Welcome,
This practice supports and encourages a stronger connection and relationship with your ancestors.
It can be done sitting,
Standing,
Or lying down.
It is optional to light a candle and gaze into the flame.
This is a practice that can be done regularly and is open to your own interpretations and adjustments as your relationship to your ancestors deepen.
A short note,
When I speak of ancestors,
I'm using the definition given to me by my teacher and mentor Elder Maladoma Sommé,
Which is that ancestors are those who are ready,
Willing,
And able to help us from the other world.
If they aren't ready,
Willing,
And able to help,
Then they aren't ancestors yet.
We don't have to know exactly who is showing up to support us when we call on them,
But we will likely come to know them much more as our awareness of them intensifies over time.
We all have ancestors,
Who without,
We would not exist.
In just 20 generations,
Which is about 400 years,
We each have more than 1 million ancestors.
May this practice support your connection to the wisdom of those who came before you and which you hold in your blood and bones.
Begin by finding a comfortable position.
Allow your body to rest and soften.
Notice the support of your body on the surface it's on.
Notice the temperature of the room on your skin.
Notice your breath and feel the sensation of air moving in and out.
Find a breath that is natural to you.
This is a journey inward.
On your next inhalation,
Follow your breath into the center of you.
Here you will find a sacred cave with four fires burning in a circle and a space for you in the center of them.
Move to the center of these fires and rest in their warmth.
Feel the warmth at your front,
At your back,
And side to side.
Notice the glow these fires produce.
See them,
Feel them,
Smell them,
Hear them.
It is here that we call to your ancestors,
All of the ancestors on your mother's side going back to the beginning,
And all of your ancestors on your father's side going back to the beginning.
Sense their presence around you.
As you exhale,
Share what is on your heart with your ancestors.
Be as genuine as possible.
Allow them to hold all of you in the warmth of this fire.
Within your blood and bones and every one of your cells is the unique signature frequency that only you carry of your ancestors' wisdom.
This genetic information is always changing as our genes turn on and off and move in a dynamic rhythm with our environment and unique human experiences.
As you bask in the center of these ancestral fires,
Ask for any support you may need at this time from your ancestors.
Your ancestors may have a message or messages for you.
Receive any information that your ancestors have for you at this time.
On your next exhale,
Thank your ancestors for their presence in your life.
Invite them to stay with you in the form of sacred protection,
Moving with you always.
Invoke your ancestors to be the gatekeepers,
Intuitively knowing what to allow into your field and what to keep out.
Commit to returning to this space soon.
It is now time to return your awareness to your body and to the room you are in.
On your next exhale,
Follow your breath out and notice the temperature of the room on your skin.
Notice the support of your body on the surface it's on.
When you are ready,
Open your eyes and find something to gaze upon.
Notice its shape,
Texture,
And color.
Thank you.
