Releasing Acceptance, Creating Free Will By Kelley Harrell, C. Ht. Shamanic Healer and Author Mundane perspectives on wellbeing put a great deal of emphasis on 'acceptance', a vast territory riding on the heels of our western cultural heritage of denial and repression. Acceptance is generally defined as an agreement between parties, or coming to terms with an issue, a condition, or state of being--physical, mental or emotional. We quite often desperately seek the respite of acceptance, pressured by ourselves and/or others to attain as if it were a goal, to allay pains in our lives that we would otherwise prefer didn't exist. And for most who struggle with any kind of pain, acceptance is the scab of what was once a painful wound, the first relief along what has already been a long exhausting journey. In spiritual healing and energy work, the state of acceptance has strong significance, albeit it in a different light from its mundane perception. It is an indicator that the healing process has begun, that direction to fully manifest healing is needed. At this level, acceptance is not static, but a pivotal state of being that never instills or evokes a sense of sheer joy. In fact, even saying the word, the mouth is closed and tight, often formed through gritted teeth, leaving the chest and heart chakra feeling empty. In that light, Acceptance can be viewed somewhat as Denial's extroverted lethargic best friend. They are very closely related. Where Denial is fine with staying home and pretending there is no party to go to, Acceptance embodies the spirit of party in herself, but doesn't have the motivation to leave the house and actually experience the party. In short, acceptance is a mental task unfinished, requiring further attention in the soul. Acceptance is the willingness to feel emotions, such as sadness or confusion, that denial has refused to feel. It is acknowledgement. However, feeling is not an endpoint to a destination, but a mile marker pointing the way. Feeling facilitates acceptance, the point at which one no longer holds the hurtful event or situation with anger or frustration, but merely holds the wound in a place of detached containment. The ability to make that level of copasetic agreement with a trauma or illness is amazing and worthy of celebration. To choose not to deny healing and to come to a place of agreement in the Self to allow that healing is monumental and rare. However, healing must be taken further, as creating that place of acceptance in one's form has only shifted the wound from the mind/body level to that of the soul. The trauma of the event or situation and its aftermath are not really gone, just relocated in a different form. The wound is still blocking some aspect of the natural flow of life force. I work very closely with my clients to help them gain insight into their acceptance, expanding their awareness of it beyond just mental, physical or emotional relief given to the Self, to include it as an active part of the Universal spiritual awareness of All. In working with the holding place of acceptance, it is necessary to understand the connectivity of the Self to All That Is. Within that connection we contribute to the overall State of Being of All Things. What we heal affects the wellbeing not only of our entire planet, but of all Universes. In contrast, so does what we do not heal. Therefore, it is helpful to understand that all things have a soul, and in that, all things have a significant contribution to make to Life: a life purpose. Even the traumas and events that shape our lives through pain have a life force of their own and are part of All That Is. They have a life purpose, which is likely not to sit in a holding place with [or within] us--at least not forever--in a paralytic state of acceptance. These beings have things to do, goals to accomplish. This "wound" life force wants to move on and to complete its purpose for existing, as much as we do. In other words, with my clients, I facilitate shifting their perspectives from the acceptance they have chosen, to encompass learning what the wound, or Acceptance, herself, chooses. I teach clients to experience Acceptance as if they were interacting with another person. Together they discuss, they argue, they explain, they listen... whatever discourse needs to occur for both the client and Acceptance to express themselves. Part of that discussion is clear articulation of the life purpose of each. In creating this shift in perception, the client establishes a conscientious connection with All That Is. The client's awareness is made bigger than the origin of the wound and the painful path to acceptance. By experiencing Acceptance as a separate being, she or he can now step back and view the dynamic from a less personal and more Universal perspective. Remember the initial understanding of acceptance is that it is a relationship, an agreement between parties. In realizing that the true nature of the wound is an agreement between both parties to hold it, the understanding that release of the wound must include the desires and perspective of Acceptance comes more easily. Being able to personify Acceptance releases guilt and blame and enables the client to take responsibility of the dynamic and command release. The etheric form can now be balanced and manifest for a stronger Present. As this level of commanding healing occurs, the creative power of the client is restored, raising the life force of All Things. When we can intimately know the life force of that which we accepted into our etheric bodies, when we can thank it for what it has taught us, we can more easily let it go in its naturally empowered state of being. Removing any blocks from Acceptance in ourselves raises the level of life force for All Things, furthering one's ability to fulfill his or her own life purpose joyfully. In doing so, the aspect of power that Acceptance was blocking is regained. Free will is restored. Kelley Harrell lives in Cary, NC. Her shamanic practice is Soul Intent Arts, and she is the author of Gift of the Dreamtime: Awakening to the Divinity of Trauma. She can be contacted through her website www.soulintentarts.com.