What does it mean to be a chain breaker, and why is something we should be paying attention to? The science of epigenetics tells us that we inherit more than our eye color, freckles, and stature from our ancestors. They also pass on emotional traumas, survival instincts, illness, etc. The expression could be mild or take over aspects of who we are becoming. If poverty and fear were part of your ancestor’s story, you could have elements or beliefs about lack showing up in your subconscious. If we are going to tackle this level of healing, we need to take a deep dive into our unconscious programs and start unpacking and clearing out the attic. So how do we do it? It takes self-awareness and paying attention to the ways we respond in stressful situations. Do you run away from struggle, get angry, shut down, get aggressive? Our behaviors and responses are like the breadcrumbs we leave on the trail to navigate our way straight into our wounds. We break chains by doing our life different enough from the past to create a healed state. Once we can see and understand the origin of the unconscious, we can begin the work of healing. Breaking a chain means we are laying down the weight of old stories, and working with our family to create new ideas, radical improvements, and creative ways to move forward with strength.
If you have the ability to access the stories of your ancestors, you will find little threads that run like patterns in your family. Look first to your parents, and grandparents, and then try to navigate those stories further back. Pay attention to your body when faced with struggle and ask if your unconditioned responses are part of the tapestry rooted in your past. From there with awareness, we can all begin the journey of establishing a new network of information and behaviors. We can change the way we respond and act as an architect to create a whole new blueprint for our future. In that process of creation, we also heal those who came before us and their traumas. It’s like a collective sigh from the earth’s belly as we become new, whole, and healed. Remember, you are in charge of your life and how it unfolds is entirely up to you. We can only heal ourselves to choose to be surrounded by the support that gets us there. It’s a high calling to be a change-maker. It will be the biggest work and legacy you will ever do!
Practices for ancestral healing:
*Pick three ancestors who have passed on.
*Write as much of their story as you can, including their struggles and successes.
*Ask yourself who you are based on that information, and because of them.
*Write about their regrets, and if you don’t know, write as if you were them. The regrets you put on the page from your own voice as if you are speaking for them will offer huge clues.
Create an ancestor altar.
Find photos and put them on a table in your home that you can visit often. Light a candle each morning. Include items that represent who they were or what they loved. Add any momentos you may have, including jewelry or trinkets. Each day reflect on the good that they passed down to you, offer gratitude. And also try to understand the traumas that they inflicted or passed down. Look for strengths you may have from these trials, offer gratitude from that. Bring into consciousness the behaviors you want to let go of. Remind yourself that by changing the past, you are healing the future. Honor the lessons and Rise. Together we can create magic!