Blogs

Chief Seattle’s Letter

While researching for my book Goddess Archetypes and the Heroine Journey, I came across this inspiring lecture by Joseph Campbell, one of my favourite thought leaders and inspirational teachers on mythology and I dare say, on spirituality as well.

In his lecture, he talked about the Native American Indian’s connection to our Mother Earth and the Chief Seattle’s letter to the governor in the 1800s. The letter has the most profound understanding of God in all Things. I was so moved by his reading of this letter and I am eager to share this with you all.

Below the letter, you can also watch the video where Joseph Campbell reading this letter at his lecture. The video is only about 4 mins. There are some wonderful historical images as well. So watch it and enjoy!

 

“The president in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy or sell the sky? The land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

“Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.

“We know the sap which courses through trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man, all belong to the same family.

“The shinning water that moves in the streams and the rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred. Each ghostly reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water’s murmur is the voice of my father’s father.

“The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother.

“If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. So if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.

“Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother. What befalls the earth befalls the sons of earth.

“This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

“One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on it creator.

“Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the sent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted by talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is it to say good-bye to the swift pony and the hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.

“When the last Red Man has vanished with his wilderness and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left?

“We love this earth as a newborn loves its mothers heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land, as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children and love it, as God loves us all. 

“As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you. One thing we know: there is only one God. No man, be he Red Man or White Man, can be apart. We are brothers after all.’

 

* Disclaimer: There are some discussion in the literature communities that Campbell didn’t have the most authentic and original version of this letter. However, from my perspective, it is the meaning and wisdom of the letter that captured my heart and prompted me to share with our community.

 

 

 

 

The Dreaming: Stories About Land, Animals and People

The Dreaming, according to the Australian Government website, means to ‘see and understand the law’.

We have all heard about how aboriginal storytellers pass on their important knowledge, culture and belief systems to later generations. They use song, dance, painting and stories to express these dreams stories. All these stories demonstrate the close relationships between land, animals and people. They remind us we are all in a complex network of life forms, interacting constantly with one another. 

Aboriginals have maintained a rich cultural heritage and a link with the ancient times. Studies showed the cultural history dated back between 50,000 to 65,000 years ago. There were over 600 different Aboriginal nations, based on language groups, inhibiting the land before the arrival of European settlements in Australia. In tribal societies, traditional knowledge, law and religion relies heavily on the Dreaming stories with its rich explanations of land formations, animal behaviour and plant remedies.

In most stories of the Dreaming, the Ancestor Spirits came to the earth in human form and as they moved through the land, they created the animals, plants, rocks and other forms of the land. They also created the relationships between groups and individuals to the land, the animals and other people.

Once the Ancestor Spirits had created the world, they changed into trees, the stars, rocks, watering holes or other objects. These are the sacred places of Aboriginal culture and have special properties. Because the ancestors did not disappear at the end of the Dreaming, but remained in these sacred sites, the Dreaming is never-ending, linking the past and the present, the people and the land. Our connection with the land and animals never cease, as long as we live. 

However, it is not hard to see in our modern digital society, it may feel as if we are no longer bounded by nature, we have become independent and all powerful. But of course, in truth, we can never disconnect. We may act that way, we may disrespect or forget about this connection but we are still deeply dependent on nature to provide food, energy and shelter. 

So what happened? When and where did we lose sight? 

In my studies of mythology and psychology, the notion that modern society no longer holds myths came up. Joseph Campbell wrote about this subject for over 20 years, where one of the functions of mythology is to evoke in the individual a sense of grateful, affirmative awe before the monstrous mystery that exists (e.g. the power of a tornado or volcano eruption). Another function of a mythological order is to validate and maintain a certain sociological system: a shared set of rights and wrongs in our society. I called it the moral function (e.g. it is wrong to be cruel to animals).

There are wisdom and functions in myths, as they are the projections of our conscious and unconscious fear, hope and desire. So now, when we forget our connection with nature or are no longer necessarily surrounded by strong moral values, we lose touch with who we really are. We are part of the land, and we all have a relationship with other people, plants and animals, as we are co-inhabiting on Earth. So let’s be mindful and grateful of the relationships and never lose sight of who we really are. 

“As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you. One thing we know: there is only one God. No man, be he Red Man or White Man, can be apart. We are brothers after all.’ – Chief Seattle’s Letter 

 I think the last paragraph of Chief Seattle’s Letter really said it all. You can read the entire letter in my other article for this month. Click here.

 

  

May Special Offers!

We have a few special surprises in the spirit of celebrating the divine feminine for you.

Our Embrace Life community has come together, to give you a selection of wonderful ways to share the love and gratitude.

Don’t miss out! Come and see all the FREE and special discounted offers!

Embrace Life Acknowledged in WWA Business Awards

On Saturday 23rd April, 2016 Women with Altitude hosted their 2015/6 Altitude Awards, to celebrate women in business within the Blue Mountains and Western Sydney region.

Deborah Shepherd, Founder of Embrace Life Festivals was a finalist and ultimately awarded two awards:

Change Maker Award, acknowledging a business that is challenging the status quo within an industry, and;

Business Woman of the Year

Here is the acceptance speech, acknowledging the entire Embrace Life community: their involvement, dedication and belief in the ultimate vision, that together we can represent ourselves in a professional, heartfelt way with a strong presence on how we ultimately support total wellbeing: mind, body and soul.

Thanks again to Women with Altitude, and Two Red Shoes, the sponsors of the awards, as well as the major sponsors: Commonwealth Bank, York Jewellers and Connect Your Business.

Is the Key to Understanding and Forgiveness – Understanding and Forgiving Yourself?

It’s interesting when you talk with people about being compassionate and having forgiveness. In my day-to-day practice, I see many clients that have endured an injustice or a misfortune of circumstance.

In life, we often hear sayings like “forgive and forget”, “let go of the small things” or “karma will be served”, but what I see in clinic is the emotional pain that is left behind following someone’s actions and a client’s reactions that follow and/or vice versa.

Hurt, Anger, Fear, Sadness and Guilt often remain in a person’s cellular memory long after the event that caused that feeling. In many cases that emotional pain causes dis-ease and that dis-ease can manifest in many different forms, from physical conditions, mental/emotional health concerns, stress, anxiety, limiting beliefs and unconscious self-sabotage programs. All of which prevent a person from living life in their full potential.

Some of these conditions can be debilitating, but what’s most interesting, is to consider that your own interpretation and response to someone else’s actions and your own reactions to that situation may very well have caused them in the first place.

It’s hard to imagine, but could Life be about ships?     Ships???     Yes, ships!!

I mean we don’t do life on our own do we? No, we do life with others, we have friendships, relationships, partnerships, internships, traineeships, memberships, citizenships, courtships, fellowships, and the list can go on & on ….

So seeing as though we do life with others, is it possible that you attracted that person or that situation into your life to provide an opportunity for growth, a catalyst for change or to help you reflect a life lesson that you wanted to address? Remembering that at some level, we’re all made of the same base energy, that we all have the amazing creative ability to make life how we want it to be, no matter our race, religion or up-bringing!

Is it possible that at different times in our lives, we’ve experienced different levels of awareness and vibrated at different frequencies and part of that process is learning to know and understand our-selves – how you react and respond to life!

We know, it’s human nature to make mistakes and to be on the receiving end of them as well. Forgiving someone for any wrong doings is very therapeutic!! Research has proved that forgiveness is a highly positive vibration and if you can maintain that vibration then it’s likely you’ll experience life completely differently to someone that’s unforgiving.

But does it fully take away the pain? Does being compassionate to others mean that you accept and love others for all their imperfections? Does forgiving someone mean that the original situation is gone for good?

In most cases I’ve found that being compassionate to others and forgiving others is only part of the solution. Often, the memory remains and can simply be re-triggered if a similar situation occurs. This can cause a spiral effect, where the mind, body and heart recalls the very cause of that pain and reacts accordingly.

However, having the smallest awareness that you’re also involved and may well have attracted the situation in the first place, takes forgiveness and understanding to a whole new level!

> What would it mean if you could clear the root cause of anger, sadness, fear, hurt & guilt?
> What would happen if you could accept your role in the situation?
> How would you feel, if you forgave yourself for reacting as you did?

I wonder if not only would you forgive the other person completely but interestingly, you might even be grateful to them for presenting that opportunity to know yourself!

Imagine how different that would be!

Forgiveness is not always easy, in fact, it’s often easier said than done!!
But the benefits of forgiveness are immeasurable, not only to others but most importantly to yourself, your health, your family and your life!!

At Change HQ, we empower you with awareness, we give you the tools for Rapid Change and we support you to evolve. We’re all about “Making the Change that makes the difference!”

I’d love to hear your forgiveness stories and feedback!

Thanks,

Marisa Finestone

Marisa Finestone

M: 0416 088 144

W: www.ChangeHQ.com.au

E: marisa@changehq.com.au

How to Ho’opononpono

Last year I holidayed in Hawaii. I had been called to visit there for many years and in 2015 after a series of personally challenging experiences, I decided that it was as good a time as any to answer the call.

The thing that struck me like a bowling ball between the eyes was the love (or the aloha as Hawaiians call it). It envelops you. You can feel it in the air, in the smiles and the eyes of the local people, in the lush green surrounds. The mana or energy of heart and mind seeps into your very being…..and the magic begins.

Long before my amazing trip to Hawaii I was introduced to the healing practice of Ho’oponopono and again, upon learning about it I felt a deep connection to love. It  embodied a gentle compassionate way of allowing deep feelings to be released without harshness or blame.

Ho’oponopono is an ancient teaching that is loosely translated as “making right right.” It is connected to acceptance and revolves around the notion that you enter the world “right”- that everything is exactly how it should be.

Ho’oponopono was embraced by western culture. Over time it evolved from the traditional practice of acceptance to one of forgiveness. The concept of forgiveness can evoke many emotions. A misconception about forgiveness is that it condones the hurtful and damaging behaviour of another person. However, forgiveness is a gift to the forgiver not the forgiven. It allows us to free ourselves of any toxic emotions towards another person. Transforming the harmful effects of toxic emotions allows us to switch our focus from fear to love.

Forgiveness can make way for profound healing to occur. Elizabeth Dialto describes the Ho’oponopono as “one of the most effective healing tools.” It allows cleansing of thoughts, deeds or actions and freedom from our past.

Here is how to Ho’oponopono:

1. Focus on a person or situation that has impacted you which you are holding on to or having trouble letting go of

2. Write down the names of each person from the memory including yourself

3. Tune into the memory, note down the emotional charge you feel. Score it out of ten

4. For each person in the memory (including yourself) complete the following:

                      I forgive you ….

                      I’m sorry …..

                      I love you

                      Thank you …..

5. Then, let it go. Cross out all that you have written in pen. Tear it and burn it.

6. After the practice, check in again. What is the emotional charge out of ten? Is it the same? Has it lessened? Has it disappeared? This will help you to gauge future  applications of the practise.

For me personally, the Ho’oponopono practise has assisted me with self-forgiveness. It has allowed me to release feelings of shame, guilt, fear and expectation. It has also made way for a greater understanding of myself, ie: why I am the way I am and that it’s ok.

Here is an example of my self-forgiveness Ho’opononpono:

I forgive you for not speaking up for yourself.

I’m sorry that you don’t feel important enough to be heard.

I love you, I love you, I love you

Thank you for being aware of your feelings & recognising that your needs important.

I invite you to try it for yourself. Be mindful that this practise is a process. You may need to do it more than once as some hurts may take time to heal and that’s ok. Give yourself the time to pass through it. It’s also worth remembering that the traditional essence of the practise calls for acceptance.

And, love…….because it’s all about the love. The aloha. Allow it to seep into your mana and embody the magic this process can bring into you life.

Michelle Pietroboni 2Michelle Pietroboni is an Early Childhood teacher who currently works in an emotional healing capacity with young parents. She is passionate about living a joy-full and nourished life. She has engaged in a variety of modalities through her own healing journey including art therapy and communicating with the Angelic Realm. She offers intuitive messages from Source and creates love infused artwork through her business Love Crush Joy Bliss.

Michelle facilitates creative playshops using the healing properties of art to lift life blocks and support positive change, you can connect via website, Facebook or if you are looking for reading and playshop bookings, please email Michelle at lovecrushjoybliss@outlook.com

One Step At A Time

Has there ever been a time in your life, something has happened and no matter how you try, you can never bring yourself to to forgive? Indra Prem shares an intimate story of her parents, her arrival into the world and how she witness throughout the years, her father not being able to forgive.

“What are we going to do?!” she whimpered.

“One step at a time.” He leaned over, gave his wife a peck on the cheek, and reassured her everything would be fine.

He checked his pockets for change. The few coins he found and the clothes they wore were all they owned – everything else had been stolen. There were no savings!

All their money had been sent to his wife’s brother to purchase a tourist boat. They’d anticipated they would make a fortune. He had phoned his brother-in-law to tell him of their dilemma and ask for help. The response was not what he’d expected; the brother-in-law refused to give them a dime. The boat had been purchased but he was claiming it as his!

A long stretch of road lay before them, the first step was taken, and their journey had begun.

Their destination was the town of St Lucia. Months earlier he had been admitted to St Lucia hospital, and befriended a nurse. Since the couple had just settled in Queensland she was the only person they knew, and their only hope.

He stuck out his thumb – surely someone would give them a ride, especially since his wife was 8 months pregnant. I lay safe in my mother’s womb.

My parents did get a lift.

Since my father didn’t know where the nurse lived, they were dropped off in an unknown street. It was dusk and beginning to rain. My mother panicked; there was no money for a hotel, not even a camp site. My father surveyed the scene; they were in front of an abandoned house. The dilapidated building was their haven.

They huddled on cold dirty floorboards, their only warmth – dad’s jacket.

When the sun rose, so did my father, he was on a mission to find the nurse. He was unsuccessful.

Again that night, they huddled on cold boards.

Embarrassed, my mother woke my father from a deep sleep to let him know she’d wet herself. He grunted incoherently then rolled over. He had no idea my mother’s waters had broken and it was time for me to enter the world.

Maybe it was intuition, but something told him to get up and out into the cold winter’s night. He found a telephone booth, rang emergency and spoke to a doctor who told him to get to the hospital – “NOW!”

Dad tried to explain, he had no car and there was no money for a taxi.

It was a wild ride to the hospital; red lights were ignored and the cab driver tooted his horn like a musical instrument. On arrival dad pretended he had left his wallet at home. He told the driver to pick up the money the next day (he never did).

After admitting mum into the maternity ward, dad walked two hours to get back to his makeshift home.

The family heard the story repeatedly and each occasion we witnessed the disdain my father held for my uncle. Although the story had a happy ending, dad died having never forgiven my uncle – how sad.

Have you ever experienced a situation or a relationship, that has stayed with you? Have you not yet been able to get to a place of forgiveness?

Is it time to let go? To give yourself the freedom that comes with understanding and forgiveness?

 

Lisa Hackett - 2016Indra Prem is a Kundalini Yoga teacher, she also gives raw food classes where students prepare meals that are not only highly nutritional but taste delicious. She has just started Community Assisting Communities in Need. It is about community working together – each person merging their skills and ideas – to help those less fortunate.

Her first venture is a retreat on Tara Farm where numerous healers of different modalities will be gathered to assist the people of the Central Coast. She sees Tara Farm as a place where people can stretch, dance, sing, chant, learn, and heal. All profits will go to the community whose home is on the street.

You can contact Indra via 0404 568 326 or email: indraprem01@gmail.com

Visit Facebook – Community-Assisting-Communities-in-Need

A Note To My Inner Child

Hello Sweetheart,

I see you. I see your pigtails and your pink dresses and your deliciously chubby cheeks. I see your emerald eyes sometimes shining with joy, sometimes heavy with self-doubt.

And I feel you darling one. I feel your divine playfulness, innocence and exuberance. I also feel your overwhelming fear of not just doing the wrong thing but being the wrong thing.

I hear your little trembling voice reminding me to be a good girl, to always look after others and make sure everyone likes us. I hear you tell yourself when things go wrong that you’re not enough and everything is all your fault.

I know that deep down you are scared that you are unlovable and everyone will leave you. I know that Catherine Wright articlealways being nice and taking care of others seemed like the best way to guarantee they would stay.

Thank you for doing the absolute best you could to make sure our needs were met. Thank you for all your wisdom and creativity in getting us this far.

I’m so sorry that I haven’t been there for you, sweet girl. I’m sorry I have placed such a heavy burden on you by letting you be the one to deal with so much big adult stuff.

I’m here now so you won’t ever be alone again. I’m loving you now so you won’t ever feel unloved again.

You can talk to me whenever you feel like it. You can tell me all about your ideas, your hopes, your dreams, and your fears.

You can keep teaching me about finding joy in the smallest things, like flowers and dancing. You can keep teaching me about how to be fully in my body and fully in the moment.

And I will show you that since it’s no longer possible for us to be alone, or unloved, we can stop taking care of others and simply take exquisite care of ourselves.

That starts right now. It’s time for you to rest, baby girl. I shower you with hugs and kisses. I wrap you up in your favourite blanket, with a vegemite sandwich and The Little Mermaid movie. And when you’re done resting, let’s put flowers in our hair and dance.

 

Catherine WrightCatherine M-Wright is a writer, dancer, teacher, sunshine-seeker and tree-hugger from Terrigal, NSW. Her vision is for every woman to love themselves as fiercely as they love others. She is passionate about creating safe spaces for women to feel nurtured, connected and inspired, including a weekly Goddess Temple embodiment practice for women. For more information join The Goddess Sisterhood on Facebook.

 

What Can We Learn From Our Dreams?

All of us dream. Whether we remember the content or understand the meaning of it all, is another matter.

In ancient times, dreams were often regarded as prophetic and divine. One of the earliest written examples of dream interpretations come from Babylonian times. In ancient Egypt, priests and priestesses acted as dream interpreters. There are hieroglyphics depicting dreams and their interpretations. The ancient Greeks even constructed temples for the sick to rest and dream. They believed healing would occur through divine grace in the form of dreams within those temple walls. Dreams were also considered prophetic or omens of particular significance. We have all heard myths about dreams predicting the result of an impending battle or natural disasters. All this evidence points to the conclusion that dreams have been held in considerable importance throughout history by most cultures.

Dream interpretation started to gain popular traction again at the end of 19th century as part of psychoanalysis. Both Sigmund Freud and Carl G. Jung were probably the most notable neurologist and psychologist on the interpretation of dreams. They looked at the perceived content of a dream by the dreamer and it is analyzed to reveal its meaning which reflects the psyche of the dreamer.

Very broadly speaking, Freud argued the motivation of all dream content is wish fulfillment and the instigation of a dream is often to be found in the recent events preceding the dream. While not completing dismissing Freud’s theory, Jung believed the notion of dreams as a representation of unfulfilled wishes is somehow limited. Jung was convinced that the scope of dream interpretation is larger and more complex. It reflects both the personal and collective unconscious. Since our unconscious always seeks outward expression, it is very understandable that our dreams try to show us something we may not be consciously aware about.

That’s when I find this topic extremely interesting. I have two personal experiences I am able to tell you.

A couple of years ago I dreamt about Rose, our housemaid for over 17 years, who came to my room one night. She was in the Philippines and at that time and I was in Sydney. There wasn’t much content to that dream but there was a sense of farewell from her and that she would be ok. I expressed my tremendous sense of gratitude towards her, whom had looked after my family for so long. So the very next day I called my mother and found out indeed Rose has passed away shortly before that. Rose had been gravely ill for a long time and that dream had an unmistakable feeling of letting-go of pain and fear with the arrival of peace.

So was it a prophetic dream or was it a touch of grace? I don’t know, but I know that dream was real.

The second incident is quite different. For a long time I have been dreaming of a past lover every now and then. He was my first boyfriend and we had lost touch since university days. The settings of these dreams were always different but I often found myself trying to explain or to gain some kind of approval. It was apparent to me that I still carried the guilt of the break up and an inner critic that I had not handled the end of the relationship properly. The frequency of these dreams intensifies towards my wedding day. And so once and for all, I went into a deep meditation to confront with my unconscious. It felt like a deep surrender to my past. To this day, I still don’t’ know if he held pain or a grudge towards me. We were very young. I don’t know if there was actual forgiveness to be asked for, but it was me unable to let-go of the guilt. After that, I stopped having those dreams all together.

Regardless of if it is about predicting the future, connecting with our intuition or calling out from our unconscious, I believe there is value in reflecting on our dreams. Deep seated fears or needs may not come up so easily in our waking hours, but during sleep time, our guard is lowered and perhaps what needs to come out, would simply come out.

So what have your dreams been telling you?

Do you have any recurring dreams? I hope you will share your experience and interpretation with me. Its always about learning from one another. Now,  how about take a warm bath tonight, play some soft music and light up a candle, and get ready to charter into your dreamland….

 

Sze Wing YipSze Wing is an intuitive coach, speaker and spiritual teacher. She has a diverse background in the corporate world as well as the creative and spiritual realm. She is part of the Embrace Life community as the Central Sydney Festival Ambassador and part of the editorial team of GratitudeOnline.com.au

Sze Wing holds a master degree in European Studies and a bachelor degree in Economics. She graduated from the prestigious London School of Economics & Political Sciences, and University College of London.

Currently she facilitates reviews and trainings for an international corporation and she also teaches self-care and life coaching workshops in Sydney. You can contact her via her email: szewingyip@mac.com or www.IntuitiveCoachingNow.com and her Facebook page

 

To Err is Human, to Forgive is Divine

‘Forgiveness’ and ‘Letting Go’ are such simple words to say but sometimes they are very difficult, multi-layered concepts to put into practice.

Nearly everyone has been hurt by the actions or words of another and when someone we care about hurts us, forgiveness often does not come easily. If your mother has criticised your parenting ability, a partner hasn’t been truthful, a work colleague has taken credit for your idea …. these wounds can leave us with lasting feelings of resentment, bitterness, anger or vengeful thoughts.

When we hold on to these feelings and allow them to build up within us they begin to impact negatively upon our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional well-being.

What is forgiveness?

In essence, forgiveness is an intentional and voluntary process where we ‘decide’ to let go of the hurts and emotional pain we are holding as a result of someone else’s words or actions.

True forgiveness is done with compassion, without judgment, being willing to heal old wounds and to make different choices about how we are going to allow the experience to affect us.

Forgiveness can also even lead to feelings of understanding, empathy and compassion for the one who hurt us. 

What did the action to be forgiven trigger within?

Often the level of anger and hurt we are feeling is only the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and has no real relevance to the ‘action’ that requires forgiveness but speaks to a different level of our being.

  • Does it come from a lifetime pattern of dealing with issues?
  • Is it because of low self-esteem and lack of self-worth?
  • Does someone else need to be ‘wrong’ so we can be ‘right’?
  • Are we just throwing our own ‘pity party’ and trying to draw others in and expecting them to take sides?
Who needs to be forgiven?
  • Is it just the other person involved?
  • Do we need to forgive ourselves as well?
What are the benefits of forgiving?

When we can let go of bitterness and anger we reach a happier, peaceful state of spiritual and psychological well-being, resulting in lower stress/anxiety levels, better health outcomes, reduction in hostility and symptoms of depression, healthier relationships with others (often with the person we are forgiving) and with ourselves.

How can we reach a state of forgiveness?

The first step is taking ‘responsibility’ for how we have allowed ourselves to be affected and making new decisions in a balanced way through the ‘Observer’ within.

Our inner ‘Observer’ is our quiet spiritual centre where we can look at the actions of others (and self) in a non-judgmental, non-biased way without emotional attachment or expectations of any predetermined outcome.

It is within this sacred space that we can honestly look at the larger picture, where we can find answers and resolution and a good way to move forward. It is where we can find the courage to speak our truth, in a quiet way.

louiseLouise Voets is an Spiritual Intuitive and she brings her deep connection to Spirit that she has experienced since early childhood, her many years of life experience and Shamanic Training into her business HeartSong, where she offers readings, workshops and shamanic healing.

Connect with on her Facebook.