Love this post, and especially this! "I now see that I need to strip off my armor of cynicism and return to her every now and again. Together, she and I know that it is Wisdom (and not armor) that shows the way between innocence and foolishness. We let the remembrance of what we have learned from experience be the open door through which we step into the new, knowing we are held by the Universe itself."
Thank you, Camilla! ♥️🤗 For me, this whole experience of returning to innocence really has been about restoring faith, remembering that my source of feeling safe is so much bigger than me.
Love this invitation and the journey that your Wholeness guided you IN and THROUGH. I have played with this practice a few times, though not always with a baby picture. Ive felt the urge to locate a photo when certain wounds arise, to find a ME in time that the wound began or settled IN. Some photos are easy to look at and love, easy to offer presence to... while others have been sad and challenging to embrace. Not because that expression of me isn't worthy, rather because it hurts to see her hurt. Pictures and memories feel to me like imprinted moments that we can time travel to. And I LOVE the way you were able to LISTEN with the wisdom beaming through your own self through time and space. The beautiful poem you landed into the melody of feels so divinely aligned. Pure Magic ✨
🥹 Thank you so much for this validation, Rhiannon. ♥️♥️♥️♥️ That's exactly it...it hurts to see her hurt. I love your practice of visiting pictures from times when wounds were formed. That feels really potent. I agree that pictures are portals to another time. Going back to a time of wounding through a picture and sending buckets of love to that time, feels like a beautiful practice of wholeness. I really love this, Rhiannon! Thank you!
I commend you for your honesty, Jenna. My suggestion is finding a quiet place outside, somewhere that attracts you, and sit down on the grass. Just be there, without thinking (about what needs to be done). As another commenter shared, notice things the way they are. I even developed a name for this, be an "appreciator." I think that appreciating naturally comes. Innocence too.
Hi Julie! 🤗 Thank you so much! I love the idea of being an appreciator! Not only does that automatically put us into a state of gratitude, but it also reminds me of the idea of our attention being something of great value that we can give (a conversation that's been coming up all over Substack for me lately). This is wonderful, I'm going to intentionally be the appreciator today. Thank you for this!
Wow Jenna, there is so much to take away from this. I completely get the idea of seeing through the eyes of a child who has not yet been influenced by the world around them. It's this that can open up endless possibilities to us. As a child we do not question if we are protected, we know no difference. We have to trust that we will be held and guided. And so it is now that we become childlike again.
Thank you, Louise! I hadn't thought of it that way, but yes, as children we don't question if we're protected. We have no choice but vulnerability. It makes me think of the notion that if we numb our non-preferred emotions, we numb all our emotions. Trying to protect from "negative" experience, actually blocks all experience.
Thank you for sharing this Jenna. I was intrigued and decided to do this exercise ahead of tomorrow's equinox which encourages letting go and felt a heart heaviness. The first thought that popped into my head while looking at my big baby eyes was "see things as they are" which is to say I wish I had not weaved a spell of unworthiness around myself. I think innocence is a state of seeing ourselves through the eyes of our Creator who is beyond judgement.
Oh my gosh, Yolanda, this is so perfect! Innocence is seeing ourselves through the eyes of our Creator. ♥️♥️♥️♥️ That feels exactly right. And this changes everything for me. Thank you SO much for doing the exercise and sharing your wisdom!
Thank you so much, Samantha! 🤗💖 I really appreciate the comment. I did feel like this post was particularly vulnerable (maybe cuz it was all about taking off the armor 😁). If you try the baby picture exercise, I'd love to hear how it goes for you.
What an amazing process you went through. With all the stages of looking at that picture of your baby self and feeling and sensing into what arose then putting the picture down. Then coming back with new perspectives to see if anything had changed or was new. So like life isn't it? Moving through the layers. Clearing away the conditioning and misunderstanding, feeling into the greater truth underneath it all. Again and again. I really loved this, got totally absorbed in what you wrote. Side note: love the big hat!
Thank you so much Julie! I hadn't noticed it before, but you're right that my process with the picture was just like the spiral nature of life. I really like that! And, yes, the hat! 🤗 I keep meaning to ask my parents about the hat. I suspect it was my Dad's, but who knows, and not sure anyone would remember from that long ago. 😁
What a fascinating process you went through with this. What came to mind for me was that you had to go through all these things to create who you truly are. I recognize this can be a bit of a spiritual cop-out and, of course, it depends on what those things ARE. Some trauma should never have to be endured, ever. So, I recognize saying that is a generalization, and yet...here you are in all your splendid glory. At least it seems glorious to me!
I will try the baby pic exercise and see what turns up.
You are exactly right, Donna. We are who we are because of every single thing we've experienced. I wouldn't actually trade any of it. I don't think. Or would I? Lol. If it means having my depth of perception, then I'm glad for it. You know what I think the struggle might be for me is thinking about ever have to go through some of it again. I think that might be what my hangup is. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment here! This has been a particularly vulnerable post. ♥️♥️
Definitely! Sometimes the armor is stripped from us whether we want it or not! So good to hear from you, Victoria. I've been thinking about you and sending you guys lots of healing. 💖💖
Love this post, and especially this! "I now see that I need to strip off my armor of cynicism and return to her every now and again. Together, she and I know that it is Wisdom (and not armor) that shows the way between innocence and foolishness. We let the remembrance of what we have learned from experience be the open door through which we step into the new, knowing we are held by the Universe itself."
Thank you, Camilla! ♥️🤗 For me, this whole experience of returning to innocence really has been about restoring faith, remembering that my source of feeling safe is so much bigger than me.
Love this invitation and the journey that your Wholeness guided you IN and THROUGH. I have played with this practice a few times, though not always with a baby picture. Ive felt the urge to locate a photo when certain wounds arise, to find a ME in time that the wound began or settled IN. Some photos are easy to look at and love, easy to offer presence to... while others have been sad and challenging to embrace. Not because that expression of me isn't worthy, rather because it hurts to see her hurt. Pictures and memories feel to me like imprinted moments that we can time travel to. And I LOVE the way you were able to LISTEN with the wisdom beaming through your own self through time and space. The beautiful poem you landed into the melody of feels so divinely aligned. Pure Magic ✨
🥹 Thank you so much for this validation, Rhiannon. ♥️♥️♥️♥️ That's exactly it...it hurts to see her hurt. I love your practice of visiting pictures from times when wounds were formed. That feels really potent. I agree that pictures are portals to another time. Going back to a time of wounding through a picture and sending buckets of love to that time, feels like a beautiful practice of wholeness. I really love this, Rhiannon! Thank you!
I commend you for your honesty, Jenna. My suggestion is finding a quiet place outside, somewhere that attracts you, and sit down on the grass. Just be there, without thinking (about what needs to be done). As another commenter shared, notice things the way they are. I even developed a name for this, be an "appreciator." I think that appreciating naturally comes. Innocence too.
Hi Julie! 🤗 Thank you so much! I love the idea of being an appreciator! Not only does that automatically put us into a state of gratitude, but it also reminds me of the idea of our attention being something of great value that we can give (a conversation that's been coming up all over Substack for me lately). This is wonderful, I'm going to intentionally be the appreciator today. Thank you for this!
Wow Jenna, there is so much to take away from this. I completely get the idea of seeing through the eyes of a child who has not yet been influenced by the world around them. It's this that can open up endless possibilities to us. As a child we do not question if we are protected, we know no difference. We have to trust that we will be held and guided. And so it is now that we become childlike again.
Thank you, Louise! I hadn't thought of it that way, but yes, as children we don't question if we're protected. We have no choice but vulnerability. It makes me think of the notion that if we numb our non-preferred emotions, we numb all our emotions. Trying to protect from "negative" experience, actually blocks all experience.
Thank you for sharing this Jenna. I was intrigued and decided to do this exercise ahead of tomorrow's equinox which encourages letting go and felt a heart heaviness. The first thought that popped into my head while looking at my big baby eyes was "see things as they are" which is to say I wish I had not weaved a spell of unworthiness around myself. I think innocence is a state of seeing ourselves through the eyes of our Creator who is beyond judgement.
Oh my gosh, Yolanda, this is so perfect! Innocence is seeing ourselves through the eyes of our Creator. ♥️♥️♥️♥️ That feels exactly right. And this changes everything for me. Thank you SO much for doing the exercise and sharing your wisdom!
😘
A beautiful honest and vulnerable read. Thank you!
Thank you also for sharing your process with us and for encouraging us to honour the different stages in our own healing.
Thank you so much, Samantha! 🤗💖 I really appreciate the comment. I did feel like this post was particularly vulnerable (maybe cuz it was all about taking off the armor 😁). If you try the baby picture exercise, I'd love to hear how it goes for you.
What an amazing process you went through. With all the stages of looking at that picture of your baby self and feeling and sensing into what arose then putting the picture down. Then coming back with new perspectives to see if anything had changed or was new. So like life isn't it? Moving through the layers. Clearing away the conditioning and misunderstanding, feeling into the greater truth underneath it all. Again and again. I really loved this, got totally absorbed in what you wrote. Side note: love the big hat!
Thank you so much Julie! I hadn't noticed it before, but you're right that my process with the picture was just like the spiral nature of life. I really like that! And, yes, the hat! 🤗 I keep meaning to ask my parents about the hat. I suspect it was my Dad's, but who knows, and not sure anyone would remember from that long ago. 😁
What a fascinating process you went through with this. What came to mind for me was that you had to go through all these things to create who you truly are. I recognize this can be a bit of a spiritual cop-out and, of course, it depends on what those things ARE. Some trauma should never have to be endured, ever. So, I recognize saying that is a generalization, and yet...here you are in all your splendid glory. At least it seems glorious to me!
I will try the baby pic exercise and see what turns up.
You are exactly right, Donna. We are who we are because of every single thing we've experienced. I wouldn't actually trade any of it. I don't think. Or would I? Lol. If it means having my depth of perception, then I'm glad for it. You know what I think the struggle might be for me is thinking about ever have to go through some of it again. I think that might be what my hangup is. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment here! This has been a particularly vulnerable post. ♥️♥️
And then there are the times when the lessons slip past our expectations, bring us up short, and crack us open wide. Oh yes. Nicely navigated. 😊
Definitely! Sometimes the armor is stripped from us whether we want it or not! So good to hear from you, Victoria. I've been thinking about you and sending you guys lots of healing. 💖💖