Letting go signifies an ending of a relationship, which from my experience is a lot easier said than done. Whether it’s a career, a romantic partnership or releasing a disharmonious pattern of self-talk, endings can be hard and in certain situations the process can surprisingly last longer than expected.

Over the past year I’ve embarked on a path of Self-discovery. It has been a deep journey, requiring me to sit down and take a hard look in the mirror of every aspect of my life. It has been and continues to be a process of purification and identification; clearing space in both my external and internal environments, to better honor myself and cultivate what truly brings me happiness.

Over the course of the last year, I left a corporate career, ended a romantic relationship and moved twice. Through this process I’ve become cognizant of how much the relationships I was holding on to, that were not aligned with my truth, affected my entire being.

This became really clear to me recently when I made the decision to finally let go of a friendship that was doing me more harm than good. I meditated and felt into the energy of this person’s effect on my life, when I did I felt the area around my heart tighten, constricting my flow of energy. At that time I wondered how long I was carrying this holding pattern and how this situation reflected other areas in my life that provoked a similar reaction.

Dr. Anodea Judith describes in her book Eastern Body, Western Mind that “…our chronic holding patterns can become body armour. This bio-energetic term describes types of coping strategies and their chronic holding patterns locked in the posture and tissues of the body… Our ways of coping become defenses that get “hard-wired” into the system as it develops, beyond conscious awareness.”

Becoming conscious of such a telling holding pattern around my heart and with respect to the words of Dr. Judith, I came to recognize that the release of this relationship signified something much deeper. I was letting go of the remnants of an old way of being. A way of being that did not honor my Self.

After some deep thought I decided to let go of the friendship amicably. Soon after I felt a huge relief in my Spirit. A cloud of heaviness lifted and I felt open to receive what was truly aligned with the authenticity of my own heart.

It felt right.

For many we are living in a potent time of transition. Amidst all this change, it’s important to remember that the process of letting go is very much a path of deepening trust with yourself. Our ability to discern what is aligned with our highest good gives us a better understanding of who we really are.

As you let go it is good practice to give gratitude for the teachings of what this person, place or situation has taught you… big or small. I’ve found that the most trying relationships we encounter in life tend to be our greatest teachers.

In the words of Dr. Saida Desilets “Life is a rhythm of beginnings and endings, one flowing into the other in a constant cycle/recycle pattern. Becoming aware of this and knowing how to work with this truth can be very liberating and healing.”

Our ability to feel is one of the many gifts we encounter in this human experience. So remember to find gratitude and compassion where you can.

Also… it doesn’t hurt to enjoy the journey ;).