I’ve been diligently practicing and studying ancestral healing for many years now, but have immersed at a deeper level as of late through 1) trauma therapy 2) meditation 3) Ho’oponopono (radical forgiveness) and more.

I’ve been healing at rapid speed through the process of clearing emotional and energetic patterns and outdated beliefs and fears from my lineage that were not resolved and lived on in my DNA.

When we don’t clear these, they are the energies that can create imbalances, obstacles, and act as roadblocks on our pathway to our true authentic power, joy and infinite potential. Particular blocks I have been working on have been the ones preventing me from transforming and fully carrying out my soul’s mission and life’s purpose.

It’s been both an emotional and enlightening journey. I can feel my ancestors presence in my life now more than ever. I can’t imagine how I ever walked around all these years prior without this connection… it was as if I were a tree with no roots.

I spent a few days camping with my mom, tracing lines and sorting where my inherited beliefs, blessings and burdens have come from and how they have been passed down the line. My grandmother and great grandmother have been my focus lately and have been guiding me through my work. It’s much easier to find compassion for yourself and your family when you can link patterns all the way back. A good question to begin with is what traits did I inherit from my parents? What were their struggles in childhood?. Then ask your parents the same questions about their parents and what they know of their childhood. From here you can start to link.

We honor our ancestors by listening deeply to the thoughts and memories that live within our body that are similar to those that our mother/father lived out, as well as our grandmothers/grandfathers and so forth.

I’ve been so connected with my grandmother, Irene who is no longer in the physical. I want to tell you about an experience I had. The other night I sat up in my bed as couldn’t sleep, I found myself scrolling through pinterest to pass the time. As I did, I noticed some pictures of Peonies from the corner of my eye. I had stopped and stared, and thought/felt “WOW” while I sat enthralled with their beauty. Memories began to flood in and I was immediately transported to all the moments I spent visiting my memere. I would stand at the side of her house, stick my nose in the fluffy, colorful peonies and would breathe in their pleasing fragrance for hours.

The human part of me started started to feel sad for myself that stores don’t sell the cut flowers. “I have all sorts of flowers in my garden”, I thought, “but not the beloved peonies I had promised myself a long time ago”. As I continued to scroll I saw a graphic of 11:11 “your loved ones are watching over you”. I thought this was interesting because while I see the numbers 11:11 on a daily basis, my knowledge of the several meanings that the numbers bring, did not include that it could be someone who has passed. I smiled and I immediately wrapped my love for peonies and my grandmother in my heart and dozed off to sleep. Flowers and plants have always been my greatest love, a love which I got from my mother and grandmother and the love I share with other members of my family and likely the all of women before me.

The next morning I went straight to safeway to get some groceries. I unloaded my things onto the lady’s till but a thought popped clear in my mind of something I forgot. I ran to grab it. But for some reason stopped DEAD in my tracks, looked at my phone and it was 11:11 and immediately felt my memere’s presence. I looked to my left and low and behold my treasured PEONIES appeared beside me, for sale, stacked in buckets of water. For the love of god. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Spirit never seizes to amaze me. I laughed and thanked my grandmother and tried not to cry. I took some for home and some for the studio. I brought this presence with me into the rest of my day, knowing that as always I am protected, guided and loved by so many even if they are not physically standing in front of me. They are always there. The more I have worked on healing myself the more clear they come through. Their energy is not lost, it simply has changed form. Her soul is very much alive and is a vital force in my life and she is helping me to work through my healing.

This isn’t her first time showing herself through flowers… Back in 2017 we were at our wedding venue doing a tasting and preparations. My mom and I were wishing my grandmother could be there. As we exited the building this lady comes flying out of nowhere, stops and puts her face in mine and says “here! have some roses!” and then immediately vanished. We were dumbfounded, but we knew right then and there it was my grandmothers gift to us to show us she was indeed there. She just used someone else as a vessel for this message.

The signs are always there, but sometimes we are just not paying attention or sometimes we discount these signs and “coincidence”.

A week later, I had a reading with a medium and she says “your grandmother is here, I said which one? She said “she tells me she was very religious, she loved god and really loved flowers, especially roses. She says she always speaks to you by giving you flowers and in fact says gave you some flowers last week.”

Jaw drop.

…

Listen. Be open. Don’t doubt what you get.

Be in love with the mystery of what are they up to and conjuring for your life.

Be open to the love that exists through you and around you always.

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I wasn’t going to share what I wrote about someone dear to me because I already posted it to my yoga studios blog (Buddha Belly Yoga and Wellness) and in our newsletter but not everyone follows it. I have spoken to many people in the last 2 days who seem to be struggling with something similar and maybe my outlook can help a person or two.

Kat is moving back to India in July.

It was only a matter of time before our Kitty Kat would get the travel bug again… There is just no holding down this travelling soul. Her heart was calling her back.

Writing this is particularly hard for me… I will admit I’ve cried a lot. It’s been a mixture of tears knowing I am losing her physical presence but also tears of joy for her new beginning as well as my own (I’ve had many of those this year). I am so sad to see her go as she has really been such an important part to our Buddha Belly Team. Kat has been teaching, doing workshops, assisting with managing the studio and holding up the front desk. Most importantly she has been like a sister to me. She is unconditionally loving, strong, loyal, smart, silly, conscious, self-aware, grounded, caring, trustworthy, understanding, reliable, creative and talented. I have so much gratitude for all she has done for me and I have so much love in my heart for her. I don’t know what I would have done without her this past year. It was truly an honor to have her be part of my life and our studio, if only for a while.

Let me tell you that Kat came right at a time that I needed her the most. Yes, owning a studio is fulfilling, beautiful and humbling but it is also one of the hardest roads I have had ever had to walk in my life. There is so much that goes on inside of it all that no one sees. Throughout this time, Kat always had my back. She has held space for me, stepped into places where there was need, and picked me up so many times when I was down. <3 Kat has also befriended many of you around the studio and I know that her presence and yoga classes will be very missed. So please soak her up while you can and please be sure to give her lots of hugs and encouragement as this change is also very hard for her because her of love for the studio and all of us staff and students who are part of it.

I truly honor her for listening to the strong calling that she has had to get back to India…We all have a “soul home” and India is hers. Kat says she plans to come back to us … so lets cross our fingers and hope that she does. If she doesn’t however, we will need to trust that this is what’s best for Kat’s life and bless her journey. I know its not goodbye, just farewell!

Having the studio has taught me to honor and accept departures with total ease and grace. I trust in the choices and journey of those who are leaving, and I trust in Divine that the new space that’s been created in the intricate web of life will always be filled with exactly what we need in the right divine timing.

Shauna Behiel taught me a long time ago that people come into your life for: 1) a reason 2) a season 3) a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person. This viewpoint has been incredibly helpful for me over the last few years.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty; to provide you with guidance and support; to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. — Unknown

To the students and staff: It’s times like this that I realized how blessed I am to know so many beautiful souls, no matter for how long. Students and staff always come and go but they stay in my heart forever. There was a time in my life when I felt like an alien lost from my planet. What I didn’t know, was that my soul was needing my tribe. The studio has been the missing piece to my puzzle. There is no longer something missing from my heart because my heart is all of you who are part of our community. Its the little things… the smiles, the caring, the hugs, the laughs, the love, the support, the wisdom, the rawness, the realness, the conscious conversations. From my heart to yours, you mean so much to me and I LOVE YOU ALL. This studio would not be possible without the customers who so graciously keep us running and the staff who make it what it is <3 I would be so lost without you.

XOXO MEL // Buddha Belly Yoga and Wellness Inc.