are not physical. I do not want to break up our long term marriage but i sometimes experience the primal pain of loneliness, rejection. I am working towards letting go of needing my husband to be the cause of my contentment. There is a part of me that is stuck at an early age where I experienced fear and rejection in my early family life. I have been in 12 step for compulsive overeating for 3.5 years. I am now trying to learn to abstain from controlling my husband – making him my higher power. I feel my sciatic pain is connected to these hungry parts of me.
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for opening up your heart and sharing your deepest feelings. Bringing our fears out into the open and writing honestly about them helps us work through them. It also helps to restore contact with our own ‘will’. I believe most fears and rejections begin as early as tiny infants who felt rejected or abandoned by their mother. In some cases, mom may have worked too hard and had no time for the child, or she had problems of her own or was blocked emotionally. Whatever the cause many people have reacted to this rejection by withdrawing behind a protective barrier (from overeating) so that they couldn’t be hurt anymore.
Many people who read this blog, including myself, congratulate you in taking the 12 steps for compulsive overeating, which I’m sure has given you new vitality to your mind and body ♥
Hugs,
ravenstar x
This is brilliant and exactly what I needed to read this morning. Thank you so much for your clarity!
You’re very welcome Nahanni, the purpose of this blog is for you and others to tap into your own healing abilities ♥
Hugs,
ravenstar
I came to your blog today after Googling “sciatica pain energetically” and Bingo! Your words spoke absolutely to my Truth of long-stored pain from an emotionally unavailable/mentally ill mother and an absent/alcoholic father. But through a lot of previous work, i am no longer afraid to confront my stored pain and learned coping mechanisms. I am also learning how to share my words, so thank you for sharing yours!
Thank you very much. This article has been extremely helpful and insightful. I appreciate your quotes and words. I am a runner and keep getting right foot issues that can’t be easily be diagnosed or rectified through normal physiotherapy. Along with lower back issues and deep glute discomfort. Now I can see the possible metaphysical reasons for the issues, I may be able to start healing the underlying issues which will help the normal treatment. Nearly everything I read here resonates. Thank you again, I am very appreciative.
Hi Milly,
Thank you for your very kind words.
When you have a really sincere longing to move beyond your pain, you are putting your soul in charge of your life. That’s when the answers you seek, seem to mysteriously appear and you find yourSelf on an interesting transforming journey.
I wish you the best of health Milly ♥
Hugs,
ravenstar
Hi
Do you have an email address so I can contact you directly?
Thank you
Vicky
Hi Vicky, this is my email ravenstarshealingroom@gmail.com if you’d like to get in touch with me ..
Hi Ravenstar,
I love your articles. They totally resonate with me. I’ve been having therapy for about a year and instead of getting better, my sciatica has been getting worse (but then, emotionally, my depression hasn’t gotten any better). Have you got any approach maybe I should take? Thanks for your input.
connie
Hi Connie,
I really appreciate your comment on the metaphysics of sciatica and that it spoke to you. Before offering you a different approach, could you let me know which side of the body is affected by your sciatic nerve?
The main issue associated with sciatica is resisting change, especially change involving the emotions. If your sciatica is worse on the left side, it may indicate childhood traumas and difficulties dealing with incoming energy. If the sciatica affects the ride side, there most likely is hesitancy about moving forward in a way that is in the best interest of the higher self.
Are you or is someone else sabotaging your need to change. change? Is there a person in your life who is untrustworthy and manipulating you?
There’s so many different ways to look at why your body is using sciatica to talk to you. Could you be more specific regarding your sciatica? Each person is unique and each person has a different story.
I await your reply,
ravenstar ❤
Hi there! I suffer from sciatica since May. Went to accupunture 7 times. Still hurts.I have noticed that when I’m very upset and angry the pain increases and I was as wondering if my state of mind has to do with the condition .Now after I read this article give me a glimpse. Last night I had a jeoulosy crisis and I overreact. Today I argue with mum. I know that I need help to change my way of thinking and I’m scared that I will loose my other half, or that in the end we may choose different roads. Thank you for this article, I will read it again and again and I will try to see what I do wrong. Kind regards!
Hi Corina,
From having had acupuncture ‘7 times’ it would seem your pain is more emotionally based than physical. And yes pain is emotionally driven; negative emotions such as anger can actually intensify the pain.
If you were rushing around before your sciatica hit, then this is a time to ‘slow down’. Do you carry a lot of responsibilities? Do you have time for yourself away from everyone else? The most important relationship you have in this life is yourself. Try to understand deeply and compassionately what’s going on in YOUR LIFE (not your partner’s, not your mother’s)? More than likely your sciatica is asking you to go within, to ask yourself questions and listen to the answers. Listen to the answers that come from your emotions. Is there an inner battle going on? Are you arguing with yourself? Is something keeping you tied to the past? Are you able to speak your mind and be respected for it?
If you’re feeling insecure, angry or afraid these need to be recognized and allowed to express themselves. Buy yourself a journal and write down all your feelings. If you donate 10 minutes a day to just writing out what you’re feeling, you will eventually get to the deep-rooted emotional cause of what’s going on in your life.
Consider your own needs and desires. How do you want things to turn out? What do you actually desire in life? Are you free or are your trapped, imprisoned/stagnated by the fear of change? More than likely this is the time to let go of what’s no longer working. What was viable in the past has lost its foundation. You need to build a new structure for yourself, one that is fluid and flexible and eager.
Blessings,
ravenstar
This is a deeply insightful piece of work. I am very grateful for the insights I’ve gained from the last two hours I spent with your writing and my own, a very deep healing journey. There were some interesting twinges and throbs in my knee and IT band as I explored the emotional roots of the sacral pain that I’ve come to believe is the result of inflamed piriformis and gluteus minimus. This is the second bout of trouble I’ve had there but the culmination of more than a decade of healing. I am grateful that your post came up in my search for answers!
I am curious about exploring how we might work together on this core issue, actually. It would be nice to know more about your long distance practice, since I assume you are not local to Costa Rica, where I am. 😊🙏💓
Hi Veronica,
Welcome back to blogging! I enjoyed reading your recent blog entry. Your three years absence (from blogging) has lead to many exciting challenges and experiences that have added to your growth. Sharing many of your accomplishments with the world will have many people’s interests piqued! And congratulations on your Master’s in Geodesign (the first Master in Geodesign in the world)!
You can contact me at ravenstarshealingroom@gmail.com, we can talk privately there. And no, I’m no-where near the beautiful country of Costa Rica … but I wish I was 🙂
Hugs,
ravenstar
great info
i coukd see so many things that i am experiencing right now, that are triggering all my sciatic issues
i have both sides firing atm
Hi Helen,
I’m sorry your experiencing sciatic pain in both legs, this must cause excruciating pain in your lower back and buttocks as well. All forms of pain have something to teach us about ourselves. Do you journal? It seems the two-way flow of energy, between your masculine (yang) and feminine energy (yin) are in conflict. You may want to question and write down where in your life (right now) are you immobilized? Are you experiencing relationship issues at home or at work? OR Where are you feeling insecure or ungrounded? Do you have other people’s support at the moment and have you had this support in the past? Are you holding onto something that needs to be let go of? Holding on to prevent change creates deep tension as well as pain and irritation. You may want to explore these questions with your Self.
Sometimes when we are confronted by something that stops us from moving forward, the worst thing we can do is fight it back. Usually when we disengage from the person or process we’re resisting, we cut off the source of fuel from the conflict. As soon as we disengage the mind is able to calm down and get quiet. Another way to disengage is to change direction and work on something else that also has your name on it.
Blessing to you Helen, and may you be healed from your sciatic pain ….
Hugs,
ravenstar
Dear Ravenstar,
Thank you so much for the informative blog. It reveals so many answers for my left leg sciatica. Now I am having an intensive crisis in my left leg. However, I deeply believe if I treat my childhood traumas and divorce traumas, I will get back my healthy spine and nerves.
I would like to ask for a consulting session with you as there is a lot of things to dissect and bisect and I feel overwhelmed and need a guide. Could you please give me some details.
Thank you so much again
Blessings
Miriam
Hi Miriam,
I’m sorry you’re in so much pain!
I’m sending you an email regarding my services and how I guide clients to help them let go of traumatic memories that have frazzled their nervous system. With a bit of insight, you’ll begin to notice old patterns or habits where you’ve given away your power. This usually begins with small things, and with people who are close to you.
Working with and healing your left and right side of the body (sciatic pain), you’ll re-establish the balance between your intellect and intuition which will help you accept and discover more about yourSelf.
Hugs,
ravenstar
Wooooow! Hello! I want to say thank you for this because I suffer with right side Sciatica. THIS article was a great eye opener for me. Everything you mentioned in this article is so me. I’m sitting in awe, I thought all of this was in my head & I felt alone. Now I must begin my healing. Thank you so very much!
Hi Coutina
Thank you for your enthusiasm, support and kind words. I’m so glad this article spoke to you and that it has put you on the path of your own self-healing.
In the beginning ff you’re not sure where to start, say to yourself in silence or out loud, ‘ok, I don’t know what to do here, show me the best way to move forward’. Then trust, believe you’ll be shown the way and pay attention to everything around you. It just may be you’ll turn on the tv and something will be said that will make you feel, the message was just for you. Or you may turn on the radio and a certain song captures your interest. Or you may pick up a book and allow it to open to a certain page .. and aha, there’s your answer. All these signals are tiny baby steps, helping you along the way. If you don’t get it the first time, another signal will come your way. But in no way will your intuition demand you make a choice! That’s the ego talking! When you do take a baby step, you’re going feel good inside, and you’ll feel alive and joyful.
Blessings on your healing journey Coutina …
Hugs,
ravenstar
How can I can I contact you ?
Hi Helen,
You can contact me by email ravenstarshealingroom@gmail.com
This is spot on for me may I please have your email address ? Im crying a after reading this
Sorry my correct email address is : iana84515@yahoo.com
Hope to her from you soon
Hi Oya,
You can contact me at ravenstarshealingroom@gmail.com
Wow I couldnt stop reading this and I jept wishing for more. I have been sufferring off and on for about 4-5 years now.. only until 1 year ago was it more prevelant and did I even know I had sciatica. Ive always been a typical active skateboarder aries with no concern for my bodys longevity. I cant fall asleep easily most nights now as finding a comfortable position doesnt exist… I used to have sciatic pain in my left leg which makes sense with the trauma of losing my mother in my teens to her addictions and me cutting off that emotional side of myself. Now I have it dominently in my right leg as I work so much in offices and am not as active as I was a few years ago. I have so much weight on my shoulders it feels sometimes… barely 26 yrs old now and im with a girl with a son and Im now essentially a step father. I love it dont get me wrong but its challenging to say the least. And my father is struggljng now from depression do bad that I dont know what to do! I need to get to the root of this and work out my kinks. Any advice/ guidance would be greatly appreciated. How would I go about doing one of these distant reiki sessions with you?
Hi Ryan,
I’m so sorry you lost your mother at such a tender age..
Sometimes when a person’s sciatica shifts from left to right, it’s trying to tell him/her ‘things kept hidden can no longer be contained’. We’re possibly looking at ‘shifting patterns of old/new behaviors battling it out with each other’.
ie., As a child you were a youthful optimistic (daredevil) … a forward-rushing enthusiast, who now finds himself slowed down from the rigid buildup of unexpressed emotions, caused by past and present family trauma (your dad’s depression).
I think you’re writing to tell yourself that it’s time to leave the past where it belongs, behind you. We aren’t supposed to hold onto situations and things that no longer serve us anymore. Life isn’t supposed to be a struggle but a continuous free flowing journey of energy that moves, shifts, and evolves through years of different experiences.
Ryan, if you send an email to ravenstarshealingroom@gmail.com I’ll be able to write you back confidentially and explain to you about distant-healing Reiki.
Warm Regards,
ravenstar
Wow, thank you! Left Sciatic person here, who has had a flare up after revisiting feelings of alienation and abandonment from both parents, including the alcoholic mother. With the exception of actually liking exercise, this describes me exactly. Wow. I can’t wait to read more of your blog. This is spectacular. I am so grateful to this information. Now I am going to re-pattern these old beliefs!
Hi bringingyouohm,
Thank you for visiting and commenting on this blog. Your comment is not only appreciative to me and this blog but helpful to many other individuals searching for healing and closure.
We all have issues from our past, and no matter how many issues we solve, we still have the residue of memories/symptoms in our cells. This residue can be pushed to the back including the hips and legs causing hip pain, sciatica or peripheral pain. Internalizing an emotional experience, reopens old wounds .. with abandonment, rejections not only come from the past. they can also come from the present as well.
When processing old wounds, it’s important to remember this state is ‘temporary’ and that expressing your feelings, especially through journaling, is part of your self-healing abilities.
The advantage you have now, is, you’re now an adult and in a position to deal with old beliefs you’ve held since childhood. As ‘bringingyouohm’ said, “I am going to re-pattern these old beliefs”! Awesome!
Hugs,
ravenstar
Thanks so much, an insightful article
Thanks Cherise, your comment is very appreciated.
Hugs,
ravenstar x
I have experienced sciatic pain on my left side for a couple of years and in the last two, the deep hip pain and spasms have become the norm. Recently I have become aware of my physical stress response triggering my sciatic pain.. For example, while driving in traffic, I can feel the moment something stresses me out, I get huge cramping pain in my left buttock and back of thigh. This article helped so much because I knew what was happening but couldn’t find any info about it.. I would love to fix this problem, it’s terrible. It wakes me up at night and follows me the entire day.
Hi Tamara,
I’m glad this blog has given you some tangible ideas regarding your sciatic pain.
I had some thoughts about your sciatica ..
Let’s look at the example of you driving in traffic. It begins with ‘forward-rushing enthusiasm’ which suddenly slows down to a crawl. Basically it exemplifies life which is in a constant state of flux, flow and change.
Do you feel uncomfortable when life winds down and you have nothing to do? Are you able to relax deeply within your inner-self? OR Do you constantly crave excitement? Love the fast-lane? Do you feel restricted, boxed in, when you have no control over outer restrictions?
Feeling restricted, boxed in, causes your muscles to inner-contract .. This inner-contraction is from trying to adjust and attempt to control stressful situations. Unfortunately, contracting muscles blocks movement instead of creating it; they become a kind of armor that prevents you from moving freely, limiting the movement of your thigh and joints.
Were you tense and anxious as a child .. always poised for the fight/flight response? The backside of the body (including left thigh) reflects private and unconscious elements of your life. It’s the storehouse for everything you don’t want to deal with or don’t want other people to see. What you don’t want others to see becomes hidden, unexpressed feelings “frozen” in the structure of your body. This means a lot of negative emotions (anger and fear) may have become stored along the spine and in the backs of your thigh. This pulls your body out of balance.
The left side of the body is representative of ‘mother’, it holds your past, your traumas, your memories and emotional pain. If feminine energy is deficient, then your energy in the outer world will appear aggressive.
Before the traffic clears, and you can move ahead, you need to release yourself emotionally, mentally, and sometimes physically, from aspects in your life which no longer serve a purpose and are chaining you to a point in time that no longer exists. What are you hanging onto (physically, mentally, emotionally) that needs to be ‘let go’?
When we refuse to accept the past, we tend to make the same old mistakes, we’re unable to accept change, we’re dissatisfied with everything, we blame others, blame time, blame life itself and even blame ourselves.
Is your sciatica is asking you to integrate your past with the present, so you can see and feel your potential for the future? Is it preventing you from moving forward and instead pulling you inward to past events you’d prefer to avoid? This inward journey is for YOU, not anyone else .. you need to feel this alone, and let it go .. you’ll feel so much lighter and freer!
All the best…
Hugs,
ravenstar