How to Let Go — Transforming Painful Patterns
Written by: Liz Sparkes, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We all do it. We get stuck in our ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. We feel blocked in areas of our lives and seemly feel as though we can't break free. Patterns within the brain develop at a very young age. Many experiences throughout our lives get held at conscious and subconscious levels. Sometimes we do not consciously recognize that the same situations or repeated life experiences are occurring again and again.
Our internal landscape, our mindset, is reflected to a greater extent, in our outside world. We can become accustomed to viewing the world in a certain way because events previously confirmed our worst fears. Therefore encouraging similar patterns and experiences over and over again. Beliefs and thoughts that we hold interact with our experience and ongoing interactions with the world.
As human beings, we often block that which we don’t want to feel, and this unprocessed energy then impacts our ability to move forward. Our intention to let go of emotional experiences, allowing integration, is essential to wellbeing, manifesting the life we want and living in a more compassionate presence. Toxic emotions and patterns get held in the body and brain, interacting with our conscious and subconscious. I believe deeply, from personal experience, in the potential of ceremony and ritual for renewal. I really encourage you to read the work of Alberto Villoldo. He explains in-depth how through ceremonial conscious release, we can heal very deeply held emotion. Often these are emotions and emotional blocks that we don’t realize we are holding on to. We are experts at being blindsided by our own emotions.
Meaningful acts of love, forgiveness, and the connection with the deepest essence of who we are can rewire aspects that have kept us stuck for decades and even lifetimes! Ceremony and ritual can be subtle and private or within the caring embrace of a group. The use of journaling, writing letters, and detailing the intentions we wish to bring into our lives, followed by a letting go into a fire, can be powerful. It is important when engaging in ceremonial release and intention setting that the background work has been addressed. Any limiting beliefs or subconsciously held patterns that block change need to be welcomed into the conscious. Timing is everything. This is a process that doesn’t need to be rushed but consciously and lovingly worked through.
I encourage people to begin to acknowledge the lunar phases, and these support the process of transformation. As the moon waxes towards a full moon, our emotions begin to be pulled to the surface, enabling more clarity of that which is buried deeply. Whereas the quieter time where the energy and light withdraw during the waning phase support a quiet, contemplative time. A time in the lunar cycle that is supportive of planning new and exciting ventures. If you want to invite the new and embrace exciting changes, it really is well worth engaging in the process of letting go.
Liz Sparkes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Liz Sparkes is a health psychologist, intuitive coach, and meditation and reiki practitioner. After completing a Ph.D. in Pain Psychology and training to facilitate meditation and mindfulness, Liz dedicated herself to helping others feel more empowered and fulfilled. Liz has developed academic and private transformational courses for heart-based living, meditation and compassion, awareness, and moon living. Liz works with groups and individuals in workplaces, health settings, charitable organizations, and holistic retreats. Liz utilizes a mixture of psychological and ancient spiritual methods for healing and to support living life from the perspective of the heart, gaining greater insight and intuitive trust.
