Family trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. Some we are aware of and others consume us without our conscious permission. The drama that’s created behind it all is what truly prevents us from living a happy and healthy life. Thankfully, over the years we have joined forces with clinical practices and spiritual beliefs in order to provide us with the healing we need.
We all know what it’s like to have to lie in order to survive. Some more than others, but Bert Hellinger refused to and it almost cost him his life during World War II. Choosing to attend catholic organizations instead of Hitlers’ youth meetings, Hellinger was viewed as an enemy. Shortly after he was drafted, but managed to escape and became a catholic priest instead.
Bert Hellinger
During his time as a priest, he served 16-20 years as a missionary with the Zulu people of South Africa. It was here that he noticed that the Zulu spiritual ceremonies were very similar to the rituals in a catholic mass. The Zulu people treated family and individual problems by accessing ancestral binds in order to build a strong and healthy social dynamic within their community. Tools that Hellinger realized were lost inside modern forms of psychotherapy.
The Zulu people believed that mind and brain, culture and family, emotions and thinking, conditioning, and education were a continuous whole and vital in healing trauma. This holistic approach, which was later coined as Family Constellations, combines our spiritual nature with the power of psychology.
Zulu means Gods People or People of Heaven
After Hellinger was finished with his time with the Zulu people, he took all his knowledge back with him to Germany. This is where he began his training in psychoanalysis, Gestalt therapy, transactional analysis, primal therapy, hypnotherapy, NLP, and family therapy. His goal was to master traditional forms of therapy while implementing what he had learned from the Zulu people. Hellinger witnessed the profound life-changing shifts these practices had. One that drastically accelerated individual healing compared to conventional therapy. Most importantly, he recognized the need for it in his community.
Today, family constellation work is widely known in Europe and makes its appearance in the United States. Although it is still considered a “new” form of holistic healing, its roots come from several generations of the wisdom of the land of Africa and its people.
For a live example of how family constellations work, Sex, Love & goop on Netflix have recorded a session for our convenience.
MY EXPERIENCE
As I navigate a way to protect my peace, I found myself in a family constellations ceremony that offered me the answers I needed.
You begin by setting an intention in what it is that you wish to achieve. In my case, I wanted to understand why I was always so angry. Some of you may know me as a ray of sunshine, (which is true) but I’m also known for being hot-headed. As a child, I fought with boys in my neighborhood to the point that my dad had to physically restrain me. Detentions and suspensions came often and I always felt my reasons were justified. However, as I got older I got tired of being angry all the time.
During the ceremony I watched my representative begin by standing with his head down and hands curled up in fists by his side. 20 minutes later, my representative had surrendered the vengeance I was holding onto and gathered practices to implement in my day-to-day routine.
The beauty of these ceremonies is not only what you experience for yourself, but also how you can learn from other people’s trauma. Being able to witness and represent them allows for a deeper understanding of ancestral truths.
For more holistic healing practices, enjoy It’s the peace for me for a breakdown on how epigenetics can transform your life.
Much love Y’all,
Taynahmite