I’ve been sharing tidbits over the last weeks from the profound workshop I enjoyed at Questhaven Retreat Center, outside of San Diego, taught by Don Américo Yabar and his son, Gayle Yabar. Today I’ve got another jewel for you:
How to get rid of your “hoocha.”
What the heck is “hoocha?” Have you ever woken from a bad dream feeling all the heavy, negative energy still in your body even though it was just a dream? That’s “hoocha.” How about receiving an e-mail that actually leaves your gut burning? The physical sensation is a sure sign of “hoocha.” Or simply experienced the discomfort of mounting worry, or anxiety—it’s “hoocha.”
In the Incan tradition, there are three main energy centers in the body: gut, heart, and head. (They have names, but let’s stick with gut, heart, and head for simplicity). These are three places “hoocha” can get snarled in. Negative thoughts, negative feelings, in your head, heart, and gut. Got it? In order to choose happiness, you must get rid of your “hoocha.”
Now. Let me give you another image: Imagine a spool of thread, or wire, or rope. Take the loose end, and start pulling. The spool turns, or “spools,” and you unwind or release the thread, right? Good.
Imagine each of your three energy centers has such a spool. When hoocha gets wound up in your head, heart, and gut, you do the following things:
- Decide to release the “hoocha.” (The energetic decision is key.)
- Start with any of the 3 locations on your body:gut, heart, or head. Move your hands like you are opening cupboard doors over this location.
- Grab the loose end of the “hoocha,” and start pulling/unspooling it.
- Let the “hoocha” fall to the Earth where it gets composted.
- Move to the next of the three energy centers, then the next.
“OK,” you say, “what kind of mime did I just perform?”
The answer is: a very real energetic one. Remember that just because you cannot see a thing does not mean it isn’t there.
I’ve been getting rid of my “hoocha” this way over the last weeks, and it has helped enormously to shift emotional spaces much faster than I could otherwise.
Coach’s Challenge: Try it! Get rid of your “hoocha” any and every time you feel it in your system. Get back to me about how it goes for you. Some kinds of “let’s pretend” are for your health and happiness no matter what your age!
