Deep gratitude everyone for the wonderful loving support for our process. You are greatly felt, honoured and appreciated *give_rose* I have to say I am literally bowled over by the bounteous benevolence of the universe. As I'm sure you'll all appreciate, this decoupling process has been one of the most challenging experiences for me and Trinity. The final realisation that we were to separate landed just a few weeks ago. Although it had been building to this over some time, nevertheless, when the final realisation dawned, it did come as a surprise and caused a great deal of sadness. Our lives have been intertwinned for some considerable time. When you begin to unravel those connections, through any sadness, there is also the counterbalance that much consciousness is unleashed and begins to flow into your life (probably that's why Shakespeare lamented that "parting is such sweet sorrow").

When you separate with someone, you'll find the deepest challenges are often in all the little things - how you spent time together; favourite places you visited; eating together; the apparently 'mundane' daily chores. Each in itself you come to realise was a blessing - a very simple and humble way of connecting with someone you love. As you separate, the mundane suddenly takes on an entirely new light - a blessing you'll cherish forever in your heart.

I guess for many coming to such a conclusion, it is these apparently 'little things' that stop people actually moving forwards and separating. Compassion and nostalgia become barriers to the rightful progression of the path. But if you have the courage to progress, it's then that you witness the miraculousness of it all. Because with each inner shift, with each reclamation of energy, it's like veils fall from your eyes and the energy strengthens in a certain direction; energy which has been caught within the relationship is liberated, which now begins to build and manifest. The universe can now speak ever more strongly to you. The process has led us to the point where we've just knowingly spent our final Christmas together as a family (myself, Trinity and her son Ocean). You'd be forgiven for thinking it must have been the most challenging affair - the festive period of course being a time when we come together to celebrate family and friendship. But because of the conscious nature in which we've approached our decoupling, by the time we got to that point, all sadness had been washed away, which can actually happen quickly when you fully honour and express the feelings, but allow them to flow through you without attachment.

You have to recognise that you are not the feelings or emotions; that they do not define who you are. As in the Openhand Breakthrough Approach, you work to become as-one with them - upon which, you become "The One" through them. How can anyone be truly separate in this place? Paradoxically separation becomes an incredible opportunity to celebrate the divine miracle of the other. It is when you actualise this that sadness can truly fall away.

It means that we were able to spend Christmas day in loving joy and connection. Without intention, it became a spontaneous celebration of all that we'd experienced together over the previous 11 years. As we gave each other our gifts, it was so poignant to me, that each of us had discovered, and honoured in the other, their true passion for this life. To me, therefore, each gift felt like a parting one - a deeply soulful blessing for each of us forwards on the path. It was so very moving. And after our gift giving, we had a lovely walk in one of our favoured nature spots; followed by a stupendous Christmas dinner (of course!); music, dancing, singing, a toast of full-bodied organic wine, and finally a great movie favourite of the family.

I know this may seem hard to believe, that a family could joyfully separate at such a connective time. But that's exactly how we experienced it. This becomes possible when you truly honour life as a journey of unfolding - where we honour and celebrate, but not hang onto, those that come into our lives; accepting that each can be unconditionally who they are, and how they feel to be in every moment, without unnatural tie or boundary.

And so now the three of us are completely bouyed by the excitement of the energy going forwards into 2017. We have a wonderful New Year Retreat to look forwards to. And we know for sure, that during which, exciting new energies will shape for us pointing the pathways forwards. I can feel there will be many new connections in 2017, both for Trinity's Conscious Kitchen and Openhand. Finally, at times, it's felt incredibly curious sharing insights to a very personal process here on the web. But you are all a part of the wider Openhand family, and I can literally feel your energetic connections into it. So I know many of you will have felt the shift in your own way too. And so I feel a lot of compassion for you, because I know this news can't have been easy for many of you either. But I trust you can see, things are working out wonderfully well for the shift. I trust you can find full acceptance, peace and harmony in your heart, just as we most fortunately have managed to do. In deep reverence and love to you all. Open