Energetics
” We cannot nurture others fully or well unless we also nurture ourselves.”
Susun Weed
Our bodies are so much more than their physical parts. Our breasts hold a very specific and particular type of energy – that of nurturance. When this energy is out of balance imbalances start to show up. Healing is much more than correcting nutrient deficiencies, it’s also about correcting energetic and spiritual deficiencies. Here are some key points on the energetics of breast health.
Breasts symbolize the primal need for nourishment, love, safety, care, support as well as the desire to be beautiful and desired.
Breasts mirror what is manifesting within a woman’s heart and mind.
Breasts are the gatekeepers of the heart.
A woman’s emotional upsets are often held in her breasts.
It is a woman’s tendency to give and look after others while neglecting her own needs. This can be in romantic relationships, friendships, with kids, siblings, work, etc.
The breasts are organs of giving and receiving. It is important to give and receive in equal balance.
Breast imbalances often represent a refusal to nourish the self on many levels:
Left breast imbalances are related to feeling unloved, refusal to nourish oneself and putting others first. The left side is often regarded as the feminine side, the receiving side where you take in. This side represents the mother.
Right breast imbalances are related to over protection, being over bearing and difficulty in giving love. The right side is often regarded as the masculine side, the side where you give and express. This side represents the father.
Breasts are super sensitive to our external and internal environments and to the relationship we have with ourselves and with others.
Breasts respond to positive and loving intentions.
Guilt over not being able to forgive others or oneself blocks the breast’s energy.
In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), breast imbalances are connected to melancholy.
New imbalances may appear during times of stress and grief.
To neglect our breasts is to deny ourselves of our truth, our power, our beauty and our divine femininity.
Breasts often heal on their own when emotional and spiritual healing has also taken place.
Breast symptoms are the body’s way to get us to nurture ourselves and help us allow others to help. They are asking us to receive.
Create a healing environment. Our environment includes what we eat, what we listen to, what we watch, our relationships, our jobs, our self talk, our self thought and so on. Be mindful of what you let into your personal energetic space, whether it be emotionally, spiritually or physically.
Every cell in our bodies listens to our thoughts. Your immune cells know your deepest feelings.
Talking to yourself lovingly builds immunity.
Self love, self care, self worth don’t happen overnight. If you’ve spent years not loving and beating yourself up, becoming your own biggest cheerleader will take some time. But remember, what comes slowly lasts.
Breast issues as a woman’s achilles heel. Not every woman suffers with breast imbalances. Those us that do are given a special opportunity to truly nurture and love ourselves on the deepest of levels. We are here to discover the gift of our imbalance.
It is important for women to nurture relationships in which she gives and receives in equal measure. Partnerships which don’t fulfill this criteria need to be re-evaluated and/or better boundaries need to be created. We’re often afraid of releasing relationships that no longer serve us out of fear that we’ll be alone, fear of the unknown, fear we won’t find anything/anyone better, etc. This is a time to evaluate our self worth, deservingness, and step into our higher selves.
If you’ve been diagnosed with any kind of breast imbalances, you’ve been given a blessing in a shitty package.
Have compassion for yourself. You are now being asked to turn your attention inwards. This is your time.
When you nurture and put yourself first you inspire others to do the same.
The hands, which are viewed as organs of action, are linked to the heart chakra, thereby influencing the breasts, lungs, heart and chest area. Tense and stiff hands will cause tension in the chest area, which can adversely affect your emotions.
Communicate with your breasts. Ask them “What do you need?” and ask yourself ‘What is this trying to teach me? What are the gifts?”, ” Where have I been neglecting and not putting myself first?”
You’re being called to nurture yourself, feed yourself with love, nutrition, movement, relaxation, and so on. As I deepen my self-nurturance, my body continues to heals and so will yours.
Practitioner Wisdom
Louise L. Hay is well known for her healing affirmations. Here is her take on the root of breast imbalances, “The breasts represent the mothering principle. When there are problems with the breasts, it usually means we are ‘over mothering’ either a person, a place, or a thing, or an experience…. If cancer is involved, then there is also deep resentment.”
“Studies have shown that severe emotional losses such as divorce, death of a loved one, or loss of a job may set the stage for cancer, depending on how the woman deals with the loss. It is not the loss that causes the problem – it’s the inability to express one’s grief fully, release it, and respond to the situation in a healthy adaptive manner.” Dr. Christiane Northrup
“The major emotion behind breast lumps and breast cancer is hurt, sorrow and unfinished emotional business generally related to nurturance.” Caroline Myss
“The suppression of healthy anger is a major risk factor for illness. It actually suppresses the immune system. How we deal with anger has a crucial effect on our health.” Dr. Gabor Mate
“This need to please everybody all the time, it’ll kill you. These reasons are not psychological, they’re physiological. You can’t separate the mind from the body.” Dr. Gabor Mate
Heart Chakra
Heart chakra represents the true self, it’s the heart of the soul.
The breasts are viewed as an extension of the heart chakra.
Trauma and emotions like regret and the “broken heart” are energetically stored in this area of the body.
A blocked heart chakra may manifest as breast imbalances and vice versa.
We build heart walls in response to trauma. Many trapped emotions reside in our bodies and hearts and have a direct on our physical health.
Ayurveda
From the Ayurvedic perspective, breasts represent the primal need for motherly love, security, care, nourishment and support. This is what the breasts, as an organ, are designed to give.
Caring for the breasts is caring for the soul.
Here is a clip from my Healing Women series with Ayurvedic practitioner, Julier Bernier:
Are there any specific tips ayurveda recommends for breast health?
Breast massage! Ayurveda recommends daily self massage with oil (abhyanga) as a health promotion practice. It’s meant for the whole body, but special attention around the breasts, shoulders and armpits helps to clear stagnant lymph and prevent breast issues. In general, sesame oil is a good choice in cool weather and coconut oil in warm weather. Starting from the head and working down the to the toes, massage the body using rhythmic, gentle strokes and a good amount of oil. Massage the breasts using small circles in lines from the nipples outwards, then use gentle strokes under the armpits and around the shoulders.
In ayurveda, we take care of any specific part of the body by taking care of the whole (and vice versa). Nourishing and healthy food, proper exercise, good lifestyle habits, and care for the mind and emotions are all part of breast care.
Time
“Our relationship to time can and does make us sick.”
“Many healers and Caroline Myss teach that cancer is the disease of timing. It can result when most of a person’s energy is tied up dealing with old hurts and resentments from the past that they can’t seem to release. These old hurts need a witness – someone who validates the wounds – before healing can begin.” Dr. Northrup.
Time is not linear. It is a materialistic and workaholic construct. We have all the time we need to accomplish what is it we set out to. We’ve been programmed to think there’s not enough time, there’s not enough money and we need to rush to get things done. We’re left feeling depleted, exhausted and the state of our bodies and health reflects this back to us. We step into a lack mentality instead of living in abundance which is our natural state. Taking our time with the task in front of us takes mindfulness and some reprogramming but it brings us to the present and back to homeostasis.
We are the producers of time. We can make as much of it as we want.
Let It Go
Do your best and rest.
You don’t have to try to heal. Just set the intention to do so and take actionable steps. Follow your intuitive guidance.
Encourage and support yourself.
Take it one day at a time.
Trust your body’s intelligence.
Don’t compare your journey to someone else’s.
Surrendering creates space for healing to take place.