PREFACE

I decided to revisit each of my blog posts many years after I originally posted them to update and revise as needed. I’m finding two things, I wish I had an editor and I want to soften the tone of the information I’m sharing. To be honest, the last thing I want to sound is preachy or righteous because I am forever learning the depths of my soul. I think when I first wrote the posts, I was excited to share a practice that worked for me so it may have come across that way. I want to revise a few things so it’s more about sharing my personal experience and what I’ve learned on my journey.

I’m a firm believer in experiencing all aspects of self, even the darkness, and the darkest part of self. I’m learning that experiencing this darkness, which I like to refer to as the ebb in the soul’s current, does take strength and lots of compassion as you care for your soul wounds. The soul healing practices are skills and practices I’ve developed during my journey that helped in navigating through the darkness, and assisted in shifting from ebb to flow with rest and integration in between. 

The practices are psychospiritual in nature, and are a mix of my personal experience and prior professional mental health background (as a licensed clinical social worker). All of my practices involve connecting with the elevated mind and sacred heart through awareness, imagination, visualization, and meditation. These soul healing practices continue to evolve and change just as my soul is growing and expanding.

There is of course no guarantee that the practices will work for you, but if you do try any of the practices, I encourage you to experiment in order to make it your own. Listen to your inner wisdom and change or refine the practice as needed so it completely resonates with your soul. Also, all of my practices need to be at your pace, so again listen to your inner knowing and honor it.

My sacred journey is not less or more significant than anyone else’s, my only motivation for sharing is to inspire self-transformation and to offer support for your unique and sacred journey. Please forgive any editorial mistakes for this is as good as it will get without an editor ;). This is what I’ve learned along the way. 

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE BACKGROUND  

Regret, guilt, and shame are difficult feelings to contend with and at times completely debilitating. They often feel the heaviest as far as feelings go because in my opinion they can be the most burdensome. I know these feelings well. They seem to have woven themselves in the fabric of my mind and heart for many years. 

From my experience, the three (both individually and together) become problematic or debilitating when they are rooted in a distorted recollection of the past and grow into the present like invasive weeds in the soul’s garden. Although the feeling may occur in the moment, the way it is filed in the mind and heart matters because it creates a certain quality of memory. Simply, they become invasive weeds when the memory reemerges as being distorted (not 100% true), which then taints our current perception and experience.

I have found in my work that memories prone to distortion commonly contain themes of being victimized, abuse of power, someone or something hurting or manipulating us, making mistakes, doing something wrong, hurting someone’s feelings, causing someone pain, not doing enough, not being enough, and more (which are specific to you). The vines of these themes often grow into distorted, self-limiting, and self-defeating thoughts and beliefs intertwined with the burdensome trio. 

The invasiveness of these weeds seem to correspond with the progression of the trio from regret to guilt to shame, although at times there is no particular order and we may default to one or the other pending the state of our garden. These feelings in themselves are not harmful or debilitating. In fact, they are quite useful as they function as a signal of an imbalance with one’s internal and external experience needing to be addressed, acknowledged, healed, and released. They are signaling an opportunity for change. Again, they only become the invasive weeds in the soul’s garden when they are continually being watered and fertilized by a self-sabotaging, self-punishing, or disempowering source which leads to blooms of depression, rage, excessive anxiety, misery, suffering, and so on.

I’ve learned over the years that the past serves a powerful purpose, but only if reflected upon with compassion and understanding. The past contains pathways to help us learn vital lessons so we may grow and expand in the present. By reflecting upon the past, there are opportunities to heal the wounds of the subconscious mind. This reflection provides an opening to retrieve any distorted thoughts and beliefs that cause suffering to include maladaptive behaviors so that their frequency and intensity can be reduced. Once seen and acknowledged there’s another opportunity to transmute and transcend them.

Obviously there is truth to the memories we hold. We may have indeed caused harm to ourselves and others or someone has caused harm to us. I’ve learned taking responsibility and accountability for such pain is critical for overall healing and growth. It is also important to bring awareness of a tendency to over-exaggerate past mistakes, weaknesses, and failures. It’s helpful to remember most likely at the time of the memory we behaved from a perspective of what we knew to be true then. Our perspective at the time may have very well been limited in self-awareness, wounded, or clouded and confused.

We also tend to discount positive aspects of our memories and mainly focus on the negative. Even in the most traumatic events, there is some positive aspects such as soul lessons to be learned from the event. Although these positive aspects are not as apparent at first, they do become more visible and known through healing.  As much as you may have heard this before and it may even make you cringe or become angry, based on my own experience I do believe it to be true that traumatic events can offer numerous opportunities for spiritual, mental, and emotional growth and expansion. It can offer opportunities for gaining a sense of accountability of our energetic presence, for establishing appropriate and healthy boundaries, for learning what we don’t deserve hence to align with our self-worth, and/or for learning how to unconditionally love ourselves and others.

When we continually focus on the negative aspects of the memory, the past becomes binding like dragging around our own energetic shackles and chains keeping us imprisoned in suffering, and thwarting any type of happiness or satisfaction. The burden becomes so great we disregard or bypass the lesson and punish ourselves endlessly with regret, guilt, and/or shame along with all the other feelings and pain of suffering that the trio attracts. This excessive self-deprecating and disempowering reaction to our memories keeps us bound to the past and distorts the present. We then may operate from this distorted space of pain and suffering, even when we aren’t conscious of it, until something in the present triggers the memory. The trigger is actually offering an opportunity for healing, growth, and expansion.

I may have just talked in a giant circle and repeated myself, but actually that is similar to the energy and pathway for the chronic presence of the burdensome trio. It can be quite cyclical until it is interrupted. Leading to the question: how do we interrupt this cycle, or take advantage of when a trigger in the present summons a distorted memory in order to liberate ourselves from its bondage? The following soul healing practice is one way that can help to free yourself from this type of oppression and suffering.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

The soul healing practice involves transmuting and transcending the memory. You energetically alter or change the memory to how you would want it to unfold with the wisdom you have now or as the elevated person you desire to be, which includes the knowledge and insight gained from the lesson learned from the past event. The practice can also be applied to your past self by changing or altering the memory to comfort and support your past self as a nurturing, supportive, and wise parent, mentor, or friend. This is especially effective if the memory is a time when you were young, at which you will support and comfort your younger self (a form of  inner child work), but this practice can be applied to any age of your past self. The goal of the soul healing practice is to help reduce the triggering effects of the memory when it is recalled, as well as reduce the suffering that goes along with it.       

If the idea of altering or changing a memory brings resistance, then it is absolutely understandable and a common, valid reaction. This resistance is an experience that is worthy of your attention and understanding. I suggest listening to your inner knowing and to only try the practice if it feels right for you.

I also recommend that you try this soul healing practice after you’ve done some internal work on identifying self-defeating or disempowering thoughts, emotional regulation, shadow and integration work, and any of your own sacred internal work. This practice involves recalling memories that may be very distressing so it is important that you have the tools to help you through it. If you need any guidance or suggestions, please visit my previous posts for other soul healing practices that are helpful for internal work, especially “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” (15 March 2016) and “Cutting the Cords to Suffering” (19 July 2016).

I have to admit that altering or changing a memory may feel a bit contentious (it did for me when I started), but please bear with me as I explain my reasoning for doing so. I’ll start with why there may be resistance to this practice, and of course you may have your own reasons. It may be due to the memory involving someone or a situation that caused you significant harm and pain. It may feel as though altering, changing, transmuting, and transcending the memory takes away any justice for the other’s wrong doing, especially if amends haven’t been made or consequences haven’t been enforced.  

However, in my opinion it is much greater injustice for you to carry the burden of these restricting and oppressive feelings causing you to be punished endlessly. Why are you being punished for another’s wrong doing? Their wrong doing certainly may have caused you to feel significantly disempowered and unsafe, which is a normal response for a challenging or traumatic experience. Sometimes you have to allow the disempowerment and fear to be present long enough for you to be ready to move it, transform it, and transcend it. You may feel powerless now, but just know your innate strength is there waiting to be accessed. The soul healing practice is a way to realign with your soul’s power. 

Just to be clear, the soul healing practice is not denying that a wrong doing was done, it’s about helping to energetically release you from it. By transmuting and transcending the memory, you are dissolving their energetic power over you, the memory’s power over you, and releasing the negative energetic cord/attachment you have with the person or situation who harmed you. This frees you from being held captive to the memory allowing you to implement healthy boundaries and/or pursue appropriate consequences for the injustice done to you, from a space of clarity rather than confusion. Thus releasing you from this energetic trap of continually feeling powerless or shameful. In my opinion, this is forgiveness and empowerment. 

On the other hand, if you caused harm, then regret, guilt, and shame are reminders of your wrong doing and are offering an opportunity for your growth and expansion. It is important for you to honestly acknowledged the pain and hurt you’ve caused and/or contributed to before you can authentically release and transform the energy. Once you’ve been able to authentically empathize with the person or situation that was hurt by you, then this soul healing practice can be effective in helping you release captivity to the past and to the burdensome trio. It can be a catalyst of growth and expansion so you become more aligned with the person you desire to be. A person who is self-aware and takes responsibility and accountability for their actions and behaviors. A person who offers an authentic apology and amends for their wrong doings.

I’ve learned through a lot of internal work that memories are meant to teach us, not to imprison us. Let the memory do its job of teaching so it may be transmuted and transcended into light, and so you can get back to the present without the burden of a distorted past.

If you are still not convinced in this soul healing practice, absolutely understandable and valid. May you be embraced by your sacred divine self, and find a practice that helps you to release your burdens and find peace in your soul.

As alluded to earlier, the soul healing practice involves visualization and meditation. Before implementing this practice, the first step is to address any excessive anxiety or distress that may have surfaced from the memory being recalled or triggered. Effective means to reduce distress and to regulate emotions may include: grounding/mindfulness, diaphragmatic or deep belly breathing, objective/rational thinking, empowered self-talk, meditation, exercise or whatever is your personal practice or technique that helps to clear your mind and make you feel calm and centered.  

I like to do a four-count breath technique, where I count to four as I inhale expanding the lower belly (1, 2, 3, 4) and count four backwards as I exhale slowly (4, 3, 2, 1), repeating as needed. I then follow with intentional breathing: as I slowly inhale I say to myself I am and on the exhale I say calm, continuing the practice on the inhale saying I am and on the exhale saying safe, breathing in I am and breathing out empowered, breathing in I am and breathing out love, breathing in I am and breathing out light, and finally breathing in I am and breathing out free. You can end this practice with the following statement or intention: I trust myself, I believe in myself. Remember with this practice to bring the breath all the way down to your lower belly and not just to your chest. The breath not only gives life to the intention, but also helps to anchor it into your soul’s vibration. If you like this technique, I also suggest experimenting with the intentions so it totally resonates with you and gives you a sense of calm, and a feeling of being centered, nurtured, and empowered. In my experience, I’ve discovered practicing from this internal space assisted me in increasing openness to healing and expansion, while decreasing any resistance to it.

Now begin the meditation by visualizing a column of pure white light, sparkling with flecks of color like a diamond that is above you, and is descending down towards you. The column of light may appear different for you or have different colors within it such as golden threads so just allow whatever to come through during the visualization. The intent of the column of light is to feel the light as purifying, loving, nurturing, and empowering. Also, the origin of the light will be unique and sacred to you and to your beliefs, for example it may originate from sacred divine source or creator energy, your sacred divine self, your spirit team, God, specific deities, angels, and so on. As the column of light reaches the crown of your head, it widens and completely encases you in it like a cocoon so you are surrounded by a sphere of healing light. The column then continues to move beyond your feet, and anchors deeply into the earth’s core. The column of light and sphere now offers protection and support during implementation of the soul healing practice and for your healing.

Begin recalling the memory as if you are seeing it on a movie screen. Flood the memory with white and golden light or diamond light so the light fills the entire space of your mind’s eye simultaneously as you are observing the memory. Imagine the light to be as dramatic as a bright light that is turned on in a very dark room. The light has extreme purifying and healing power and can soften, transmute, and transcend any darkness.

Next visualize rays of white and golden light or diamond light extending from your heart to the memory scene. The light and heart connection to the memory helps to transmute and transcend any heavy, restricting energies attached to the original memory such as the burdensome trio, destructive anger, resentment, sadness, excessive fear, and so on. If the practice at this point brings some relief, less pain, or a sense of empowerment, then you can close the memory as will be described below or you can continue to replay the memory in this space of healing light.

If you choose to continue with the practice, you will keep flooding the memory with the same light while you begin to replay it. However, you replay the memory not as the person you were then, but as the elevated person you are now or desire to be, the wiser person, and the more empowered person who learned the lessons from the past and desires to respond to the memory’s events from a compassionate and loving perspective. As you replay the memory from this more empowered and compassionate perspective, you may notice the memory scenes actually begin to change or perhaps its sharp edges begin to soften from the continual projection of light.

If you replay the memory to comfort and nurture your past-self, then you will still flood or fill the memory with the healing light as you interact with your past-self. You may hug or hold your past-self, reassure them that they are safe because you are with them now, provide them with guidance or encouraging words, and so on. A more detailed description of how I’ve used the soul healing practice to heal childhood trauma is provided in the section below, “My Experience with the Soul Healing Practice”. 

Once the memory is complete, it is my hope the suffering has lessened and a sense of empowerment is restored. I like to offer gratitude for the opportunity to heal the memory, which subsequently heals the present moment because energy doesn’t know the concept of linear time. Close the memory with another burst of light and see the memory dissipate into the expansive space around you, turning into golden dust, and eventually disappearing. Visualize the column of light from the beginning of the meditation seals off and concentrates its power in the sphere of light that still surrounds you. The sphere of light may change colors to any color of your choosing. The purpose of the sphere is to act as an energetic shield or boundary that protects you, and repels any lower, denser energies that may want to hurt you, manipulate or control you, take advantage of you, or just holds you back from your highest potential (which could be from your own mind). The energetic shield/boundary also compassionately reflects any denser energies back to its source for them to heal or to be transmuted and transcended into the sacred whole. The sphere, in addition to being protective, is also fluid so it allows you to give and receive unconditional and supportive love. 

Sometimes I add fire to the sphere pending how strong I need the boundary to be. This addition helps me to feel even more safe and empowered. I then like to add the following intention: no one can manipulate or guilt me, control or have power over me, hurt me, or take from me including myself, or you will be burned, I am fully empowered and protected. Keep in mind the addition of fire is not to inflict substantial pain or violence, but just gives a minor ouch to who or whatever is trying to cross your boundary as a clear message you are fully protected and safe. Also, note that the boundary may apply to yourself. Your thoughts and beliefs can be just as damaging and destructive as anyone or any situation from your external reality. In this case, I imagine the fire burns any self-limiting or disempowering thoughts into golden ash which then disappears into the void which I like to think of as the sacred whole to include my soul’s oneness or harmony. As always, feel free to change or refine the imagery or intentions as needed, for example you may not resonate with fire, but another type of powerful energy like electricity, lightning, wind, or even water. 

In addition to the act of protection, the sphere also reminds you of the elevated soul you are now or working towards to be, especially if the memory involves you hurting someone or making a mistake. The sphere may help to make you feel safe and protected as you make amends or take responsibility for your wrong doing, no matter the outcome or the receptivity of the person who was hurt.

Again, the sphere is fluid so you may give and receive unconditional and supportive love. I’ve learned until you feel safe within, can you have genuine love and compassion for anyone, including yourself. This simple imagery helps plant the seeds so you may begin to believe you are deserving of love.

The soul healing practice may need to be implemented several times especially if the memory continues to have its claws in your mind and heart, and you are still carrying the burden. Its grip should lessen with each use of the practice. You may also utilize this practice in written form. You can literally rewrite the memory while still using the same aspects of the meditation/visualization. I prefer handwriting than typing because I’ve found some sort of magic between handwritten work and the soul. But of course, if you prefer to type then please type, this practice needs to resonate with you and your preferences.  

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE CLOSING

I like to close each soul healing practice with another visualization, especially if the practice doesn’t include an energetic shield/boundary. If the practice does include a protective sphere of light, then adjust this closing visualization to complement the practice. The closing visualization may also be a stand alone practice. The intent is to further cleanse any residual blocks or burdens, calm the soul, restore optimal functioning, and realign the soul as above, so below.  

Visualize a disk of purifying, white light that is above you and is large enough to fit both your body and energetic field. The purpose of the disk is to scan your body and energetic field while it simultaneously moves any residual mental, emotional, physical, and energetic blocks or burdens. The energy will be moved out and drained like an energetic faucet as it disappears into the void. The intention of the energy as it disappears is to be transmuted and transcended into the sacred whole which includes your soul’s oneness or harmony. 

As you continue the visualization, imagine the purifying disk of light descending down towards you and begins to scan your upper energetic field and extends outward to capture your entire energetic field as it moves down your body, starting with your head, down your shoulders, down each arm, and out each hand. Visualize any blocks or burdens draining out of your hands (like a faucet). You can imagine the energy as darker energy flowing out. Once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle stop the flow from your hands. Bring your attention back to your shoulders and continue the scan down your chest, your abdomen to the pelvic area, down each leg, and out each foot. Again visualize any blocks or burdens draining out from your feet, once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle then stop the flow. Now take a moment to visualize your entire body and energetic field are now cleansed and cleaned.  

Next say to yourself, CALM, and visualize and feel every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is calming like a pristine, quiet mountain lake with no movement. Just calm and quiet. Take a few deep belly breaths to savor this feeling of calmness. Next, say to yourself, HEAL, followed by optimal health and functioning, and golden light are restored, visualize every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is now filled with sparkling golden light as you are glowing and vibrating with this golden energy. Visualize the golden energy extends outward to form a sphere of light that now surrounds you. The sphere of light may change colors, any color of your choosing. Again, take a few deep belly breaths to savor this energy of renewal, strength, and empowerment. 

Lastly, visualize a column of golden threads above you descending down through you and exiting out your feet, continuing down into the earth to be deeply anchored into the earth’s core so you feel secured, stable, and grounded (you can add imagery of golden roots or similar extending from your feet to be anchored into the earth’s core). Next see a violet light doing the same, and finally a pure white light doing the same. The intent of the columns are to align you above and below, so you feel both grounded and elevated. You may close the visualization by saying to yourself three intentions, for example I say: I am powerful, I am magical, I am healing, and as I say each intention I visualize myself growing taller, stronger, and feeling more empowered.

As a last note and most likely suggested in the description of the soul healing practice, do experiment with, change, refine the practice as needed so it truly resonates with your soul, becomes your personal practice, and evolves and changes with you. By making the practice your own, you are listening to your inner guidance, are connecting with your sacred divine self, and aligning with your unique wisdom and soul’s vibration.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

EXPERIENCE 1

My beloved dog of 13.5 years passed in February 2017. Guinness was a chocolate labrador full of anxiety, but a most beautiful soul that was completely devoted to us and yearned to always take care of us. Initially, when we first adopted her which was a few years after the death of my husband, I disliked her, in fact I thought I hated her. She was needy and constantly intruding into my space. It took me a bit of time and patience to begin to like her and eventually to love her before I could understand her purpose in our lives. She taught me so many valuable lessons, mainly unconditional love even for the anger and rage I suppressed following the death of my husband.

Five months after Guinness’s passing, we were ready to bring a new dog into our home. We adopted a handsome, young golden retriever mix male from the shelter. My daughter named him, Apollo, because he’s a golden color and has the energy of the sun, as well as, a healer. The picture included in this post is Apollo.

As I began to care for him such as buying his food and accessories, feelings of regret, guilt, and even shame were seeping in from my subconscious mind into my conscious awareness. My mind was being plagued with negative thoughts such as: I didn’t buy Guinness the top brand dog food at a specialty pet store like I do for Apollo, I didn’t give Guinness filtered tap water, and I definitely wasn’t as tolerate with Guinness’ puppyish behaviors, her shedding, and her misbehavior, like I am with Apollo.

I could feel the pull of regret and guilt wanting to anchor me into a cycle of shameful suffering, my mind beginning to spin in self-punishing thoughts, but I resisted. I was certainly being tempted to only focus on the negative times with Guinness, but I persisted with an objective and more compassionate recalling of the past. I began reminding myself, I did my best caring for Guinness at the time. I was in a dark time in my grief when we first brought Guinness into our home and I was exhausted, angry, and devastated. I reminded myself I loved her deeply through the years and became a better pet owner over time. I recalled how she helped me to heal my anger, helped to make the house feel safe, and with this realization I offered her so much gratitude and unconditional love.   

After I felt more elevated by recalling the memories with compassion and objectivity, it opened a space for me to accept and to not resist this opportunity for healing and expansion. I settled into my sacred self by doing the four-count breath technique followed by the intentional breathing before I began the meditation/visualization.

I visualized a column of white, diamond light with golden threads descending down from sacred source creator when upon meeting my crown the light expanded around me to encase me into a sphere of healing light. The column of light then continued down beyond my feet and anchored into sacred mother goddess’s crystalline core (mother earth). I flooded ALL memories of Guinness (good and bad) with purifying white and golden light. I opened my heart, extending rays of diamond, golden light and unconditional love to her spirit and to the memories. I saw and felt past feelings of irritation, anger, and annoyance were dissolving, transmuting, and then transcending into the light. 

I then continued the soul healing practice by replaying memories of caring for Guinness while still flooding the scene with healing light. I replayed it not as the person I was then, but as the person I am now who has done significant healing and acquired sacred wisdom, as well as my desire to be a better pet owner. I noticed the memory kind of naturally began to change. I saw myself providing her with the best food, filtered water, and I was much more tolerant of her jumpiness in her youth, her shedding, and all the other behaviors that irritated and annoyed me from the past. I was consumed with extreme happiness, peace, and love with a deep inner knowing that I healed and released this past burden. I also had a knowing that I now have access to this elevated energy and can bring it into the present moment for myself and for Apollo.

I closed the memory, released it with a burst of white light and unconditional love, and saw it dissipate into golden dust and then disappear. I saw the column of light seal off so a sphere of white, golden light remained and still surrounded me. I felt it was complete. I also had a solid confirmation that Guinness’s spirit always knew and loved the true essence of my soul and paid no mind to my human mistakes and blunders. With this new knowledge, I was filled with absolute gratitude once again for my beautiful earth angel.

EXPERIENCE 2

The soul healing practice has also been quite effective in healing, transmuting, and transcending my memories of childhood trauma. I used the practice on several occasions over a period of time as these memories tended to surface during my soul’s journey, especially when I was healing shadow aspects of myself that were keeping me stuck in suffering.

Before I began the meditation/visualization I did the four-count breath and intentional breathing to calm my nervous system because shadow work is often quite triggering as distressing feelings and thoughts emerge. After I visualized the column of healing light and the sacred sphere of light surrounding me, I flooded the memory with purifying white and golden light to help soften the pain, confusion, and disgust of the memories.

I then replayed the memories, but primarily focused on my child-self. When I saw her in the memory, I opened my heart and extended rays of diamond and golden light from me to her. I then visualized picking her up and holding her tightly and securely. I provided her with an abundance of love and nurturing, reassuring her that none of what was happening to her is suppose to be happening and is very, very wrong, that none of it is her fault, and she is now safe and forever protected by me, her adult self. As I set her back down, I surrounded her with a sphere of white, golden light that sparkled with flecks of diamond light as her protection. I also added a blazing ring of fire for extra protection so no one can harm her, manipulate her, take from her, or control her for they will be burned. I then closed the memory as described above.  

Each time I used the practice, the feelings of deep pain, disgust, betrayal, and helplessness continued to lessen, as well as my own self-punishment, guilt, and shame. I began to feel more empowered in the present, worthy of happiness and abundance.

POEM

Below is one of my poems, it may not completely fit the post, but I think it has elements that certainly resonate. The poem describes one of my dreams, and my experience with receiving a divine gift of light, only for it to help me clearly see my darkness, which presented itself in a terrifying form. This diamond light gave me the strength, both in a dream state and in waking state, to relate to my darkness with less fear by offering an opportunity for transmutation and transcendence.

DIAMOND LIGHT

A diamond was given to me in a dream,
not any old diamond,
but one of mammoth proportions
suspended in an esoteric dimension
of another world.

Rotating slowly with precision and harmony
magical, mystical,
twinkling with laser specks of light,
hues of pinks, blues, golds.

Each speck exploding with its own glory
like fireworks in a black, moonless sky.
The grand finale,
the diamond bursts with an awe inspiring
white and gold light,
beams of divine light, radiating far and wide.
A star of its own.

But to my horror,
the rays push back a dense, black darkness
to expose a demonic wolf-like creature
with metal claws and fangs, 
stiff, brown leather-like fur, red devilish eyes, 
lurking in the shadows.
A shrill of terror charges through my veins
as the creature comes clearer into my vision.

The diamond light offers protection,
strength in my core, fortitude in my spine.
I offer an intention to this creature of the night—
may the diamond light transmute your energy
into holy light and unconditional love, 
if you so wish.

To my astonishment, the activation worked;
the horrifying metaphoric symbol of raw fear,
fades and dissipates
into the bright luminous light,
dissolving the nightmare into nothingness
and its power over me.

My response, what a gift!
A weapon of transmutation, even transcendence,
is now nestled in my heart.
A diamond’s majestic presence
and explosive power, crystalline strength,
emanating intuitive rays of love and compassion,
all for me.

A gift invoking a spear of empowerment,
a cognitive sword of clarity and divine simplicity:
nothing else matters.

All troubles, confusion from the mental,
material dimension flutter away
and my focus is transfixed
upon the sparkling, rotating gem of clarity,
chiseled with expert craftsmanship
of sacred geometry,
vibrating a cosmic hum
beyond detection of the human ear.

Always at the ready, my diamond light,
to expand its energy of pure divinity,
protection, star potential,
upon my call. 
— Stacy L. Pintor © 

Thank you for visiting my blog, I truly hope some or all of the soul healing practices do help you along your sacred journey and provide you some relief and ease.  

Visit my website if you want to learn more about me and to check out my poetry, especially if you liked the poem above which is included in my poetry book, Alchemy of the Soul.

https://www.baresoulworks.com

Thanks again for visiting and for your support. Stacy 💚 

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The soul healing practices provided in this blog are meant as a tool to aid in healing, for improving mental and emotional health, and for inspiring self-transformation. The practices are not meant to be a form of psychotherapy or social work practice requiring a contractual, professional relationship. If you need consistent therapeutic care and/or crisis intervention due to being at risk of harming yourself or others, then seek professional and/or emergency services immediately.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you how I integrate my personal experience, spiritual growth and expansion, and past professional mental health experience in the form of soul healing practices. By sharing my experience, it is my hope it will provide a practical example of how to interrupt and lessen the cyclical energy of suffering and to elevate your soul.   

These practices work best when you are ready to heal and expand. It is okay if you are not quite ready. Please be gentle and patient with yourself, seek outside help both professionally and personally as needed. You will heal and expand when you are ready. Sending you so much love, warmth, and compassion. Stacy 💚

© Stacy L. Pintor 2017. All Rights Reserved.

Revised and updated in 2025 by Stacy L. Pintor ©.

(No part of this blog may be reproduced without written permission from the author)

PREFACE

I decided to revisit each of my blog posts many years after I originally posted them to update and revise as needed. I’m finding two things, I wish I had an editor and I want to soften the tone of the information I’m sharing. To be honest, the last thing I want to sound is preachy or righteous because I am forever learning the depths of my soul. I think when I first wrote the posts, I was excited to share a practice that worked for me so it may have come across that way. I want to revise a few things so it’s more about sharing my personal experience and what I’ve learned on my journey.   

I’m a firm believer in experiencing all aspects of self, even the darkness, and the darkest part of self. I’m learning that experiencing this darkness, which I like to refer to as the ebb in the soul’s current, does take strength and lots of compassion as you care for your soul wounds. The soul healing practices are skills and practices I’ve developed during my journey that helped in navigating through the darkness, and assisted in shifting from ebb to flow with rest and integration in between. 

The practices are psychospiritual in nature, and are a mix of my personal experience and prior professional mental health background (as a licensed clinical social worker). All of my practices involve connecting with the elevated mind and sacred heart through awareness, imagination, visualization, and meditation. These soul healing practices continue to evolve and change just as my soul is growing and expanding.

There is of course no guarantee that the practices will work for you, but if you do try any of the practices, I encourage you to experiment in order to make it your own. Listen to your inner wisdom and change or refine the practice as needed so it completely resonates with your soul. Also, all of my practices need to be at your pace, so again listen to your inner knowing and honor it.

My sacred journey is not less or more significant than anyone else’s, my only motivation for sharing is to inspire self-transformation and to offer support for your unique and sacred journey. Please forgive any editorial mistakes for this is as good as it will get without an editor ;). This is what I’ve learned along the way.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE BACKGROUND

Although anger generally has a bad reputation, it is an effective and vital emotion that signals something has to change whether it is within or outside of us. Anger typically arises from feeling threatened, hurt, disrespected, or unsafe in our mental, emotional, physical, or environmental experiences. In my opinion, the underlying energy of anger is based in fear and hurt.

When anger is channeled with clarity and balance it can be transformed into power, empowerment, clear action, or even no action. I like to think  of anger as an energy source, a source that can be used for empowerment. Anger can motivate us to stand up for ourselves, to set appropriate soul boundaries, to inform us we’ve outgrown a situation or circumstance, or to activate us in finding safety due to a threatening situation.

My relationship with anger has been tricky because during my upbringing I didn’t feel like I could be angry. There was only one person in the household who could express anger while the rest of us were silent waiting for the outburst to simmer. My anger didn’t just go away all those years, it was buried until a crack was formed when my husband was killed in action during the early Iraq war. It was like a deep fissure leading to my molten core where it had a pathway to be seen and to be released. When I did get angry I felt guilty and I didn’t know how to hold space for it because I wasn’t suppose to be angry. 

Once I accepted anger as a valid emotion and that I have reasons to be angry, I didn’t suppress it anymore or feel guilty for experiencing it. I gained more compassion for the anger that was in my household because I was beginning to understand the energy of anger. I also knew I didn’t want to dwell in the anger for too long where it would have negative impacts on myself and others, but wanted to learn how to transform it into empowerment.  

During my journey, I learned that sometimes you have to allow the anger to surface and smolder in your experience long enough for you to be ready to move and transform the energy. I’m learning to hold anger as sacred in its own right and purpose. To me anger has a clear purpose, to help us maintain balance and harmony in our inner and outer worlds. In my experience, if you try to move it too quickly or minimize, even dismiss it, then it will most likely be suppressed until it is triggered in a future experience. Often then it expresses itself more intensely or in a confusing or convoluted way which in turn causes more internal pain and discomfort.

The question then may be how do you know when you are ready to move and transform it? I’ve found it is definitely time when anger becomes too heavy and burdensome (consumes most of your emotional state), begins to affect your health (causing physical pain, inflammation, flare-ups), and starts to negatively interfere with your relationships. Of course, you can transform it way before all of this happens, but this provides a threshold when it is definitely time.

As I was observing the energy of anger and becoming more aware of it within myself, I found this threshold is usually preceded by a tendency to  be consumed by anger’s untamed energy, even if we aren’t completely aware of it. This consumption can lead to a desire to hastily rid of it in any way possible, to anchor in the energy too long in an attempt to achieve a sense of justice, or it becomes the underlying theme of our personality. However, this energy is typically unstable and will become destructive at some point. Either scenario can negatively impact not only ourselves, but others and our environment in the process.

There are several ways we irresponsibly harness anger energy and may express it in the following ways: 1) project it outward in the form of verbal and/or physical outbursts, 2) primarily blame others for our distress, 3) use passive aggressive behaviors such as withdrawing (“silent treatment”), make underhanded or dismissive comments or behavior (“under your breath” comments or rolling your eyes), or gossip, and 4) use manipulation to get what we want such as gaslighting. All of which carries an excessively dense energy that travels with you like a thick, smoldering dark fog. The dense fog over time may create anxiety and depressive symptoms and/or negatively affect relationships, to include the relationship with yourself.

Anger needs our attention and understanding, but it does not need thoughts and behaviors that perpetuate it as an untamed and even harmful or destructive cyclical energy. For anger to be effectively transformed into empowerment, it first requires compassion and understanding for its presence. A simple, but loving curiosity for the reason it is sounding the alarm of an internal or external imbalance so we may heal it. I get it, just hearing the words, “compassion, understanding, or loving” in relation to yourself may provoke some anger or irritation, especially when the relationship with yourself may be a bit volatile. But in my opinion, all the more reason to try the soul healing practice to begin relating to yourself in a different way.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

The following are effective ways to transform anger into power and empowerment before it becomes a cyclical harmful energy. These practices can be done individually or together and are only suggestions. Please do experiment with the soul healing practice, change it, refine it as needed so it truly resonates with your soul and it becomes your personal practice. By making the practice your own, you are listening to your inner guidance and are connecting with your sacred divine self, and with your unique wisdom and soul’s vibration.

Before I begin any of the soul healing practices, I like to settle my energy by doing a four-count breath technique, where I count to four as I inhale expanding the lower belly (1, 2, 3, 4) and count four backwards as I exhale slowly (4, 3, 2, 1), repeating as needed. I then follow with intentional breathing: as I slowly inhale I say to myself I am and on the exhale I say calm, continuing the practice on the inhale saying I am and on the exhale saying safe, breathing in I am and breathing out empowered, breathing in I am and breathing out love, breathing in I am and breathing out light, and finally breathing in I am and breathing out free. You can end this practice with the following statement or intention: I trust myself, I believe in myself. Remember with this practice to bring the breath all the way down to your lower belly and not just to your chest. The breath not only gives life to the intention, but also helps to anchor it into your soul’s vibration. If you like this technique, I also suggest experimenting with the intentions so it totally resonates with you and gives you a sense of calm, and a feeling of being centered, nurtured, and empowered. 

PRACTICE 1: This practice involves setting an energetic soul boundary to help you feel empowered and to bring more clarity and flow into your inner experience. Energetic boundaries can also help to establish a sense of safety from within so that you feel safe enough to allow more clarity to flow in your mind and heart, which will most likely inform you of the anger’s purpose.

The soul healing practice requires visualization, imagery, and intentions in order to establish the boundary. It begins by visualizing a flame burning in the center of your being or solar plexus area. I like to call this my sacred flame. Visualize the flame growing larger, where it extends upward to the crown of your head and beyond (to the sacred sun, to God, source creator energy, or whatever resonates with your beliefs), and downward to your feet and beyond to the earth’s molten core. The movement of the fire above and below is meant to activate, energize, and purify all your energy centers (chakras). You can imagine that the energy of the fire lengthens your spine and lifts your head so you are standing tall and confident as your warrior-self, and you are now aligned above and below. 

Now visualize extending this fire energy all around you in order to form a ring of fire or a full sphere of fire that surrounds you. Once you establish this fire boundary take a moment to feel its innate power through you and all around you. You may observe how the sacred flame is beginning to transform the anger into this power such as generating feelings of more confidence, strength, and empowerment. I then like to add the following intention: no one can manipulate or guilt me, control or have power over me, hurt me, or take from me including myself, or you will be burned, I am fully empowered and protected. 

I also like to take this visualization a little further. I will share my personal visualization so you have a guideline. I encourage you to experiment with the imagery and intentions so this practice becomes uniquely your own, and you feel more safe, secure, confident, and strong.

After I ignite my sacred flame and establish my fire boundary (as described above), I then add the element of activating my sacred divine masculine, my warrior-self. I imagine my divine masculine as a warrior god with golden Spartan armor. I see him rising from the sacred flames as if he is being birthed from the flames like a phoenix. As he ascends, I visualize that we integrate as one with enormous strength, power, and protection. I also imagine a fiery and powerful dragon arises from the flames and stands behind my warrior-self. I send a clear message to the person, situation, or to my own mind that I am fully empowered and protected by repeating the same intentions as above. Sometimes I imagine I am also surrounded by other masculine figures, deities, or energies that for me symbolize tremendous strength and protection such as the sacred sun, Archangel Michael, my deceased father, the Greek god Apollo, and the Norse god Odin. I also offer them my  gratitude for their presence. It helps me to feel less alone and to feel even more protected and supported. 

Keep in mind because the boundary is composed of fire, the intention is not to inflict substantial energetic pain or hurt, but just a minor ouch to give a clear message you are fully protected and safe. The purpose of the boundary is not to add more anger and instability to the energy causing your anger, but to help to liberate you from it by making you feel more safe and empowered. The boundary can also reflect the energy back to its source for them to take care of or to be transmuted and transcended into the sacred whole (as you see the energy burning into golden ash). Again, the burning is for purification purposes and not an intention to cause more harm and pain.

Also, note that the boundary may apply to yourself. Your thoughts and beliefs can be just as damaging and destructive as anyone or any situation from your external reality. In this case, I direct the flames to burn into golden ash any self-limiting, self-defeating, or disempowering thoughts/beliefs or attachments that are holding me back from my soul’s freedom. I then see the golden ash disappear into the sacred whole which includes my sacred oneness or soul’s harmony. This imagery for me is a way to transmute and transcend the energy. Again, feel free to change or refine the imagery or intentions as needed, for example you may not resonate with fire, but another type of powerful energy like electricity, lightning, wind, or even water.

As you practice this energetic boundary daily, you may notice changes within yourself and your surroundings. In my personal practice, I noticed I feel safer from within, more empowered and confident. I noticed the people or situation I direct the boundary towards actually have changed their behavior towards me in small and big ways as if they actually felt the fire boundary. Most likely it was because I felt more empowered and confident when interacting with them. This practice has also given me the clarity to realize that I outgrew certain situations and it was time to move on.

PRACTICE 2: Sometimes our anger is too intense and strong in the moment to implement a soul healing practice with mental and emotional altitude. If this is the case for you, absolutely a valid response. It just means your anger wants to be acknowledged and seen in its raw form before it is transformed and transcended. A way to move the energy up and out is by energetically standing up for yourself so you can return to a soul healing practice with compassion, understanding, and altitude. 

Choose a quiet, safe and private space to do this work. It may involve you raising your voice so you want to make sure it is a space where someone will not think you are in distress or think the internal work you are doing is projected towards them. I’ve done this practice in my car. The practice is simple, you visualize the person or situation that triggered the anger and you tell them exactly how they impacted you without censorship or a filter, but with raw thoughts and feelings. It may involve some cursing and you may start yelling as you are releasing the energy. I like to first implement Practice 1 so that I feel more empowered with an energetic soul boundary. 

For example, I recently experienced mild road rage against me where I was actually in the right. The person behind me was honking at me, waving their hands in frustration, and yelling at their passenger even though I couldn’t move without blocking the intersection. They were incredibly impatient and probably already boiling over with anger prior to encountering me. Once I was able to safely move away from the driver, I was livid with rage myself. So I did a quick energetic soul boundary visualization in order to feel more empowered. I then imagined that I was standing tall and confident as my warrior-self before the other driver. I then proceeded to tell them how they upset me with their behavior which turned into yelling at them: you will not project your anger onto me or to anyone else; I don’t deserve it, it’s not my responsibility to take care of your anger; do your own damn internal work. I did use some profanity and called them certain names that I will not disclose in this post.

The idea is to not deny the anger you are feeling and how you would like to have responded without constraint, but to allow the energy to flow in its uncensored and raw form. You are honoring every part of you even the shadow aspects, but are doing so without causing harm to anyone else. It is a way to energetically stand up for yourself. It also helps to clear the internal canvas in order to follow up with the other practices.

After the energy has moved, you may want to follow up with an energetic cord cutting. Visit my post, “Cutting the Cords to Suffering” (19 July 2016), to learn more on this specific soul healing practice.

In addition to this practice, a good ole vent session is also helpful in releasing anger energy. I recommend that you vent to a trusted confidant who can actively listen and hold the space for you without adding more negative energy. They may also be able to offer some insights that you’ve overlooked. 

PRACTICE 3: Gently ask yourself: why am I feeling so angry? The more compassion and understanding you offer yourself, the clearer the answer. This gentle curiosity can be obtained by detaching from the feeling of anger as if you are an observer of your experience, you are merely curious about the presence of anger, and you are perceiving it from an unbiased, nonjudgmental vantage point.

If you begin to harshly judge yourself or begin to solely justify your anger while asking this question, then it will fuel the cycle of anger granting it extra power over you and overriding any clarity. If you find the anger is a bit too consuming to fairly ask yourself this question, then it would be beneficial to further ground your energy. Effective ways of grounding may include, but not limited to: the breath practices mentioned earlier (four-count or intentional breathing) or any practice of your choosing, physical activity or exercise, grounding/mindfulness using your senses, or meditation (transcendental, loving-kindness, intention, visualization/imagery, prayer). If the anger energy is still having a difficult time grounding you can try some of the other practices described in this post before exploring your thinking or you just may not be ready to move it, then in this case try it another time. 

As you practice a genuine interest in your interior world, you may observe the unfolding of a trail of thoughts prior to discovering a central thought igniting and fueling the raging volcano within. The thought may surprise you because it may be a core belief rooted in the past, possibly from your upbringing.

I will provide an example of how you may explore your thinking. In this example, imagine you are driving and experience a stressful driving situation. The thought process may unfold as follows:

• I can’t believe they just cut me off! (notice personalizing the situation as if they intentionally cut you off to specifically upset you).
• Ground your energy by a technique described above and gently ask yourself, why am I feeling so angry?
• The answer may include, they’re so disrespectful and entitled; they could of caused an accident.
• Further explore the thought, they’re so disrespectful, in order to identify an “I” statement associated with the thought. An example of an “I” statement corresponding to this thought may include, I feel disrespected.
• Compassionately ask yourself, what does it mean to be disrespected or what does it say about me when I’m disrespected?
• The answer may include, I don’t matter, I’m weak, I’m invisible, or I’m unworthy. These types of thoughts are deeper, core beliefs.

Notice in the above example, the trail of thoughts can quickly identify a deeper, core issue. The technique to ask yourself: what does it say about me when… or what does it mean to be…, is quite effective in identifying core beliefs or “I” statements rather than projection statements (“he”, “she”, “they” statements). The “I” statements are driving your subconscious reaction or response to the situation. “I” statements are a powerful way of regaining ownership and responsibility of your internal experience, thus regaining your power over the external situation or circumstance that feels out of your control. 

Once these thoughts are identified you may want to travel further along your soul’s path to see if there are any deeper soul wounds by asking yourself with compassion and understanding: where or when in my life have I felt this before? The current event may have only been a trigger for you to explore and heal this unresolved past wound. Often the mere act of being compassionate and understanding of your experience as self-defeating and disempowering core beliefs are identified and illuminated offers enough light and higher vibrational energy to transmute and transcend the denser energy. If that isn’t quite enough, then I suggest trying Practice 4 below which offers another way to transmute and transcend the energy.

PRACTICE 4: You can use this practice in conjunction with Practice 3  once a thought or belief associated with the anger is identified. This practice incorporates the elements of clearing, transmuting, and transcending your mental, emotional, and physical states of being by also using visualization and intentions.

I begin the practice by neutralizing my soul’s energy where I visualize two polar energies, one above me that is of light and one below me that is of darkness. When these two energies collide at my soul’s core, it is neutralized causing a ripple effect of neutral, calm, even voided energy that for me provides a feeling of relief and peace. If you would like a more in depth description of this practice, please refer to the book, The Temples of Light: An Initiatory Journey into the Heart Teachings of the Egyptian Mystery Schools, by Danielle Rama Hoffman.

I then make the intention of clearing my mental burdens by visualizing the thought or belief that was identified in Practice 3 in my mind’s eye or my mental space. As of now, I visualize my mental space as a large room with windows on every wall. Once I see the thought/belief in the middle of the room, I then visualize an intense breeze or strong wind blowing it out of the room through one of the windows. I also see the movement of the air cleaning and clearing all corners of the room so my mental space is free of all mental dust and debris.

Once my mental space is clear, I then move to my heart space. As of now, I imagine my heart space as a meadow of wildflowers surrounded by large mountains. I visualize and briefly feel the feeling(s) that are associated with the identified thought/belief from Practice 3, which may include fear, sadness, anger, and so on. I imagine the feeling(s) as a dense, dark fog in my heart’s meadow. I clear the feelings by visualizing the fog is moving out of my meadow by another intense breeze or wind, until all that remains is fresh, crisp, and clear mountain air.

I also clear my physical body by focusing on any pain or discomfort that the identified thought and feelings may be contributing. I visualize threads of golden light and energy moving towards the pain or discomfort and gently combing through it in order to break up blockages or to completely dissolve it. 

I continue the visualization to transmute and transcend the energy into the sacred whole which includes my sacred oneness or soul’s harmony. As of now, I visualize everything that was cleared from my mental, heart, and physical space collected and packaged upon a cargo ship. I imagine cutting the rope that anchors the ship to my soul’s harbor so that the ship is released and begins to move towards the horizon. Sometimes I ask the assistance of Archangel Michael to help me cut the rope with his powerful sword of light pending how attached I am to the thought/belief, feeling, or pain. As the ship approaches the horizon, I see it dissolving into golden particles and eventually disappearing into the horizon. I’ve found it to be even more powerful to see the thought in word-form as it dissolves into golden particles and then disappears into the horizon. I like to visualize the feeling in word-form doing the same. For me, the dissolving of the energy as it changes into golden particles is transmuting the burdensome energy and then as the particles disappear into the horizon it is transcending into the sacred whole which includes my sacred oneness or soul’s harmony (symbolized by the horizon).  

Please do experiment with this practice and change or refine the imagery and visualization as needed so it totally resonates with you. As you may have noticed, I said “as of now” when describing my mental and heart spaces to include the ship and harbor imagery because I know the imagery may change as I listen to my inner knowing. I’ve learned to allow the visualization to have its own freedom pending my soul’s needs. 

In fact, as I’ve been updating these posts, my visualization has changed recently. I now visualize that I am plucking or pulling out the mental burden from my mind and the emotional burden from my heart. I place the burdens in a pile by my feet. I then “undress” the physical burdens by visualizing that I’m taking off a heavy cloak which falls on the same pile as the mental and emotional burdens. I ignite the pile of burdens with a sacred flame and burn it into golden ash, and then a strong wind blows it away into the void. The newly transmuted and transcended energy reintegrates into my sacred oneness or soul’s harmony, and the collective sacred whole.  Again, no matter the imagery, the goal of the practice is to provide a sense of being cleansed and empowered by clearing, transmuting, and transcending the energy of the soul. 

If you still feel overly attached to the thought or belief, then you may need to explore it further for deeper processing. Please refer to my post, “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” (15 March 2016), for an effective tool to challenge the validity of disempowering and limiting core thoughts/beliefs and to identify more empowering thoughts/beliefs. After implementing this soul healing practice you can try Practice 4 again with the addition of the new empowering thought which you can say as an intention to close the visualization.

PRACTICE 5:  This practice involves replaying the events that triggered the anger reaction from a different perspective. This change in perspective is grounded in peace, love, clarity, and empowerment and also involves visualization.

First visualize you are encased in a soul boundary as described in Practice 1 so you feel safe and empowered. Next visualize you are being flooded and filled with love, golden/white light, peace, and clarity within the soul boundary. It is most effective when using this soul healing practice to genuinely FEEL this energy of love, peace, and clarity vibrating within you, as well as a sense of safety and empowerment. If you are having trouble generating this elevated experience, then try doing the breathing techniques as described earlier (four-count breath and intentional breathing), or any another form of deep breathing, meditation, visualization, grounding, and/or prayer.

Continue the visualization by replaying the anger event from this elevated perspective and experience. You may notice several modifications or changes to the original event that will be unique to you. Such modifications may include, but not limited to: still setting appropriate boundaries without projecting harsh, harmful energy, offering the other party or circumstance compassion such as an intention or prayer for their safety and peace, or just letting go of the situation with an intention of clarity and peace for all involved. I believe energy doesn’t know linear time so when you energetically replay an event with empowered, elevated energy, it will likely have a positive effect upon your current state of being, and possibly the other party or circumstances involved in the event. This practice is better explained below in the “My Experience with the Soul Healing Practice” section.

PRACTICE 6: If the anger energy is still quite persistent and you are having difficulty with the first five practices, then another effective way to move the energy is what I refer to as the “primal scream”. Of course, I am not the first to speak on this practice, but through my own experience I found it to be incredibly useful in moving and releasing stubborn, resistant anger.

The practice is simple. Find a safe space where you won’t alarm others of mistakenly thinking you are in distress or need help. I like to do this practice while driving, but would recommend trying it in a stationary space first so you are familiar with how you respond to it. In a stationary space, I’ve used a pillow or blanket to muffle the sound, especially if others are in another room.

From the depths of your soul summon a scream. The key to this practice is to release the scream without any filter from your mind telling you how silly or weird it may sound or even feel, but to allow a pure raw emotional purge. You may need to summon the scream a couple of times. You should experience an emotional, mental, and physical feeling of relief and cleansing. I suggest sitting in this new energetic feeling, breathing deeply to calm your nervous system and to return to a rest state. Once you feel more centered and balanced, try any of the above practices again.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE CLOSING

I like to close each soul healing practice with another visualization, especially if the practice doesn’t include an energetic shield/boundary. If the practice does include a protective sphere of light, then adjust this closing visualization to complement the practice. The closing visualization may also be a stand alone practice. The intent is to further cleanse any residual blocks or burdens, calm the soul, restore optimal functioning, and realign the soul as above, so below.  

Visualize a disk of purifying, white light that is above you and is large enough to fit both your body and energetic field. The purpose of the disk is to scan your body and energetic field while it simultaneously moves any residual mental, emotional, physical, and energetic blocks or burdens. The energy will be moved out and drained like an energetic faucet as it disappears into the void. The intention of the energy as it disappears is to be transmuted and transcended into the sacred whole which includes your soul’s oneness or harmony. 

As you continue the visualization, imagine the purifying disk of light descending down towards you and begins to scan your upper energetic field and extends outward to capture your entire energetic field as it moves down your body, starting with your head, down your shoulders, down each arm, and out each hand. Visualize any blocks or burdens draining out of your hands (like a faucet). You can imagine the energy as darker energy flowing out. Once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle stop the flow from your hands. Bring your attention back to your shoulders and continue the scan down your chest, your abdomen to the pelvic area, down each leg, and out each foot. Again visualize any blocks or burdens draining out from your feet, once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle then stop the flow. Now take a moment to visualize your entire body and energetic field are now cleansed and cleaned.  

Next say to yourself, CALM, and visualize and feel every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is calming like a pristine, quiet mountain lake with no movement. Just calm and quiet. Take a few deep belly breaths to savor this feeling of calmness. Next, say to yourself, HEAL, followed by optimal health and functioning, and golden light are restored, visualize every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is now filled with sparkling golden light as you are glowing and vibrating with this golden energy. Visualize the golden energy extends outward to form a sphere of light that now surrounds you. The sphere of light may change colors, any color of your choosing. Again, take a few deep belly breaths to savor this energy of renewal, strength, and empowerment. 

Lastly, visualize a column of golden threads above you descending down through you and exiting out your feet, continuing down into the earth to be deeply anchored into the earth’s core so you feel secured, stable, and grounded (you can add imagery of golden roots or similar extending from your feet to be anchored into the earth’s core). Next see a violet light doing the same, and finally a pure white light doing the same. The intent of the columns are to align you above and below, so you feel both grounded and elevated. You may close the visualization by saying to yourself three intentions, for example I say: I am powerful, I am magical, I am healing, and as I say each intention I visualize myself growing taller, stronger, and feeling more empowered.

As a last note and most likely suggested in the description of the soul healing practice, do experiment with, change, refine the practice as needed so it truly resonates with your soul, becomes your personal practice, and evolves and changes with you. By making the practice your own, you are listening to your inner guidance, are connecting with your sacred divine self, and aligning with your unique wisdom and soul’s vibration. 

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SOUL HEALING PRACTICE 

EXPERIENCE 1

The morning began with a little irritation because my daughter was running late for school after asking the night before to get to school early to finish homework. We left the house in a haste, knowing we would only arrive to her school 10 minutes early as opposed to 25 minutes.

As we were driving to school, still in our neighborhood, a car was tailgating me. I remained persistent in maintaining the neighborhood speed limit. The tailgating car turned on a parallel alley driving at a high speed in close proximity to homes in an attempt to get ahead of me, but failed because they had to stop for me at a stop sign. I asked my daughter to get their license plate number so I could report them for reckless driving. I gave the driver a foul, angry look at which I noticed they were teenagers. I thought, figures…teenagers. 

As we entered the school drop-off carline, a security person directing traffic was trying to keep the carline moving and motioned me to continue driving towards the main entrance. I was approaching a side door that was closer to my daughter’s classroom so I decided to disobey their direction and pulled over so she may enter the nearest door. The security person was clearly frustrated with me and we exchanged mutually irritated looks.

After those three events which began to derail my day, I immediately felt terrible and heavy as I was being flooded with pulsating anger. I noticed I wanted to harshly judge myself for being angry and for my reactions following the anger. However, I interrupted the judgment with compassion and reminded myself the presence of anger was only a signal of an imbalance and that something needs to change.

I decided to try several of the practices during my morning run, but began with the four-count and intentional breathing exercises to set the foundation of clearing and grounding my chaotic energy. For me another way to get out of my head and for processing spiraling thoughts and feelings is while running, specifically running outdoors. It is also instantly grounding for me and helps to clear my mind enough so I can view my experience with more objectivity and altitude. I asked myself, why did those events make me so angry? I explored the question with gentle curiosity and not with harsh interrogation. 

I realized in all instances, I felt “pushed around”. I further explored and asked myself: where else in my life do I feel pushed around? Upon this question, I realized I felt this way in numerous areas of my life both from the past and in the present. I continued the practice by asking myself, what does it mean to be pushed around, and I immediately identified a self-defeating core belief, I don’t matter. Once the core belief was identified I did feel an immediate sense of relief and understanding for my behavior. I also felt a sense of cleansing as I illuminated a shadow aspect within me which elevated my soul’s vibration. I’ve done this practice enough that I can often get to the core belief rather quickly, but please do use the techniques provided in Practice 3 if the core belief isn’t as apparent.  

I decided to continue with Practice 5 and replayed all the events from this elevated perspective while still running (a moving meditation for me). I visualized letting go of control of my daughter running late knowing she was already feeling the negative consequences, and I hoped with an intention that she would have enough time to complete her homework. I visualized that while still maintaining my speed in order to obey the speed limit that I didn’t exchange a foul, angry look with the other driver, but felt more empowered. I set an intention the driver would learn a lesson about reckless driving in the future, but without harm to themselves or others. I also considered still reporting them for reckless driving. I visualized when we entered the school’s carline that I still “disobeyed” the security person because I wanted to get my daughter to the nearest door. Rather than becoming defensive for my actions, I committed to my decision from a more balanced perspective. I knew I was disobeying their direction (without harm to another), but respected their efforts for keeping the carline moving efficiently. I offered a smile and a genuine “thank you” with an apologetic wave knowing I was still in the wrong.

Upon completion of this visualization and meditation, I felt the anger dissipate from my body and soul, and I felt energetically lifted. I trusted this new elevated energy traveled to all who were affected by my previous harsh and angry reactions and were energetically lifted in some way as well. I also apologized to my daughter for dropping her off with such dense, anger energy, and shared my soul healing journey with her.

EXPERIENCE 2 

This next example is more recent of someone who hurt me emotionally. This person is someone I’m very close to and hold dear, and who I count on for support. They blatantly disregarded my emotional needs when I voiced my truth (the reason I was feeling hurt). They immediately retreated into self-preservation mode by becoming very defensive, where I felt like I was the problem. I was literally in shock by their unsupportive and selfish behavior, but later realized it triggered similar feelings from my upbringing at which I buried  deeply in my young soul. I was too young to process the hurt and emotional abandonment at the time.

My response to what felt like an attack was extreme anger. A fiery ball of fury that was smoldering and blazing wanting to explode, but I didn’t allow it to hastily erupt into an outburst. I allowed the energy to be with me for a few days because I needed to make space for it before I was ready to move it. I suppose it was a kind of homage and honor to the anger I must have felt when I was young. However, after a few days the anger was beginning to be a bit destructive. I wasn’t feeling good physically and I was creating a clear divide between myself and the person who hurt me. I knew it was time to transform and transcend the energy. 

Before I began the visualization, I did the four-count breath and intentional breathing techniques to further calm my nervous system, but also to open the door for healing and for a willingness to move the energy.  As I began the visualization, I asked for extra help from my sacred divine self and my spirit team to aid in transforming the anger into empowerment. I visualized my sacred flame igniting in my power center (solar plexus area) where it began to consume some of the anger into its flames. I directed the sacred flame upward to energize and purify all my upper energy centers (chakras) and beyond to the sacred sun, and downward to energize and purify my lower energy centers and beyond to the earth’s molten core. I felt aligned both above and below. I then saw my sacred flame growing and expanding to form a sphere of fire around me, as the anger was being transformed and transcended. 

I then activated my sacred divine masculine who I visualized emerging from the flames as a warrior god with golden Spartan armor where he stood tall, confident, strong, and all powerful. I also imagined a fiery and powerful dragon standing behind him. I then saw myself merging into my sacred divine masculine so that we became one. I felt empowered and confident and said the following intention as I looked down at the person who hurt me (due to visualizing myself as very tall): you will not manipulate me, you will not guilt me, you will not control me, you will not hurt me, or you will be burned, I am fully protected and empowered. Again, the “burn” is not to add more anger, hurt, and confusion, but to give a clear message I am protected. I imagined the flames creating a strong boundary between us where I felt empowered and safe, but they were also purifying the energy.

I took the practice a little further and incorporated energetic cord cutting (mental and emotional attachments). I like to call upon Archangel Michael to help me cut cords that are holding both myself and the other person or situation back from our highest potential. With his help, I cut the cord of anger and resentment between myself and the person who hurt me with one strong, swift strike of the sword. Once the cord was severed I said the following intention: you are free and I am free, and I waved goodbye to them while blowing them a kiss as they did the same for me. The loving gesture of your choosing as you release each other is a form of forgiveness for yourself and the other. It also acknowledges the roles each played in the experience of growth and expansion, and helps to keep the cords from re-attaching as the cord was released with love and compassion. Visit my post, “Cutting the Cords to Suffering” (19 July 2016), for a more detailed description of this soul healing practice. 

I noticed the energy immediately shifted. The heaviness, hurt, and anger dissipated, and the energy now filling me was clearer, fluid, and empowered. I had an epiphany that I can still receive the love the person is able to give, but I can now protect myself from the love they are not able to fully give. I also had a clear knowing I may need to reinforce this new energetic shift in the days to come, but it felt damn good in the moment. Just a day later they initiated a conversation. They apologized for their behavior, and we came to an understanding. They also affirmed how much they do love me and desire for me to be happy.

In addition to this breakthrough, I had another insight triggered from this experience that illuminated a deeper belief I’ve been carrying for the past 20 years. I’ve felt that the universe in general has not fully met my emotional needs since the death of my husband. I felt emotionally abandoned to heal and manage all the emotional and mental pain and hurt by myself all these years, to include to help my daughter with her evolving grief as she grew older.

But I knew because of my internal work that this belief was distorted, it’s just the way it felt so I made it true for awhile. When I challenged the belief I found it to be NOT 100% true.  A clear example of how a type of underlying energy of suffering was kept under the radar for a long time even with all my soul healing, until it was time for it to be triggered, and I was ready to fully heal the wound. Visit my post, “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” (15 March 2016), to learn how to challenge the validity of distorted thinking such as self-defeating, limiting, and disempowering thoughts and beliefs.  

As a side note, I’ve incorporated a version of most of these soul healing practices into my daily meditation to include the breathing techniques (four-count breath and intentional breathing), Practices 1, 3, 4 (energetic soul boundary, identifying mental/emotional burdens, and clearing, transmuting, transcending energy), and other visualizations/intentions as I align my energy centers. I find including these practices in my daily meditation helps to start my day with more balance, harmony, confidence, and empowerment. I notice that I am able to manage and negotiate my day better even when difficult experiences arise. 

POEM

Below is one of my poems that describes Practice 6, the primal scream.

PRIMAL SCREAM

You make your presence known,
once again.
A heavy mass of dense, churning fiery energy,
slowly, methodically rising ablaze
from the internal depths.

Why? Why again!

The initial impulse is to push down
with locked arms, full force,
brute strength.

Your entry brings fear.
The fear of confusion and distraction,
searching, scavenging, ravishing
through the thick brush of the mind.

An impulse to hastily clear the thicket
with a machete composed of razor-sharp words,
swinging wildly, blindly, intensely.

Clear it!

The frenzy blocked, skillfully
by a pervasive energetic shield, a pause in the fight,
so clarity can beam through the chaos of the mind,
through the turbulent emotional waters
like a teleportation from another dimension.
It finds a way, with bold determination
through the mental and emotional black hole.

The clarity comes in peace,
brings suspension of time, of space,
and within the depths of the soul
a soft, faint whisper of mystic knowing
flutters forward,
landing softly upon the petals of the heart.

It is heard.

It knowingly suggests to allow the fireball
of fury, of rage to elevate.
See it for what it is —
underneath the burning, fierce flame
glows a timidness full of fear.
This flame of anger cries for help, to be seen,
the only way it knows how,
with a raging tantrum.

The whisper nudges to greet the blaze
with more than reluctance, synthetic hospitality,
but with curiosity, openness, compassion,
understanding.

It says to resist the urge to succumb
to the raw, untamed anger
with grinding teeth, clenched fists
or to be paralyzed
by the electric charge of terror,
pulsing through the highway of nerves.

Release the building tension, explosive emotion,
with a primal scream tucked deep in the soul’s core,
containing ancient wisdom, transcendental power.
Expanding the soul’s tectonic plates,
triggering an earthquake of release
rumbling through the physical body,
collapsing old limiting cognitive structures,
built in fear.

Allow the grains of release
to fall effortlessly through the sieve of perception.
Hold it steady,
with tenderness, with unconditional love.

No shame,
summon the primal scream,
release, rest, and be. 

— Stacy L. Pintor ©

Thank you for visiting my blog, I truly hope some or all of the soul healing practices do help you along your sacred journey and provide you some relief and ease.     

Visit my website if you want to learn more about me and to check out my poetry, especially if you liked the poem above which is included in my poetry book, Alchemy of the Soul. 

https://www.baresoulworks.com

Thanks again for visiting and for your support. Stacy 💚

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The soul healing practices provided in this blog are meant as a tool to aid in healing, for improving mental and emotional health, and for inspiring self-transformation. The practices are not meant to be a form of psychotherapy or social work practice requiring a contractual, professional relationship. If you need consistent therapeutic care and/or crisis intervention due to being at risk of harming yourself or others, then seek professional and/or emergency services immediately.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you how I integrate my personal experience, spiritual growth and expansion, and past professional mental health experience in the form of soul healing practices. By sharing my experience, it is my hope it will provide a practical example of how to interrupt and lessen the cyclical energy of suffering and to elevate your soul.   

These practices work best when you are ready to heal and expand. It is okay if you are not quite ready. Please be gentle and patient with yourself, seek outside help both professionally and personally as needed. You will heal and expand when you are ready. Sending you so much love, warmth, and compassion. Stacy 💚

© Stacy L. Pintor 2017. All Rights Reserved.

Revised and updated in 2025 by Stacy L. Pintor ©.

(No part of this blog may be reproduced without written permission from the author)

PREFACE   

I decided to revisit each of my blog posts many years after I originally posted them to update and revise as needed. I’m finding two things, I wish I had an editor and I want to soften the tone of the information I’m sharing. To be honest, the last thing I want to sound is preachy or righteous because I am forever learning the depths of my soul. I think when I first wrote the posts, I was excited to share a practice that worked for me so it may have come across that way. I want to revise a few things so it’s more about sharing my personal experience and what I’ve learned on my journey.

I’m a firm believer in experiencing all aspects of self, even the darkness, and the darkest part of self. I’m learning that experiencing this darkness, which I like to refer to as the ebb in the soul’s current, does take strength and lots of compassion as you care for your soul wounds. The soul healing practices are skills and practices I’ve developed during my journey that helped in navigating through the darkness, and assisted in shifting from ebb to flow with rest and integration in between. 

The practices are psychospiritual in nature, and are a mix of my personal experience and prior professional mental health background (as a licensed clinical social worker). All of my practices involve connecting with the elevated mind and sacred heart through awareness, imagination, visualization, and meditation. These soul healing practices continue to evolve and change just as my soul is growing and expanding. 

There is of course no guarantee that the practices will work for you, but if you do try any of the practices, I encourage you to experiment in order to make it your own. Listen to your inner wisdom and change or refine the practice as needed so it completely resonates with your soul. Also, all of my practices need to be at your pace, so again listen to your inner knowing and honor it.

My sacred journey is not less or more significant than anyone else’s, my only motivation for sharing is to inspire self-transformation and to offer support for your unique and sacred journey. Please forgive any editorial mistakes for this is as good as it will get without an editor ;). This is what I’ve learned along the way.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE BACKGROUND

Positive affirmations are a way to raise our energetic vibration and to declare to our sacred divine self, to the infinite potential and power within and without, we are ready for abundance, peace, and harmony to include all we deserve and more. Typically, positive affirmations are statements to restore an internal balance, a way to recalibrate the mind to be in alignment with the sacred heart, especially if our internal state lingered too long in a lower vibration. 

This lower vibration often consists of entangled thoughts and beliefs that are self-defeating, disempowering, and/or distorted with the burdensome feelings that usually accompany them. The entanglement often forms lower vibrational thought patterns that can cause havoc within and outside of us, with suffering not far behind. Visit my post, “The Energy of the Thought Loop – You are the Creator” (3 Dec 2016), to learn more about thought patterns and loops. 

Although, in my opinion, all experiences are valid and necessary (the dark and the light, contraction and expansion) for absolute soul growth and ascension. Especially when after a period of growth, we allow ourselves the time and space to rest and integrate the expanded energy into our soul’s harmony and the oneness within, which includes the collective sacred whole. Sometimes these lower energies naturally take their course and return to the sacred whole with ease and grace, like falling leaves from a tree that reintegrate into the earth’s soil as vital nutrients. However, for some of us there’s a tendency to attach to the suffering longer than is needed for our soul’s growth, leaving little to no room for its opposite to be present, thus not allowing our leaves to fall. Affirmations whether general or specific are a way to release the leaves from our branches and to restore our soul’s harmony, to tip the internal scales back to balance, and to move past a stagnated soul’s ebb in order to flow again with our natural and sacred current.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

In my own internal work, I’ve found it is important for the affirmation to be in the present tense as if it is already happening. It is also important to choose affirmations that uniquely resonate with your soul so you genuinely feel the energetic shift. Affirmations may be specific, but broad enough so you don’t unintentionally attach too tightly to the specifics of an outcome, which can easily tip the internal scales to a lower vibration.

For example, affirmations may sound something like: I am safe and protected; I am stable and rooted in my greatness; it is safe to create; I am free to create; I create my best life; I am fully empowered and protected; I trust my power; it is safe to love and to be loved; I am free to love without fear; it is safe to receive without fear; it is safe to speak my truth; I am free to speak my truth; my voice in all its forms is powerful, magical, healing, and protected; I know and understand my intuition; I trust my sacred knowing and wisdom; I’m fully aligned with all that is (or whatever source or creator energy resonates with your beliefs); I trust my connection; and finally I deserve or I am worthy of (you fill in the blank), my life flows with ease and grace, my needs and desires are met, and so on.

I use these type of affirmations in my daily meditation as I clear and align all my energies centers (chakras) from my root to crown. As you may have noticed some of the affirmations relate to each energy center. Sometimes I use multiple affirmations at once and add a little more detail to the affirmation such as: it is safe to create, I am free to create, I create (something you are creating ). For me, it would be, I create an inspiring blog or I create inspiring poetry. 

Another tip to energizing these affirmations with more power and magic is to open your heart as you practice the affirmation. I personally found practicing affirmations without fully opening my heart had little to no effect. Opening your heart means truly feeling the energy of the affirmation as if it is already true. The energy may consist of feeling safe, stable, nurtured, empowered, loved, supported, and free as it vibrates through your entire being. The energy also may be felt as pleasant body sensations and/or perhaps you see a specific image or visualization in your mind’s eye that generates an elevated state. Your experience will be sacred and unique to you.

I found an effective way to open the heart is by breathing techniques such as the four-count breath or intentional breathing. I mention these breathing techniques often in my posts because for me they are very powerful as stand alone interventions, especially if you need something quick to calm your energy. I also do these breathing exercises prior to implementing a soul healing practice.

The four-count breath is simply counting to four as you inhale expanding the lower belly (1, 2, 3, 4) and slowly exhale as you count four backwards (4, 3, 2, 1), repeating as needed. Intentional breathing is also bringing the breath down to the lower belly, but including intentions. It goes like this: as I slowly inhale I say to myself I am and on the exhale I say calm, continuing the practice on the inhale saying I am and on the exhale saying safe, breathing in I am and breathing out empowered, breathing in I am and breathing out love, breathing in I am and breathing out light, and finally breathing in I am and breathing out free. You can end this practice with the following statement or intention: I trust myself, I believe in myself. The breath not only gives life to the intention, but also helps to anchor it into your soul’s vibration. Feel free to experiment and change the intentions as needed so it totally resonates with you and gives you a sense of calm, and a feeling of being centered, nurtured, and empowered.   

Other ways to open your heart may include other type of breathing techniques such as deep breathing into your heart center (imagine the breath is massaging and caressing the sacred heart), positive imagery, gratitude, prayer, meditation, or uplifting memories (when you felt alive, empowered, or full of joy). Sometimes I incorporate a visualization with the affirmations. I visualize a warm and healing golden light above my head that descends down through my crown, cascading through every cell of my body and energetic field, and exits through my feet and is anchored in the earth’s core. I visualize the light is carrying the affirmation while it is being integrated and absorbed into my entire being. I imagine this process feels warm, peaceful, nurturing, and empowering. Sometimes I follow the golden light with a column of purifying white light, especially if I need a little more power and purification to accompany the affirmation. Again, the idea is to not only think the affirmation, but to authentically feel the affirmation in every part of you.

It is also effective to add an end statement to the affirmation such as: so it is done, so it is, or even I demand it so and then release it to your higher source, to the sacred whole, or whatever resonates with your beliefs. The statement provides an extra exclamation point at the end of the affirmation as a declaration. The end statement can be anything of your choosing just as long as it provides a sense of empowerment and self-love. I found if I experience any mental resistance to the affirmation, the declaration reminds my mind to stand down so my heart may fully expand, and to assert I am worthy and deserving of receiving the affirmation and all its magic. I also found if you ruminate or worry about the outcome of the affirmation to where you become overly attached to it, then you may hinder the flow of manifestation by slowing or detouring its progress.    

If you feel overly attached to an affirmation, it’s helpful to release or surrender it. I use another visualization to aid with the surrender. After I feel and declare the affirmation as described earlier, I then visualize cutting an energetic cord that is attached to the affirmation, and I may say an intention such as the following: I set free the outcome so it may flow with ease and grace, I surrender how this affirmation may unfold, I am free and clear of worry, or you may surrender the affirmation to whatever resonates with your beliefs. When the cord is cut, I feel a sense of relief and freedom. If the energetic cord doesn’t resonate, then you can use any imagery where the affirmation is set free and symbolized by an object or action such as: blowing the puffs from a dandelion, releasing a balloon, and so on.  Also, you may not need the addition of the intention, just seeing the affirmation being set free may be enough. I may do this whole process multiple times throughout the day for days to come until it feels like I don’t need to anymore. Listen to your inner knowing and wisdom. 

Last note, if you need additional assistance in identifying other types of affirmations that are related to a distorted or disempowering core belief, then it may be helpful to explore your thinking further. Visit my post, “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” (15 March 2016), where I guide you in identifying distorted, self-defeating, or disempowering thoughts/beliefs, challenging the validity of the thought/belief, and identifying more empowering thoughts.

As I tend to say in all my posts, it is also most important to experiment with the soul healing practice so it truly resonates with you. Don’t hesitate to change or refine the visualization, imagery, intentions, and/or affirmations, sometimes numerous times, until it feels right for your experience. 

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE CLOSING

I like to close each soul healing practice with another visualization, especially if the practice doesn’t include an energetic shield/boundary. If the practice does include a protective sphere of light, then adjust this closing visualization to complement the practice. The closing visualization may also be a stand alone practice. The intent is to further cleanse any residual blocks or burdens, calm the soul, restore optimal functioning, and realign the soul as above, so below.  

Visualize a disk of purifying, white light that is above you and is large enough to fit both your body and energetic field. The purpose of the disk is to scan your body and energetic field while it simultaneously moves any residual mental, emotional, physical, and energetic blocks or burdens. The energy will be moved out and drained like an energetic faucet as it disappears into the void. The intention of the energy as it disappears is to be transmuted and transcended into the sacred whole which includes your soul’s oneness or harmony. 

As you continue the visualization, imagine the purifying disk of light descending down towards you and begins to scan your upper energetic field and extends outward to capture your entire energetic field as it moves down your body, starting with your head, down your shoulders, down each arm, and out each hand. Visualize any blocks or burdens draining out of your hands (like a faucet). You can imagine the energy as darker energy flowing out. Once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle stop the flow from your hands. Bring your attention back to your shoulders and continue the scan down your chest, your abdomen to the pelvic area, down each leg, and out each foot. Again visualize any blocks or burdens draining out from your feet, once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle then stop the flow. Now take a moment to visualize your entire body and energetic field are now cleansed and cleaned.  

Next say to yourself, CALM, and visualize and feel every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is calming like a pristine, quiet mountain lake with no movement. Just calm and quiet. Take a few deep belly breaths to savor this feeling of calmness. Next, say to yourself, HEAL, followed by optimal health and functioning, and golden light are restored, visualize every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is now filled with sparkling golden light as you are glowing and vibrating with this golden energy. Visualize the golden energy extends outward to form a sphere of light that now surrounds you. The sphere of light may change colors, any color of your choosing. Again, take a few deep belly breaths to savor this energy of renewal, strength, and empowerment. 

Lastly, visualize a column of golden threads above you descending down through you and exiting out your feet, continuing down into the earth to be deeply anchored into the earth’s core so you feel secured, stable, and grounded (you can add imagery of golden roots or similar extending from your feet to be anchored into the earth’s core). Next see a violet light doing the same, and finally a pure white light doing the same. The intent of the columns are to align you above and below, so you feel both grounded and elevated. You may close the visualization by saying to yourself three intentions, for example I say: I am powerful, I am magical, I am healing, and as I say each intention I visualize myself growing taller, stronger, and feeling more empowered.

As a last note and most likely suggested in the description of the soul healing practice, do experiment with, change, refine the practice as needed so it truly resonates with your soul, becomes your personal practice, and evolves and changes with you. By making the practice your own, you are listening to your inner guidance, are connecting with your sacred divine self, and aligning with your unique wisdom and soul’s vibration.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

I’ll share two affirmations that I’ve been practicing: I am worthy of abundance in every form because I AM love and I deserve a life of ease and grace. I did notice, however, when I practiced these affirmations there was a part of me blocking the energy from expanding. Most likely as you may have learned from my other blog posts, the block is due to a core belief of unworthiness. I decided to add the declaration end statements, so it is done or I demand it so.

I began the soul healing practice with the four-count breath and then the intentional breathing technique. With the aid of the golden light visualization, I felt the affirmations cascading through my entire being with warmth and power as it integrated into every part of me. If for any reason, I didn’t feel the affirmations integrating, I would try the column of purifying white light. I noticed by adding the declaration end statements, I immediately felt a sense of empowerment and self-respect, which helped to release the clutches of the old core belief (I’m unworthy). It felt as though I restored my power and was actively nurturing my soul with the affirmations. I then released attachment to the affirmations by doing the energetic cord cutting visualization. 

I know with continual practice of the affirmations that I will genuinely believe them to be true, which will in turn send a clear message to creator or source energy, to my sacred divine self, that I’m truly ready for all I deserve and more. The affirmations will in turn provide unconditional love not only for me, but for others as well. Because I truly believe we are energetic beings and when our vibration elevates, it emanates outward to others and to our environments.  

POEM

THE QUEEN IS IN

I am ready
to receive my beloved.
A sacred, internal rebirth
to fill my cups with divine light
of total rejuvenation,
of ascension proportions.

Much has been purged, cleansed,
all for your arrival.
The door is unlocked,
please come in
and take me.
My heart is wide open
for you, for me.

The way is clear now
and I receive what is mine,
by divine birthright.

It comes in
way bigger, grander,
than I could ever imagine
or hoped.

Bold, deliberate, expansive,
so tender, intimate
yet driven, energized
with a deep cosmic knowing,
infused with the sweet aroma
of fresh acceptance.

I reclaim my domain,
alert my court
with a pound of my staff
to send a clear message,
exuding an etheric shock wave—
the queen is in. 

— Stacy L. Pintor ©

Thank you for visiting my blog, I truly hope some or all of the soul healing practices do help you along your sacred journey and provide you some relief and ease.  

Visit my website if you want to learn more about me and to check out my poetry, especially if you liked the poem above which is included in my poetry book, Alchemy of the Soul.   

 https://www.baresoulworks.com

Thanks again for visiting and for your support. Stacy 💚 

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The soul healing practices provided in this blog are meant as a tool to aid in healing, for improving mental and emotional health, and for inspiring self-transformation. The practices are not meant to be a form of psychotherapy or social work practice requiring a contractual, professional relationship. If you need consistent therapeutic care and/or crisis intervention due to being at risk of harming yourself or others, then seek professional and/or emergency services immediately.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you how I integrate my personal experience, spiritual growth and expansion, and past professional mental health experience in the form of soul healing practices. By sharing my experience, it is my hope it will provide a practical example of how to interrupt and lessen the cyclical energy of suffering and to elevate your soul.   

These practices work best when you are ready to heal and expand. It is okay if you are not quite ready. Please be gentle and patient with yourself, seek outside help both professionally and personally as needed. You will heal and expand when you are ready. Sending you so much love, warmth, and compassion. Stacy 💚

© Stacy L. Pintor 2017. All Rights Reserved.

Revised and updated in 2025 by Stacy L. Pintor ©.

(No part of this blog may be reproduced without written permission from the author)

PREFACE  

I decided to revisit each of my blog posts many years after I originally posted them to update and revise as needed. I’m finding two things, I wish I had an editor and I want to soften the tone of the information I’m sharing. To be honest, the last thing I want to sound is preachy or righteous because I am forever learning the depths of my soul. I think when I first wrote the posts, I was excited to share a practice that worked for me so it may have come across that way. I want to revise a few things so it’s more about sharing my personal experience and what I’ve learned on my journey.

I’m a firm believer in experiencing all aspects of self, even the darkness, and the darkest part of self. I’m learning that experiencing this darkness, which I like to refer to as the ebb in the soul’s current, does take strength and lots of compassion as you care for your soul wounds. The soul healing practices are skills and practices I’ve developed during my journey that helped in navigating through the darkness, and assisted in shifting from ebb to flow with rest and integration in between. 

The practices are psychospiritual in nature, and are a mix of my personal experience and prior professional mental health background (as a licensed clinical social worker). All of my practices involve connecting with the elevated mind and sacred heart through awareness, imagination, visualization, and meditation. These soul healing practices continue to evolve and change just as my soul is growing and expanding.

There is of course no guarantee that the practices will work for you, but if you do try any of the practices, I encourage you to experiment in order to make it your own. Listen to your inner wisdom and change or refine the practice as needed so it completely resonates with your soul. Also, all of my practices need to be at your pace, so again listen to your inner knowing and honor it.

My sacred journey is not less or more significant than anyone else’s, my only motivation for sharing is to inspire self-transformation and to offer support for your unique and sacred journey. Please forgive any editorial mistakes for this is as good as it will get without an editor ;). This is what I’ve learned along the way.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE BACKGROUND

Through my many years of internal work and as a prior mental health professional, I’ve found the state of our mind directly influences our well-being. More specifically, the type of thoughts, health of the brain, and connection to the sacred heart (divine within) determines the quality of the mind. Perhaps a straightforward statement and correlation, but it truly holds a substantial amount of truth. I like to believe that the soul has a natural current that ebbs and flows and is often directed and influenced by our minds and hearts.

I’ve read numerous spiritual and self-transformational books along my journey, but took a special interest in the book, Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, & Wisdom, by Hanson and Mendius, especially during my time as a licensed clinical social worker. The book helped to validate my personal theory, as well as, to give more insight on the integration of science and the divine when relating to the mind and brain. I will be referencing this book often in this post.  

The mind emits energy (brainwaves) from neurons in the brain that fire and release electrochemical waves or electrical impulses (Hanson & Mendius, 2009, p. 30). The heart, mind, and soul collectively radiate a unique energetic field. This field influences our external reality which then reflects back to us as a continual energetic loop. All organisms exchange energy and matter with their environment in order to live; therefore, “the apparent wall between your body and the world is more like a picket fence” (Hanson & Mendius, 2009, p.27).

We are often unaware of our energetic influence on external outcomes and how our energy affects people, situations, or circumstances. We have way more power than we are willing to give credit or take responsibility. We have the ability to create harmony or suffering by the type of thoughts and the amount of focus we lend to these thoughts. If we focus long enough, we create thought loops with its own energetic power. The energy of thought loops consists of thought patterns with their related feelings and behaviors. As we continue to nurture these thought loops with our attention and focus, we will eventually create a reality in the external that matches the internal thought loop. Basically our external worlds are a reflection of our internal well-being, “In fact, much of what you see ‘out there’ is actually manufactured ‘in here’ by your brain…” (Hanson & Mendius, 2009, p.43).

Various thoughts with their associated feelings such as joy, love, peace, frustration, anger, or sadness resonate or vibrate on different energetic frequencies. Our thought loops attract and resonate with similar frequencies of our external environment and we resonate with other people and circumstances that have similar thought loops and energy. The quality of our energetic thought loops matter in how we perceive both ourselves and our environment. Negative thought loops tend to be generated from fear and lack, rather than from love and abundance. Often we are unaware of the quality of our thought loops, and operate more in a default mode even though we may feel we are out of alignment from our soul’s harmony or current. This default mode can be attributed to the functioning of our primitive brain.

In order to understand the mind, it is helpful to understand the vessel at which the mind is operating, the brain. Although the brain is a highly evolved tool, it is still imprinted with our early ancestral primitive markers. The brain is hard-wired “more for avoiding than for approaching. That’s because it’s the negative experiences, not the positive ones, that have generally had the most impact on survival.” (Hanson & Mendius, 2009, p.40). Our ancestors were constantly in the practice of seeking safety and survival. They focused significantly on negative experiences out of necessity, which strengthened these types of neural pathways over time.

In current times, if we experience negative or traumatic events, then it is likely these dormant primitive imprints become activated, but may overstay its purpose creating chronic suffering. Although, our brains have evolved since our earliest ancestors, we have a tendency with our advanced thinking to ruminate, complicate, and/or compound our internal experiences causing a stagnant ebb experience. For example, in relationships it can take five positive events to overcome the effects of a single negative event (Hanson & Mendius, 2009, p.41). Of course as with our early ancestors, if a real threat to our life or physical well-being exists, then our brain does its brilliant work of seeking safety by activating our sympathetic nervous system of fight, flight, or freeze. It is then up to us, to help the mind and body to recover and heal without getting stuck in chronic suffering by redirecting our focus once the threat has passed and allow ourselves the time to process and integrate the experience. We start by activating the parasympathetic nervous system to bring our internal state to rest and balance. A gorgeous built-in system aiding the natural flow of the soul’s current.

We often get stuck in ebb because it is typically quite challenging to experience as it can be triggered when we feel rejected, disrespected, abandoned, and/or fear generating self-limiting, pessimistic, and distorted thoughts with associated feelings of anxiety, irritability, anger, sorrow, depression, despair, guilt, shame, and so on. The nature of the brain and mind when untamed or disempowered “highlights past losses and failures, it downplays present abilities, and it exaggerates future obstacles” (Hanson & Mendius, 2009, p.42), which are rooted in primitive imprints and human conditioning. The ebb is therefore amplified, working in overdrive, and in a state of perpetual “soul buffering” mode. An untamed mind, consistently defaulting to its primitive functioning, lends to chronic suffering, thus staying in the state of ebb longer than needed and resisting the natural timing for the soul to flow again. Often resistance to flow may be due to the mind and heart being too inhibited (numb) or overly aroused (overwhelmed) (Hanson & Mendius, 2009, p.32).

In my own interior work, I’ve come quite acquainted with my soul’s current and its unique ebb and flow. I’ve learned the ebb is just as vital as the flow in maintaining the soul’s harmony. The time spent in ebb offers an opportunity for soul growth and expansion. I now try to view the fear, pain, dissatisfaction, other negative emotions and thoughts, and unpleasant body sensations as a signal that I’m in ebb, and my soul’s experience needs a little more nurturing and attention. Once the ebb state has been acknowledged and seen with compassion, then the soul can flow again by illuminating the dark corners of the mind and heart that were holding me back. This action of illumination also consists of learning to tame and empower the mind.   

Taming and empowering the mind takes practice and patience. We are trying to strengthen other neural pathways rather than defaulting to primitive or outdated pathways. In my opinion at our state of evolution, we have the tools and ability to heal and harmonize our minds even from residual ancestral trauma. It is a matter of empowering our minds by negotiating negative experiences with objective discernment and compassion, and by prohibiting our brain from defaulting to a negative thought loop or pattern. Although, it takes work, we have the power and ability to interrupt negative thought patterns and to refocus our brain thus transforming and liberating the mind. This will help us to realign with our natural soul’s current and to our sacred heart, inner knowing, and the divine within.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE 

As mentioned earlier, the ebb is not to be avoided or judged as “bad”, but as a time of soul growth and expansion. Part of our experience in the ebb is to bring the light of awareness to our thinking like turning a light on in a dark attic. Just as you turn the light on in an attic it often lessens the fear of what may be hiding in the darkness. Similar is true to your thoughts. By acknowledging the thoughts that surface no matter how bad or disturbing they may be, once they are seen, it lessens the thought’s power which in turn begins to dispel the power of the thought loop or pattern. Sometimes it is helpful once the thought is identified to speak it out loud to yourself or to someone you trust, and to speak it as a matter of fact without the attachment of too much emotion. This can allow for a little more altitude with your experience and a bit more detachment from the thought so you realize you are not the thought. This illumination or awareness of our thoughts now provides a choice of whether to do the work in restoring the soul’s current and harmony or to turn the light off again. Sometimes, we’re not quite ready for the internal work, but at least now there is a choice rather than succumbing to the brain’s automatic default setting and thought loops/patterns.

I have found in my personal experience that just turning the light on and acknowledging the thoughts creating the thought loop sometimes is enough to lessen its power, but I also created a technique that offers a little extra help in dispelling the old energy. It works for me so hoping it also works for you.

As a reminder, any soul healing practice mentioned in this post or any of my other posts are only suggestions or a guideline and it is most important that you make these practices your own. Feel free to refine or even change the practice so it truly resonates with your soul. I found that as I evolve and change so do the practices.

Before I begin any of the soul healing practices, I like to calm my nervous system and to open my sacred heart by doing a four-count breath technique, where I count to four as I inhale expanding the lower belly (1, 2, 3, 4) and count four backwards as I exhale slowly (4, 3, 2, 1), repeating as needed. I then follow with intentional breathing: as I slowly inhale I say to myself I am and on the exhale I say calm, continuing the practice on the inhale saying I am and on the exhale saying safe, breathing in I am and breathing out empowered, breathing in I am and breathing out love, breathing in I am and breathing out light, and finally breathing in I am and breathing out free. You can end this practice with the following statement or intention: I trust myself, I believe in myself. Remember with this practice to bring the breath down to your lower belly and not just to your chest. The breath not only gives life to the intention, but also helps to anchor it into your soul’s vibration. If you like this technique, I also suggest experimenting with the intentions so it totally resonates with you and gives you a sense of calm, and a feeling of being centered, nurtured, and empowered. Again, these breathing techniques are an effective way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system signaling the mind and body it’s safe to rest and to heal, and to reconnect with the sacred heart and inner knowing.

The soul healing practice involves visualization and intentions. I first neutralize my energy in order to create a neutral internal canvas to begin the work. I start by imagining a dark or denser energy is rising up from below me and a pure, white light or higher vibrational energy is descending down from above me until they meet or collide at my soul’s core or solar plexus (usually the point between your lower rib cage and belly button). When the energy collides it neutralizes and calmly dissipates outward all around me like a ripple in a tranquil pond. Sometimes I visualize the neutralization happens in my heart center, especially if I’m having challenging and difficult feelings. In either location, I take a moment to feel and breathe in the sensation of peace and quiet created by the energy neutralizing. Please do experiment with the imagery and energy so it is sacred to you, but the idea is for the two polarizing or contrasting energies within you to be neutralized since we do consist of both, making us whole. A more detailed version of this practice can be found in the book, The Temples of Light: An Initiatory Journey into the Heart Teachings of the Egyptian Mystery Schools, by Danielle Rama Hoffman.

Once the energy has been neutralized, I say the following intention: I release with ease that which has served its time. I then do a scan of my mind and heart of any ebb thoughts or feelings that are holding me back from flowing. Once identified, I see the thought in my mind’s eye as if it is displayed on my mental movie screen. I visualize the thought is dissolving into golden particles or I see it being washed away from my mental space as I’m being cleansed and purified with golden-white light or crystal clear water. I then do the same for any feelings associated with the thought, but the cleansing and purification happens in my heart center. The visualization helps me to feel an actual sensation of soul relief and of being free of a heavy burden. Again, it’s for you to experiment with any imagery of your choosing. 

As I release the thought and feeling, I turn my face upward and feel a warm, golden light shining upon me like the sun. I imagine the warmth of this light is strengthening and straightening my spine where I feel as though I am growing taller and taller so that I’m way bigger than the burden I just released. I look down and I see the remnants of the thought and feeling at my feet and say the following intention: may you be transmuted and transcended into sacred nutrients and magic, and returned to my soul’s wholeness. I actually reintegrate the energy back into my soul by taking a deep breath in once it has been transmuted and transcended (via dissolving it into golden particles or rinsing it with crystal clear water). Again, for you to explore the imagery that resonates with you. The idea is that these are still aspects that are part of my soul’s current, but they have been cleansed and purified dispelling any old, burdensome energy, making me whole.

Since the main ingredient of this soul healing practice is identifying self-defeating, limiting, or disempowering thoughts, I’ll provide a brief example of how to identify these type of thoughts. Let’s say you do a mental and emotional scan and find feelings of jealousy or envy of someone or circumstance. You may ask yourself certain questions to help the thought surface such as: why do I feel like this, what does it mean to feel like this, what is the pain in my body telling me, what is this jealousy telling me, and so on. This gentle, compassionate questioning and exploring may reveal thoughts such as, I don’t want her to succeed; I’m not as lucky as her; I always have to work hard and she doesn’t; or I never get what I want, and so on. Another technique for uncovering thoughts and feelings related to a stressor is provided in my post, “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” (15 March 2016).

As a brief side note to the example provided, we often don’t realize the actual power of these types of thoughts and their energetic influence upon the other person’s and our own outcome. This influence may place self-doubt and fear in the other person’s mind and emotional body causing delays or even negative outcomes for them. This will affect us because we just indebted ourselves to heal a negative situation we contributed in causing. It may show up in reverse roles where someone is emitting their envy and jealousy onto to us contributing to our self-doubt and fears, all of which are states of ebb and simply need attention for soul growth and expansion.

You can investigate the thoughts from the example above a little further by going deeper. For the thought, I never get what I want, you may ask yourself: what does it mean to not get what I want or what does it say about me to not get what I want…the answers may be, because I don’t matter, I am not worthy, or even something that may sound like your younger self, because I am bad. These type of statements are most likely core beliefs which are the origins to many other self-limiting and disempowering thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. To learn more about identifying core beliefs with associated feelings and body sensations, and a practice for challenging the validity of these thoughts/beliefs and identifying more empowering thoughts, again visit my post, “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” (15 March 2016).

Other soul healing practices that may be helpful in dismantling troublesome thought loops may include inner child or past-self healing, energetic cord cutting, or using other type of visualizations of your choosing. See my posts, “The Woes of Perfection” (15 Aug 2016) for inner child/past-self healing and “Cutting the Cords to Suffering” (19 July 2016) for energetic cord cutting.  

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE CLOSING

I like to close each soul healing practice with another visualization, especially if the practice doesn’t include an energetic shield/boundary. If the practice does include a protective sphere of light, then adjust this closing visualization to complement the practice. The closing visualization may also be a stand alone practice. The intent is to further cleanse any residual blocks or burdens, calm the soul, restore optimal functioning, and realign the soul as above, so below.  

Visualize a disk of purifying, white light that is above you and is large enough to fit both your body and energetic field. The purpose of the disk is to scan your body and energetic field while it simultaneously moves any residual mental, emotional, physical, and energetic blocks or burdens. The energy will be moved out and drained like an energetic faucet as it disappears into the void. The intention of the energy as it disappears is to be transmuted and transcended into the sacred whole which includes your soul’s oneness or harmony. 

As you continue the visualization, imagine the purifying disk of light descending down towards you and begins to scan your upper energetic field and extends outward to capture your entire energetic field as it moves down your body, starting with your head, down your shoulders, down each arm, and out each hand. Visualize any blocks or burdens draining out of your hands (like a faucet). You can imagine the energy as darker energy flowing out. Once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle stop the flow from your hands. Bring your attention back to your shoulders and continue the scan down your chest, your abdomen to the pelvic area, down each leg, and out each foot. Again visualize any blocks or burdens draining out from your feet, once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle then stop the flow. Now take a moment to visualize your entire body and energetic field are now cleansed and cleaned.  

Next say to yourself, CALM, and visualize and feel every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is calming like a pristine, quiet mountain lake with no movement. Just calm and quiet. Take a few deep belly breaths to savor this feeling of calmness. Next, say to yourself, HEAL, followed by optimal health and functioning, and golden light are restored, visualize every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is now filled with sparkling golden light as you are glowing and vibrating with this golden energy. Visualize the golden energy extends outward to form a sphere of light that now surrounds you. The sphere of light may change colors, any color of your choosing. Again, take a few deep belly breaths to savor this energy of renewal, strength, and empowerment. 

Lastly, visualize a column of golden threads above you descending down through you and exiting out your feet, continuing down into the earth to be deeply anchored into the earth’s core so you feel secured, stable, and grounded (you can add imagery of golden roots or similar extending from your feet to be anchored into the earth’s core). Next see a violet light doing the same, and finally a pure white light doing the same. The intent of the columns are to align you above and below, so you feel both grounded and elevated. You may close the visualization by saying to yourself three intentions, for example I say: I am powerful, I am magical, I am healing, and as I say each intention I visualize myself growing taller, stronger, and feeling more empowered.

As a last note and most likely suggested in the description of the soul healing practice, do experiment with, change, refine the practice as needed so it truly resonates with your soul, becomes your personal practice, and evolves and changes with you. By making the practice your own, you are listening to your inner guidance, are connecting with your sacred divine self, and aligning with your unique wisdom and soul’s vibration.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

EXPERIENCE 1

I am releasing an old paradigm that I have to work for an employer, work long hours, and have a substantial income to be considered successful. Ever since I resigned from my previous job to pursue creative endeavors, I’ve been struggling with this old belief. It’s been a constant underlying theme in my energetic field that I should be “working” rather than being home compiling my collection of poems, publishing my poems, writing these blogs, and developing a workshop. All of which is being accomplished on my time rather than an employer’s time.

I thought I released this judgment of myself, but it showed up with a recent conversation with someone. I realized after our conversation that I was still carrying a negative thought loop that my current creative endeavors are not an acceptable form of “success” because I’m not earning a substantial income, as of yet. 

This person made a comment towards another person who he felt didn’t work often and said, “well I go to work all day”. As if the person he was referring to did not work enough. After our conversation, his comments stayed with me into the next day. I began to feel anger towards him for judging someone so harshly who in his perspective is not working enough, so I thought, why is this bothering me when it seemed it wasn’t about me?

After compassionate investigation into my thinking, I realized I was still carrying the belief I should be “working all day” to be considered successful or productive. The conversation and my limiting belief triggered primitive imprints and conditioning that I may not be accepted by this person or by society at large. I also realized that the energy of this thought loop and judgment of myself actually manifested this person and the conversation into my energetic field to reflect it back to me for healing and expansion.  

It was so liberating once I brought the light of awareness to the negative thought loop. This awareness provided a choice to either keep it OR to use a soul healing practice to dismantle the energy of the thought loop so my soul’s current flows again. The negative thought loop was actually hindering my success and keeping me in ebb by anchoring my energy in a sense of lack and self-doubt rather than abundance and empowerment.

I used the energy neutralization and the golden light visualization/meditation as described previously. My mind and heart scans illuminated multiple thoughts and feelings such as, I’m not successful, I am a fool, and I don’t deserve to have my time, with feelings of fear and self-doubt. I addressed each thought and feeling separately using the golden light visualization and released the burden in order to be transmuted and transcended, and then reintegrated into my soul’s current, my sacred whole. 

Upon purifying and dispelling the energy of the thought loop, I felt myself flowing again with more clarity. I remembered the reason I stepped away from my last job. It was to pursue my life purpose of serving others by expressing my authentic and creative self, sharing my life experience, and helping others awaken to their own inner knowing and wisdom, all the while trusting my own needs will be taken care of with prosperity and abundance in every form.

EXPERIENCE 2

I belonged to a neighborhood notification website and there was a message stating someone had seen a black cat in a neighbor’s yard and suggested the owner should come get the cat. After viewing several of the replies, someone suggested if the cat is friendly to pick it up. Well, I have a black cat who I adore and he is an indoor/outdoor cat, so I decided to reply for fear someone would take my cat if the cat they saw was indeed him.

After I replied stating the cat could possibly be mine with other details, I began to worry. I started to worry they would judge me for allowing my cat to go outside. In response to the worry, I began to rehearse in my mind what my reply would be to a potential conflict of others opposing my decision for allowing my cat to go outside with all the risks.

I thought, Wow, I’m generating all of these thoughts assuming conflict would be coming my way. But why? This simple exchange of words was triggering my primitive mind and conditioning of a potential conflict and a possibility of not being accepted by my neighbors. Furthermore, I pondered, why am I trying to create something I don’t desire? I knew if I continued to focus on these thoughts, then I may create the very situation I was worrying about due to the focused energy I was releasing to the external.

So I paused and thought, this is actually a healing and growth opportunity. I was trying to create something in the external to heal something in the internal. I was worrying about a potential stranger’s judgement and perception of me, but obviously there is a part of me that I judged harshly and perceive myself as possibly not a good cat owner for allowing him to go outside. I needed to come to terms and accept my decision for letting him be an indoor/outdoor cat.

After contemplation of why it is the best decision for my cat to continue to go outside even with the risks, I surrendered the decision and expected the best outcome consisting of peace and ease. My mind did try to pull me back into the previous negative thought loop. With compassion for the workings of my mind, I knew it was only trying to protect me by preparing for a potential conflict and a desire to be accepted, but it didn’t realize the situation doesn’t need to be created in the first place.  

I gently redirected my mind along with several deep breaths to my truth and to the peace within. It is about fully accepting myself rather than seeking it from the external, which for me was empowering. I affirmed I do not wish to create what I’m worrying about or what I don’t want. The negative thought loop was interrupted in time to cause no further derailment of my day or to create an unwanted external response. I did receive replies simply thanking me for my response and other neighbors saying they enjoy my cat’s visits.

This time just bringing the light of awareness was enough to lessen the power of the thought loop and to resolve it. I healed my own internal judgment and false perception within myself. From this place of peace, harmony, and renewed empowerment, even if I did receive an opposing reply, then I would be able to respond gracefully rather than react with defensiveness and anger.

However, if the energy of the negative thought loop persisted, then it would be my cue to go deeper and to further clear and heal the energy by doing the soul healing practice presented in this post. I may also include an inner child healing practice. Most likely my residual concern of other’s perception of me and a desire to be accepted is rooted from my childhood/upbringing, and even from my ancestral heritage. Again, I offer an inner child healing visualization in my post, “The Woes of Perfection” (15 Aug 2016). Remember, as simple or even silly as this example may sound, it is these small instances that are connected to deeper internal distress and have the potential to create havoc in our worlds, internally and externally.

POEM   

The following poem is about my journey with a belief in lack, and how this belief can distort perception and disrupt peace and harmony from within. The poem describes the polarity or contrast within my soul that makes me whole, but a needed rebalancing of my internal scales to restore my soul’s harmony.    

WALKING WITH LACK

You have been a companion for so long,
my loyal friend draped in foe robes.
Lack is the name you go by. 
We know each other quite well,
walking together along life’s path many turns of the wheel.

A path negotiating, at times skipping alongside,
the mind’s subjective, reality’s objective landscapes:
battlefields sweating the blood of turbulent emotions,
meadows exhaling the fragrance of sweet love and wild lust,
hot desert land showcasing mirages of mental illusions,
dense forests filled with towering trees of hope and freedom,
harsh concrete plagued with the energy of anxiety and fear,
majestic peaks communing with crisp, clear thought.

All of which varied in proportion, dimension, density,
time after time,
but the attachment to you remained the same.

I’ve come to realize,
you provide a false sense of protection—

Four walls to support a conditioned way of life, a cyclic life,
constantly, desperately seeking to fill the potholes
left by the weathered belief in you,
my friend, my foe, Lack.

Perceptual windows looking upon the society
that values you most.
A society slow to change,
thriving on the fear and sadness you tend to exude
across the collective consciousness,
like a rolling dense fog causing extreme low visibility.

And a glass ceiling to cap any extravagant expansion
or sovereign way of life.

Although, without your knowing,
Expansion and her lover, Freedom, slipped their way in
teaching a different way of relating, of communing.

They visited often, as the door was left unlocked.
Each visit we became stronger, grander,
swelling with potential, a new way of life,
pregnant with clear vision.
Belief in abundance and prosperity as a birthright.
Outgrowing the compression from the walls surrounding us,
the consistent, steady pressure from your relentless hold,
until a breakthrough.

It scared you, it threatened your control.
You tried to reinforce the walls with studs made of fear,
seal the cracks with doubt.

Your efforts although futile were honorable,
desperately trying to stop any change to our normal.
The clarity of your presence, your purpose
has been seen, has been accepted.

Don’t worry about your position or your role,
without you, the fullness of love, expansion, freedom,
would not be known.

My sweet companion, it’s time to loosen your grip,
to allow your opposite to walk side by side. 

Love, draped in fine linens of abundance,
jewels of prosperity,
will no longer navigate in your shadows,
waiting to be seen.

Dear Lack, you don’t have to leave—
you just need to know,
you are not the only one walking this path.

— Stacy L. Pintor ©

Visit my website if you want to learn more about me and to check out my poetry, especially if you liked the poem above which is included in my poetry book, Alchemy of the Soul. You can also hear me read the poem on my YouTube channel (link available on my website):  

 https://www.baresoulworks.com

Thank you for visiting my blog, I truly hope some or all of the soul healing practices do help you along your sacred journey and provide you some relief and ease. And thank you for your support. Stacy 💚 

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The soul healing practices provided in this blog are meant as a tool to aid in healing, for improving mental and emotional health, and for inspiring self-transformation. The practices are not meant to be a form of psychotherapy or social work practice requiring a contractual, professional relationship. If you need consistent therapeutic care and/or crisis intervention due to being at risk of harming yourself or others, then seek professional and/or emergency services immediately.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you how I integrate my personal experience, spiritual growth and expansion, and past professional mental health experience in the form of soul healing practices. By sharing my experience, it is my hope it will provide a practical example of how to interrupt and lessen the cyclical energy of suffering and to elevate your soul.   

These practices work best when you are ready to heal and expand. It is okay if you are not quite ready. Please be gentle and patient with yourself, seek outside help both professionally and personally as needed. You will heal and expand when you are ready. Sending you so much love, warmth, and compassion. Stacy 💚

© Stacy L. Pintor 2016. All Rights Reserved.

Revised and updated in 2025 by Stacy L. Pintor ©.

(No part of this blog may be reproduced without written permission from the author)

Reference:

Hanson, R., & Mendius, R. (2009). Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, & Wisdom. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

PREFACE  

I decided to revisit each of my blog posts many years after I originally posted them to update and revise as needed. I’m finding two things, I wish I had an editor and I want to soften the tone of the information I’m sharing. To be honest, the last thing I want to sound is preachy or righteous because I am forever learning the depths of my soul. I think when I first wrote the posts, I was excited to share a practice that worked for me so it may have come across that way. I want to revise a few things so it’s more about sharing my personal experience and what I’ve learned on my journey. 

I’m a firm believer in experiencing all aspects of self, even the darkness, and the darkest part of self. I’m learning that experiencing this darkness, which I like to refer to as the ebb in the soul’s current, does take strength and lots of compassion as you care for your soul wounds. The soul healing practices are skills and practices I’ve developed during my journey that helped in navigating through the darkness, and assisted in shifting from ebb to flow with rest and integration in between. 

The practices are psychospiritual in nature, and are a mix of my personal experience and prior professional mental health background (as a licensed clinical social worker). All of my practices involve connecting with the elevated mind and sacred heart through awareness, imagination, visualization, and meditation. These soul healing practices continue to evolve and change just as my soul is growing and expanding.

There is of course no guarantee that the practices will work for you, but if you do try any of the practices, I encourage you to experiment in order to make it your own. Listen to your inner wisdom and change or refine the practice as needed so it completely resonates with your soul. Also, all of my practices need to be at your pace, so again listen to your inner knowing and honor it.

My sacred journey is not less or more significant than anyone else’s, my only motivation for sharing is to inspire self-transformation and to offer support for your unique and sacred journey. Please forgive any editorial mistakes for this is as good as it will get without an editor ;). This is what I’ve learned along the way. 

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE BACKGROUND 

The smothering effects of excessive worry can sabotage internal stability, peace, and happiness for hours, days, or even longer. I know this well because the act of worrying has been my companion for a very long time. In my journey, I’ve found the type of thoughts associated with worry are typically rooted in fear: the fear of change, the unknown, the uncertainty of future events or outcomes, making mistakes, fearing for one’s safety or stability, and so on.

Worrying isn’t bad in itself. In my opinion, it is an effort from the mind to resolve the fear energy by providing a sense of control with its influx of thoughts to aid in planning or thoughts that persist in warning us something has to change. I also like to think of the anxiety as an energy source that I can draw upon to generate its opposite such as excitement, motivation, and creation. It’s just a matter of learning how to transform the anxiety into this type of energy. My soul healing practices may assist in this transformation. 

Excessive worry becomes “bad” or problematic when the energy is persistent, stuck, and cyclical as we ruminate in the worry thoughts. In my experience, excessive worrying is like a freight train running out of control and derailing me from the magic and opportunities of the present moment. I’ve found it clouds my perception creating more fear and confusion. If you are like me and mastered the art of worrying, then you most likely formed a habitual neural pathway contributing to the reason worrying is frequent and difficult to interrupt.  

It is important to explore how and when we excessively worry to gain a better understanding of our mind and heart. This awareness is a form of empowerment that provides an opportunity to regain control and mastery of our derailed mind. Sometimes we may notice certain physical sensations, tension or pain, and/or distressing feelings (anxiety, fear, anger, dread) prior to becoming aware of specific worry thoughts.

Personally, I’ve come to realize when I begin to worry about my or my daughter’s safety or stability, even though there is nothing in the external to warrant such thoughts, it is typically a cue I’m in a place of change and transition. The change and transition is triggering a fear of the unknown and the uncertainty of an outcome which leads to excessive concern and anxiety about my stability and basic needs.

Another example is when I worry about someone close to me unexpectedly dying which is another cue that I’m in a place of transition or change. The most devastating change that happened to me was the death of my husband in the early Iraq war which led to my daughter and I figuring out how to pick up the pieces, and then try to build a life without him. This event imprinted a heavy dose of fear upon my heart and mind, and when change and transition are on the horizon my mind wants to take me to the worst case scenario, as I experienced in the past.

Through my soul work I’ve gained more compassion for the mind and recognize this default setting is only a protection mechanism that is also signaling change is near. I now know that I have a choice to slow the mental merry-go-round or completely get off to where I don’t have to interpret or expect the coming change and transition to be traumatic, painful, or devastating. As mentioned earlier, I also have a choice to perceive the excessive anxiety and worry as an energy source to generate empowering energy such as excitement or motivation. The more I use the energy source in this way along with the soul healing practices, I noticed excessive worrying has significantly lessened, and my mind doesn’t always default to the worst case scenario. 

I would like to warn that habitual worrying may initiate a fight due to its stable home in our mind, but it just takes matched persistence to evict its power and strength. It is absolutely possible to master a new way of thinking just as we mastered worrying. It is a matter of refocusing our thoughts and elevating our energy with determined practice in order to retrain our brain, and to strengthen a more adaptive neural pathway (a new way of thinking and perceiving).

With all that said and with full transparency, I’ve found during my journey I do tend to default to a worry mindset from time to time especially when I feel significant change is on the horizon. Good news though is that its strength and frequency has reduced, and I can shift and tame my mind easier. When I confront its presence, the worry and fear thoughts tend to resolve fairly quickly in the moment. However, pending the type of worry, I do notice I have to address its presence several times during the day, again matching its persistence. It is my hope that the following soul healing practices will offer some peace for you as well.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

The soul healing practices are a way to begin interrupting habitual worry, and to eventually establish new ways of thinking and perceiving in order to create more peace and harmony in your life. These are tools to help vacate the mental chaos and confusion so that you may respond to the worry and fear with a clearer, quieter mind and with a more peaceful energetic state, and to transform the burdensome energy into uplifting and empowering energy.

I‘ve separated the soul healing practice into six practices which can be used one at a time, together, or creatively integrated to meet your needs. The practice includes the following: 1) acknowledge the fear, 2) release the worry with intentional breathing, 3) neutralize the worry energy, 4) visualize goodness, 5) repeat an intention and surrender, and 6) challenge the validity of the worry thoughts. I encourage you to experiment with the practice and to adjust, change, or refine as needed so the practice becomes your own, and truly resonates with you and your soul’s growth and expansion.

I also found it to be beneficial to incorporate some type of diaphragmatic or deep breathing, grounding, mindfulness, meditation, and/or physical exercise when applying the soul healing practices. These centering practices cue the brain and body to calm the nervous system so the soul becomes more open to healing and expanding. I enjoy a grounding practice using my five senses which centers my energy into the present moment. I also like to do a four-count breath technique.

The grounding and breathing practices are convenient and simple, and can be done anywhere, anytime. For the grounding practice, you simply shift your focus to one of your five senses. For example, you may tune into a pleasant background noise, feel the weight of your body while standing or sitting, notice the visual details of an object or person, notice a pleasant smell, or tune into the taste of something enjoyable. Note, you want to focus on or tune into a sense that is pleasant or delightful and not unpleasant or pungent because the goal is to calm the nervous system and not to activate it. I suggest experimenting with your five senses to learn what makes you feel more calm and centered in the moment. For the four-count breath, you slowly count to four as you inhale while expanding the lower belly (1, 2, 3, 4) and slowly exhale as you count four backwards (4, 3, 2, 1), repeating as needed until you feel calmer and more relaxed. I also recommend sound healing with singing bowls or tuning forks, there are plenty of options on YouTube.

1) ACKNOWLEDGE THE FEAR

A way to acknowledge the fear is to simply ask yourself: what am I afraid of? As simple as this question may be, it can be very powerful in bringing more awareness of the type of thoughts that are causing the anxiety and worry. You may notice when you ask this question that one or even a plethora of fear-based thoughts may surface from your subconscious to conscious mind. I like to imagine it as turning a light on in a very dark room or a closet where the light makes the darkness less scary. In my experience, the act of acknowledging the thoughts emerging from the dark corners of the mind begins to reduce its power due to the thoughts being illuminated and seen. 

If you would like to turn this practice into a written practice, then write the question, what am I afraid of, in the center of a piece of paper or journal and circle it. As you contemplate the question write down anything that comes to mind related to the stressor, writing the responses all around the circle. Allow your mind to be uncensored and unfiltered as you automatic write. It could consist of a combination of feelings, thoughts, phrases, and/or words. Then review the responses and circle the one that feels the most distressing and/or triggering. 

As you begin to illuminate the fear energy, it is helpful to view the thoughts and feelings as objectively as possible like you are a mere observer of the workings of your mind and heart. I find verbalizing the thoughts out loud or doing the written exercise as described helps to dispel some of its power. You can incorporate some releasing rituals such as writing the most distressing thought as discovered earlier on a piece of paper and then ripping it up or burning it as a symbol of reducing its power over you. Another effective practice of releasing is described in Practice 2. For deeper processing of a specific thought or belief, then proceed to Practice 6. 

You may experience emotional and/or physical distress (excessive fear, anger, guilt, physical tension and pain, etc.) when these thoughts are seen, but gently calm your nervous system again with a deep breathing practice and/or grounding/mindfulness practice as described above or any of your choosing. By doing so, you are comforting a part of you that is afraid, as you would comfort a child, pet, or loved-one who is scared.

2) RELEASE THE WORRY WITH INTENTIONAL BREATHING 

Once a thought or belief associated with the worry energy is identified and seen, I like to take it a step further by reducing its power even more to a point of eventually releasing it. This practice involves deep belly breathing with intentions and a bit of visualization.

The breath not only gives life to the intention, but also helps to anchor it into your soul’s vibration. I’ve included a version of this breathing practice in my other posts because I absolutely love it and find it powerful, but in this soul healing practice I modified it just a little. Please do the same so it truly resonates with you.

Basically as you take a slow deep breath in, you say to yourself, I am, and as you slowly exhale, you say an intention. As you are doing this practice, remember to bring the breath down to your lower belly and not just to your chest.

The following is an example of intentional breathing that I’ve designed to ascend up the energy centers or chakras (most of them), but please experiment with the intentions if it doesn’t quite resonate with you. As you slowly inhale say to yourself I am and on the exhale say calm, continuing the practice on the inhale saying I am and on the exhale saying safe, breathing in I am and breathing out empowered, breathing in I am and breathing out love, breathing in I am and breathing out light, and finally breathing in I am and breathing out free. Take another slow deep breath and say I am and on the exhale say free of (the specific worry thought/belief) while visualizing the thought/belief burning into golden ash, then blowing away into the void or sacred whole which includes your sacred oneness or soul’s harmony.

If I don’t identify a specific thought or belief, then I also use this practice with an area of worry such as worry about finances, stability, and so on. For example, I say I am on the inhale and say free of the worry about my finances on the exhale, and visualize it burning into golden ash, then blowing away into the sacred whole and my sacred oneness. 

The visualization helps to release the worry energy from your soul in order to provide more clarity, objectivity, and altitude with the goal of freeing yourself of excessive fear so that you can address the worry fairly. Typically, I feel a sense of relief and ease when I do this visualization as if the burden of worry is a heavy cloak that I drop to my feet and push aside to be free of it. I hope it offers a similar effect for you. If the fire doesn’t resonate, then experiment with any other elemental power or force that would produce the same effects. For example, sometimes I visualize the thought/belief is washed away by a waterfall or a powerful wave, or blown away by a strong wind. 

Examples of worry energy or thoughts/beliefs that I’ve released recently with this practice include: I am free of the fear of rejection, I am free of self-punishment of how I handle my finances, and I am free of self-doubt. Pending the strength of the worry energy, you may have to repeat this practice several times if you notice it seeping back into your conscious awareness or you notice anxiety or physical symptoms.

I’ve also found physical exercise or spending time in nature to be an excellent compliment to this practice because it is an extra way to ground energy and to clear the mind. I typically enjoy going for a walk or a run with my dog, or just lying in the grass while I implement this practice.

3) NEUTRALIZE THE WORRY ENERGY

Neutralizing the worry energy involves integrating two poles of energy, the dark and light, the negative and positive, denser and higher vibrational energy within your soul. This practice also includes a visualization. 

Imagine a dark or denser energy is rising up from below you and a pure, white light or higher vibrational energy is descending down from above you. The energies meet in your mind, specifically at the worry or fear thought(s). Once the two energies collide, they are completely neutralized at the point of junction creating an energetic ripple of relief, peace, and harmony that extends all around you. Breathe in the neutralized energy and visualize it extending further and further as you exhale. When the neutralization is felt, you may offer an intention for optimal functioning to be restored by saying something similar to: optimal vibration, peace, and harmony is now restored. Take a moment to feel this energy filling your mind, your heart, and your soul. Again, experiment with the intention so it truly resonates with you.

Sometimes I like to use a hand motion when doing this practice. For me, the addition of the physical motion amplifies the practice. For example, my left hand acts as the lower energy (palm up) and my right hand acts as the higher energy (palm down) and when my hands come together to a clap, I then spread my hands apart horizontally signifying the neutralizing energy. By the way, it doesn’t matter which hand is palm up or down, whichever feels more natural to you. 

As I repeatedly encourage to make these practices your own, I have done the same with this neutralization practice so it resonates with my soul. A more detailed version of this practice can be found in the book, The Temples of Light: An Initiatory Journey into the Heart Teachings of the Egyptian Mystery Schools, by Danielle Rama Hoffman.

4) VISUALIZE GOODNESS

This visualization technique is about interrupting the worry energy with its opposite energy by imagining your life as absolutely perfect, where your life feels sweet and good. It does require you to go to an internal space where you feel all your desires have been met and your dreams have come to fruition, even though it hasn’t actually done so or it feels impossible. It’s more about generating the opposite feelings than fear, doubt, or dissatisfaction that often accompanies worry in order to balance your soul’s vibration with more elevating energy.  

With your eyes closed or at a soft gaze, imagine your life as absolutely perfect and good in this very moment: what would you see, how would you feel, what type of thoughts would you have, how you would act, and so on. Staying with the visualization, deeply breathe in all the feelings of this goodness such as complete stability, deep satisfaction, freedom, gratitude, and fulfillment, and slowly exhale the same energy. Repeat the practice several times until the worry and fear energy begins to subside and lessen.

These feelings help generate mental clarity, peace, and harmony as they are anchored into your sacred heart with the help of your breath creating an elevated soul vibration. The visualization of goodness will obviously vary amongst all of us, but ensure it serves your highest potential and is not harmful to others. You may call upon this visualization often and as needed in order to interrupt any disturbing worry thoughts and anxiety, and to rebalance your current state to a clearer and more harmonious state.

5) REPEAT AN INTENTION AND SURRENDER

This practice is a way to energetically surrender the worry or fear with the goal of restoring peace and harmony from within by redirecting the mind. The type of intention is the key to the act of surrendering because the intention is directed to and given to whatever higher power or belief that resonates with you. For example, the intention may sound like: the universe or source creator or God or gods and goddesses or star beings always provide(s) for me; my spirit team or the angels or my sacred divine self always provide(s) for me; I release the future to (your higher power) knowing all my needs and desires are met; I give this worry (specific worry) to (your higher power) knowing I am taken care of; or I manifest peace and harmony, and not fear and doubt.

As you repeat the intention either from within or out loud, it is helpful to include deep relaxing breaths, a grounding or mindfulness practice, or even physical exercise with the intention as way to calm and clear the mind and nervous system so that you are more open to surrendering and expanding. Also, as mentioned previously the breath helps anchor the vibration of the intention into your heart and mind. Hopefully, as you practice you begin to experience more internal peace from a quieter mind.   

As always, experiment with the surrender intention so it resonates with you as it is sacred to you. The goal of the intention is to promote more feelings of empowerment and self-worth to counteract the self-deprecating effects of excessive worry. It is a way to rebalance the scales of the mind and to lessen the tension of anxiety so that you retune your soul’s frequency in order to manifest what you actually desire, rather than more fear-based outcomes and mental confusion.

It is probable you will need to be just as persistent with the intentions as the worry thoughts for they may want to thwart the intentions. I suggest beginning again by first calming your nervous system with the breathing or grounding practices mentioned earlier (or any of your choosing), and to realign yourself in the present moment. I have also found my choice of intentions change as my soul grows and expands.  

6) CHALLENGE THE VALIDITY OF WORRY THOUGHTS

If the worry energy remains unyielding in its grip on your soul, then you may want to further explore the thoughts deeper and to challenge their validity. Challenging the validity of worry thought(s) is a way to gain increased altitude and objectivity to understand if the thoughts are actually based in truth and reality. For a detailed explanation of how to apply this soul healing practice, visit my post, “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” (15 March 2016).

After conducting the thought challenge as described in the post, you will identify a more realistic and empowering thought. Most likely, you will need to be just as persistent in practicing the new thought. The continual practice will eventually strengthen a more conducive neural pathway to restore peace and harmony in your mind and heart. As repeatedly stated, it is beneficial to include a practice of deep breathing or grounding/mindfulness to open the door for the new thought to enter and for it to make its new home.  

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE CLOSING

I like to close each soul healing practice with another visualization, especially if the practice doesn’t include an energetic shield/boundary. If the practice does include a protective sphere of light, then adjust this closing visualization to complement the practice. The closing visualization may also be a stand alone practice. The intent is to further cleanse any residual blocks or burdens, calm the soul, restore optimal functioning, and realign the soul as above, so below.  

Visualize a disk of purifying, white light that is above you and is large enough to fit both your body and energetic field. The purpose of the disk is to scan your body and energetic field while it simultaneously moves any residual mental, emotional, physical, and energetic blocks or burdens. The energy will be moved out and drained like an energetic faucet as it disappears into the void. The intention of the energy as it disappears is to be transmuted and transcended into the sacred whole which includes your soul’s oneness or harmony. 

As you continue the visualization, imagine the purifying disk of light descending down towards you and begins to scan your upper energetic field and extends outward to capture your entire energetic field as it moves down your body, starting with your head, down your shoulders, down each arm, and out each hand. Visualize any blocks or burdens draining out of your hands (like a faucet). You can imagine the energy as darker energy flowing out. Once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle stop the flow from your hands. Bring your attention back to your shoulders and continue the scan down your chest, your abdomen to the pelvic area, down each leg, and out each foot. Again visualize any blocks or burdens draining out from your feet, once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle then stop the flow. Now take a moment to visualize your entire body and energetic field are now cleansed and cleaned.  

Next say to yourself, CALM, and visualize and feel every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is calming like a pristine, quiet mountain lake with no movement. Just calm and quiet. Take a few deep belly breaths to savor this feeling of calmness. Next, say to yourself, HEAL, followed by optimal health and functioning, and golden light are restored, visualize every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is now filled with sparkling golden light as you are glowing and vibrating with this golden energy. Visualize the golden energy extends outward to form a sphere of light that now surrounds you. The sphere of light may change colors, any color of your choosing. Again, take a few deep belly breaths to savor this energy of renewal, strength, and empowerment. 

Lastly, visualize a column of golden threads above you descending down through you and exiting out your feet, continuing down into the earth to be deeply anchored into the earth’s core so you feel secured, stable, and grounded (you can add imagery of golden roots or similar extending from your feet to be anchored into the earth’s core). Next see a violet light doing the same, and finally a pure white light doing the same. The intent of the columns are to align you above and below, so you feel both grounded and elevated. You may close the visualization by saying to yourself three intentions, for example I say: I am powerful, I am magical, I am healing, and as I say each intention I visualize myself growing taller, stronger, and feeling more empowered.

As a last note and most likely suggested in the description of the soul healing practice, do experiment with, change, refine the practice as needed so it truly resonates with your soul, becomes your personal practice, and evolves and changes with you. By making the practice your own, you are listening to your inner guidance, are connecting with your sacred divine self, and aligning with your unique wisdom and soul’s vibration.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

There I was tumbling down the familiar rabbit hole of worry…

Excessive worry has plagued my life for as long as I can remember. Now a days as alluded to, it shows up as worry about my or my daughter’s safety, finances, achieving success, and/or someone close to me unexpectedly dying. All of which is definitely rooted in fear and self-doubt. Typically with the worry, beliefs of unworthiness come along for the ride. It can consume me to where I feel wound up with a cluttered mind, emotional angst, and a tense body like I’m dragging a heavy weight of dread, confusion, and internal chaos.

I will describe how I’ve used a couple of the soul healing practices on different occasions to de-escalate and transform the worry energy. I did have to repeat some of these practices often throughout the day to counter the worry, but I noticed it became weaker in its attempt to dominate my mind and heart. Like I’ve mentioned earlier, with practice my default worry mindset has lessened in both strength and frequency.

ACKNOWLEDGE THE FEAR

The excessive worrying was quite persistent on this night. I tried the intention, I release the future to my sacred divine self knowing all my needs and desires are met, which resulted in some relief, but I knew I needed to go deeper because my attachment to the worry was a bit tight and unrelenting. I explored the worry thoughts by asking myself: what am I afraid of? Almost immediately several thoughts flooded in: I’m afraid of missing an opportunity; I’m afraid of being alone the rest of my life; I’m afraid to wait; and I’m afraid of being left behind. I knew the origins of all these thoughts. Some were rooted in my childhood, and some were imprinted on my mind and heart from the tragic loss of my beloved husband when he was killed in the early Iraq war. 

This time it was enough to just bring the thoughts and its origins from the shadowy corners of my mind into the light (from my subconscious to conscious mind). As I acknowledged the thoughts, their power began to dispel along with the chaotic, heavy and dense energy associated with them. I felt lighter with a clearer mind and a heart more at ease. I then followed with the four-count breath and I was able to drift into a deep sleep.  

If I was still tightly attached to the thoughts along with the associated negative feelings/behaviors, I would then try neutralizing the energy as described in Practice 3 followed by intentional breathing from Practice 2. If it still persisted, I would challenge the validity of the thoughts as described in Practice 6.

NEUTRALIZE THE WORRY ENERGY and REPEAT AN INTENTION AND SURRENDER

I awoke with a familiar sense of dread and fear, knowing I was definitely in my worry energy. So I decided to take a long walk with my dog to aid in clearing my mind and to loosen my tense muscles from the anxiety. As I was walking, listening to the sounds around me, and giggling at my goofy dog, I was ready to try a soul healing practice. I was worrying about my finances and a desire to relocate to another state. I decided to implement the neutralization practice, visualizing two polar energies one above me and one below me, coming together until they met in my mind and collided at the point of the worry thoughts. The collision created a ripple of neutralizing energy, and I felt a sense of relief, peace, and quiet that was extending all around me.

I then followed the neutralization practice with the four-count breath and the intentional breathing from Practice 2 to further calm my nervous system and to open the door for the surrendering intentions. I took another deep belly breath in and out, and upon the exhale, I repeated the intention: optimal vibration, peace, and harmony is now restored. I also added the intentions: source creator always provides for me, my sacred divine self always provides for me, my spirit team always provides for me. I felt more empowered and actually happy, and continued to anchor the elevated energy into my soul’s vibration with more deep breathing. I noticed my mind was settling down and becoming clearer which was allowing more positive and objective thoughts to surface on how to plan for the potential move.

VISUALIZE GOODNESS and RELEASE THE WORRY WITH INTENTIONAL BREATHING 

On this particular morning the specific worry thoughts were not identified, but I felt an overall feeling of dissatisfaction, irritation, and fear. I went for a run. For me retreating outside and doing something physical helps to ground my energy and clear my mind. Typically after the runs, I stretch, do a few yoga poses, and meditate. I decided to try something different after my alignment meditation. I chose to visualize that my life was absolutely perfect in the moment. Immediately, the power of negativity wanted to refute the idea by bringing the thought: but it’s not perfect, how can I even pretend it to be. I knew perseverance was needed and the challenge was on.

So I countered the resistance with the four-count breath and intentional breathing to loosen its grip from my mind and heart. I then gave myself permission to connect with the innocence of my inner child so I could remember how magical it felt to pretend and imagine as I did as a kid. I prompted myself to see, feel, and think what it would be like for my life to be absolutely perfect in the moment. I visualized all my desires were met and all my dreams came true.

The word “free” surfaced in my mind and I saw myself rising and flying with grace. Then the word “organized” came forward of being free of internal and external clutter, and having financial freedom. I felt an ascension in my heart with overwhelming feelings of abundance, love, warmth, and joy. I saw myself encased in a golden cloud of completeness and peace. I couldn’t help, but smile. I felt protected and guided, and then the phrase, “don’t be afraid to teach”, echoed in my sacred heart. Empowered and now vibrating on a harmonious frequency, I was able to interrupt the worry energy several times during the day by recalling this elevated energy resulting in continued resonance of confidence and peace.  

POEM

MERRY-GO-ROUND

Hello worry, how you sprang forward once again,
like a jack-in-the-box taunting me to indulge
in your endless game,
ride on your merry-go-round.

I did hop on,
spinning round and round, a few revolutions,
asking to go faster and faster,
until the turning of my stomach awakened me to the torture,
that was masked by seemingly innocent fun—
the false sense of control I believe you provided
and thought to be so “fun.”

The pillar of truth grounded in the core of my being,
refuses to spin no more.
Choice.
To dig my foot into the sand of peace surrounding your ride,
stop the persistent momentum of limiting storylines,
anchored in thick, mucky fear
and to halt the merry-go-round of relentless
thoughts of lack.

At first, the stillness
brought a subtle queasiness of resistance:
Who am I without my beloved worry?

I don’t know yet,
but experiencing inspired thoughts aligned
in stillness, in love,
embracing my heart’s expansive desires,
rather than succumbing to the centrifugal force of fear,
is worth finding out.
No more,
round and round we go.  

— Stacy L. Pintor ©

Thank you for visiting my blog, I truly hope some or all of the soul healing practices do help you along your sacred journey and provide you some relief and ease. 

Visit my website if you want to learn more about me and to check out my poetry, especially if you liked the poem above which is included in my poetry book, Alchemy of the Soul.

https://www.baresoulworks.com

Thanks again for visiting and for your support. Stacy 💚 

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The soul healing practices provided in this blog are meant as a tool to aid in healing, for improving mental and emotional health, and for inspiring self-transformation. The practices are not meant to be a form of psychotherapy or social work practice requiring a contractual, professional relationship. If you need consistent therapeutic care and/or crisis intervention due to being at risk of harming yourself or others, then seek professional and/or emergency services immediately.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you how I integrate my personal experience, spiritual growth and expansion, and past professional mental health experience in the form of soul healing practices. By sharing my experience, it is my hope it will provide a practical example of how to interrupt and lessen the cyclical energy of suffering and to elevate your soul.   

These practices work best when you are ready to heal and expand. It is okay if you are not quite ready. Please be gentle and patient with yourself, seek outside help both professionally and personally as needed. You will heal and expand when you are ready. Sending you so much love, warmth, and compassion. Stacy 💚

© Stacy L. Pintor 2016. All Rights Reserved.

Revised and updated in 2025 by Stacy L. Pintor ©.

(No part of this blog may be reproduced without written permission from the author)

PREFACE 

I decided to revisit each of my blog posts many years after I originally posted them to update and revise as needed. I’m finding two things, I wish I had an editor and I want to soften the tone of the information I’m sharing. To be honest, the last thing I want to sound is preachy or righteous because I am forever learning the depths of my soul. I think when I first wrote the posts, I was excited to share a practice that worked for me so it may have come across that way. I want to revise a few things so it’s more about sharing my personal experience and what I’ve learned on my journey.

I’m a firm believer in experiencing all aspects of self, even the darkness, and the darkest part of self. I’m learning that experiencing this darkness, which I like to refer to as the ebb in the soul’s current, does take strength and lots of compassion as you care for your soul wounds. The soul healing practices are skills and practices I’ve developed during my journey that helped in navigating through the darkness, and assisted in shifting from ebb to flow with rest and integration in between. 

The practices are psychospiritual in nature, and are a mix of my personal experience and prior professional mental health background (as a licensed clinical social worker). All of my practices involve connecting with the elevated mind and sacred heart through awareness, imagination, visualization, and meditation. These soul healing practices continue to evolve and change just as my soul is growing and expanding.

There is of course no guarantee that the practices will work for you, but if you do try any of the practices, I encourage you to experiment in order to make it your own. Listen to your inner wisdom and change or refine the practice as needed so it completely resonates with your soul. Also, all of my practices need to be at your pace, so again listen to your inner knowing and honor it.

My sacred journey is not less or more significant than anyone else’s, my only motivation for sharing is to inspire self-transformation and to offer support for your unique and sacred journey. Please forgive any editorial mistakes for this is as good as it will get without an editor ;). This is what I’ve learned along the way.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE BACKGROUND

Many of us, myself included, have mastered manifesting negative experiences with the darkness that typically follows. From my years of internal work (soul healing and expansion), I believe all experiences are valid, both positive and negative. We certainly live in a polarized world, it is our reality, and that same polarization exists within us. I’ve come to embrace both my shadow and light aspects, and actually now have gratitude for the shadow experiences that have provided me numerous opportunities for soul growth and expansion. This acceptance and love of self, and the gained compassion for my soul’s experience has been a long and arduous journey for me, but well worth the time and effort. With all that said, sometimes we may stay in the shadow realm a little longer than needed where it can cause chronic suffering and disempowerment. 

Once I did a little research on the nature of the brain, I began to understand the reason we may default to a negative mindset. It’s been in our nature since the beginning of our existence. I found most negativity is rooted in fear and/or feeling unsafe or disempowered. Our primitive brains have been hardwired to a bias of negativity from a need for survival. However, for the most part we do not have the same dangers in our environment as our earliest ancestors, but we still need the function of the primitive brain to keep us safe from real, legitimate threats to our health and well-being. Ideally, when the threat passes our brains with our help should signal a return to homeostasis, to a balanced mind and body. For a more in-depth analysis of the nature of the mind and brain see my post, “The Energy of the Thought Loop – You are the Creator” (3 Dec 2016).  

Sometimes we get stuck in a cycle of negativity, suffering, or disempowerment which in my opinion is initiated by the primitive mind’s default setting, however, it is a misguided attempt to protect us from perceived emotional harm or to make us feel safe and accepted. When this happens, it’s a signal we need to engage our higher mind to override the default setting. Our higher mind functions from a sense of altitude, self-awareness, reflection, and introspection. Access to our higher mind can begin by taking inventory of the type of thoughts and beliefs that are influencing how we perceive our internal and external experiences. Once we have this knowledge, we have a choice to shift the mental experience to a more balanced and harmonious way of perceiving.

Our perception is key in manifesting our external experiences. I firmly believe we are energetic beings influencing an energetic world and vice versa. When we elevate our minds and hearts, we influence our external realities and tend to attract more peace, abundance, and harmony. 

I have absolutely found this to be true the majority of the time, however, there are times when our internal state is harmonious, but our external reality still may not reflect our interior and continues to remain out of our control. Please don’t blame yourself for not achieving a perfect reflection of your internal versus external realities. Just know since you are in a state of internal harmony, you’ve gained the clarity needed to make a decision about the external reality. You may have the realization that you’ve outgrown it and need to move on from it. Or you have the clarity to set firmer boundaries either energetically or physically so your external world becomes more aligned with you. Or you have the ability to respond to setbacks, mistakes, or disappointments with more ease and grace. To learn more about boundary setting visit my three posts, “Cutting the Cords to Suffering” (19 July 2016), “What is Codependency” (30 Sep 2016), and “Regret, Guilt, Shame: The Burdensome Trio“ (21 August 2017).     

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

The purpose of this soul healing practice is to provide a way to shift your perspective and to realign your mind with your sacred heart in order to create more clarity and harmony in your life. The first step is to take inventory of the type of thoughts you have per day to determine if this practice is needed or will be helpful.

Begin by writing down all your thoughts throughout the day. If you notice any feelings or body sensations that accompany the thoughts, then write those down too. Try your best to treat this as an objective experiment where you are merely an observer of your mind, heart, and body, and documenting the findings. The idea is to document your observations without too much attachment to the thoughts, feelings, and body sensations, or the desire to analyze your experience in the moment. 

The analysis of your data comes at the end of the day, but I recommend doing so several hours before bedtime so that you don’t inadvertently disrupt your bedtime routine and hygiene. Before proceeding with the analysis I also recommend calming your nervous system and clearing your mind. If you read any of my other posts, then you know I like to start with a four-count breath practice, where I count to four as I inhale expanding the lower belly (1, 2, 3, 4) and then count four backwards while I slowly exhale (4, 3, 2, 1). I repeat this until I feel more calm and relaxed. I then follow with intentional breathing: as I slowly inhale I say to myself I am and on the exhale I say calm, continuing the practice on the inhale saying I am and on the exhale saying safe, breathing in I am and breathing out empowered, breathing in I am and breathing out love, breathing in I am and breathing out light, and finally breathing in I am and breathing out free. You can end this practice with the following statement or intention: I trust myself, I believe in myself. Remember with this practice to also bring the breath down to your lower belly and not just to your chest. The breath not only gives life to the intention, but also helps to anchor it into your soul’s vibration. If you like this technique, I also suggest experimenting with the intentions so it totally resonates with you and gives you a sense of calm, a feeling of being centered and nurtured, and empowered. 

The next step is to review your list of thoughts, feelings, and body sensations and count how many positive thoughts you have compared to negative thoughts. This is just a way to build more awareness of the type of thoughts that dwell in your mind. Next write down how your day unfolded by reflecting upon your experiences throughout the day. As you review the list of thoughts, you may find if the number of negative thoughts (disempowering, limiting, self-defeating) outnumber positive thoughts (empowering, elevating, neutral), then your day may have unfolded with more negative experiences.

If the review or analysis is triggering or causing any distress, then I recommend repeating the breathing practices as described above. Grounding practices are also effective in calming the nervous system and regulating emotions. I like to do a grounding practice where I focus on one of my five senses. For example, I may tune into a pleasant background noise, feel the weight of my body while standing or sitting, focus on an inspiring or pleasing site, notice a pleasant smell, or tune into the taste of something enjoyable. Note, you want to focus on or tune into a sense that is pleasant or delightful and not unpleasant or pungent because the goal is to calm the nervous system and not to activate it. I suggest experimenting with your five senses and what makes you feel more calm and centered in the present moment. I have also recently been incorporating more sound healing with singing bowls and tuning forks in which I have experienced phenomenal effects, there are plenty of options available on YouTube. These are only suggestions so please incorporate any other practice that has the same effects.  

Upon building more self-awareness and reflection, the next step is to strengthen your introspection by redirecting your focus from a disempowered or limited way of perceiving to a more elevated and empowered way of perceiving. It’s like bringing the mind’s pendulum back to a position of balance. Start by returning to your list and choose a negative thought, and then flip the thought to a more positive or empowering thought. You will also add the element of breath to bring life and power to the new thought, and as already stated the incorporation of breath is a way to anchor it into your soul’s vibration.

A little footnote to this part of the practice, I’ve learned first a door needs to be opened in order for the new thought to actually enter the mind and eventually reside, especially if your mind tends to default to habitual invasive, negative thinking. For me, repeating the four-count breath and/or intentional breathing as described above are ways to open the door. Again, the calm breathing technique relaxes your nervous system and cues your mind and body that the new thought is from love and peace, and not from fear. It is counterproductive to practice with a sense of anxiety, anger, or force because it gives the negativity more power and makes you feel even more disempowered. You may have different ways to open the door so please incorporate what works for you.

Let’s say you identify a negative, self-defeating, or disempowering thought such as: I never get what I want. You then flip the thought to something like: I get what I want with balance and harmony (or with ease and grace). The goal of the new thought is to feel more elevated and empowered so choose statements and words to provide this result, which will be unique and sacred to you. 

Next try the new thought with breath. As you take a deep belly breath in say, I get what I want, and upon the exhale release the second part of the thought by saying, with balance and harmony (or with ease and grace). Remember to take the breath down to your lower belly and not just to your chest, as you inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Repeat the practice several times. The idea is as you breathe in and out the new thought, you release or surrender it to your sacred divine self, source creator energy, or to whatever resonates with you and your beliefs. This practice of release and surrender begins to shift the internal energetic state to one of more peace and harmony, and eventually translates to the overall soul‘s experience.

Another tip with this practice, as you release the thought on the exhale, is to expect the best without attachment to how it will unfold. Often, and believe me I know this well, we want to control the outcome rather than allowing it to unfold naturally with ease. Especially, if we feel vulnerable or feel lost in uncertainty. Our mind may say we don’t want to be made the fool so we anxiously try to control the situation, doubt the best can even come true, or force an outcome, at which and often times, we become the fool we fear. Not realizing by continually expecting the worst we can energetically manifest the worst.

A key element of this practice is to believe in the thought upon releasing it with breath, even if believing it to be true only lasts a short time. A way to help in believing a thought to be true, is to visualize what it would feel like if it were true now, allowing yourself to dwell in this energy as you continue to take slow and steady breaths. I also found repetition is another way to begin to believe it to be true because it floods the mind with the new elevated and empowered thought. Besides repeating the thought internally or saying it out loud, you can also try repetitively writing the thought in a journal, posting the thought in areas you would see often as a consistent reminder, or you may find even better ways to embed the thought into your soul. The more you practice the new thought with breath, the more opportunity you have for believing it to be true.   

Hopefully as you repeat the practice, you will notice any disbelief in the new thought begins to loosen and eventually falls away, and you do believe it to be true. Once this happens or even prior, notice how your day changes due to the shift in your perspective. You may find you respond to your environment with more ease and grace rather than react with disharmony and discord. You may experience a change in feelings from the usual mundane irritation, anger, and/or sadness to feeling more content, happy, satisfied, and at peace. Even if the change is just a little less negativity, it’s a victory in my book. Eventually with practice, you will literally retrain your brain in a new way of thinking and functioning.

If you experience a lot of difficulty with the practice and/or notice no change, then that’s okay too, try it another day. You may have to further  challenge the default thinking to uncover any disempowering core beliefs before implementing this practice. Refer to my post, “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” (15 March 2016), to learn how to challenge the validity of self-defeating and limiting thoughts, and then to identify more empowering thoughts. The soul healing practice in “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” will also be effective if just flipping the negative thought is not quite working for you, where you may need to identify an empowering thought that is a gradual opposing thought which then can be used in this soul healing practice. 

If you are still finding difficulty, remember habitual and conditioned thinking can be quite difficult to interrupt, so be patient and kind with yourself as you are healing your mind and heart. Some soul wounds take longer than others to heal. Try not to throw up your hands and give up out of frustration and apathy, but if you do throw up hands for a short period of time, it’s totally understandable just come back to it when ready. All of my practices need to be at your pace, so listen to yourself. I’ll say it again, even if you notice a little less negativity throughout the day, you are manifesting more positivity in your life, thus bringing your mind’s pendulum back to balance.

As a side note, of course you may default to old ways of thinking from time to time, but you now have a new tool to shift your perspective to include more awareness of self-defeating, limiting, and disempowering thoughts/beliefs. As your perspective shifts, the time and energy dwelling in negativity, disempowerment, and suffering lessens. 

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE CLOSING

I like to close each soul healing practice with another visualization, especially if the practice doesn’t include an energetic shield/boundary. If the practice does include a protective sphere of light, then adjust this closing visualization to complement the practice. The closing visualization may also be a stand alone practice. The intent is to further cleanse any residual blocks or burdens, calm the soul, restore optimal functioning, and realign the soul as above, so below.  

Visualize a disk of purifying, white light that is above you and is large enough to fit both your body and energetic field. The purpose of the disk is to scan your body and energetic field while it simultaneously moves any residual mental, emotional, physical, and energetic blocks or burdens. The energy will be moved out and drained like an energetic faucet as it disappears into the void. The intention of the energy as it disappears is to be transmuted and transcended into the sacred whole which includes your soul’s oneness or harmony. 

As you continue the visualization, imagine the purifying disk of light descending down towards you and begins to scan your upper energetic field and extends outward to capture your entire energetic field as it moves down your body, starting with your head, down your shoulders, down each arm, and out each hand. Visualize any blocks or burdens draining out of your hands (like a faucet). You can imagine the energy as darker energy flowing out. Once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle stop the flow from your hands. Bring your attention back to your shoulders and continue the scan down your chest, your abdomen to the pelvic area, down each leg, and out each foot. Again visualize any blocks or burdens draining out from your feet, once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle then stop the flow. Now take a moment to visualize your entire body and energetic field are now cleansed and cleaned.  

Next say to yourself, CALM, and visualize and feel every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is calming like a pristine, quiet mountain lake with no movement. Just calm and quiet. Take a few deep belly breaths to savor this feeling of calmness. Next, say to yourself, HEAL, followed by optimal health and functioning, and golden light are restored, visualize every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is now filled with sparkling golden light as you are glowing and vibrating with this golden energy. Visualize the golden energy extends outward to form a sphere of light that now surrounds you. The sphere of light may change colors, any color of your choosing. Again, take a few deep belly breaths to savor this energy of renewal, strength, and empowerment. 

Lastly, visualize a column of golden threads above you descending down through you and exiting out your feet, continuing down into the earth to be deeply anchored into the earth’s core so you feel secured, stable, and grounded (you can add imagery of golden roots or similar extending from your feet to be anchored into the earth’s core). Next see a violet light doing the same, and finally a pure white light doing the same. The intent of the columns are to align you above and below, so you feel both grounded and elevated. You may close the visualization by saying to yourself three intentions, for example I say: I am powerful, I am magical, I am healing, and as I say each intention I visualize myself growing taller, stronger, and feeling more empowered.

As a last note and most likely suggested in the description of the soul healing practice, do experiment with, change, refine the practice as needed so it truly resonates with your soul, becomes your personal practice, and evolves and changes with you. By making the practice your own, you are listening to your inner guidance, are connecting with your sacred divine self, and aligning with your unique wisdom and soul’s vibration.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

I woke up feeling tired and unrested. The negativity quickly settled in like a dense fog as I maneuvered through my morning routine. I noticed thoughts like, when will things go my way? I felt angry during my run and gave dirty looks to drivers passing me above the speed limit. Knowing my current state of mind was quickly escalating into a spiral of disempowerment, I decided to listen to a meditation about manifestation after my run. I listened to the guidance with some resistance, and thought, what’s the point, but then quickly followed the thought with, screw it might as well try something different. I decided to conduct an experiment for the day by flipping self-defeating thoughts to more empowering thoughts.

The first thought that surfaced was, I was vulnerable and reached out for love only to have no response, to be ghosted, once again and always, which led to a familiar self-defeating core belief, I’m unworthy of love. I noticed the effects of these thoughts on my body such as heavy pressure near my heart, a sinking feeling in my gut, shoulders rounded forward, and head down. I also noticed feelings such as anger, sadness, and loneliness that were along for the ride.

I flipped the disempowering thought to, I took a risk and shared love. I opened the door for the new thought by doing the four-count breath and then continued with intentional breathing. Once I felt more present and centered, I was ready to practice the new thought with breath. Upon a deep belly breath in, I said in my mind, I took a risk, and on a slow and steady exhale said, and shared love. I noticed my head literally lifted and my shoulders rolled back causing my heart space to expand and open, and my sacral area felt as though it was widening. The more I practiced and repeated the new thought with breath, I felt aligned, lighter, and complete. It felt as though the divine including my sacred divine self was offering me the love I perceived was missing in my life. 

I did feel a temptation to worry or doubt the outcome of the elevated thought, rather than expecting the best. I then set a little internal boundary and vowed to myself to trust the process so the elevated energy may continue to cultivate and grow in my soul’s experience. If my conviction wavered throughout the day, then I just started over with the four-count breath, followed by intentional breathing, and then finally the empowered thought with breath, as well as the techniques of believing it to be true.

I took the practice one step further by flipping the negative core belief, I’m unworthy of love. Immediately, when I flipped the thought to, I am worthy of love, I did feel excitement and joy, but with a tinge of heaviness and disbelief. I practiced the thought, breathing in, I am worthy, and exhaling, of love. I kept vigilant of how my mind and body responded to the practice. When I was aware of a familiar sinking feeling of negativity wanting to pull me back into suffering, I once again opened the door for the new thought with the four-count breath, intentional breathing, and then tried the practice again. I repeated the practice throughout the day in order to anchor it into my soul and to begin believing it to be true.

The results of the experiment were as follows: 1) I felt my chest expand with each breath as it  caressed and nurtured my heart and lungs; 2) my posture improved as I felt aligned with my sacred divine self prompting increased confidence and empowerment; 3) I felt strong and supported with peaks of joy; 4) I wrote this blog with a sense of purpose from a space of joy, service, and love; 5) I felt armed with a mind shield against habitual invasive thoughts; 6) I remained in the present moment with a clearer mind and heart, rather than being lost in worry or doubt; and 7) I noticed strangers were authentically kinder to me and I genuinely offered the same in return.

My day unfolded with more ease, clarity, and purpose. I responded from an internal space of more peace, and felt liberated from the cyclical energy of suffering and disempowerment. I do know, it is not just a one-day experiment and will need to be implemented often in order to interrupt and overcome my tendency to over-think, worry, and cling to habitual negative thinking. However, I felt empowered this day and for me that’s a start for a new chapter in my soul’s experience. 

As a quick footnote, If I felt any resistance that was causing an impasse with the practice, I would then try challenging the validity of the negative thoughts as illustrated in my post, “The Art of Empowering Your Mind” (15 March 2016), or if the thought is triggering a soul wound where my inner child needs attention, then I would try the soul healing practice described in my post, “The Woes of Perfection” (15 Aug 2016). The soul healing practices provided in my other posts may be beneficial as well pending the circumstance the negative thought is connected.

POEM

RELEASE

Let go of the outcome,
is the thought flashing in my mind.
Immediately, I challenge with “How?”

Unmoved by my attempt to sabotage the message,
the answers come from a higher source —
Be still
My sweet
With all your breath
Flowing in and through you
 Swirling with ease and love
Open my love 
And sway
Gently
Lovely 
With grace and gratitude
Exhale
Release!

— Stacy L. Pintor ©

Thank you for visiting my blog, I truly hope some or all of the soul healing practices do help you along your sacred journey and provide you some relief and ease.

Visit my website if you want to learn more about me and to check out my poetry, especially if you liked the poem above which is included in my first poetry collection, Into the Darkness, Become the Light.  

https://www.baresoulworks.com

Thanks again for visiting and for your support. Stacy 💚 

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The soul healing practices provided in this blog are meant as a tool to aid in healing, for improving mental and emotional health, and for inspiring self-transformation. The practices are not meant to be a form of psychotherapy or social work practice requiring a contractual, professional relationship. If you need consistent therapeutic care and/or crisis intervention due to being at risk of harming yourself or others, then seek professional and/or emergency services immediately.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you how I integrate my personal experience, spiritual growth and expansion, and past professional mental health experience in the form of soul healing practices. By sharing my experience, it is my hope it will provide a practical example of how to interrupt and lessen the cyclical energy of suffering and to elevate your soul.   

These practices work best when you are ready to heal and expand. It is okay if you are not quite ready. Please be gentle and patient with yourself, seek outside help both professionally and personally as needed. You will heal and expand when you are ready. Sending you so much love, warmth, and compassion. Stacy 💚

© Stacy L. Pintor 2016. All Rights Reserved.

Revised and updated in 2025 by Stacy L. Pintor ©.

(No part of this blog may be reproduced without written permission from the author)

PREFACE 

I decided to revisit each of my blog posts many years after I originally posted them to update and revise as needed. I’m finding two things, I wish I had an editor and I want to soften the tone of the information I’m sharing. To be honest, the last thing I want to sound is preachy or righteous because I am forever learning the depths of my soul. I think when I first wrote the posts, I was excited to share a practice that worked for me so it may have come across that way. I want to revise a few things so it’s more about sharing my personal experience and what I’ve learned on my journey.

I’m a firm believer in experiencing all aspects of self, even the darkness, and the darkest part of self. I’m learning that experiencing this darkness, which I like to refer to as the ebb in the soul’s current, does take strength and lots of compassion as you care for your soul wounds. The soul healing practices are skills and practices I’ve developed during my journey that helped in navigating through the darkness, and assisted in shifting from ebb to flow with rest and integration in between. 

The practices are psychospiritual in nature, and are a mix of my personal experience and prior professional mental health background (as a licensed clinical social worker). All of my practices involve connecting with the elevated mind and sacred heart through awareness, imagination, visualization, and meditation. These soul healing practices continue to evolve and change just as my soul is growing and expanding.

There is of course no guarantee that the practices will work for you, but if you do try any of the practices, I encourage you to experiment in order to make it your own. Listen to your inner wisdom and change or refine the practice as needed so it completely resonates with your soul. Also, all of my practices need to be at your pace, so again listen to your inner knowing and honor it. 

My sacred journey is not less or more significant than anyone else’s, my only motivation for sharing is to inspire self-transformation and to offer support for your unique and sacred journey. Please forgive any editorial mistakes for this is as good as it will get without an editor ;). This is what I’ve learned along the way.

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE BACKGROUND

From an early age, I tended to be a contemplator, and at its worse an over-thinker and worrier. My mind, like most, can be quite busy with many thoughts like my to-do list, the well-being of my loved ones, finances, my internal state, conditioned beliefs, daydreams, and so on. I’m fascinated by the power of the mind and the many facets it holds. For example, how a single thought or belief creates an internal reality that influences an external reality, and if focused upon long enough may manifest an exterior world that directly reflects the interior. The mind is literally the filter we perceive the world both internally and externally, so in my opinion becoming aware of the type of filter being used is critical in understanding the quality of life being lived.

Understanding this filter is the first step in the art of empowering the mind. I will offer my understanding of the workings of the mind to provide a platform, but please take the time to do your own research. This is only my interpretation and not in any way a proven theory. For me, the main purpose of researching how the mind functions is to gain an awareness of the mind’s brilliance, and compassion when it’s goes haywire.

My own investigation of the mind directly coincided with my spiritual growth, heart expansion, and professional work, which led me to believe the mind is actually a neutral mechanism that aids in the creation of our experience. I found pending the type of thoughts and beliefs that are present in the mind dictates the type of experience created, whether it may be of ease or some level of suffering.

The mind as a neutral mechanism oscillates between various states of functioning at which I simplified to three primary states: neutral, elevated, and ego. A balanced, disciplined mind harmonizes all three. My definitions of these three states are based on my own experience and research so if it doesn’t resonate with you, then again I encourage you to take the time to come to your own understanding. I’ve debated about taking this part out of the post, but I think it still sets the stage for the fact the mind does contain different facets of functioning that are important to understand. So for now, I’ll keep it in. Perhaps if I receive new insights or knowledge, my interpretation of how the mind functions may change or it may validate my current understanding. I am open to both possibilities. Also, my understanding of the mind may not take into account any physical or neurological impairments of the brain. 

The neutral state is the void of thoughts or detachment of thoughts lasting seconds, minutes, or longer. Ultimately, as we practice being an observer of our thoughts, we can completely detach ourselves from the thoughts, where we experience the realization that thoughts are NOT entirely us. Our sacred soul essence is the undertone of our being no matter the type of thoughts and beliefs that inhabit our mind. In my personal interior practice, I’ve experienced a profound sense of peace and quiet during these neutral voids. It is helpful to be familiar with a practice of mindfulness, grounding, meditation, contemplation, or even sound healing to further gain understanding of this detachment.

The mind in an elevated state is aligned with divine source (or whatever resonates with your beliefs), our sacred divine self, and our sacred heart to include our intuition, inner knowing, and imagination. The elevated mind is congruent with the soul’s current or harmony, its natural ebb and flow. During flow, it generates clear and flexible thoughts creating an experience and response of ease, joy, harmony, or even bliss. During ebb, it is able to maneuver through setbacks, mistakes, or disappointments with as much grace as possible, and expects the best no matter the circumstance or situation. The elevated mind gives us a clear knowing and a strong trust that each setback is an opportunity for soul growth and expansion, which allows for less attachment to the discomfort of the ebb state. For me, meditation and visualization, automatic writing, and poetry have always been a gateway to the elevated mind. 

The ego state has roots in the primitive mind of wanting to be the “protector” in order to keep us safe from danger, as well as the need to feel special and seen, hence trying to make us feel secure and accepted. A lot of the time the ego functions from a subconscious, automatic, or default mode. It seems to run on auto pilot with conditioned and habitual patterns of thinking and believing. When the ego is functioning from clarity, it serves an important role of helping us to make appropriate judgments and decisions to avoid real danger, to find safety from actual detrimental threats, and to set appropriate boundaries in relationships of all types. It activates the nervous system to execute the fight, flight, or freeze response in order to put us into some type of action. Ideally, once the threat or trigger passes the mind returns to a balanced state and the nervous system settles down to a rest state.

Beyond these three states of functioning is the mind in dream state. The mind in dream state has no boundaries and has the freedom to travel through unconscious and conscious realms. Dreams can show us subconscious or unconscious blocks or barriers that need to be seen and healed, show us our shadow aspects that are suppressed in the awake state, show us our highest potential through its symbolic and poetic dream language, and so much more pending where our imagination or the divine takes us. I find dreams to be quite informative, transformational, and healing. 

For the purpose of this post, I will focus on the conscious or awake state of mind, which certainly influences our dream world. The aim of the soul healing practices are to restore the mind to a balanced, harmonious state especially when the ego becomes problematic, and to realign with the higher or neutral mind. The ego becomes problematic when it stays stuck in a perceived threat, clings to the role of protector, and carries the heavy burden of negative storylines (thoughts/beliefs). Our nervous system can be chronically activated as if the original threat is happening in real time, even though the perceived threat was actually only triggered by an internal or external experience (memories, interpersonal relations, situational circumstances, environmental triggers such as sight, sounds, smells, and so on). 

We often have trouble reminding the ego that the threat has already passed due to our attachment to conditioned negative storylines that were seeded during a challenging or traumatic experience, and then grew to maturity over time. These negative storylines cling to painful emotions and feelings that may feel like heavy concrete blocks pulling us further into the depths of suffering. This experience may cause reactions or behaviors rooted in unresolved emotional and mental wounds that disrupt our relationships, including our relationship with self and with life. Examples of internal threats and triggers may include: fear of rejection or abandonment, feeling unworthy, feeling unlovable and abandoned, feeling unsafe or disempowered, constantly feeling victimized, desperately wanting acceptance and/or approval from others, and so on. Common consequences from being chronically triggered and attached to negative storylines may include feeling spun out of control, unrelenting worry, self-doubt, excessive anxiety, destructive anger, guilt and/or shame, depression, physical pain and ailments, and dysfunctional relationships of all types, basically a tangled web of thoughts, feelings, and body discomfort.

The use of the term “conditioned” is referring to thoughts and beliefs developed and learned from an early age during upbringing and/or developed later in life (likely due to significant events). The conditioning typically creates a pattern of thinking, and only becomes problematic when the thoughts grow into self-defeating, limiting, and disempowering core beliefs. It can be easy to despise the ego for creating such an experience of hell, but this reaction only perpetuates the cycle of suffering. With deep healing and love of self, it is possible to develop compassion for the ego’s existence because of its desire and important role to protect, even when it spins out of control from time to time. I like to think of it as a child, adolescent, friend, or a pet needing redirection and guidance.

The primary reason some storylines are considered negative (self-defeating and disempowering) is because they are distorted, not 100% true, and maladaptive. Maladaptive meaning, as these types of thoughts are cycling in our mind, we typically react to our environment with a distorted perception (self-defeating, disempowering, or limiting) resulting in similar behaviors, rather than responding with clarity, ease, and grace. Examples of distorted thinking may include using extreme words such as always, never, can’t, etc., catastrophizing outcomes, expecting the worst, and/or feeling a certain way so it must be true (I feel like a bad person so that means I am a bad person). There are many other types of distorted thinking so I recommend doing your own research.

Distorted thinking is also addressed in two evidence-based interventions, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). I do incorporate some CPT protocols (challenging the validity of thoughts/beliefs) in the soul healing practice, which is based on my training and past experience as a licensed clinical social worker. 

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

The first step to restoring a balanced, harmonious mind in alignment with the higher mind is to increase awareness of the type of thoughts/beliefs, feelings, body sensations, and behaviors that are creating a disharmonious experience, suffering, or disempowerment. I found it helpful to take an unbiased, curious approach to the internal experience as if I’m a mere observer investigating the workings of my mind, heart, and body.

The feelings, body sensations, and behaviors that are associated with distorted thoughts and beliefs serve a significant role because we often notice these before we may identify the specific thought or belief. I like to think of it as a check engine light in a car because it offers a powerful alert or cue that something is off or that we are in a state of imbalance and disharmony. Once distorted, self-defeating, or disempowering thoughts are identified, I like to go a little deeper to uncover a core belief which is often the origin of distorted thinking. Examples of maladaptive core beliefs may include: I’m unworthy, I don’t matter, I’m not good enough, I’m a monster, I don’t deserve love, and so on.

The soul healing practice strengthens this type of self-awareness leading to increased introspection and reflection which will improve the quality of life. Begin the internal work by documenting your soul’s experience and write down thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and body sensations. It’s a way to take inventory of your internal experience, and to become more familiar with how you are experiencing life rather than functioning on an automatic or default setting.

As this self-awareness builds, then the empowering of the mind may begin through the path of introspection and reflection. An effective way to do this work is to challenge the validity of distorted or disempowering thoughts or beliefs. Challenging distorted thinking has its origins in the two evidence-based interventions mentioned earlier, CBT and more extensively CPT. Also, spiritual teachers such as Byron Katie demonstrates the power of challenging self-defeating thoughts in her book, I Need Your Love— Is That True?

Before I continue describing the soul healing practice, I would like to mention the soul healing practice has been quite effective in harmonizing the soul’s experience as seen in my own healing journey and the journey of service members I’ve provided therapy. I would also like to say with all transparency that untangling and empowering the mind can take time, practice, and patience. It requires a willingness to bring light to the shadow aspects of self, often to the things you don’t want to look at. Be as patient and kind with yourself as possible during this journey within, and while you navigate through your darkness. Patience and kindness can begin by implementing calming and centering practices, which I’ll describe a few below. These practices are also effective in opening the door for a new way of perceiving and experiencing because it calms the nervous system, helps to deescalate intense emotions, and redirects you to the present moment and to your sacred heart. 

I also learned in my internal and professional work that it takes matched persistence to interrupt habitual and conditioned distorted thinking with new empowered thinking. I know this well, as I mentioned earlier I am one who often dwells in my head where I find self-defeating and disempowering thoughts holding residency, and it takes matched persistence to evict them. But I’ve also found by doing this soul work to include a daily alignment meditation that I’ve shifted my internal default setting. I am now defaulting to a more harmonious and balanced emotional and mental state. Sure, I still get triggered, upset, and angry, but it doesn’t hijack my entire experience like it used to for days or longer. I’m able to return to a balanced state much quicker and easier. I see it for what it is – another soul experience offering growth and expansion because I’ve gained more emotional and mental altitude. I’m also able to take responsibility and accountability for my experience and offer genuine amends as needed. I’ve noticed my overall soul’s experience has shifted from chronic suffering to more peace, harmony, and happiness.   

I’ve divided the soul healing practice into three segments: 1) Identify Distorted Thinking, 2) Challenge Distorted Thinking, and 3) Clear Distorted Energy. Before I begin any practice (as you probably guessed if you read any of my other posts), I like to center and calm my energy by doing a four-count breath technique. I count to four as I inhale expanding the lower belly (1, 2, 3, 4) and count four backwards as I exhale slowly (4, 3, 2, 1), repeating as needed. I like to then follow with intentional breathing: as I slowly inhale I say to myself I am and on the exhale I say calm, continuing the practice on the inhale saying I am and on the exhale saying safe, breathing in I am and breathing out empowered, breathing in I am and breathing out love, breathing in I am and breathing out light, and finally breathing in I am and breathing out free. You can end this practice with the following statement or intention: I trust myself, I believe in myself. Remember with this practice to bring the breath down to your lower belly and not just to your chest. The breath not only gives life to the intention, but also helps to anchor it into your soul’s vibration. If you like this practice, I also suggest experimenting with the intentions so it totally resonates with you and gives you a sense of calm, and a feeling of being centered, nurtured, and empowered. 

1) IDENTIFY DISTORTED THINKING

The first step is to identify a distorted or disempowering thought or core belief to include its associated feelings, body sensations, and behaviors. I like to use two different techniques in helping to identify distorted thinking.  

Practice 1: You will need some paper or a notebook and something to write with to do this practice. In the center of the paper, write down a question, phrase, or statement of something that is bothering you and causing discomfort or distress, and then circle it. As you contemplate the circled stressor, write down anything that comes to mind related to the stressor, writing the responses all around the circle. Allow your mind to be uncensored and unfiltered as you automatic write. It could consist of a combination of feelings, thoughts, phrases, and/or words. Then review the responses and circle the one that feels the most distressing and/or triggering, then continue to Practice 2. 

If the written exercise causes any additional distress, then stop and return to the four-count and/or intentional breathing exercises to calm your nervous system. Another effective tool to calm the nervous system and regulate distress is by grounding. A quick grounding practice involves focusing on one of your five senses. For example, you may tune into a pleasant background noise, feel the weight of your body while standing or sitting, focus on an inspiring or pleasing site, notice a pleasant smell, or tune into the taste of something enjoyable. Note, you want to focus on or tune into a sense that is pleasant or delightful and not unpleasant or pungent because the goal is to calm the nervous system and not to activate it. I suggest experimenting with your five senses to learn more of what makes you feel more calm and centered in the present moment. I’ve also recently experimented with sound healing (singing bowls and tuning forks) which for me is quite beneficial, there are plenty of options on YouTube. Please incorporate your favorite practice that offers the same effect of calming the nervous system, turning down any intense emotions, and bringing you back to the present moment.

Practice 2: This practice complements the first written practice especially if the response you want to work with is more of a feeling or a projection statement (“he”, “she”, “they” statements). The practice involves identifying an “I” statement to increase ownership and responsibility of your thinking. A technique to identify “I” statements or even core beliefs is to ask yourself: what does it say about me when… or what does it mean to be…, for example, for the projection statement: they always leave me out, you can further explore this thought by asking, what does it say about me to always be left out, or what does it mean to be left out. The answers to these questions, may lead to a response of, I don’t matter or I’m unworthy, which are both “I” statements and core beliefs. The “I” statements are driving your subconscious reaction or response to the situation.

Once this new insight is gained, a choice is granted in how to proceed because you’ve identified a distorted thought or core belief needing your attention and to be healed. As you heal any type of self-defeating or disempowering thinking you regain power over the external situation or circumstance because you are creating more balance and harmony from within. Visit my post, “How to Transform Anger into Power” (3 Mar 2017), specifically Practice  2 for a more detailed example of this discovery technique.

2) CHALLENGE DISTORTED THINKING

On a piece of paper or in a notebook, create a worksheet with the following topic headings: 1) Distorted Thought/Belief, 2) Feelings, Body Sensations, and Behaviors, 3) True Statements (what makes the distorted thought/belief true), 4) Not True Statements (what makes the distorted thought/belief not true), 5) Realistic/Empowered Thought/Belief, and 6) Feelings, Body Sensations, and Behaviors (of new thought). I recommend practicing in a written format until you gain a level of mastery. I found there is a kind of magic with handwriting and the brain. But of course, if you prefer typing, then please do so. It is most important and above all else that this practice resonates with you.

I’ll provide a brief outline of the practice, but a comprehensive description and example is provided later in the post (My Experience With The Soul Healing Practice). Using the worksheet and topic headings, write down the thought/belief that was identified from above or a distressing thought currently on your mind. Under the appropriate heading, list how you feel when you think this way, what sensations or tensions are present in your body, and how do you behave when this thought is dominating your mind. The next step is to list what makes the distorted thought/belief true and what makes it not true. You will likely find the distorted thought/belief is not 100% true as a result of the not true statements. Based upon this analysis, the next step is to identify a more realistic and empowering thought that better fits the not true statements.

When you practice the new thought with breath, repetition, and/or visualization, you may notice an internal shift from a slight to a substantial difference in your feelings or body sensations, list these results on the worksheet. The last step is to imagine or visualize how you would behave with the new empowered thought, writing your potential behavior on the worksheet. Hopefully, you can visualize responding with more ease rather than reacting with distress and pain. I’ve found by consistently practicing the realistic/empowering thought, it eventually becomes a belief, and the imagined behavior becomes the actual response. 

3) CLEAR DISTORTED ENERGY

I like to further clear my soul’s energy of disempowering mental, emotional, and physical aspects so I can elevate my mind and heart for more empowered ways of experiencing. This is also useful in helping your soul to accept the new and more empowered thought as previously discovered. The practice requires visualization, meditation, and tapping into your imagination. It incorporates the elements of cleaning, clearing, transmuting, and transcending your mental, emotional, and physical bodies. If any of the imagery in the visualization described below does not resonate with you, then please do experiment with the practice so the imagery you choose for your mental, emotional, and physical bodies are uniquely your own and best resonates with you, as well as how you clean, clear, transmute, and transcend your sacred energy. 

I first neutralize my energy by visualizing the two polarities of my soul as white light (or higher vibrational energy) and darker or denser energy. I imagine the pure, white light is descending down from above me to my soul’s core (solar plexus area between lower rib cage and belly button), and the darker energy is ascending from below me to my soul’s core, until the two energies meet or collide. When the energy collides it neutralizes and calmly dissipates outward all around me like a ripple in a tranquil pond, and I feel a sense of relief, calm, and neutrality. I also include a version of this technique in my post, “6 Ways to Interrupt Excessive Worry” (14 May 2016).  

I then visualize my mental space as an empty room with windows. I see the distorted thought or belief sitting in the middle of the room and imagine cleaning the mental dust and debris from the room, and then blowing the thought/belief out of the window where it lands onto a pallet of a cargo ship in my soul’s harbor. I now see the room as crisp and clean, full of light, and a warm breeze flowing in the windows.  

Next, I move to my heart space where I visualize it as a mountain meadow with colorful wild flowers. I see any distressing feelings that are associated with the distorted thought/belief as smog or pollution hovering in my meadow. I identify each feeling (sad, anger, loneliness, etc.) and then see a strong wind blow the smog/pollution out of the meadow to the cargo ship where it is loaded onto the same pallet as the distorted thought/belief. I once again return to my heart space and see my meadow full of color surrounded by tall, majestic mountains and a crisp blue sky above. 

I then visualize any associated physical pain, illness, inflammation, or flare-ups are removed as if I’m taking off a heavy burdensome cloak or sometimes I imagine a warm, golden light cleansing and healing my body of the pain and discomfort. I see the physical burdens loaded on the same pallet. 

The three visualizations symbolize the cleaning and clearing of the mental, emotional, and physical bodies. I continue the visualization to transmute and transcend the distressing energy that was loaded on the ship. I imagine that I’m standing on a dock in my soul’s harbor where the ship is anchored and now loaded with all my burdens. I then invoke my warrior-self and imagine I am a Spartan warrior or a skilled swordsman holding a sword of purifying light. Sometimes I ask for the assistance of Archangel Michael to help me cut the anchor to the ship. I swiftly cut the anchor and the ship immediately begins its voyage moving away from my soul’s harbor to the horizon. I visualize once the ship meets the horizon it dissolves into golden dust and eventually disappears into the void or the sacred whole which includes my soul’s oneness. I call it the sacred whole because it’s like the energy is finding a new home back into the whole of creation. I once again bring my attention to myself standing on the dock, and I visualize magical golden light is swirling and flowing within me and all around me, as I stand tall and empowered. This energy makes me feel that I’ve been transformed into my sacred divine self. I say, it is gone, and I feel a sense of relief and freedom from the burdensome energy.

The ship navigating into the horizon and dissolving into golden dust, as well as my transformation are symbolic of the energy being transmuted and transcended. For another version of this technique see my posts, “How to Transform Anger into Power” (3 Mar 2017) and “Cutting the Cords to Suffering” (19 Jul 2016). 

For a quicker visualization, you may visualize that you are plucking or pulling out the mental and emotional burdens from your mind and heart, and any physical discomfort and pain from your body, where you place each in a pile by your feet. You can invoke your warrior-self by imagining yourself as a powerful being, standing tall and confident. Next visualize igniting the pile so it burns into golden ash, and then is blown away as it disappears into the void or sacred whole. If the element of fire doesn’t quite resonate, then use any element or force such as water, lightening, or anything of your choosing. Please do experiment with the visualization so it truly becomes your own sacred practice. 

SOUL HEALING PRACTICE CLOSING

I like to close each soul healing practice with another visualization, especially if the practice doesn’t include an energetic shield/boundary. If the practice does include a protective sphere of light, then adjust this closing visualization to complement the practice. The closing visualization may also be a stand alone practice. The intent is to further cleanse any residual blocks or burdens, calm the soul, restore optimal functioning, and realign the soul as above, so below.  

Visualize a disk of purifying, white light that is above you and is large enough to fit both your body and energetic field. The purpose of the disk is to scan your body and energetic field while it simultaneously moves any residual mental, emotional, physical, and energetic blocks or burdens. The energy will be moved out and drained like an energetic faucet as it disappears into the void. The intention of the energy as it disappears is to be transmuted and transcended into the sacred whole which includes your soul’s oneness or harmony. 

As you continue the visualization, imagine the purifying disk of light descending down towards you and begins to scan your upper energetic field and extends outward to capture your entire energetic field as it moves down your body, starting with your head, down your shoulders, down each arm, and out each hand. Visualize any blocks or burdens draining out of your hands (like a faucet). You can imagine the energy as darker energy flowing out. Once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle stop the flow from your hands. Bring your attention back to your shoulders and continue the scan down your chest, your abdomen to the pelvic area, down each leg, and out each foot. Again visualize any blocks or burdens draining out from your feet, once you feel it is complete or see the energy begin to trickle then stop the flow. Now take a moment to visualize your entire body and energetic field are now cleansed and cleaned.  

Next say to yourself, CALM, and visualize and feel every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is calming like a pristine, quiet mountain lake with no movement. Just calm and quiet. Take a few deep belly breaths to savor this feeling of calmness. Next, say to yourself, HEAL, followed by optimal health and functioning, and golden light are restored, visualize every cell of your body and particle of your energetic field is now filled with sparkling golden light as you are glowing and vibrating with this golden energy. Visualize the golden energy extends outward to form a sphere of light that now surrounds you. The sphere of light may change colors, any color of your choosing. Again, take a few deep belly breaths to savor this energy of renewal, strength, and empowerment. 

Lastly, visualize a column of golden threads above you descending down through you and exiting out your feet, continuing down into the earth to be deeply anchored into the earth’s core so you feel secured, stable, and grounded (you can add imagery of golden roots or similar extending from your feet to be anchored into the earth’s core). Next see a violet light doing the same, and finally a pure white light doing the same. The intent of the columns are to align you above and below, so you feel both grounded and elevated. You may close the visualization by saying to yourself three intentions, for example I say: I am powerful, I am magical, I am healing, and as I say each intention I visualize myself growing taller, stronger, and feeling more empowered.  

As a last note and most likely suggested in the description of the soul healing practice, do experiment with, change, refine the practice as needed so it truly resonates with your soul, becomes your personal practice, and evolves and changes with you. By making the practice your own, you are listening to your inner guidance, are connecting with your sacred divine self, and aligning with your unique wisdom and soul’s vibration.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE SOUL HEALING PRACTICE

 As I engaged in my morning routine, I noticed the presence of anger, low energy, and a cluttered mind that was spinning me into a tangled mess of incoherent and anxiety-filled thoughts, and soul confusion. I was hoping during the morning run with my dog that I would ground myself enough to begin untangling my mind and to gain more clarity. However, I was becoming increasingly angry with my dog as she made numerous stops during the run to sniff around. As a more elevated side note, I do find a dog’s nose quite phenomenal, as if it is a mini laboratory where it tests and analyzes each scent that the nose samples. 

But even with the knowing it’s difficult for her to ignore certain scents, my anger was increasing because the stops were not quick. It was as if she meticulously took a sample of the scent, analyzed it longer than my liking, and developed a conclusion by urinating on it. By this time, my heart rate decreased to almost a rest state and I was angrily thinking, I’m not getting my work out! I noticed I was clenching my jaw, feeling tension in my head, and frowning. So I reacted by pulling on her leash and pushing her backside to get her going. She anxiously looked behind her not realizing it was me who touched her and then sprinted forward with fear. I didn’t like going to that measure to get what I wanted. My mind, feelings, body sensations, and maladaptive behavior were definitely alerting me that my mind was in a state of imbalance, I was in a state of imbalance. So I investigated my thoughts further during the remainder of the run. 

I noticed the thought, I always have to stop for you, but it actually went a little deeper and led to the thought, I always have to stop for others and take care of their needs first. But I knew, based on my internal work, these thoughts were linked to a familiar core belief, I’m unworthy, and in this case translated to, my needs don’t matter because I’m unworthy. I’ve been doing this work long enough that I can now quickly identify deeper core beliefs beneath the initial distorted thoughts. 

When I arrived home from the run, I challenged the validity of the thoughts/beliefs. In this example, I challenged both simultaneously so this post isn’t too lengthy, but I recommend challenging only one at a time as you learn this practice. The process unfolded as follows:

1) Distorted Thought/Belief:

a) I always have to stop for others and take care of their needs first.

b) My needs don’t matter because I’m unworthy.

Note: the extreme word – always.

2) Feelings, Body Sensations, and Behaviors:

• Feelings: primarily anger and irritability with some anxiety and sadness.
• Body Sensations: clenched jaw, head tension and frowning, lower energy, pain in left shoulder and neck.
• Behaviors (maladaptive reaction): agitation, irritable reactions such as pulling and pushing my dog, and being verbally snippy.

3) True Statements (what makes the distorted thought/belief true):

• I do stop for my dog at least 3 x during the runs.
• People always expect me to take care of them first. 
• I’m always the listener.
• I always have to sacrifice my time and energy for others.
• I feel like my needs don’t matter so that means they don’t matter.

4) Not True Statements (what makes the distorted thought/belief not true):

• All the statements using the word, always, and the distorted thinking of feeling a certain way so that means it must be true, are not 100% true.
• I’m still getting a work out even when I stop during the runs. I have the option to leave my dog home if I want a more intense work out.
• My loved ones would be delighted and happy to listen to me, if I let them know that’s what I need.
• I’m learning to establish boundaries like saying “no” without feeling guilty or obligated. I’m also making myself less available when I need time to rest and restore.
• I’ve made major life decisions such as moving states several times because my soul was calling for it, and my daughter graciously flowed with each change and adapted well in the new locations.
• I’ve taken care of myself by slowing down my life, pursuing a creative endeavor that I feel absolutely passionate about, offering myself plenty of time for grounding and relaxing outdoors, creating a beautiful sanctuary in my home, developing a daily meditation that is unique and sacred, receiving massages and energy healing, and going to movies.

All of the above clearly shows that I do believe I am worthy, that my needs do matter, and I am learning how to balance giving and receiving.

5) Realistic/Empowered Thought/Belief:

a) My needs do matter, it’s okay to take care of myself first and then care for others.

b) I am worthy of having my needs met. 

Your realistic and empowering thought may not be a total flip of the distorted thought/belief, which is perfectly okay, it may just be an improvement of the distorted thought that better fits the not true statements. So it may sound something like this, I will try to take care of myself first and then others because my needs matter or It’s okay if I take care of my needs too. Again, it is most important that you make this soul healing practice your own and go at your pace.  

6) Feelings, Body Sensations, and Behaviors:

• Feelings: excitement and actual joy.
• Body Sensations: jaw, head, neck, and shoulders relaxed, felt lighter in my body, and noticed an increase in energy.
• Behaviors (adaptive response): I was able to develop a plan that equally met my needs and others during the day. I asked myself the question, does this bring me joy, to help me develop this plan. Knowing 100% reciprocity may not be the case every time, but just taking care of my needs in some manner during the exchange felt good and empowering.

Before I practiced the new empowered thoughts with breath, I further cleared the distorted energy by doing the clearing visualization as described earlier. I practiced the thoughts throughout the day and days to come. I also made sure to savor the shift in my feelings and body sensations as a way to strengthen a new neural pathway, and to anchor the elevated energy into my soul’s vibration. For me it was a way to clear the canvas, so that the new thought had a chance of sticking to my soul’s portrait in order to begin the creation of my internal masterpiece ;).  

POEM

Here’s one of my poems that describes the diligent internal work of exploring the mind, heart, and soul, only to discover an absolute magic from within. I thought it kind of fit this post. The poem describes my personal internal journey, the cleaning and preparing, the pain and discomfort, the exploration and discoveries, and the union with my sacred divine self.   

ROOMS TO CLEAN

How long do I wait for you?

A promised reward
for diligently exploring
the many rooms of human conditioning.
Rooms that appear to be endless, 
in this mansion of consciousness. 

Every turn leads to a new hallway,
doors, and more doors, so many rooms,
to clear, clean, dust, sweep.
Finishing the whole cleaning escapade
with the aroma of a sweet, yet bold feminine scent  
that enlightens the musty, stale odor
of old, outdated beliefs.

I’m getting tired though, room after room,
I’ve diligently cleaned.
I’ve been such a loyal attendant,
arriving on time, dust cloth at hand, 
always ready to work.

Sometimes doing my work with ease and grace, 
with curiosity and anticipation
that tends to pirouette in my sacral:
knowing the many sacred mysteries awaiting
behind each of the solid doors,
knowing the exquisite clothing, treasures to be found
in the many ornate closets.

Often, or at least it seems,  
I drag my feet along the dusty floor
for fear the disappointments
will outweigh the happiness I seek.
My patience dwindles and I pick up the step
to hurry up and get the job done, 
get to the end,
get to the outcome already!

Often, or at least it seems,
I’m attracted to the same closet with the usual contents: 
a heavy, dark bleak cloak
that I routinely drape over my shoulders,
feet drag even slower with each weighted step;
a soft, gray veil adorned in intricate lace
placed upon my crown, falling precisely over my eyes
to shroud my vision with such purpose and precision.
A stupendous, yet ominous outfit
distorting time and perception,
doesn’t disappoint. 
It feels like an eternity when wearing this costume,
the waiting, the preparing,
for you.

Just drop it, take it off
the cloak, the veil, the illusion,
and discover
time is the same,
there’s been no eternity of waiting,
no time loss, no delay,
no snag in the cosmic fabric of possibilities.

No matter how often I put this damn costume on,
all experiences are worth the wait.
No matter the grittiness, the dirt, chaos filling the rooms,
all experiences are worth the knowing.

It’s all a part of the whole cosmic expedition,
a desire to grow, change, elevate,
contract and expand,
to breathe the essence of creation,
exhale the desire to be set free.

When you do arrive,
after all rooms have been inspected
some cleaned, some left alone;
I’ll see you clearly.
This time,
no cloak, no veil, no disguise,
but absolute naked truth.

Hallways seem to magically disappear,
doors vanish, the mirage dissipates.
A wide-open space remains,
radiating your warmth and the soft glow of your torch.
The space seems to breathe:
billowing with abundance, possibilities,
oneness, greatness.

All is finally revealed, unveiled,
you are here.
Of course, you have always been here,
but that was part of the mastery, even the pain
to find you, to know you.
It turns out,
I needed the journey in its absolute entirety,
in order to feel the exquisite wholeness of my sacred self,
to feel the ultimate truth, from within. 

— Stacy L. Pintor ©

Thank you for visiting my blog, I truly hope some or all of the soul healing practices do help you along your sacred journey and provide you some relief and ease.   

Visit my website if you want to learn more about me and to check out my poetry, especially if you liked the poem above which is included in my poetry book, Alchemy of the Soul. You can also hear me read the poem on my YouTube channel (link available on my website):  

https://www.baresoulworks.com

Thanks again for visiting and for your support. Stacy 💚 

PLEASE BE ADVISED

The soul healing practices provided in this blog are meant as a tool to aid in healing, for improving mental and emotional health, and for inspiring self-transformation. The practices are not meant to be a form of psychotherapy or social work practice requiring a contractual, professional relationship. If you need consistent therapeutic care and/or crisis intervention due to being at risk of harming yourself or others, then seek professional and/or emergency services immediately.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you how I integrate my personal experience, spiritual growth and expansion, and past professional mental health experience in the form of soul healing practices. By sharing my experience, it is my hope it will provide a practical example of how to interrupt and lessen the cyclical energy of suffering and to elevate your soul.   

These practices work best when you are ready to heal and expand. It is okay if you are not quite ready. Please be gentle and patient with yourself, seek outside help both professionally and personally as needed. You will heal and expand when you are ready. Sending you so much love, warmth, and compassion. Stacy 💚

© Stacy L. Pintor 2016. All Rights Reserved.

Revised and updated in 2025 by Stacy L. Pintor ©.

(No part of this blog may be reproduced without written permission from the author)