Endings as Sacred Portals
Photo by Yeshi Kangrang on Unsplash.
We are delighted to feature our first guest blog post, written by Paula Jones for The Retreat Space. For more about honoring endings, check out this video or this guided meditation.
A couple of springs ago I found myself at the end of a magical week, sitting on my hotel bed, biding my time before departing for the airport. The hotel was grey and sterile. And the Monday morning light caught me suspended in time between two worlds.
In one world, I’d spent days at a beachside resort contemplating the ins and outs of life. Sand squished between my toes. The white noise of crashing waves soothed my nervous system. Tension melted from my body.
I rolled into the weekend all loosy-goosy for a frolic with friends around a campground tucked in the mountains. We stomped about a groovy festival with others of like mind and heart. The air was salty-sweet. The laughter was belly deep. And our bodies danced and played while our minds tracked and engaged.
We came down the mountainside from one hell of an adventure. The magical week was over. We got in the car and headed back to the hotel. We ate dinner, said goodnight, and turned out the light.
The next morning meant a return to life as normal. But, “How do I do that?” I thought. How do I just return to normal?
I don’t.
What happened was magical and special. It deserved recognition and closure. At that moment, my soul craved a means of honoring what just took place before I rolled into a new week of life as usual.
I heeded the call. I stopped what I was doing at that moment and placed my hand on my heart. I took a deep breath in and out and visioned all the great moments from the previous week. I honored each moment. I said, “Thank you. Goodbye.” As I felt complete, I looked around big-eyed at the imminent transition, opened my heart, and welcomed it in.
The Secret Teachings of Endings
Endings come in all sizes. Most notably, there are large endings like moving from a home you love, the passing of a loved one, the end of a relationship, the loss of a job, or graduation from school.
But there are also smaller endings. For example, the end of a great vacation, coming home from a difficult day at work, the death of a fish, saying goodbye to a friend or family member who’s been visiting from out of town, the change of season, or the end of a program or course of learning.
No matter the size of the ending we are often quick to propel ourselves on to the next thing. Because, as we all know, where there is an ending there is always a beginning. And, all too often, the end of something frequently means difficult emotions, which is motivation enough for many to get on with life.
But how often do you give pause in that sweet moment between the two before hurdling into the energy of the new? And what would happen if we learned to stop and give acknowledgment of what just occurred? How would we feel about ourselves and our lives if we learned to turn around and consciously say, “Thank you. Goodbye.”?
Honoring the end of a big event is almost paramount to honoring the sacred in our lives, if not a requirement, as we are often brought to great depths of emotion for periods of time. And yet, how do we honor these bigger endings when we aren’t practiced or versed in the process of honoring the ending of things to begin with?
Smaller endings, the seemingly mundane moments in life, which are easy to overlook, become our secret teachers. When we begin to tap into the wisdom of these subtle transitory moments we gain access to an array of portals leading us to a deeper and more sacred experience of our daily lives. We become adept at the process of ending things, and we are then more than capable of honoring life’s bigger endings.
The Practice of Ending Things
The art of honoring endings starts with awareness. Begin to notice your sacred endings. Perhaps you’ll want to journal about different endings you’ve experienced lately or endings you anticipate in the near future. Maybe you’re knee-deep in an ending as we speak. Take a moment to make a list of endings, big and small. Remember to include everything from your son graduating high school to getting through a challenging work experience.
Consciously acknowledging and saying goodbye to a life experience gives us permission to free ourselves from our past, even in the small endings of life. We get to gather our energy from all these people and places so we can be wholly ourselves as we step into what’s next.
There’s no need for an elaborate ceremony requiring ornate garb, colorful candles, silk, incense, and crystals galore. Unless, of course, this suits you. My philosophy is always, “Keep it simple.”
It’s amazing the impact one conscious act can have. One subtle acknowledgment sends ripples of good vibrations out into the ether. Each action carries with it the intention to honor what just occurred and draws back to you all that is yours.
Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Use any of these to honor your endings. Choose what feels right or make up your own in whatever way you are guided.
Stop, energetically face the ending, consciously acknowledge it, express gratitude, and say goodbye
Light a candle
Recall a beautiful moment, give gratitude, say goodbye
Arrange a small altar
Light an incense
Say a prayer
Buy flowers
Write a letter
Sing a song
Eat a piece of chocolate
Dance
Produce a gesture (prayer hands of thanks or other significant gesture)
Follow your heart and soul on this one. It’s our soul’s knowings that will produce the most heartfelt and meaningful response. You’ll know you’ve done it when you feel a sense of completion within yourself, although bigger endings will most likely take time.
Honoring the end of something is much easier to do when we start with the small things in life. Life’s larger endings demand greater depth and require a willingness to move through difficult feelings that could persist for a long period of time. And most often with these endings the most honorable thing we can do is give ourselves time to be in the end of it.
Endings come in all shapes and sizes. It’s important to understand and appropriately honor the depth and gravity of your unique endings. Honoring the smaller endings of life, those seemingly mundane moments, help us to build our capacity to bear witness to life’s larger endings.
You are an amazing being on a sacred and special journey through life. Being human is no small task, and, yet, here you are. Thank you!
May this practice of ending things take you ever deeper into the portal of your own soul knowing and into an embodied experience of the sacred in your daily life.
Paula Jones is a curious, adventurous soul exploring her place in the world and in the greater cosmos. She’s the author of Heart Driven Life where she weaves her soul’s learnings into a tapestry of words. She’s devoted to supporting humanity as we collectively awaken and embody our Highest Wisdom.
