Poor Dick Cheney. It can't be easy being the most unpopular VP ever. Even Ex-Pres Bush seemed to snub him in the end when he didn't pardon Libby. The only weapon he ever had was fear.
But as they say, what goes around comes around. Dick Cheney was reportedly moving boxes into his new residence the day before the inauguration when he pulled a muscle in his back. It seemed very ironic that on the last day of his job, as he was about to enter into the land of nowheresville, he ends up in a wheelchair, as we all saw at the inauguration, looking somewhat grim and deflated.
Hurting his back in this way says volumes about what must have been going through Cheney's unconscious mind at that time. When we ignore, deny or repress our emotions they show up elsewhere, as we can see in Cheney's face and body language.
Deb talks about the significance of the back, and what it means when the back is injured from a bodymind perspective in her award-winning book Your Body Speaks Your Mind.. So we applied that understanding to Cheney's back. Many cases of back pain begin with an injury or weight-lifting problem, as Cheney's did, but there are usually psycho/emotional issues that have caused tension, weakness or contraction, prior to the injury.
Issues of survival are connected to the back: the responsibility of earning a living, being the "backbone" of the family; also with feeling supported seen in thoughts like "I'm not being supported" or "I'm being let down" translating into back pain or weakness. Trying to do something on your own when you need help--such as moving boxes-- is a classic situation.
You think no one is helping you when actually you have not voiced your needs clearly enough. Strained muscular show an inner strain or struggle; perhaps there is a resistance to what is coming next in life, or you feel unsupported by what you have already done.
As the back is out of reach and out of sight, so this is the perfect place for hidden or repressed emotions or issues that you don't want to deal with, because if you can't see them, how can anyone else? If you have a painful back, is it something you have pushed away that is trying to get your attention?
We talk about having a "bad" back, as if it has done something wrong, but is it the back that is bad or the stuff you have dumped there? What would it have to do to be a "good" back? Is something "holding you back" from moving forward, or are you "pushing back" your feelings?
The upper back is the reverse side from the heart. Unexpressed feelings can contort the muscles or bones. Tight muscles may be loaded with rage or longing. Do you feel as if you have your back against the wall? Are you up against difficulties?
Like the pivot of a seesaw, the middle back allows you to bend and move, so difficulties here will reflect an inner stiffness or holding on. Where are you feeling stiff or rigid in yourself? How many times have you "bent over backwards" to help someone, or "put your back into something", only to find that when you need help it isn't there?
This is also an area of power. The lure and promise of power are extremely seductive; once tasted it is hard to say no. However, difficulties reflect a loss of power or corruption and manipulation.
If there is no one to help with the load, no sense of being supported, the lower back may give way. Have you tried asking for help? Is someone being a "pain in the back" because they are causing you more work? Do you fell let down in some way?
When you stand up straight the abdomen is exposed and unprotected, so you may want to bend over to protect this area. Are you feeling particularly vulnerable? Do you want to curl up and hide? Are you feeling isolated?
Cheney's back reflects many of the above issues. Moving his office out to make way for a more popular replacement renders him unwanted and powerlessness; a fear of what lies ahead, particularly with possible crime charges; and trying to move his boxes unaided symbolizes his current vulnerability and weakness.
Back Review
If you are suffering from back difficulties, ask yourself these questions:
*Am I trying to do, or having to do everything myself without asking for help?
*Do I feel unsupported or let down?
*Am I fearful of what lies ahead in the immediate future?
* Do I feel overloaded?
Do you have a bodymind question? Do let us hear from you.
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Ed and Deb Shapiro are authors of over 15 books, and lead meditation retreats and workshops. Deb is the author of the award-winning book Your Body Speaks Your Mind. They are corporate consultants, and the creators of Chillout daily inspirational text messages on Sprint cell phones. See their website: www.EdandDebShapiro.com.