When something traumatic happens in our life, many of us never take the time to allow ourselves to deeply feel it and release it, causing a type of stress that manifests. OR we have so much going on in our lives, and are in constant "doing mode" that the stress response mode is turned on in our body, and never turned off, also manifesting as a long term symptom in the body.

Our body is made up of energetic currents so when when we soften, relax, or let emotions in they actually don't become part of us, they flow through us like a current in a river. Moving through us like water. When we block those emotions and put up a wall we activate even more of a stress response in the body and our body starts to manifest fear and pain as physical symptoms that stay in the body instead of just flowing through like liquid.

There are many ways we can release stressful events and days so that they don't stay stuck in our body, and yoga and reiki are just two of them.

The first time I did reiki I knew nothing about it, but something deep inside me knew I needed to find a way to release some blockages in my body.

I had lost a pregnancy after months of trying, and was in the middle of a healing journey. I was enjoying colorful fiber dense foods to bring back balance to my hormones and immune system, but I was having strange shoulder and back pain (a common place to store stress), and anxiety in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't shake.

After an initial phone consult, I booked a reiki appointment, and with something bigger than me guiding me, I drove to a side of town in Switzerland I had never been to. I was led into a beautiful meditation room filled with pillows, took a deep breath, and laid down on my back and closed my eyes. The practitioner told me that if anything came up during the session it was very important to release it and let it flow out of my body.

Even with my eyes closed and her not physically touching me, I could blatantly feel the warm energy she was channeling into her hands, and as I felt them hover over my abdomen the tears poured out like water. When she moved her hand towards my throat she stopped and paused there for awhile, tending to the extra work I think she intuitively knew it needed.

Afterwards she told me I had a very open energy and that was very connected to the spirituality and the divine, but that there were two blockages that needed some releasing: one in my abdomen and also by my throat- the energetic chakra responsible for communication.

This was when I knew it was time to become more open about sharing my pregnancy loss, if not to help others, than to help release something within myself.

As Dr. Rediger says in his book Cured "first we need to physically heal our diet and our immune systems. Next, we need to mentally heal our stress response and our identities."

5 ways to move stuck stagnant energy in the body:

Breath & Visualization: Inhaling and visualizing the emotions, symptoms, pain (whatever it is) healing and flowing in and out of the body like a bright light or like water moving down a river. When the mind connects to breath and imagery you can create your own healing identity.

Yoga: The asanas (poses) in yoga are 5000 years old and are designed to open up energetic points in the body especially places that it becomes trapped easily like the hips and shoulders. Matching breath (prana) to movement creates an flow in the body that allows energy to flow freely.

Acupuncture: Ancient Chinese medicine looks at meridians in the body that are very complex. Practitioners find where there is blood stagnation in the body and work to return the body to homeostasis or balance the "qi" (life force energy) by placing needles or pressure on specific meridian points in the body.

Massage or Reiki: There are many different styles of massages and some more than others work to move what is stuck in the body by applying physical pressure. Reiki is a hands off healing method that releases blockages in the body by channeling energy and focusing on the different energetic chakras.

Chiropractic work: The body can come out alignment very easy and when it does there can be pressure on the nerves and energetic currents in the body. Releasing certain points in the body in chiropractic work has been proven to heal everything from back pain to ear infections.

Crying/Journaling/Talking: These are natural ways that cost no money and that give your body permission to release what you are gripping too tightly to. Have a good cry, reflect on yourself by writing, or call up a good friend to open up and chat.