sadeewhip

I posted a status update on Facebook that I had laryngitis and a fever. I got some interesting responses with someone asking “isn’t that a symptom of not saying something that needs to be said?”

The person who asked is a very intuitive man who has a great eye for body language. He is interested in BodyMind Integration so I thought I would respond. I wasn’t expecting so much to come out and actually thought it was pretty interesting, patly because I was the “guinea pig”.

In Seattle, laryngitis is, apparently, going around. So this is for all of us who have it or may have it or have ever had it.

The first thing that is important in accurately “diagnosing” someone is the lens of the person diagnosing. The biggest mistake many people make is something that simply reflects the bigger lens of society - which is to pathologize or psychologize people.

Remember, the body is the vessel for the heart. So underneath the immediate “issue”, i.e. me not being able to talk, you always, always want to listen for what the heart is trying to communicate.

In order to hear the heart and accurately diagnose what’s going on it’s important to put what’s obvious into context. What is obvious is that I lost my voice. Context is about the systems involved, nature of the causative agent, what was going on immediately prior to getting sick, etc.

Now you want to find out accompanying symptoms and also understand what’s involved in laryngitis.

Accompanying symptoms: (in order of severity) fever, swelling in the neck glands, dizziness, very mild nasal congestion.

Primary system involved: immune

Nature of causative agent: virus

Any “itis” has to do with inflammation. Inflammation is heat. Hot emotions: passion, anger, resentment, righteousness, etc.

Swelling has to do with a build-up or lack of release or both.

It’s also important to note that the laryngitis came on very fast. I had an inkling of an immune system weakness 3 days prior with no symptoms, I could just feel it.

The immune system is governed by the first chakra which has to do with: groups, belonging, family, beliefs, fear, trust, safety and money.

Because the immune system issue manifested in the throat we are now looking at the 1st and 5th chakras.

The 5th chakra has to do with: making decisions, communication, expression, creativity, commitment to higher goals, speaking and being heard.

Looking at the whole of laryngitis you would then want to ask the “client” what’s been going on, making sure to include questions of higher goals, creativity, groups, belonging, etc.

What I would say to you, in the case of my laryngitis and a larger perspective, is that just prior to the laryngitis I had multiple experiences of belonging and social change and creativity. That launching my website, creating the 2-10 Citizen facilitator training and social network on the web, talking to people about making a difference, going to more group meetings and events than I’ve ever been to, having my boyfriend involved with Charity:Water, being exposed to a health product that actually meets the nutritional requirements of how a body functions in a sound and holistic way based in science, meeting with two incredible friends who are changing the world, going “public” with my ideas, and more, have all lead to a phenomenon inside of me.

You would ask what that is and I would say that I got overwhelmed by the possibility of bringing my life’s vision to light. That I can see everything that I have been working for is possible and is beginning to happen. And that I feel so passionately about people coming together as citizens and stepping into our responsibility as such that, coupled with the opportunities in front of me I got completely flooded with passion, righteousness and belonging.

It’s not what I am not saying, it’s what is finally coming out.

Physical symptoms are not always indicative of a problem. Sometimes, most times, they merely reflect the heart coupled with the needs of the person. The body tells others what is up with us by revealing things that we often don’t share or “say”. In this case my body is telling everyone that I want to be heard around something I am passionate about, which is my belief in connection, community and my commitment to a higher goal.

Perhaps what I need to take from the laryngitis is to not only speak my truth but to speak what my truth means to me so others know and the need for belonging is met at a personal rather than ideological level. That resonates with me.

And/ or perhaps I need to not hold anything back and go for it as much as I possibly can because exciting and important things are happening. That includes not holding back my truth and not holding back my passion and not holding back my highest goals. That resonates big time.