Think you’re not living your ancestral family dynamics? Think again. Ancestors can seem like obscure entities that hold no real bearing on our lives. However, that is an unfortunate misconception. When we fail to honor the past, we are blind to the ways in which we will influence the future. Family dynamics are the behaviors of call and response that echo through time to establish a norm. Behind these behaviors lie the mindsets, values, and beliefs that encompass a person’s worldview. Meanwhile, these behavioral feeds of speech, practice, and utility shape the family.
Identifying With Self Via Founding Heritage
Every person is in some way effected, in intrinsic ways. The fabric of family origins steers us forward. From our DNA to the relationships that created our formative years and experiences, we are connected to our history. This is the basis off of which the mind-body begins to understand and navigate the world. Together, both the nature and nurture of a family of origin shape and impact the psyche in pivotal ways.
Who Are You?
What kind of person are you? What kind of people do you come from? These seem like simple questions, but can we really answer them without knowing the depths of our personal history? Personal heritage is to your legacy, what the central nervous system is to your body; the gateway of communication in application. Just as our culture and traditions ring down through the ages, our family dynamics do the same. In a day and age where most people can barely understand their own parents, working with personal heritage is becoming increasingly important. Reconnect with the earth, and each other. Sometimes, the best way to understand that which is closest to us, is to start examining all the lines that trickled down into bringing it about in the first place. In this life, we are an amalgamated manifestation of everything that came before us. The better that we can honor and understand that, the more effectively we can step into who we truly are and make changes that positively impact future generations. Everything that has happened to our lineage before us, is subtly threaded through our modern lives.
Working With Your Ancestors
- Chiefly, Acknowledge them in meditation.
- Understand them by learning about their times and culture.
- Subsequently, gain an idea of what the world was like when they walked the earth.
- Connect their landscape with their thoughts, actions, and beliefs.
- Finally, explore what you want to value and uphold versus what you want to disconnect from.
Modify Generational Patterning
All family systems require behavioral updates with every new generation. Look at how each individual person and group dynamic is served through making mindful modifications. Systemic change is a big deal. WHY? Times change. Further more, people change, and dynamics shift in response to all external pressures and still. However, we can sometimes see the patterns that we’re currently in best, by examining where it all came from with reverence. In order to make changes that make sense, we need to see how the evolution of our families led us to where we are today. Take a look into your ancestral family dynamics and let us know what you find!
“In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
-The Great Law of the Iroquois