Releasing and Renewing: 7 Natural Ways of Healing shared by Traditional
Ojibway Ikwe and Elder Margaret Lavallee
Life brings experiences that impact us deeply – moments of joy, sorrow, stress, and sometimes trauma. Our bodies and spirits naturally know how to process these experiences, but sometimes we learn to hold back, suppress, or ignore these natural responses. At Flower In The Wind Therapy, we honour holistic approaches to well-being, looking to the wisdom embedded in various traditions, including the profound understanding of healing found within Indigenous cultures. We are committed to supporting Indigenous youth, adults, and seniors on their wellness journeys, and we welcome non-Indigenous individuals seeking therapy that embraces the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit.
Within Indigenous healing traditions, there is a recognition of powerful, natural ways our bodies release stored tension, emotions, and what might be described as energetic or emotional toxins. Margaret Lavallee, a Traditional Ojibway Ikwe and Elder in Residence at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, generously shared these specific teachings on seven natural release mechanisms. She shares teachings, mentors students, and supports faculty and curriculum development in a traditional cultural context. These teachings offer profound insight into practices that are important for maintaining balance and moving toward healing, reminding us that release is often necessary before renewal can occur fully.
Let's explore these seven natural release mechanisms, honouring the wisdom shared by Elder Lavallee:
1. Crying: The Healing Power of Tears
Tears are far more than just water; they are a natural and necessary response to deep emotions – sadness, grief, relief, and even joy. Allowing yourself to cry is an incredibly liberating act. It's understood in many traditions that crying helps release emotional tension and potentially stress-related compounds from the body. Suppressing tears can lead to stored emotional weight. Creating space to cry safely can be a deeply cleansing experience.
2. Talking: Voicing Your Story
The act of putting experiences, emotions, and thoughts into words is a key to healing. Sharing your story, speaking your truth, or simply verbalizing what you're going through in a supportive environment can be incredibly powerful. Talking helps to process events, release burdens, break isolation, and allows others to bear witness to your journey, which is itself a form of healing.
3. Shaking: Releasing Tension from the Body
Have you ever noticed yourself shaking after a scare or during an intense emotional experience? This shaking is a natural way the body releases pent-up energy, stress, and trauma. While sometimes involuntary, intentionally allowing gentle shaking or natural tremors to occur can be a powerful somatic (body-based) practice for releasing physical tension that is stored from difficult experiences. It helps the nervous system reset.
4. Sweating: Purification and Release
Sweating is one of the body's primary ways of detoxifying physically. Practices that induce sweating, whether through physical exertion, heat (such as in traditional sweat lodge ceremonies, which are used with specific protocols and guidance), or sauna, are recognized in many cultures for their purifying effects. This release isn't just physical; it can also feel like shedding energetic or emotional heaviness.
5. Yelling: Reclaiming Your Voice
While societal norms often discourage loud expression, yelling or vocalizing loudly in a safe and intentional manner can be a potent release for pent-up anger, frustration, or grief. It’s a way of reclaiming power and voice, moving stagnant energy, and giving sound to intense emotions that might otherwise remain stuck. This isn't about directing anger at others, but about finding a healthy outlet for the energy of the emotion.
6. Laughing: The Medicine of Joy
Laughter truly is medicine. It releases endorphins, reduces stress hormones, relaxes muscles, and creates connection. Allowing genuine laughter – whether from humour, relief, or shared joy – is a vital emotional release. It shifts our physiological state, offers perspective, and reminds us of lightness even amidst challenges.
7. Yawning: Releasing and Resetting
Often dismissed as simple tiredness, yawning can also be a subtle but important release. It can occur during or after moments of stress, anxiety, or intense focus, helping to regulate the nervous system, release tension (especially in the jaw and neck), and increase oxygenation to the brain. Noticing and allowing yawns can be a gentle way of letting go.
Creating Space for Release at Flower In The Wind Therapy
At Flower In The Wind Therapy, we understand that healing involves the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. We recognize these seven natural release mechanisms, as shared through the wisdom of Elder Margaret Lavallee, as valid and important parts of the human experience and the healing process.
Our commitment is to provide a safe, non-judgmental, and culturally sensitive space where you feel permitted to experience and express your emotions authentically. Whether it's allowing tears to flow, finding words for your story, acknowledging bodily sensations like shaking, or understanding the need for release, we strive to support you in honouring your body’s innate wisdom.
We integrate this understanding into our work with Indigenous clients, respecting traditional knowledge, and offer this holistic perspective to all clients seeking a deeper healing experience.
Ready to Honour Your Natural Healing Processes?
If you are seeking therapy that respects your whole being and understands the importance of emotional and physical release, we invite you to connect with us. Flower In The Wind Therapy is here to support Indigenous youth, adults, and seniors, as well as non-Indigenous individuals seeking a holistic and compassionate path to wellness in the Calgary area and all of Alberta.
Contact Flower In The Wind Therapy today to learn more or schedule an appointment.
