Openhand Solstice/Festive Prayer: Letting Go the Old Embracing the New

For many in spiritual circles the hibernal solstice is the real celebration of transition rather than Christmas. It's where the sun begins its transition from one hemisphere to the other. So it symbolises letting go and rebirth - embracing something new. I encourage all to reflect at this time. What is it you feel you're ready to let go of in your life? What might be limiting or holding you back? And on the other side of the same coin, what are you ready to embrace? I felt to share some encouragement in this regard...

Letting Go of the Old Distortion

As I recently expressed in the Openhand Law of Attraction Video, Own Your Shadow, we're also creating from the shadow unconscious side in our lives. These karmic filters often create limitation and self derailment. But crucially, it's not about overriding these with some kind of positive intention. That only heaps layers of denial on top, which are sure to 'bite you in the ass' someway down the line. But it is right and necessary to clear them so as to manifest a more harmonious life.

The Openhand Approach to this is to get right into the source of the pain. How do you do this?

It is to look into the outer mirror that you've created and observe what doesn't serve you - what doesn't feel right and commensurate with who you are? Not right in regards to who and what you feel you can be.

Most of all, it is to look into 'tightness' that gets created, either in the body, built up emotions, or repetitive thought patterns. Usually these cause some kind of knot in your bodymind field, which will feel uncomfortable, painful, or even traumatic.

The crucial thing is not to avoid these, but to turn right into them. Express the pain in them. This could be through shouting, wailing, movement, energetic throwing up, or beating a pillow. At other times it may be more subtle, just a vibration which you feel into and unravel through with empowering inner illumination.

The key is to go right into the epicenter of it and 'blow up' the experience. Ask, "what am I attached to?" "What can I not let go of?" "Why do I need reality to be a certain way?" "What outcome do I think I cannot accept?"

Contemplate deeply into these. Ask of the Universe, "show me!" If you keep watching and keep exploring, the universe will surely show you. If you're not getting the reflection, it's often because you're allowing mind led intention to command your day rather than active attention - allowing the Universal flow to guide you.

So let active attention show you the attachment. Then you can work with it. Express the attachment but look keenly into it. Do you really need it? Does the weight of the attachment really serve you? Do you really gain from what you think you'd like to have? When you're at the point where you realise the attachment doesn't serve, nor the promise of what it might deliver, then you're ready to let go.

How to Let Go?

Next let go into the tightness. Soften right through it. It's like you open a doorway right through it and expand out - like passing through the eye of a needle. Now you can sit in the tightness and not even need it to go away. At this point you are already free.

Now you can breathe through the tightness and open out through it. A great way of doing this is the Openhand Bow, which has been evolved from the ancient Kriya Yoga in the lineage of Paramahansa Yogananda and the "Deathless Saint" Babaji. You open out through the tightness and breathe it from your being. Getting rid of it will now work, because you've dug up the energetic roots of attachment.

This is however not the end of the story, because there is a new beginning of connected possibility to embrace and enjoy.

Embracing the New Beingness

From this point, you've opened a wide internal space through the previous contraction. Hence the soul can now flow through. You can support and assist this by feeling the new sense of beingness that wants to emerge. Perhaps it's empowerment? Perhaps a new sense of strength from an embodied paternal energy? Or it could be the gentle love and compassion of the maternal. Feel the new energy. Watch for reflections in the outer. Give energy to embodying it. Then let it express into your outer life.

This is the most alchemical practice that leads to miraculous change in the outer. Everything is consciousness, and because you've shifted yours, then space-time-continuum will bend around the new you, manifesting a more aligned and harmonious reflection - you're realising destiny.

It can help enormously to connect with a favourite spiritual location and/or nature. Like this place in the picture called "Mow Cop", which is a favourite one of mine. They can help you feel deep within and explore what wants to be moved right now.

What are you ready to let go of?
What are you ready to embrace?

Finally, as the Openhand Prayer for the solstice/festive, I felt to share this wonderful poem by Derek Walcott, "Love after Love", read by David Whyte, which is all about greeting yourself, finding the real you from amongst the breakdown of the old consciousness...

Wishing you an immaculate home coming and empowering new beginning.

Open