Reflect With Love: Ancestral Connection

Did you know that going back just 7 generations, 254 people had to exist for you to be here. This isn’t even counting the ancestors that were- chosen, adoptive, and supportive- who nourished the roots of your lineage. When we honor ancestral connection- and the stories each of us carry- we realize that all of us hold more pieces of our history, right now, in this moment, than we may even consciously recognize. Whether it is the names passed down through generations, the memories you heard as a child, the continued presence of those who have come before you, or a deep desire to develop a relationship with your deeper family lines, you are in exactly the right place to begin.

Today, we offer the following exercises to guide you in tapping into your ancestral connections or in deepening the ones you’ve already begun to cultivate:

JOURNAL PROMPTS

How would you describe your connection with your ancestors?

How would you like for your connection with your ancestors to be?

OBJECT EXPLORATION

Find an object that is connected to your ancestors in some way. Maybe it’s an old photograph or an object that belonged to a grandparent, great-grandparent, or another Elder in close relationship to you. If you don’t have an object, find one that represents how you would like for your connection with your ancestors to be. Take a moment to feel it, take it in visually, and sit with it. Write down what you notice about this object, what you know about it, and what it would tell you if it could speak. Notice and write down anything that needs to come forward.

QUESTIONING THE STORIES

Get a piece of paper and pen one side write down “Continued Stories” and on the other side write down “Silent Stories.” Under the section called “Continued Stories” write down the stories, quotes, or messages that your family tells over and over. What do they tell you about what is important in your family history? On the side that says “Silent Stories,” write down the stories that don’t get told. Notice where there is silence and secrecy when questions are asked. What information does that give you?

Be in a place of curiosity and take a moment to reflect upon what you write down. What questions do you wish could be answered about your ancestors or ancestry? How do these questions make you feel? Recognize if there’s any place where you can find the answers to these queries and seek them out if you desire.