Ritual Self Care - 3 Step Intro

 

"Ritual provides the bridge between inner and outer worlds, and creates a context for connecting to the seat of our souls. The end result of all ritual is increased balance, strength, energy, and comfort."    ~~~Angeles Arrien, PhD.

Trinbagonian society at its roots, is a healthy split between varied religions and "bacchanalist" culture, of which many would agree that the scales have been tipping within the last decade or so, where a majority of the younger generation are moving away from religious institutions. This in truth, extends to the shifts happening within the collective psyche. Many would say that young people are losing their way, to which most of them respond by saying, that they are being pulled to a greater calling within themselves. As such, a greater chaos has risen within the generational gap, and an identity crisis has ensued, not just here in Trinidad & Tobago, but within many individuals around the world. 

Like with most Trinbagonian households, I myself was brought up in a home rooted in religion - Hinduism - where Ritual is deeply observed. 

Aside from Hinduism, I was drawn to the mystic paths of Islam & Sufism as a tween. Later on I learnt about Sikhism, Spiritual Baptists, Catholicism, the Mystic Christed teachings of Sacred France, Taoism and Mystic Judaism, all because something within me said that everyday religious teaching, seemed to be missing the essence of its founders. 

My little brother (14 years my junior), grew up less on religious ritual, and more on "new age" spirituality - energy healing, crystals, Buddhist mantras. Despite attending the same Hindu school as me, as with many of his generation he gravitated to something different, not necessarily due to the environment he was being grown in but due to a greater inner calling being stirred by the collective unconscious. In many ways, this allowed me to observe the importance of having a foundation, where ritual in some form or fashion should be emphasised during early development as it can better ground the individual, to further develop their spiritual and in turn, wholistic self. In essence, Ritual is the horse that guides the human carriage to the ascension the soul seeks to arrive at.

In my teens I experienced my first energy healing session with a Swiss practitioner, as a way to understand what my inner self was calling to, but mainly as a last resort and desperate attempt to understand why I suffered each month with menstrual pains that left me bedridden, where no western or eastern medical intervention was able give resolve. This session in Tobago, activated a year long whirlwind of memories of childhood sexual trauma that I had locked deep into my subconscious mind. Thereafter, through continued energy healing work and the help of Dr. Giriraj Ganesh Ramnanan "Dr.RAJ" - the Caribbean's only doctor of Sexology & Sex Therapy, whose wealth of knowledge, not just on sexuality but on Life, became my greatest self-empowerment stepping stone. It was at that trauma filled and confused time in my life, I made a conscious decision to actively work on Self, because my interactions with Dr.Raj held a sacred (safe), but extremely mirroring space for me to finally realize, that so much inner turmoil and confusion couldn't possibly be what my life was about. My sessions with Dr. Raj, as well as the wisdom I gained from observing him over that time span, gave me the confidence, self awareness and increased self knowing, that has tremendously blessed my journey toward self empowerment & actualization and continues to be the foundation that aligns me into a better embodiment of  the  varied facets of my feminine self. (I believe it's important to always acknowledge & be gracious to the souls who saw us, held our hands and had the heart and I suppose fire to hold us by the horns and dust us off, when no one else was able to).

This dedication to self empowerment that Dr. Raj provoked, landed me at the guidance of other professionals around the world, who were trained in more holistic and expansive approaches to sexual trauma excavation, healing, wellness and empowerment. Where interestingly enough, ritual reappeared again and again in the experiential practices I had to inculcate. This made me realise, how essential ritual is to life. Which has brought me to the realisation that, religious or spiritual practices - ritual - are of profound importance in a child's upbringing, allowing for the development of a more grounded individual, despite existing in an estranged society and by extension world. 

This post, is the prelude of my attempt to bring about an awareness consciousness shift, within my readers with regard to Ritualised Self Care. While it is very important to give daily acknowledgement to a higher power that sustains our breath and guides us. Have you ever paid attention to Self Care Rituals? Beyond showering, shaving or eating healthy, but creating daily, weekly, biweekly or monthly practices as a way to nourish all that you are? A conscious time set aside, to witness the parts of you that yearn to be held, or are still in the processes of becoming? These can be simple to complex routines. All of which, depends on personal preference. 

In the next three posts, I will be addressing three themes for Self Care Ritual --- Clearing the Path, Tending to Your Inner Fire & Cultivating Gratitude. All of these are the foundation for a conscious life, SEXucation, and by extension a balanced and fulfilled life. 

While not yet being a qualified professional, I wish to use this blog to shed some light on the Things Less Spoken to me while growing up, via the usage of the experiential knowledge and understanding I have gained over these past 9 years of rebirthing myself.

Sexuality involves the whole self and many a times, when a practitioner in the realms of sexual healing & wellness sits with a client, sex is often times a minute aspect of what is initially disscussed or addressed. Sexuality is an enormous aspect of an individual's existential well-being, and it's about time Trinbagonians began embracing it, from a greater awareness standpoint. For it is my firm belief, that a properly sexually educated society, is to a large extent a wiser, more conscious one.

Stay with me, in the coming days, and lets journey through simple, but essential Self Knowing and Self Reclaiming processes.

2020年❖11月❖17日

星期二

1.01pm

Trinidad, W.I 🇹🇹

Suni

💜

All content was written & created by Suni for Things Less Spoken.

Jiya is also the model in this charcoal painting done by Alessandra Valentini,

which is also featured in the main page.

Damian Luk Pat of Damian Luk Pat photography, w

as the mind & lens behind the the original photo

This blog is an extension of Yoni Nectar.

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