This is an exercise from the online course “Healing The Inner Child“
The goal of this exercise is to let go of your past. We will work with an image of a river. Symbolically the River in this exercise is the border between your past and your future. You can sit on one bank for the rest of your life and only dream about a different life. In this exercise, you will be able to swim to the other bank and leave your past behind.
Some people might step into the river but they are afraid to swim across. Therefore, we will do this exercise together. I will support you and help you to end up on the other side.
Before we start, let’s talk a little bit more about the symbolism of this exercise.
The symbol of the river is purification, liberation, and the flow of life, a symbol of tranquility and wisdom.
Fish, seaweed, and lilies live in the river – this is the divine energy that nourishes, creates new life, and creates a favorable environment.
The river is also a symbol of maternal divine energy. You can’t fight the water. You can go with the flow and allow it to help you to reach the other side. We will go with the flow of the river, so it will be a pleasant journey.
The banks are a symbol of paternal divine energy. Banks are the river’s boundaries. Riverbanks help the river from overflowing. Boundaries protect us from being overwhelmed by our emotions.
The river is flexible and can avoid obstacles. Banks are solid and help us to be calm inside. It means that we can be flexible and calm at the same time.
The river and its banks are also symbols of our Inner Mother and Inner Father. Being in contact with our Inner Parents and feeling their support helps us to overcome any challenges in our lives and achieve all the goals that we have.
Our boundaries are protecting us, helping us to manage our emotions and feelings. Same as the banks are protecting the river, holding it within.
Swimming across the river symbolizes going through a deep transformation. This is also related to the inner work with the fear of death. The “old you” should “die” in order for the “new you” to appear. Death is a symbol of transformation. In our Inner World, nothing really dies, one state transforms into another. When we have negative self-beliefs, we can transform them into positive ones. When a toxic relationship dies (when we leave an abuser), we can create a healthy relationship with another partner. So, death is an inevitable factor of any transformation.
Symbolically, you need to cross the river to be reborn, leave old patterns and grievances, and free yourself from the past in order to start a new life!
Many people are afraid to work with the fear of death. When I offer it to my clients in my private sessions people feel discomfort, and anxiety and want to avoid this topic. But I love working with these feelings because as a result, this work brings a huge desire to live your life to its fullest. Once you work on your fear of death, you get a new spark in life. You want to do more, you want to travel more, you want to experience new things, you want to take care of your body, you want to create things and enjoy your life. So, it is important to work with the fear of death from time to time to free yourself from daily stress and shift your priorities back to the joy of life. This will help you to create profound relationships in your life. It will help you to connect more deeply with other people and most importantly, it will help you connect more deeply with your true self!
Remember death is a transformation.
Before we start let me tell you briefly what we will do:
I will ask you to close your eyes and put you in a light trance. Then I will ask you to imagine yourself at a river’s bank. Look around, and notice what you see. Notice your mood, your age, and your clothing. Then I will ask you to take off your clothing. You will be swimming naked. Clothing is also a part of the transformation. You need to let go of the old presentation of yourself. Your clothing is how other people see you, the way you present yourself in this world. That’s why I will ask you to swim naked. Become vulnerable and let go of your old patterns and beliefs. Then I will ask you to feel the water and start swimming. I will tell you when you are passing the first quarter when you are passing the halfway point, then the 3rd quarter and finally you can feel the bottom under you. You are exiting the river and see some new clothing. This clothing fits you well. Then you will see a road and start your new journey.
Ok, let’s start.
Excellent post!
Thanks!