The Secret of Life Wellness: The Essential Guide to Life's Big Questions (10 page)

Russia, speaking aloud about your suffering during the war or in camps

could put you at risk of going to jail or being killed.

Through my own work on myself, as well as people in my immediate

family, I knew that my grandparents’ traumas had been passed on. For

instance, during my teenage years and early twenties, I had a strange but

deep fear of being homeless. For a long time, I could not understand where

it came from. One day, I was talking to my cousin, and she shared that she

experienced the same anxiety. I realized then that both of my grandparents,

during their teens and early twenties were homeless. Their unprocessed

distress was passed on to us, even though neither my cousin nor I ever had

a real reason to fear homelessness. Once I recognized where this anxiety

came from, I was able to release it and help my cousin.

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On a particular visit to my grandparents’ apartment, when my grandfa-

ther was already nearing eighty, we began discussing his childhood. During

this time, I was having a lot of difficulty communicating with him, as he was

extremely pessimistic. It got to a point where I would avoid asking him how

he was feeling, so as to escape an onslaught of negativity.

However, this day was different. He shared his experience of spending

ten years in a labor camp in a profound and touching manner. At one point,

I could feel the deep sadness welling up in my chest and throat. As tears

began to roll down my face, both my grandparents, who had difficulty

expressing sadness, told me that I should not be upset about something

that happened more than sixty years ago.

To avoid making them uncomfortable I quickly told them that I had to

leave. I then got into my car and drove, fighting the tears that would not

stop streaming down my face. When I arrived home, I began to cry uncon-

trollably. It was like I was weeping from the depth of my soul. At the same

time, I had a funny feeling that I was not sobbing for myself.

Since I had heard my grandfather’s story several times, I couldn’t under-

stand why I was feeling so devastated. Then in my mind’s eye, I saw an

image of my grandfather’s inner child. He appeared to me like a malnour-

ished, wounded fourteen-year-old boy.

I saw him as clearly as if he was standing in front of me. I closed my

eyes and envisaged gently holding and comforting him. My grandfather’s

inner child intuitively conveyed that when he found out he had to go to

Siberia he was extremely distressed. He didn’t know if he was going to his

death and if he would ever see his family again. He also shared that he con-

vinced himself to be strong and do anything he could to survive. Thus, he

never cried or allowed himself to feel weak. I told him that if he couldn’t cry,

I would cry for him.

I sobbed for more than an hour, after which I felt completely cleansed

and clear. My grandfather’s inner child also looked better, healthier, cleaner,

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and more relaxed. He then started to grow, thanked me, and merged with

my adult grandfather.

The following week, as if by magic, my grandfather changed completely.

He became positive, upbeat, and optimistic. When I called to inquire how

he was feeling, he told me he felt great, joked, and encouraged me to visit.

It was like the dark, heavy, depressed energy he was carrying had lifted.

Everyone in the family noticed his incredible transformation, which lasted

until my grandmother’s death.

This experience showed me that sometimes people who are close to us

are unable to work with their inner child, or unconscious issues, and that

there are moments when we are able to help.

Finances and Your Inner Child

It is interesting to note that many people who have deep financial challenges may be

operating their business or work life from the perspective of an inner child. This can

occur because that aspect can feel more comfortable with receiving a limited allowance,

rather than an abundant salary. You may have also observed how your parents dealt

with money and create situations in your life that either mirror their experience or rebel

against how they would act.

Jade’s Story: Money and the Inner Child

Jade, in her fifties, and quite distressed about her financial situation, con-

tacted me for a healing session. A health professional herself, Jade had a

pattern of earning just enough to “make ends meet” and was always strug-

gling with money no matter how hard she worked.

When I tuned into Jade’s energy, I saw that her inner child was throwing

money out of her hands. Jade admitted that whenever money came to her,

she could not hold onto it.

I guided Jade to visualize her inner child, talk to her, and ask why she

was throwing money away. Her inner child answered that when Jade was

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young, her father, who was very successful with money, was never home.

She saw her father as being lonely and unhappy. Jade associated money

with unhappiness, which she didn’t want to create it in her life.

After explaining this to her inner child and working with her through

meditation, writing, and visualization, Jade’s situation changed dramatically.

Within a week of doing this process, money and abundance began to flood

into her life. Within six months, she had achieved several of her major goals.

A year later she opened her own school on alternative medicine. She said it

was like suddenly everything had become easy and whatever she asked for

started to flow into her life. Her inner child began working with, rather than

against, her.

Processes for Healing Your Inner Child

Working with, and learning how to heal your inner child can transform your life, and

allow you to make empowering decisions based on your present wisdom with the help

of the creativity, joy and enthusiasm of your inner child.

Connect to Yourself as a Newborn

If you have a photo of yourself as a baby, find the photo and look at it. What do you feel

when you look at this photo? Close your eyes and imagine holding yourself as a baby in

your arms. How do you feel about yourself as a baby? Do you feel loving and nurturing

or cold and blasé? How do you as the baby feel about your life? Are you excited or fear-

ful? If the baby had a voice, what would he or she say? Listen as you take slow and deep

breaths. Then send some loving, caring, supportive energy to help the baby feel safe and

confident. Imagine the baby surrounded by a soft, pink light.

Write a Letter to Your Inner Child

Become aware of which aspect of the child archetype you relate to the most. If you can,

find a photo of yourself when you were a child, which reminds you of the aspect you

have chosen to focus on. If not, visualize it.

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Take a pen and paper, and write down why you feel a strong connection to this

aspect of your inner child. You can also write a letter to yourself from this aspect of your

inner child, honestly sharing all your feelings without any restrictions or judgments

from your older, responsible self.

Allow the child to tell you how it felt about your parents, siblings, friends and

teachers when you were a child. What did he or she need to say that when you were a

child that she or he could not say? Give the child permission to share honestly.

Then write a loving and honest response from yourself as you are now.

Ask your inner child what it needs to be happy and healthy and then keep giving it to

him or her. If what your inner child has to share with you in the letter is quite negative

then I suggest that you burn the letter. Visualize being loving and caring with your inner

child. Give it the love and the attention that you may have never got from your parents.

If you would like to do further work with your inner child, you may consider pur-

chasing the “Healing Your Inner Child” audio program from InnaSegal.com.

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4

How You Can Understand and

Work with Your Major Archetypes

I’ve heard that every person has several archetypes that they can work with;

however, there are four major ones that everyone has.

What are they and how can we understand them better?

The study of archetypal aspects and influences is an in-depth exploration. There are

many excellent books and workshops that give people a comprehensive under-

standing of those energies. I have already touched on the inner child and how it can

influence our lives. The other three archetypes that are part of each person’s make up

are the prostitute, the victim, and the saboteur. Each archetype presents you with

important lessons and gifts, and reveals your ability to exercise your power or lack of it

in many important areas of your life. It is important to understand archetypal patterns

because they help you delve deeper into your subconscious and unconscious thoughts,

emotions, energies, and behaviors.

As discussed in chapter 3, every archetype has two components: the shadow and

light. The shadow shows us the parts that are buried deep within, occupy our subcon-

scious mind, and often emerge unexpectedly, in destructive ways. The light aspects

show us the opportunity to reach our highest potential and to live from a place of gen-

tleness, integrity, and power.

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Energy Centers and the Four Archetypes

Through many years of exploration, I have discovered that each of the four archetypes

that are shared with all humanity have an important relationship with a particular

energy center. For instance, the prostitute archetype is connected to the first energy

center, also known as the root chakra, the inner child to the sacral, the victim to the

solar plexus, and the saboteur to the heart center.

This means that whenever you work with a particular archetype, you help clear that

center as well as heal other organs and aspects of your life that the archetype relates to.

When you release patterns from an energy center that connect to a specific archetype,

you will assist to empower that archetype and bring more confidence and clarity to

your life.

The Prostitute Archetype

The prostitute archetype is connected to your fears around survival. It helps you learn

lessons in relation to your integrity and inner strength. It asks questions such as, are you

willing to sell your spirit, your loyalty, your body, or your morals for money and physical

survival, or do you have the courage and the stamina to stand up for what you believe in

and do what you love? This can be particularly challenging if you are part of a family

which has specific expectations and beliefs about what career you should be in, who you

should marry, and how you should live your life.

This archetype also examines your faith and sincerity. It prods; are you willing to be

honest with yourself and others, or would you rather pretend, lie, and take advantage of

people in order to survive or to get ahead? Through exploring the prostitute archetype,

you must decide if you are going to live your life based on fear and thus be tempted to

seduce, control, and sell out or live with love, Divine Guidance, faith, and self-worth. A

question you need to consider is: what is the price that you are willing to put on your

physical security?

Whenever you take a step on your path of self-empowerment, you are likely to

encounter someone who will want to test your inner strength by exploiting, manipulat-

ing, and taking advantage of you in order to make themselves more powerful. While

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your shadow prostitute may urge you to give up your honor, creativity, joy, and freedom

of thought, the light aspect can help you to keep your power, your integrity and to stand

your ground.

Shadow Prostitute

Humans are known for trying to find short cuts to everything from financial success, to

empowerment, healing, evolution, and love. We live in a society of instant gratification,

and the shadow prostitute is constantly asking: What is in it for me? What more can I

get from this experience? How can I make others feel that I am more important, intel-