Hi,
My name is Pam Hausner and today we're going to be working with our Medicine Woman archetype.
First,
I'll talk just a little about archetypes in the Medicine Woman.
Then I'll lead you in a guided visualization where you can connect to your inner Medicine Woman.
If you're unfamiliar with working with archetypes,
You may wonder why we would want to do this.
An archetype is a very typical example of a certain kind of person or thing that is almost instinctively known.
Identifying archetypes can give us a personal insight into different parts of ourselves and how we may be showing up in the world.
For example,
Common archetypes are jester,
Lover,
Hero,
Magician,
Outlaw,
Queen,
Explorer,
And sage.
We instantly understand the essential components of what each of these archetypes represent.
Archetypes allow us to understand a part of ourselves in a way that engages our fantastic brain network and allows it to introduce new pathways for learning,
Growth,
And personal development.
So what do we know about the Medicine Woman archetype?
Well,
You might begin by asking yourself what you instinctively may already sense about an archetype called Medicine Woman.
Regardless of your gender identification,
What qualities do you already anticipate that the Medicine Woman archetype within you may have?
Carolyn Mies teaches that the Medicine Woman,
Or she calls her a healer,
Is a companion of the caregiver and lives to serve others by repairing body,
Mind,
And spirit.
This archetype expresses itself through a variety of practices,
Many of which do not even involve the traditional healing arts or the treatment of disease.
Have you ever found yourself in the role of assisting another person to heal and reconnect with their inner wholeness?
You can think of that part of you as the Medicine Woman archetype,
Stepping into her power at that time.
An essential characteristic of the Medicine Woman includes the ability to channel the energy necessary to promote healing,
Whether it be physical or emotional change.
As we prepare for our guided meditation,
It may be helpful to know that there will be four parts to this practice today.
First,
After we get comfortable,
We will try to identify an embodied sense of the Medicine Woman within us.
We will return to this embodied sense throughout the meditation.
If connecting to an embodied sense is difficult for you,
That's okay.
Just work with what shows up for you and don't make yourself right or wrong about it.
We all experience these things differently.
Next,
We will recall a memory of a time in our life when we needed some kind of shift in order to move into wholeness.
This may have been a physical healing,
But it may also have been an emotional healing,
A shift in thinking,
Worldview,
Or beliefs.
After that,
We will bring awareness to our embodied sense of healing that we enjoy now,
After that shift was made.
We do this so we can really feel and identify in the body the before and after of our healing shift.
And finally,
We will explore how we might bring the healing energy of our Medicine Woman to another person or issue that is important to us.
Let's get started.
Allow yourself to relax and settle into the body.
You may want to close your eyes to remove distractions.
And we allow and bring in awareness to the experience of the body.
What are you sensing right now?
What is happening in your body right now?
We invite sensing into the body because it is our direct experience in this world.
Our thoughts can sometimes be helpful,
But thoughts can also often be misleading.
Thoughts can be based on false ideas or beliefs.
Or we may have habitual thought patterns that confine us.
Whereas our body never lies.
When we feel something in our body,
It is a present moment telling of something true.
So bring to mind a time in your life when you made a wise decision based on something you knew deep inside,
Intuitively.
If you can't recall anything specific,
Perhaps sense into the part of your inner being where your deep sense of knowing comes from.
A quiet,
Calm place of insight.
Where does this show up in your body?
For today's purpose,
We will call this your Medicine Woman.
Now bring to mind an area of your own life where you have already experienced a healing shift.
And we're going to try to remember what it was like before you had your healing shift.
As we revisit the historic part of you,
See if you can connect to your embodied experience before your healing.
This historic part of you is real.
So let's give a name to this part of you.
You can give it a human name or you could give it a name that represents that period of your life,
Like confused soul or angry tiger.
What does this part look like?
The more details you have about this part,
The better you can understand your historic self.
Ask this part of you to describe what your life was like at that time and see if you can really sense where this historic part of you resides in the body.
Where does it show up?
Now we will shift to the present day.
What does it feel like now as your healed self in your body?
This may be the same place as your inner wisdom or it may expand to include other parts of your body.
Give a name to this part of you.
What does this part look like?
Ask this healed part of you to describe what life is like now because of the healing.
What does this part tell you?
Allow yourself to spend a few moments savoring your healthier,
More whole self,
Just holding it in gratitude.
Before we say goodbye to your historic self,
Invite the two parts to hug each other,
Acknowledging with compassion what they have been through and the healing that you have experienced.
Saying goodbye to your past self,
Breathe deeply into your current healthier self,
Feeling your strength,
Your freedom,
And wholeness.
Now bring to mind an issue that you care about deeply.
It could be another personal issue or it could be something that involves another person.
It could be a social or environmental issue that is important to you.
As you consider this issue,
What does it feel like to care about it in your body?
Does it show up anywhere like a tightening of the chest,
A tension in your brow area,
Or something else?
Again,
Finding an embodied sense.
Now we're going to connect to your healing medicine woman for guidance.
Allow yourself to transition back to where you most feel your wisdom,
Your core of power and intuition.
When really sensing into your wisdom,
Bring up the current issue you care about.
Lucy Pierce in her book Medicine Woman tells us that the medicine woman is not here to fix things so we can move on,
But to hold us till we transform.
Ask your wisdom,
This medicine woman inside you,
How you can best hold and serve this issue you care so deeply about so that you can nourish healing.
How can you best hold and serve this issue so that you can nourish healing?
What is she telling you?
Let's take a moment to really listen.
In a few moments we will transition out of this guided meditation.
For now,
Thank your medicine woman for her compassion and wisdom.
Let her assure you that she is always there,
Always accessible to you.
Gradually allow your attention to return to your body,
Seated in your chair or wherever it is that you are.
The sensations of your hands,
Your breathing,
The sounds in your environment.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
