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Releasing Negativity and Negative Energies
384 Plays2 years ago
Since the end of 2021 has just come and gone, it wouldn't be at all unusual if we all breathed a collective sigh of relief... or maybe hold our breath in anticipation of what MIGHT be coming down the pike.
But the truth is, holding onto the negativity and bad energy that has been so overwhelming for the last year or so is not helpful nor is it healthy.
In this podcast, I talk about a variety of rituals and ceremonies, both solo and group, that can be used to help you rid yourself of those unhealthy, nasty negative ideas and energies.
And if you have tried any of these rituals, or have one of your own that works for you, let me know!
Also, in the podcast I tell you that I am putting a couple of links in the description. Well, here they are.
Link to a YouTube video on How to Fold a Simple Paper boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THkUkhBt8Rc
Link to a source for dissolving paper: https://amzn.to/3EtK7Jr
But the truth is, holding onto the negativity and bad energy that has been so overwhelming for the last year or so is not helpful nor is it healthy.
In this podcast, I talk about a variety of rituals and ceremonies, both solo and group, that can be used to help you rid yourself of those unhealthy, nasty negative ideas and energies.
And if you have tried any of these rituals, or have one of your own that works for you, let me know!
Also, in the podcast I tell you that I am putting a couple of links in the description. Well, here they are.
Link to a YouTube video on How to Fold a Simple Paper boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THkUkhBt8Rc
Link to a source for dissolving paper: https://amzn.to/3EtK7Jr
Recommended
Transcript
Unusual Places of Luck
00:00:00
Speaker
Lucky Land Casino, asking people what's the weirdest place you've gotten lucky. Lucky? In line at the deli, I guess? Haha, in my dentist's office. More than once, actually. Do I have to say? Yes, you do. In the car before my kids PTA meeting. Really? Yes. Excuse me, what's the weirdest place you've gotten lucky? I never win and tell.
Releasing Negativity for Well-Being
00:00:32
Speaker
Since the end of 2021 has come and gone, it wouldn't be unusual for us to release a breath of relief or maybe hold our breath in anticipation of what might be coming.
00:00:46
Speaker
But you know, holding on to the negativity and bad energy that's been so overwhelming for the last year, and even longer than that, if we go all the way back to the beginning of the pandemic, is neither helpful nor is it really healthy. The many traditions and belief systems and even some non-belief systems have rituals and ceremonies and things that they do that are designed to help their members release those nasty negative ideas and energy.
00:01:16
Speaker
And I want to talk about some of those today and how you might be able to use them to help release some of those negative energies back out into the, into the void so that they don't cling and hamper you for the rest of this year. Stay tuned.
Introduction to Holistic Health Podcast
00:01:38
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the full spectrum holistic health podcast. This podcast is all about holistic health.
00:01:46
Speaker
what it is, various holistic and alternative health therapies, and how those may help you to be a healthier and happier person. Thanks for choosing to listen today. I know there are many podcasts out there for you to choose from, and I'm glad you are here. I'm the host for the podcast, Dr. Anthony Burton. I'm a Reiki master, EFT therapist, meditation teacher, and a shamanic practitioner. My goal is to help people be healthier in body,
00:02:15
Speaker
mind and spirit and that's why I'm here. A large part of what I do is educational in nature because so many people are unaware of the power and efficacy of various holistic and alternative therapies.
Overview of Holistic Health Therapies
00:02:30
Speaker
In these podcasts we'll hear stuff that will inform you, enlighten you, and help energize and balance you.
00:02:36
Speaker
Of course, it won't always be only my opinions and ideas because occasionally I will be interviewing knowledgeable and interesting guests from a variety of areas of holistic and complementary health practices. So kick back and relax, open your mind, and listen. Spectrum Holistic is a complementary health and wellness business located in northwest Georgia, USA.
00:03:00
Speaker
check out the website at www.spectrum-holistic.com for more information.
Psychology of Holding Negative Emotions
00:03:13
Speaker
Now, some people may discount the releasing of negative energies and negative emotions, sort of thing as very new age or woo woo, but it has been validated by modern scientific study. In fact, a March 2021 article
00:03:30
Speaker
that was in Psychology Today magazine reported on research about how negative emotions and how holding on to those negative emotions can affect the brain and mood. Briefly put, the research found that those whose amygdala, which is a portion of the brain, hold on to negative feelings longer, report more negative emotions, and they experience lower psychological well-being over time.
00:03:57
Speaker
Because of this, holding on to negative feelings is also a problem because it affects a person's self-appraisal of their own well-being. In other words, the individual will think that they're doing worse than they really are. Ultimately, it's really unhealthy to keep these negative emotions, these energies, caught up in our minds.
Methods to Release Negative Energies
00:04:21
Speaker
Remember, our minds have a phenomenal effect on how our bodies react
00:04:26
Speaker
and how physically healthy we are. So let's get on to some ways to release those negative energies and emotions. One of the easiest ways is simply to release the negativity into the wind. But how do you do that? Well, now in the past, a lot of people have advocated writing down your worries or concerns on a piece of paper, attaching it to a helium balloon and letting it just float away
00:04:55
Speaker
But recently people have realized that the balloons inevitably burst and they fall through the earth as litter. And it's often deadly litter if an animal ingest the balloon's rubber body. So I really don't recommend that procedure. Similarly in some traditions, a very lightweight paper lantern slash balloon is crafted. A small burning candle is lit inside it.
00:05:23
Speaker
and the hot air produced by the candle lifts the lantern into the air, carrying with it the negativity that you may have scribbled on the outside of the paper lantern. However, even that has its dangers. If you live anywhere, the lantern could possibly land where it might start a fire, and most places are like that. So I really can't recommend that one either unless you release the lantern into the air from maybe from a ship somewhere out on the ocean.
00:05:53
Speaker
It's a simpler and safer way. You can just have a stick of incense and hold in your hand and focus your intention on placing your worries or your cares or your particular worry or care into that stick of incense. And you light that incense and place it outside where the wind can carry away your negative feelings and energies
00:06:17
Speaker
along with the spoke from the incense, and it just kind of gets dissipated into the atmosphere. You can also release your worries or negativity and allow them to float away in water. Maybe you live near a stream or a creek or river or some other flowing body of water. If so, you could take a small piece of biodegradable paper, like blank newsprint, you know, and write your worries on that paper.
00:06:47
Speaker
Then you fold a piece of paper into a simple boat shape and place it in the stream or river. And you keep your intention, you hold that intention in your mind of letting your negative thoughts and worries be carried away by that little boat. Now, if you're not familiar with how to make a little boat out of paper and fold one up, probably a lot of people are, but some people are not.
00:07:11
Speaker
I have placed a link to a YouTube video in the description of this podcast that shows just how to fold a simple boat out of paper. Some Buddhists use colored sand or the petals of flowers to create beautiful, and I've seen these huge mandalas that represent the idea of detachment and impermanence. And then after spending a lot of time crafting this beautiful mandala, this piece of art,
00:07:39
Speaker
they brush the mandala out of existence or they may allow the wind to blow away the pattern. So along these lines, you could create a mandala or other representation of your worries or of the negative energies that remain from the ear and take it outside where the wind disrupts and blows away the mandala and all the energies that it represents. In a similar fashion, if you live near the ocean,
00:08:09
Speaker
You could go to the beach at low tide and draw or write your concerns or worries in the sand. Or make a design in the sand that represents whatever negativity you want to get rid of. Then allow the returning tide to wash away and obliterate the marks you've made, carrying your negativity or worries into the ocean.
Despacho Ceremony Explained
00:08:35
Speaker
But you know, for right now, I'd like to go into more detail about a couple of my favorite releasing rituals, the despacho and the burning bowl. So what is a despacho? Well, no, it's not gaspacho. Gaspacho is a delicious cold soup that originated in Spain. And though eating can be truly a spiritual experience, that's not what I'm talking about here. Despacho ceremonies are a part of South American and Mesoamerican indigenous belief systems.
00:09:05
Speaker
And they're usually conducted by that group's equivalent of a shaman or spiritual leader. The word despacho is derived from a Spanish word that means a package or a message sent to someone, a dispatch. As I'm referring to it here, it is a ceremony that sends that message, that dispatch, to the spirit world. There are many different kinds of despacho ceremonies. Some are done as thanks, like a thank you to the powers that be or something in particular.
00:09:36
Speaker
or thank you for the blessings that you've received in general. But some dispatcher ceremonies are held as ways of getting rid of things in your life. Feelings of betrayal, anger, sadness, and so forth. Maybe as a way of asking the spirits for help with breaking a bad habit or overcoming some feelings of inadequacy.
00:10:02
Speaker
Generally, also, despacho is what people name the small bundle or offering that the participant prepares for the ceremony. Now, often in our society, the bundle is made of a piece of paper, often with a prayer or words of thanks written on it. And that paper is then folded or rolled around something that is intended as an offering to the spirits. Now, what may be considered an offering varies widely.
00:10:30
Speaker
Some things that are sometimes included in despacho are tobacco, loose tobacco, cornmeal, seeds, flower petals, leaves of sage or some other herb, some spice such as coriander or cinnamon, maybe a lock of the person's hair or a feather, some sugar, maybe a drizzle of honey. Even paper money is usually fake, but it might represent contributions to a worthy cause that you intend to make.
00:11:00
Speaker
When a dispatcher ceremony is held, usually it's a small group. Everyone gathers around a fire, and usually each person addresses the group in their turn, talking about what they are sending in a message to the spirits. Now, sometimes it's a very private thing, and the participant really might not want to say aloud exactly what they're committing to the fire, but that's fine, because the spirits will know and also will be written on the paper.
00:11:30
Speaker
After speaking, the person who has the floor places his or her despacho bundle into the fire and lets the fire take the bundle, turning it into smoke to be carried up to the spirits and all the while maintaining that intention of releasing that message to the spirit world. And each participant does this in turn
00:11:56
Speaker
At the end, sometimes the gathered ashes are allowed to cool and then scattered on Mother Earth. Or they might be placed in a stream, or a lake, or the ocean. And this returns the physical components of the despotso to creation, to pacamama, so that she may complete any healing of any issues.
Cultural Appropriation Concerns
00:12:17
Speaker
Some people might feel that, hey, there's some cultural appropriation going on here.
00:12:23
Speaker
because it's typically done by a shamanic figure in an indigenous culture. And if that's a problem for you, if you are concerned about that or if it bothers you, that's fine. There's a similar ceremony that does not have that same sort of feeling of cultural appropriation that that may have for some people. Now, it's funny, but it's funny, before I'd ever even heard about this next ceremony, I used it myself before I'd ever been introduced to such a thing because it just felt natural to me.
00:12:54
Speaker
It is called a burning bowl ceremony, and often it's used by those who wish to release something in their lives, an unhealthy relationship connection, a bad habit, some fear, a history of doing something that's been destructive, and so forth. But it could just as easily be used to send a message of gratitude or prayer.
00:13:18
Speaker
With a burning bowl, a person or group of people have a fireproof container such as a metal pot or bowl safely placed on a fireproof surface. Now, make sure you understand that. You know, we don't want to start any conflagrations here. Now be careful too if you intend to use a pottery container. Often they cannot handle the heat and will crack or break. I tried doing this with a flower pot once and it didn't work. Didn't work at all. So I know from personal experience.
00:13:48
Speaker
Each person who is a participant takes a piece of paper, and while holding a strong matching intention in their head and heart, they write upon that paper what they wish to release. All the participants sit and stand around the bowl. Sit or stand, either one, whatever works. Someone starts a small low fire in the bowl. Now, one thing that's easy to do is to take a little charcoal tablet like is used in the
00:14:17
Speaker
water pipes and light that and put it in there and it maintains a nice heat without making huge flames. Each participant in turn will place their paper into the bowl. Now in some cases the participant may voice aloud what they're releasing or asking for or being grateful for as with a despacho.
00:14:40
Speaker
It may be a very private or personal thing, and the individual might say nothing, or may say something like, I release into the fire, into the universe this thing that is unhealthy to me, or maybe something like, oh, I give thanks for the thing I have received. And in some versions of the ritual, those who are sitting around the circle might respond with something like, may it be so, or so be it, or even amen.
00:15:11
Speaker
At the end of the ceremony, after the ashes in the bowl have cooled, the fire keeper, the person who is taking care of everything with the fire in the bowl, disposes of the ashes appropriately. Now, this may mean releasing them into a body of water, or letting them loose upon the wind, or even digging a hole and consigning the ashes to Mother Earth. It is not unusual, during either a despotchial or a burning bowl ceremony,
00:15:39
Speaker
for participants to become very emotional as they release their prayer, their thanks, or the burden they have been carrying into the hands of the universe. Something I've been considering for quite some time, though, is this. How do we now perform a fire-based despacho or burning-ball ritual given the limitations imposed upon gathering together?
00:16:07
Speaker
I mean, right now, a lot of people are cautious or anxious about travel. And I don't blame them at all. It's so hard with all the flights that have been canceled. And just being around other people, it can be dangerous or at least risky. And about being close to those who are outside their family.
00:16:27
Speaker
The dispatcher ceremonies I have attended have always been outside, but even this is or can be difficult to manage now in this time of separation for health's sake.
Washing Bowl Ritual
00:16:39
Speaker
And for most people, I guess, having a fire in their home and tossing little bundles into it that may include such items as hair or feathers is a daunting, if not dangerous or maybe impossible prospect.
00:16:54
Speaker
Of course, for many people, breathing smoke in a confined space is a problem. People with asthma, COPD, and so forth. So for many people now, being out in the open is difficult, whether due to pandemic restrictions or just the weather. I mean, it is winter now, although the weather's been a little crazy lately. So a few months ago, I came up with a different approach that could work for just about anyone.
00:17:21
Speaker
After doing some research, I found where I could purchase dissolving paper. Now, such things are famous in the lore of spy stories. The brave, intrepid spy, when caught, puts its notes into a glass of water when the sink and within seconds the paper has dissolved and within all the spies incriminating notes and sketches. Now, I'll put the link to where you can purchase this in the description of the podcast. Of course, in this time of cell phones and
00:17:49
Speaker
iPads and all kinds of things like that, the deleting of such notes would be quicker. Just delete. But as some people in the media and in government have recently discovered, deleting files and messages from your device does not necessarily make them go away. Anyway, back to the ritual. What I'm proposing is what I call a washing bowl ritual.
00:18:16
Speaker
The participant has ready a bowl like mixing bowl size, maybe half full of water. And the participant writes his or her prayer, expression of gratitude, or the thing that they are releasing on a piece of the dissolving paper. And then just as in the fire ceremonies, they take some time holding that paper in their hands and focusing their intention and their attention on what is written upon the paper.
00:18:42
Speaker
After this, each participant places his or her piece of paper into the water, focusing on what is written on the paper and how it's being released into the universe. The person then gently stirs the bowl with their fingers if possible, that makes it more personal, until that paper completely dissolves. As with the burning bowl or despotio rituals at the end, the remains should be reverently disposed of.
00:19:09
Speaker
Maybe you can take the water and pour it into another body of water, such as a river or lake or the ocean, or you could pour it out upon the soil. And in each case, this delivers these issues or the prayer or thanks into the bosom of Mother Earth. And by the way, the dissolving paper that I buy is environmentally safe. There's no problem with that.
Science of Releasing Negative Emotions
00:19:32
Speaker
You know, negative feelings, worry, anxieties, fears, anger,
00:19:39
Speaker
These are things we all experience at one time or another. And that's okay because it happened. But hanging on to them and feeding them in our minds and our hearts gives them strength and allows them to drag us down. Any healthy thing we can do to help banish these from us will improve our mental, spiritual and emotional health.
00:20:06
Speaker
Some people may think that releasing such negative energies is just new-aid bunkum, but whether you agree with the spiritual aspect of these practices, psychiatrists and other doctors acknowledge that getting rid of worries and anxieties help us to be generally healthier as well as speaking the process of healing from illness or injury.
00:20:31
Speaker
Now, I hope that from all the ways I've talked about in this podcast, you've heard something that speaks to you as a meaningful way to release negativity and worries from your mind.
Listener Engagement and Feedback
00:20:41
Speaker
If you have, please let me know. And if you managed to try one of these methods, whether alone or with a group, let me know how that goes too and how that process felt for you. Thank you again for listening and namaste.
00:21:11
Speaker
Thanks for being here and listening to the podcast today. I trust it has been interesting, informative, and thought provoking. If you did find it interesting, please be sure and return for another episode and tell your friends about it too. I'd love it if you did that. It really helps me out. You can share directly from most podcast platforms. It would be really great if you follow it or subscribe to the podcast too. Most podcast platforms have one option or the other.
00:21:41
Speaker
If you want to tell me that you like the show or that you hate it, that you agree with me or disagree with me or anything else, really, I still want to hear from you. Leave a voice message if your particular podcast platform allows that, or send me a message through my website at www.spectrum-phallistic.com. And until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and keep an open mind.
00:22:10
Speaker
Namaste.
Health Insurance Enrollment Reminder
00:22:18
Speaker
Are you one of the 1.5 million Georgians without health insurance? Visit georgiaaccess.gov to connect with the resources to find affordable private and public healthcare options. You may be eligible for financial assistance programs, including Medicaid and peach care for kids. Even healthy people need coverage. An unexpected medical emergency can hurt you and your wallet. Open enrollment for health insurance plans ends January 15th, so don't wait. Visit georgiaaccess.gov today.