Case Study: Daria

A past life with Polio

Daria’s spine was the first thing that called to me. I started to pay attention there, but was quickly drawn down to the sacrum, where the energy seemed compressed. The sacrum seemed so dense that it was impinging the energetic expression of the legs and also reverberating up the spine. Daria’s legs seemed spindly, but her knees seemed knobby and bent towards each other. Her ankles also seemed collapsed and then I perceived a metal bar between then. As I deepened my attention, I realized that I was looking at a boy with polio, including elaborate metal braces. Although he was greatly hampered by the contraption that limited his leg movement, he was happy—even joyful—and running with abandon, not letting anything hold him back.

Daria noted that she did have leg pain. In fact, she had decided, about four years prior, that she would stop “running” and try to take care of herself. She said, “I knew I’d be in a walker soon, if I didn’t.” Despite making health improvements, however, she didn’t feel like she was getting anywhere with her legs. She agreed that we could start by paying attention to what I presumed was a past life as a boy with polio.

When I turned my attention more fully to the boy with polio, I felt his extreme frustration. He didn’t want to be so tied down and his response was to refuse to let his physical condition stop him. He would ignore his body and do whatever it took to overcome his situation. Daria said this perfectly described the attitude she’d had all her life.