by Dr. Alberto Villoldo: All soul loss is a separation from our own divinity, from our natural self that always lives in grace…
This self doesn’t reveal its face until we confront our wounds, have the courage to rewrite our limiting soul contracts, and begin the hero’s journey toward healing. To embark on this journey, we must go to the Chamber of Grace. It’s here that we’ll discover our healed self, which has been kept in a state of harmony.
When you retrieve a lost part of your soul, you’ll have to reacquaint yourself with that soul part and protect it—you must take its energy and emotional resources into your chakra system so that it can re-inform your neurophysiology and your brain. Only this will allow you to again experience safety and grace.
As mentioned in previous posts, you may want to record these instructions before starting the exercise.
Prepare for this journey by opening sacred space. Perform the little-death breathing exercise and journey to your garden in the Lower World.
When you greet the gatekeeper, state your intent and ask to meet the self that has remained whole and in a state of grace. This soul part might represent itself as a young girl, an old man, or a middle-aged woman. Ask that individual questions such as: “Who are you?” “What gifts do you bring to me?” “How do you trust?” “How do you play?” “How can I look after you and protect you?” and “What parts of me must change in order for you to remain with me?”
Ask the soul part if it is ready to come back with you. Sometimes it will give you a list of things that you must do before it is willing to return. For instance, it might ask, “Why should I?” and point out that you have no time for its innocence, joy, and play. Sometimes it will tell you to return for it in a week, after you have cleared up a relationship in your life. Often it will give you a to-do list of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that you must change in order to embark on the hero’s journey.
Invite your soul part to return with you if it is ready. Go back to your garden, calling on your soul part to join you. Thank the gatekeeper and dive into the waters, allowing them to carry you to where you rested, then journey back into your room and your body.
Next, reach out with your hands and invite the soul part to enter your body through whichever chakra your instinct guides you to. Receive it with the palms of your hands and bring it to your chakra. If you are not sure of which chakra your soul part belongs in, bring it to your heart chakra at the center of your chest. Take a deep breath, and feel the essence of your missing self fill every cell in your body with its power and grace. Take another deep breath and know that you’ll never be separated from yourself again. Then close sacred space.
Personal Affirmation
It’s helpful to develop a personal prayer that reaffirms that you walk through life in a sacred, yet playful manner, seeing and appreciating the beauty that surrounds you and reaffirming your place within that beauty. The personal mantra that I use in my daily life to inform my world and maintain my grace is based on a traditional Navajo poem: Beauty before me, Beauty behind me, Beauty around me. I am surrounded in beauty. In beauty I walk. There’s nothing as great as the power of prayer, particularly when it’s yours and from the heart.
As you develop your own prayer, make sure it’s a positive affirmation, not a request for something to be given or done for you. Make it an expression of appreciation for life itself, a tool to nurture your grace and restore bliss. Repeat this prayer regularly. Once recovered, grace must be cherished and nurtured so that it propels you forward and brings you joy and peace.
Another personal prayer, which you can repeat in the morning when you wake up and throughout the day, is: Mother Earth, Father Sky, Thank you for the beauty and love that surround me. May I bring peace to myself, and everyone I touch, joy to myself, and everyone I see. I walk in beauty, joy, and peace.
Open sacred space and take some time to voice your own prayer. Write it down and hold it in your heart. When you’re finished, close sacred space.
Journal Dialogue with Your Newly Recovered Soul Part
This journaling dialogue will help you understand your lost soul part so that you may integrate it into your life. You may notice after doing this exercise that your soul part begins to visit you in dreams or in visions as you’re meditating.
Start by opening sacred space, and then draw a line down the center of a blank page of your journal. On the left side, write questions for your lost soul part to answer on the other side of the page. Your questions might include: “How can I protect you?” “What lessons do you have for me?” “How can I make your world safe?” “How can I honor you?” and “What are your gifts to me?”
Allow the dialogue to flow—don’t rush. Close sacred space when you’re finished.
