by Megan Caper | chakras, energetic body, healing, health, wellness
According to ancient Indian spiritual traditions, chakras are energy centers within our bodies, each with unique functions and characteristics. Interestingly, these chakras correspond to major endocrine glands, which also have unique functions and characteristics that align almost perfectly with the functions of each chakra. Understanding these chakra-endocrine correlations can provide a holistic perspective on health, balancing both physical and energetic aspects. I work with this interplay of energetic and physical body parts all the time in the healing sessions I do with clients. This is one of the things I love about energy healing – the ability to address these body parts as either their energetic or physical form in whatever way is needed for healing in that moment.
1st Chakra – Root Chakra (Muladhara) & the Testes
The root chakra, located at the base of the spine, represents our foundation and feeling of groundedness. Physically, it aligns with the testes, the glands responsible for sexual function and reproduction. (Yes, also for people without testes – about 50% of the testosterone in people with ovaries is produced by vestigial testicular tissue.) Just as the root chakra relates to our sense of survival and belonging, these glands govern the fundamental aspect of life – reproduction and continuation of the species.
2nd Chakra – Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana) & the Ovaries
Situated below the navel, the sacral chakra governs our creative and sexual energies. Its alignment with the ovaries in women strengthens this connection, as ovaries regulate female reproductive functions and influence aspects of femininity and creativity – echoing the creative and generative functions of the sacral chakra.
3rd Chakra – Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura) & the Pancreas
The solar plexus chakra, located in the stomach area, is all about personal power, self-esteem, and our ability to channelize energy into action. It aligns with the pancreas, an endocrine gland crucial in converting food into fuel. The solar plexus chakra and pancreas both convert raw materials, whether food or personal will, into usable energy.
4th Chakra – Heart Chakra (Anahata) & the Thymus/Heart
The heart chakra, at the center of the chest, symbolizes love, compassion, and emotional balance. Physically, it corresponds with the thymus gland, vital for immune function, and the heart, our core life-sustaining organ. Just as the heart chakra harmonizes emotions and instills compassion, the thymus and heart work together to maintain physical vitality and balance.
5th Chakra – Throat Chakra (Vishuddha) & the Thyroid
The throat chakra stands for communication and expression. Its physical counterpart, the thyroid gland, influences growth, metabolism, and development. In essence, the thyroid regulates how our bodies express their physiological blueprints, reflecting the throat chakra’s focus on communication and authenticity.
6th Chakra – Third Eye Chakra (Ajna) & the Pituitary/Hypothalamus
The third eye chakra, located between the eyebrows, is the center of intuition and foresight. It corresponds to the pituitary and hypothalamus glands, the master regulators of the endocrine system. Just as the third eye chakra is considered the overseer of our spiritual system, the pituitary and hypothalamus guide our physiological functions, demonstrating a profound interplay between intuition and homeostasis.
7th Chakra – Crown Chakra (Sahasrara) & the Pineal Gland
The crown chakra, situated at the top of the head, represents spiritual connection and enlightenment. It aligns with the pineal gland, a tiny gland responsible for the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep patterns and seasonal functions. In many spiritual traditions, the pineal gland is considered the physical manifestation of the “third eye,” linking it directly to our spiritual awareness. Just like the crown chakra governs spiritual connection and universal consciousness, the pineal gland acts as our biological ‘third eye,’ regulating our internal rhythm and connecting us to natural cycles.
This synchronicity between the chakras and the endocrine system illustrates a profound connection between our physical and energetic selves. The chakras govern the flow of energy in our bodies, while the endocrine glands regulate the physiological functions that sustain us. Together, they create a beautiful synergy that echoes in every aspect of our existence – physical, emotional, and spiritual.
By understanding the correlations between our chakras and endocrine system, we gain a deeper appreciation for our body’s innate wisdom. Ultimately, the chakras and the endocrine system together form an intricate network that nourishes and sustains us, providing the foundation for a holistic approach to well-being.
by Megan Caper | Childhood trauma, energetic body, healing, health, illness, physical, wellness
After spending two decades in the field of health and healing, I have noticed an intriguing pattern: people with chronic or autoimmune illnesses frequently share three common characteristics. Far from being weaknesses, these characteristics are also inherent strengths once we understand how to navigate them. Transforming these maladaptive aspects into adaptive ones can lead to happier, healthier lives.
The Freeze or Appease Response
Under the pressure of stress, many individuals adopt one of two coping strategies: they either “freeze” or “appease.” Those in the “freeze” category might withdraw from stressful situations as a protective mechanism, they tend to walk away rather than get involved in an argument or confrontation. Those who “appease” may display an excessively accommodating nature, eager to diffuse conflict and maintain harmony even at personal expense.
This coping style can often lead to a person becoming an “internalizer” – someone more inclined to self-blame rather than attributing the issue to external factors. While this trait can foster a heightened sense of responsibility and introspection and lead to a lot of personal growth, when unregulated, it can also lead to undue self-criticism and anxiety.
High Empathy and Sensitivity
Another shared trait is a profound empathy, often present in those who are Highly Sensitive People (HSPs). This means they possess an extraordinary capacity to discern others’ moods through subtle cues, such as body language, tone of voice, or even energetic vibrations. You may not even realize you’re doing this and may think everyone has this ability, but I assure you, they do not!
However, being an HSP can make modern society’s demands challenging. HSPs often require more “tend and befriend” energy — nurturing and supportive environments — which our culture doesn’t always provide. While their heightened perception can make them excellent caregivers, educators, or counselors, the constant bombardment of stimuli can sometimes lead to overstimulation or emotional exhaustion.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)
Finally, a surprising number of people with chronic or autoimmune illnesses have an ACE score of 3 or more. ACE studies refer to the exploration of how negative experiences during formative years can significantly impact a person’s health and well-being later in life. These adverse experiences range from emotionally immature parents to household dysfunction, such as substance abuse, mental illness, or parental separation.
A high ACE score often correlates with increased risk for chronic or autoimmune diseases. These experiences can alter immune and nervous systems, predisposing the individual to a variety of health conditions. Yet, understanding this link provides an opportunity for healing past traumas and working towards a healthier future.
Understanding these shared traits — the freeze or appease response, high empathy and sensitivity, and an elevated ACE score — can empower us to make essential changes. Recognizing these aspects within ourselves is the first step towards mitigating their potentially detrimental effects and harnessing their strengths.
Remember, we are not defined by our conditions or our pasts. We have the power to shape our futures, and by addressing these aspects consciously, we can influence our health positively.
by Megan Caper | energetic body, healing, health, illness, meridians, Neurology, physical, wellness
In the past 75 years, our world has witnessed an unprecedented rise in chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases. Visionaries like Gabor Mate and Peter Levine have proposed that these ailments may be rooted in the accumulation of trauma and stress within our bodies and minds. The question remains, though, what is the precise connection? How do stress and trauma translate into long-term diseases?
Allow me to share my insights.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with countless individuals grappling with conditions such as Chronic Fatigue (ME), food intolerances, Lyme disease, MS, and, more recently, long COVID. A recurring theme has emerged from my energy healing sessions. When I establish an intuitive connection with my clients’ body-minds and inquire where the healing should commence, I consistently receive a message to harmonize the “Nervous-immune-digestive system.” Interestingly, this intuitive wisdom suggests that these are not three separate entities, as conventional medical science often assumes.
Conventional Western medicine divides our physiological systems into distinct categories, such as the immune system, the musculoskeletal system, the digestive system, and so forth. This compartmentalization is so deeply ingrained that we consult a different specialist for each system: a neurologist for the brain, a gastroenterologist for the digestive system, and a gynecologist for the reproductive system. Yet, our bodies do not perceive these as separate systems; rather, they are human constructs intended to simplify and classify biological information.
Our bodies comprehend that we are a single, interconnected living system, with every part dependent on the whole.
Thus, when I psychically received the term “nervousimmunedigestive system” from my clients’ bodies, I understood it as a call to view these three systems as one. This realization led me to delve into the intricate connections between the brain, immune system, and digestive system.
What I discovered was truly astounding.
Our brains, immune systems, and digestive systems are in constant dialogue, exchanging information through hormones, electrical signaling, and energetic pathways (such as meridians). They continuously monitor our health and relay any changes to the rest of the body.
Chronic illness arises from a disrupted communication system that remains stuck in a state of hypervigilance (fight/flight/freeze/appease). This dysfunction generates inaccurate messages that can alter hormone levels, immune system activity, emotional states, brain processing, inflammation, and more. For instance, in clients with chronic infections like long COVID or Lyme, I observed a hypervigilant body purposely clinging to low-grade infections to maintain surveillance, like a physiological version of “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Unfortunately, this vigilance comes at a cost: fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other symptoms. Only when we coaxed the “nervousimmunedigestive system” out of hypervigilance and into a state of calm safety did these symptoms subside.
The encouraging news is that by addressing the physiological changes within these three intertwined systems, we can heal the physical symptoms of chronic and autoimmune illnesses. I have discovered that once the “neuroimmunedigestive system” is healed, other symptoms dissipate naturally.
If this message resonates with you, I am developing a program in the coming months that unites energy healing, NLP principles, mental practice, somatic healing, and neuroplasticity to facilitate lasting healing for these conditions. If you are interested in joining the waitlist for this transformative program, please reach out, and I will ensure you are among the first to know.
Xo Megan
by Megan Caper | energetic body, healing, health, meridians
Energy healing is a form of alternative therapy that involves manipulating the body’s energy fields to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. This age-old practice has been around for thousands of years, stemming from the belief that everything in the universe is made up of energy, and that we can tap into this energy to heal ourselves or, for the gifted practitioners, help others heal.
You might be wondering if energy healing is purely a spiritual or new-age practice, but surprisingly, it has strong connections to science. In this post, we’ll delve into the captivating science behind energy healing and how it influences the body.
The Science Behind Energy Healing
At the heart of energy healing is the concept of the body’s energy fields. According to energy healers, these fields consist of different frequencies of energy that relate to various parts of the body, including the chakras, meridians, and aura.
These fields can become imbalanced or obstructed by stress, trauma, or physical disease. By using a range of techniques to manipulate these fields, energy healers strive to restore balance and encourage healing. Unlike traditional doctors, energy healers focus on stimulating the body’s own natural ability to heal, leading to a more holistic process that results in improvements in physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
While scientific research is gradually validating the existence of meridians, chakras, and other energy fields, we do know that we are all made of energy, manifested as physical form. Quantum physics reveals that everything in the universe is made up of energy, including the human body. This energy is constantly in motion, vibrating at different frequencies.
How Energy Healing Affects the Body
Energy healing is thought to impact the body in several intriguing ways. One of the primary benefits of energy healing is its ability to promote relaxation and reduce stress. When we’re stressed, our bodies release cortisol and other stress hormones that can negatively affect our health. Energy healing can help to lower these hormones and foster feelings of calm and relaxation.
Energy healing is also believed to boost the body’s natural healing processes. By restoring balance to the body’s energy fields, energy healers aim to remove blockages and facilitate the flow of energy throughout the body. This can help activate the body’s natural healing mechanisms and promote overall health and well-being.
Finally, energy healing is thought to nurture emotional and spiritual healing. By working with the body’s energy fields, energy healers strive to eliminate negative energy and encourage positive emotions such as love, joy, and peace. This can help heal emotional wounds and foster spiritual growth and development.
by Megan Caper | energetic body, Happiness, healing, life lessons
A few weeks ago I finally got on the bread baking train. I know, I know — I’m late to the game, most people started in mid-2020 at the height of the pandemic, but I was living in a warm climate at the time and the idea of baking bread just wasn’t that appealing. Now that I’m living in the cool Pacific Northwest of the US, the idea of warm bread out of the oven sounds amazing.
I’ve been a baker for most of my life (My chocolate chip cookies will Change. Your. Life.) but I’d never ventured into breads, until now. I found a beginner bread recipe, gathered the ingredients, and found a dutch oven on the clearance shelf at HomeGoods. I was ready to BAKE.
I filled a bowl with water, measured out the yeast, added the four, plunged my hands into the dough, and started to mix.
And then the magic happened.
One of the weird things about being an empath and an intuitive is that I am finely attuned to life forces. I can sense the life force in people, animals, plants and even bacteria and viruses. Over the years as I’ve practiced this skill, I’ve grown to not only sense it but I can communicate with it as well, sending and receiving information and emotions.
You guys, do you know why you love making bread? Do you know why we all started baking bread during the pandemic and not cookies or casseroles or quiches? It’s the YEAST.
As soon as I started mixing the dough with my hands and gave the yeast some water to drink and carbs to munch on, I could feel it — the life force of the yeast coming back “online” after being in dormant form for so long. I could feel that pure joy, excitement and love that is at the core of all of our life force, bubbling up in my hands as I massaged the dough and gave the yeast life, once again.
I’ve felt this before when I’ve leaned against a big tree, or sat in front of another human being looking deeply into their eyes as we traded Tonglen, or freed the roots of a plant as I repotted it. It’s the feeling of the pure joy of life, the bliss of existence. And it’s healing AF.
During the pandemic, we lost so many opportunities for connection. We spent most of our time indoors, without the opportunities for interaction and interdependence that we normally have. No wonder everyone took to baking bread, that resurgence of the life force of yeast was a way to feel connection in a time of great isolation.
Here’s one thing I know, we’re part of a living system and because of that, we’re wired for connection and care on all three levels: physical, emotional and spiritual. When we are connected to people, animals, plants or any other living thing, we are healthier in mind, body and spirit. Numerous studies show that without connection, our physical and mental health starts to deteriorate very quickly. But the opposite is true as well, when we feel connected, we start to heal. In one study, people who had survived a heart attack and owned a dog were 600% more likely to still be alive one year later than non-dog owners, even when other factors like exercise and nutrition were taken into account.
The experience of connection is healing.
Nurturing, compassion, and care are healing.
Helping the little yeasties come alive again is healing.
As I sat and communed with my ball of flour, yeast and water, I knew one thing. This is what healing feels like. When we break down the walls we’ve put up to protect ourselves from being hurt or ashamed, and can simply feel the life force of another being, what we’re left with is connection and compassion. And that’s at the core of healing — feeling connected, loved, whole and worthy.
Xo Megan
My first attempt at baking bread
by Megan Caper | energetic body, health, illness, life lessons, meditation, meridians, mindfulness, physical, resilience, Uncategorized, wellness
A few years ago, I was listening to a podcast, and someone mentioned they had C-PTSD. I’d never heard of this before (PTSD, yes. But C-PTSD? Nope.)
I looked it up, and when I saw the definition and symptoms, I immediately realized, “Oh FFS — that’s me. I have this.”
C-PTSD stands for Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and although it shares similar characteristics with PTSD, there are some marked differences. While PTSD happens as a result of a one-time or shorter duration traumatic event, like serving on active duty in a war zone or surviving a physical attack, C-PTSD occurs when people experience trauma from on-going experiences such as childhood neglect or abuse, domestic abuse, human trafficking, or living in a war-torn or extremely impoverished region for more than a year.
Some of the symptoms experienced by people with C-PTSD include:
- Avoiding situations that remind them of the trauma
- Dizziness or nausea when remembering the trauma
- A negative self-view: Complex PTSD can cause a person to view themselves negatively and feel helpless, guilty, or ashamed. They often consider themselves to be different from other people and don’t know where they fit in.
- Changes in beliefs and worldview: People with C-PTSD may hold a negative view of the world and the people in it, feel a loss of trust in themselves or others, or feel that the world is a dangerous place.
- Emotional regulation difficulties: These conditions can cause people to have extreme emotional reactions to some situations. They may experience intense anger, fear or sadness that seems highly disproportionate for the given situation.
- Hyperarousal or hypervigilance: they are in a continuous state of high alert or feel like they are constantly “walking on eggshells” or “waiting for the other shoe to drop” much of the time.
- Relationship issues. Relationships may suffer due to difficulties with trusting and interacting, and because of a negative self-view. A person may develop unhealthy relationships because they don’t know or never had models for a healthy relationship.
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating. Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or being able to nap. Difficulty concentrating or increased procrastination. In some cases, ADHD can in fact be caused by C-PTSD.
- Detachment from the trauma: A person may dissociate, which means feeling detached from emotions or physical sensations. Some people completely forget the trauma.
- Preoccupation with an abuser: It is not uncommon to fixate on the abuser, the relationship with the abuser, or getting revenge for the abuse.
- Reliving the trauma through flashbacks and nightmares.
As I looked over this list of symptoms, I realized that I have (or had) all of these. I grew up in a home with some pretty gnarly emotional, medical, and physical abuse– and it had left its mark.
When we spend a long time in traumatic situations, especially as we’re growing and developing, our very smart body-minds adapt for survival. Entire systems change and adapt in order to be able to survive and keep us safe: our nervous system, vagal system, immune system, digestive system and the microbiome, emotional regulation and response, cognitive processing–as well as all of our energetic systems like meridians, the heart torus field, chakras and more–shift and adapt to what “normal” is in this traumatic world. When we are finally free of the traumatic situation, we now have a whole body-mind that needs to be retuned to be able to thrive in a non-traumatic world.
So, how do we heal this?
While there’s no “one-size-fits-all” fix for embodied trauma and C-PTSD, I can tell you what’s worked best for me.
- Therapy. Find yourself a good trauma-informed therapist and talk this shit out. I’ve been in therapy off and on for most of my adult life because the sneaky nature of trauma is that it can rear its ugly head in new situations all the time.
- Meditation. I first learned to meditate through a study at UCSF on “Cultivating Emotional Balance.” It took YEARS AND YEARS of practice before mediation became something that was easy for me but, damn, it was worth it. I can switch my mood from anxious to joyous in 20 minutes and can stay present and grounded in even the most triggering of situations now. One of the benefits that isn’t talked about enough is the changes that happen when we’re *not* meditating. Somehow that daily practice of 20 minutes of meditation has ripple effects outside of that time, too. I can now get into that meditative headspace immediately at almost any time of the day and feel the same effects of calm, peaceful joy that come from being in the present moment (aka mindfulness.)
- Books. I read self-help books all the time. I’ve found that there are two types that help me the most. There are books that give advice and teach you tools for a certain issue, like hypervigilance or perfectionism. These are helpful for when my symptoms arise and I need a tool or strategy to deal with them in the moment. And then there are autobiographical books that are written by people who went through something similar to me. These are sooooo validating and helpful and make me realize that what I went through was wrong and horrible (I tend to normalize things and underreact to trauma). They remind me that I am not as much of a freak or weirdo as I may imagine, and that other people have gone through the same thing and have had similar feelings and responses. (I mean, I am a freak and a weirdo, but in a totally awesome way, not in a social pariah kind of way.)
- Energy healing. Oh boy. This was so profound for me that I totally switched my life path and career so I could dive head first into learning all about this. Energy healing is so magical because unlike therapy or medication, it helps the body heal on the physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual levels all at once and in parallel. I originally started going to an energy healer to mitigate and heal side effects from chemo. One day about 3 months in, my practitioner said “Oh, you’re ready to transcend anxiety.” I looked at her and laughed right in her face. I’d been anxious since I was 3-years-old, and that’s probably just because I couldn’t remember back any earlier than that. But she did her thing and you know what? I left that office PROFOUNDLY less anxious. It felt like I’d had a 50-ton boulder lifted off me. My hypervigilance decreased markedly, my mood was more joyous and I had far fewer anxious, looping thoughts on a day-to-day basis. It was like 10 years of therapy in 3 months. So, I decided to figure out how that all worked. I’ve have spent the last 15 years studying different modalities and learning all that I can about the beautiful intersection of body, mind and spirit so that I can help others with their healing process, as well.
If you see some of yourself in what I wrote here, please know that you are not alone, that there are people and groups and tools to help you heal. And please know that I see you, I know it’s been so hard, and I think you are an amazing triumph of nature to have survived and thrived the way you have. It’s no small feat, my friend, and I am so very unabashedly proud of you, wherever you are in your healing process.
Xo
Megan
