Letting it Go...

It's a bit strange to notice when you've arrived somewhere in life you’ve wanted to be.

I've been experiencing these "meta" moments watching myself supporting people as they work through and heal different layers of trauma from their lives. It's a beautiful, meaningful, and powerful experience to be a part of. I'm not convinced that when I started the path to do this kind of work I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, but I'm incredibly grateful to be here now.

There's one aspect of this process I want to share explicitly because I beleive awareness of it may be helpful and of service.

Often, in the midst of traumatic experiences energy is exchanged. The person being impacted receives some toxic energy from the person or situation inflicting harm. This energy sometimes manifests as a voice in our head spewing negativity (though not all of the voices in our heads that are negative come from the outside). It can also manifest as a vague sense of discomfort in one’s own skin, or feelings of shame around the traumatic experience. It can also manifest in less obvious ways as an undercurrent in one’s life that one doesn’t even realize is there.

Photo by SJ Objio

In any case, the toxic energy from the traumatic incident will stay and inhibit one’s freedom and reduce one’s quality of life. But it happens in the shadows, where they’re unconscious. We call these energies introjects.

Releasing the introjects, while not necessarily straightforward, is very possible. And when a person is unburdened, no longer forced to carry something from an experience that isn’t theirs to carry, all sorts of space is created for exponential healing.

It’s also a gift to those energies that are trapped in a place they don’t belong.

After over a decade of practice and ripening into myself, I’m witnessing a shift in the way I own the skills and knowledge I’ve been mastering. And at the same time I’m witnessing myself growing and adapting and learning how to navigate new territories. I’m grateful to be able to share this all here.

May we all find our way towards freedom from the burdens that are not ours to carry…

And if you need a song to help let that sink in I encourage everyone to listen to this:

On another note, if you happen to be the father of a pre-teen or teen daughter, or know someone who is, I want you to know about Deb Rubin’s upcoming educational session. She’s brilliant at helping parents navigate the challenging aspects of these relationships. Details and registration can be found here.

Also, coming up is an amazing Sacred Storywork Workshop offered by Mandy Bishop and Eve Ellis, hosted here on the land stewarded by the Heartseed Homestead. This is an 8 week program to explore your story through ritual and writing. It looks amazing and you can learn more here.

Finally, for now, I want to make sure everyone knows of the classes that Rachel Weitz, a dear friend and amazing herbalist and plant medicine healer, is offering this spring and summer. You can learn about the opportunities to be nourished, nurtured, and supported while learning more about plants and the spirit magic that flows through them here on her website.

With Love,

Noah