Grief, shame, sadness, guilt, and fear lurk in the shadows. They hide deep in the landscape of our soul. It's easier to push them down and find distractions that keep us from taking a deeper look. What we know for sure is that we never escape our pain. We live with it either consciously or unconsciously. If we can dig it up like a treasure and sit across from it at the table, if we are willing to feed it and nurture it, we will then start to become an ally and find growth, healing, and abundance. 

A transformation board assigns everyday items to represent the parts of our story that are hard to look at. And honestly, sometimes we fail to see. It's a lot easier to notice someone else's struggle, but turn a blind eye to our own. Find items that represent your grief and the emotions tied to it. Maybe a pinecone represents a deep feeling of grief or shame, and a shell lays on top of it to hide it. When you are able to look at the outward representation, you can start to acknowledge the emotions you hold on to. Light a candle to honor and bring light to your pain, and visit it each day giving thought and acknowledgment to your sadness. Over a few days, you may feel safe to remove the shell and not need to hide the raw emotion. Working with your inner feelings using this form of art therapy, can go a long way in helping you shine a light on the places that are easier held hostage in the dark. 

This practice has helped us be in charge of the hard to look at emotions and feelings, rather than allowing the grief to swallow us and hold us prisoner to our own pain.

Thank you for tuning in as we continue to share conversations on choosing the Art of Joy!

www.theartofjoy.com

Podcast edited by Daniel Steiner

https://danielsimssteiner.myportfolio.com/