In an earlier post, we explored embodied wisdom and the many ways our body speaks to us through the symptoms we manifest. Have you ever been exhausted and craving rest, only to find yourself sick and convalescing in bed? Or maybe as you grapple with a difficult issue, you suddenly develop a literal pain in the neck? These are some of the more obvious ways that our bodies speak to us, but the messages can also be far more subtle. Maybe you get a tightness in your solar plexus when you think about a particular person. Or your heart beats faster in certain situations. It’s vital to pay attention to the body’s messages because it usually is providing insights that our thinking brains cannot access.
If we don’t listen to our body, these feelings and physical symptoms can build up over time and manifest as disease, or what author Louise Hay calls dis-ease. She believed every illness has an emotional root, including her own cervical cancer, which she attributed to lingering resentment over childhood abuse. “I believe that we create every so-called illness in our body,” Louise once said. “Our body is always talking to us; we just need to take the time to listen.”
While Louise Hay suggested sending loving thoughts and words to the ailing body part as a remedy, we will be exploring another way to release stuck emotions in the spirit of the wild woman archetype. In fact, we will be taking our cue from animals. Notice how they shake their bodies to and fro throughout the day? They do this after sensing a threat or when they’re waking up from a long nap. It’s what we might describe as “shaking it off.” I am inviting you to learn to do the same using a process my teacher, Regena Thomashauer, created called “swamping.”
Think of swamping as being like a two-year-old’s temper tantrum. They rage. They cry. They scream. They throw their bodies on the floor and beat their fists and roll around in despair. It’s easy to see how that could help you release stuck energy from your body, and that’s what you will be doing when you swamp. I caution you, though, to proceed with caution. Toddlers are resilient and can pop up from a temper tantrum no worse for the wear. For adults, this kind of raging can result in accidents or injuries if we are not careful.
There’s another big difference between a toddler’s tantrum and a woman’s deeply felt swamp. In the divine feminine path, we are taught to honor every face of the goddess, including the part of her that has deeply felt emotions that must be expressed and transmuted. So, while we often admonish a toddler for their outbursts, we encourage each other in a swamp and celebrate the many facets of our emotional range.
“It actually turns the culture on its head because the culture teaches us to be ashamed of the depth and breadth of the way we feel and the way we love and the way we show up fully for our lives,” Thomashauer explained in a podcast interview. By swamping with other women and celebrating each other as we are in the depth of our despair, “we can turn that experience around and be filled with delight when we feel deeply.”
That’s why it’s important to plan ahead for your swamp. Find a group of like-minded women and a safe space where you can express yourselves without alarming the neighbors. Gather props like pillows, soft baseball bats and whips that you can use to release your pent-up emotions. Consider dressing the part too. Cut holes in a trash bag and wear it. Or don your frumpiest clothes that reflect the way you feel. At one of the retreats that I hosted, we took white t-shirts and used them to write out our sentiments in big black letters. If you’re swamping a relationship, you could print out that person’s picture and use it to better express your rage.
You also will need a playlist. While I am providing some suggestions at the end of this post, you will want create your own playlist, using songs that speak to you. Note that in my lineup, the music starts off slow, allowing you to connect with your body and your emotions. The songs that follow then that take you through a range of feelings – sadness, grief, anger and rage. It’s important not to leave it there though. You’ll see that I have also included tunes that help you move to empowerment and ultimately joy and event turn on. Follow this same format as you choose your own songs.
When I first learned about swamping, I was so afraid of it that I almost left the School of Womanly Arts program in order to avoid it. I told myself there was no way I was going to feel all my grief, disappointment and anger. It was far too painful to acknowledge. But encouraged and guided by supportive women, I was able to overcome my fears and use the technique to release years of unexpressed feelings. You can do the same.
Once you have assembled everything you need for your swamp, set up your sound system and your props. Ideally, your floor will be carpeted or have a soft rug. Once the music starts, begin by slowly swaying your body and deeply feeling into the emotions of grief and sadness. As you move up the emotional scale toward anger, support each other by encouraging expressions of rage. Cheer each other on, honoring the beauty of these dark emotions. Crawl on your hands and knees together, roll around on the floor, prod each other with pillows and push back when someone pushes you. Pound the floor and the walls. Then do whatever it takes to safely get past your sadness and anger and into empowerment.
Note that breath, sound and tears are all part of this release technique because they help move energy through our bodies. Breathe into your feelings and let the tears flow. Scream, moan, growl. As painful as the process might feel in the moment, it’s an effective way to avoid long-term pain through disease.
As you can imagine, swamping is not a one and done practice. Schedule periodic group swamps to deal with emotions that are deeply embedded or simply to release the accumulated frustrations of everyday life. You also can modify this process for everyday use. Instead of raging like a toddler, move your body more gently through a shorter play list, feeling the emotions that need to be released and raising your vibration through movement.
Whether you plan a group swamp with other women, or gently do your own mini-swamp at home, you will find that it is an effective way to clear out what no longer serves you, so that you can make room for what does. And remember that the night is darkest just before the dawn. When you fully express your darkest emotions, it puts you one step closer to the dawn of your desires. Here are a few songs to get your started.
Paralyzed – NF
Internal Bleeding – Kid Cudi
Choke – Hybrid
Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums – A Perfect Circle
Fun From Far Away – PhasePhour
What the Fuck – Too $hort
Shitlist – L7
Don’t Hurt Yourself – Beyonce, Jack White
6 Inch – Beyonce
Formation – Beyonce
Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
Living Darfur – Mattafix
What songs help you feel your grief, rage and empowerment? Share them in the comments below.
Sacred Circle Retreats 