Although the literal translation of a κουραντέρα is a “therapist”, Moreno perceives her role somewhat differently: “What I do is care “for people – I care about my clients, myself and my family.” “Guides — like your ancestors — work through me, but I’m here to guide, support, and care for you.” Moreno says she learned how to move the winds with a curandero she studied in Mexico. The two of them agreed that “the winds” look like unusual emotions, so to move them means to get rid of this energy.
The movement of the winds means to get rid of negative emotions or energy.
Being “in the wind” means that there is something that prevents you from functioning as you normally would. Maybe it’s because you had a weird conversation with your boss or you feel bad about making a mistake. “For me, moving the winds means moving these bad thoughts in a different direction, so that you have a greater sense of who you are and walk in a more ingrained way,” adds Moreno.
So how do you do all this cool stuff? Below, Moreno shares four strategies in which she swears.
4 Ways a Courande Exercises to Move the Winds to Shake Off Unwanted Energy
1. Practice in tobacco therapy
The cure for tobacco is the practice of burning herbs to purify yourself spiritually. “You cleanse yourself and your body to move from your head back to your heart,” he says. When you smoke indoors, you should at least open a window so that the energy can actually move out of the room you are in – instead of moving to another room in the same building, for example.
However, Moreno warns that this practice is not for everyone. For example, you may need to clean the space in an indoor work environment – where you may not be able to open windows or want to disturb anyone (or turn on a smoke alarm) while burning herbs. In addition, depending on your cultural background, some forms of tobacco cleaning are suitable and harmful for the practice of the period. For example, if you are not a member of an indigenous community, you should be careful not to burn sage, Palo Santo or other sacred herbs.
2. Cleaning
“Maybe moving the winds is like redirecting, organizing, cleaning your office or altar, or wiping the window,” he says. The idea here is that you are still moving natural things, something that would be useful to clear the energy you do not want to carry with you.
Even the act of cleaning a surface could be helpful, because you are moving in a different direction than you were when you allowed yourself to be cooked with the ugly vibes, Moreno adds.
3. Use of breath
Because “winds” are essentially negative emotions and experiences, using breathing is a great way to release those emotions and move those winds. As an added benefit, breathing work is also supported by science: For a small 2020 published in Limits in Psychology, 131 college students were either placed in a non-intervention control group or received on-the-job wellness training with breathing, emotional intelligence or awareness. Students in the breathing work class were found to have the greatest well-being benefits.
When you use your breath to drive away unwanted winds, Moreno says it’s important that your exhales last longer than your inhalations, because you release more negativity from your body than you receive. Her method? Inhale for four seconds, hold this breath for one second and exhale forcefully for eight seconds. “Get rid of that energy or stress you may have,” he says.
4. Go outside and stand in the fresh air
The benefits of being outside are many and Moreno says this can also help you move the winds away from the natural space where you experience them.
And keep in mind that you can enjoy the benefits of fresh air in a car park just like you can in a lush forest. “The literal wind, the Earth and standing in the sun are inspiring,” says Moreno. He adds that in order to practice this method, you want to ask the wind to clear your negative emotions as it hits your body.
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