Healing our Ancestors: A Visualization

Do you come from a lineage of people who led small, pinched lives because of oppression and trauma?

And/or people whose own sense of freedom and joy was so harmed by the boundaries set for them by society that they self-destructed?

Do you have relatives who have passed on who could never forgive themselves for their mistakes ?

Glorification of our ancestors is a common practice in U.S. social justice movements, and while it is critically important to acknowledge, recognize and thank our ancestors, I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the shadow side of ancestor worship: some of our ancestors were downright bad role models.

This is a visualization for those of us who have troubled ancestors, which can cause uncertainty and confusion in our lives. What if we had ancestors that we’re supposed to respect, but ultimately can’t? What if we had ancestors whose negative impacts reverberated through generations and are still felt in our lives today? Or those who we wanted so desperately to help when we were children, but of course couldn’t?

The prerequisite for engaging in this exercise is forgiveness. This visualization is not meant to be engaged by those who have not yet forgiven their troubled ancestors. If you have already forgiven your ancestors but you still walk around carrying the sadness and burden of their lives and their actions, this exercise is designed to help you heal your ancestors and also release yourself from the sorrow associated with them.

Get comfortable, with as few distractions as possible, in a quiet, naturally lit room. Sit in meditation on the floor or in a chair with both feet on the ground and eyes gently closed.

Pull up a mental image of an ancestor. Ideally this image is one of your loved one during a happy moment in their life – perhaps from a picture that you’ve seen.  You need not have known your ancestor in this moment.

Visualize yourself sitting across from your family member close enough so that your hands, when held, make one unbroken circle between you.

Put yourself in the mind of the prophets and channel their loving kindness and compassion. Right now you are a conduit for love, grace and divine attention. Visualize beaming this love and attention at your ancestor.

You are channeling god-consciousness, and the only thing that matters about this person is that they are a child of god. You can see their fundamental goodness/baby nature because you fully recognize that it is the sum total of their experiences that diverted them from retaining this nature – and that’s not important now.

Communicate to them:

You are released! You are loved! You are free! You are good!

Fill your body with Ultimate grace. Ultimate compassion. Ultimate love. Transmit this through your palms into your ancestor.

Sit with them and beam at them for a few minutes. Feel whatever comes up for you.

I do believe that your ancestors will appreciate this gift from you and releasing them can also help release us and help us achieve a sense of our own power with respect to our family history.