…creating a sacred space for ritual

Saltwater

Always remember this—you did not come here to
ask for forgiveness. You came here as a gift of the
purest, rawest form; carrying nothing but the taste of
salt on your lips and alchemy in your bones. And if
the ash you leave behind is as small as a grain of sand
then it will still leave a crushingly beautiful stain of
gold upon the Earth. So please—practice speaking
without an apology falling from your mouth like an
afterthought. Because you are just as precious as
everyone else.

Bloom for Yourself, April Green

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A song for you:

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The Healing Power of Nature

Saltwater will always be one of my favourite pieces of writing. I’m a water sign, and grew up by the sea. For this reason, I’m deeply drawn to the ocean – the waves like white lace around my feet; the sting of salt on my skin. There was a moment when I entered the sea in Scotland recently when it felt like my soul, and the soul of something much greater than me came together. Any sense of separation fell away.

I was a spiritual seeker for many many years until I had an experience at a train station and the veil of identification fell away. As a result, I was left feeling completely whole – as I had always been, but failed to see.

Soul Retrieval

After I had Root Cause Therapy, or Soul Retrieval as it’s traditionally known in Shamanic healing, it just naturally happened more and more. And through my healing certifications, I came to understand that any form of seeking is actually “seeking relief” from the sense of feeling separate, contracted, and restless. That’s no longer exists for me now.

The best way I have discovered to stay connected to this wholeness is through my ongoing relationship with the healing power of nature – the elements, the life force. Being immersed in nature invokes our body, mind, and soul to come together and recognise our inherent ability to grow, evolve, transform and heal on all levels. Nature especially helps us connect with our soul. As a result, we come to remember our wholeness on a more profound level.

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Remembering our wholeness

Feeling separate, or feeling as though something is broken, or missing within is the result of a soul loss.

A soul loss takes place when we go through emotionally overwhelming times (mainly as children) with no safe resource available to settle us and make us feel safe. In these instances, a part of our soul (our authentic expression) splits off, and we adapt in order to get through what is happening to us. This adaptation creates the ego – the sense of a separate self; like armour to protect us from further pain.

In the process of a soul retrieval, we bring all the threads of our fragmented soul back into our sacred being; and this is done using our present day resources. The resources we can use are:

• Intention
• The guidance of a healer
• Our own inner wisdom
• Our body
• The healing power of nature
• The commitment to create a sacred space to honour our intention everyday.

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How to use the healing power of nature in ritual

Setting the intention to heal

Setting the intention to heal whatever is unconscious within you; whatever is causing you to feel disconnected from yourself, and your life, creates deeply positive results. But what makes this step even more transformative, is when you create a sacred space of ritual to honour yourself, your helping spirits, and the elements. In this way, you are building a container in which you remember what you are a part of, what supports you, and what lifts your senses and reconnects you to your innate source of power – Earth.

Invoking the healing power of nature

After setting your intention to heal, (or shift an energetic block, or emotional pain), start cleansing the space you have chosen for your ritual. I use Reiki for clearing my space, but you can use sage, incense, or a paulo santo stick. What you are doing here is a spiritual cleanse – you are leaving your troubles, fears, and concerns behind. You are stepping into a clear space filled with love, compassion, light, and the frequency of your intention.

Next, call in (invoke) the healing power of nature – earth, air, water, fire. Light a candle, lay out a shell if you have one, or a glass of water, and a crystal. Bring along anything else that you feel called to bring to this space. Say out loud, or silently: “I call in the power of earth, air, water, fire, and all helping and compassionate spirits.”

An invocation is the bridge between the physical world and the unseen, un-manifest world:

“The only difference between a vision that remains in the imagined world and one that becomes a reality is the action you take.”

Ya’acov Darling Khan

Offer the unseen forces a gift. Below are some offerings you can make to them – silently, or out loud:

• I offer you the sweet scent of sage;
• I bring you my favourite poem; (read this out loud)
• I bring you my open heart, my unconditional love;
• I offer you deep gratitude for entering this space with me;
• I bring you music, dance, song; (play music, beat a drum or other instrument, dance, sing).

The goal here is for you to harness joy. For you to feel free enough to be yourself, love yourself, and honour yourself and all unseen, helping forces.

Breathe with the healing power of nature

Sit comfortably and get ready to start with your breath. Allow your breath to drop you into presence; allow it to begin the subtle activation of the energy moving through you. Inhale through your nose, and and expand into the energy. Exhale through your mouth, and release and soften. Keep going with this slow, and conscious breath work so that you start to create the feeling of more space throughout your body. Allow the natural flow of energy to expand and soften in whatever way it wants to move through you. Let it express itself – start to move your body with the flow if you feel called to do so.

The invitation here is to allow yourself to feel the breath, the elements – the healing power of nature -moving through you. To connect deeply with your physical body and your energy body; and to increase your capacity to sit with emotions and triggers so that they can gradually disperse.

Be present with yourself and the healing power of nature

Stay in this space for at least 5 minutes. Here, you are being yourself; allowing yourself to show up exactly as you are. The candle flickering is being itself. The crystal shimmering is being itself. The water, the sage, the floor supporting you – everything is being exactly as it is. Repeat to silently, or out loud: “Here I am, as I am.”

Rest in this space and allow whatever comes up to come up. If fear arises, label it “fear” without trying to find the meaning behind it. If a reminder comes up, label it “reminder” without getting attached to it and losing the focus on your breath, and your intention to heal. We can’t stop thoughts, but we can consciously choose how we respond to them.

Prayer for releasing blocked energy

Next, if you feel called to do so, release an emotional block, pain, or any hurt into the elements of earth, air, water, and fire. Because, each time you speak your feelings out loud you are discharging some of the built up energy which is stuck in your body. Hold your intention for healing as you ask your higher self to transform the energy you are feeling into a nourishing vibration of love and light.

Repeat the below prayer, or create your own:

“May all the energy behind my trapped emotions be transformed into love and light. Thank you.”

Integrating the healing power of nature

As you come to the end of your ritual for healing, consider what has arisen for you – what emotions and blocks did you become aware of during your meditation? What sensations arose in your body that you became aware of? Start to journal about your experience. Consider what changes you would like to make to ensure that the gifts and lessons you received in the space you created are acted upon. What actions can you commit to take in the next few days in order to integrate the lessons you received today?

We cannot heal the past until we decide to step onto new earth. Your ritual using the healing power of nature is the bridge that takes you there. Give thanks to yourself for showing up and undertaking this beautiful, embodied practice.

I have included some journal prompts below to help you harness the healing power of nature.

Read more about how to heal and strengthen your self-worth.

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Healing your inner child

Read my free eBook – if you want to more about how to heal your core wounds, and inner child with the healing power of nature. You can also order a paperback copy with quotes and poems, and blank pages for your notes from Amazon.

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Journal prompts for harnessing the healing power of nature

1. Reflect on the concept of change and transformation using the changing seasons as metaphor;
2. Write about a personal memory that has a strong connection to the upcoming season of Autumn/Fall;
3. Describe a specific place in nature that has a calming effect on you. What is it about this place that brings you peace?
4. Describe the role of nature in your self-care routine. How do you incorporate it into your daily life for physical, emotional, and mental well-being?
5. Write a letter to your future self about your goals and aspirations for the next season of your life. Try to incorporate the elements into your letter, for example: water = clarity, balance, depth.

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Snippets from my Shamanic Drum Birthing trip to Wales

When I first heard the beat of a shamanic drum in a moonlit forest, it was like a remembering. To birth my very own drum was a sacred journey – as though I was coming back to myself.

Lammas Earth Centre – A magical place created by Hoppi Wimbush and Tao Paul Wimbush.

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A quote I really resonate with:

“Nature is not our enemy, to be raped and conquered. Nature is ourselves, to be cherished and explored.”
― Terence McKenna

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If you would like to know how Root Cause Therapy and Soul Retrieval can help you release your trapped emotions and dis-empowering beliefs, book a free discovery call with me. I have a couple of slots available in the middle of October.

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It’s an honor to be here sharing my words with you, and I am incredibly grateful for the time you have taken to follow my journey, and read my words. Feel free to keep in touch: hello@aprilgreen.uk

Sending love and light always, April xxx