Transforming the dragons of fear
Deborah Collins
“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.”
Rainer Maria Rilke, from “Letters to a Young Poet”.
It can be said that there are two basic currents in life, a “yes” current, which opens and connects, and a “no” current, which closes and separates. The yes current could also be called Love, with its unifying, connective quality. Its opposite, the no current, is not hatred, but Fear, which shuts off and shuts down, excluding one from the healing flow of life.
In itself, fear is there to keep us safe, to warn us of danger and to put in motion the survival mechanisms of fight or flight. When the danger is passed, these mechanisms are no longer necessary. They need to be switched off in order to return to our previous state of healthy openness. Animals do this by shaking and shuddering after a trauma such as an attack – they will tremble violently for a while, and then quietly return to what they were doing before, perhaps grazing.
Human children ideally seek the safety and protection of a parent or other care-giver, where they are held and soothed and reminded that they are safe. Later in life, we find self-soothing methods that might be less effective – eating, addictions, acting out or dissociating, anything to avoid remaining in the pain of stress.
But what if would happen if we address these “dragons” as though they are princesses, and invite them in instead of excluding them?
Since fear closes us down, it is also associated with coldness, sometimes perceived as cold shivers in the body. One way to transform the dragon of fear is by calling its name, asking where it resides in our body, and inviting it into our presence. The following simple exercise has proven beneficial, both as a physical, emotional and spiritual “cleanser”, releasing old stuck emotions and allowing life’s energy to flow freely through us once more.
Lie on your back, in bed or in a comfortable place, warmly covered and undisturbed. Go into your body and ask where fear is present. There is no need to go into the stories attached to the fear – this can be counterproductive. Rather, simply remain with the bodily sensations. You may feel tingling or other sensations in some parts, or in the body as a whole. Extend an invitation for these sensations to increase. Allow them to course through the body, perhaps in waves of cold shivers. Sometimes making brusque movements or deep breaths can elicit another wave of energy. When it feels like there is no more chill for the moment, simply allow waves of healing energy to continue flowing through the body.
This has the effect of clearing out the places of stuck energy in our bodies and our souls, allowing the yes current of love to flow freely, healing our past trauma and enabling us to be more firmly in the present and in touch with our intuition.
Enjoy!
