Spiritual alchemy is burning away the “dross” of an ordinary material and transforming it into a refined substance such as gold. When you render this material, you strip away the layers, exposing what’s underneath. This is the process you go through when you transmute the layers of your pain into your refined essence—the gold of your true being.
Sometimes a crisis such as a serious illness, trauma, or loss forces us to lean into our vulnerabilities and open to intense transformation. In some ways, change—even the hard change of healing old wounds—is easier when the alternative is unthinkable. But for many of us, daily life isn’t enough to trigger that kind of radical transformation. Instead, the pain is left to build up for years, even decades, because it’s easier to ignore it than to let go and lean in. Without release, however, these old wounds create chronic distress that can manifest as depression, anxiety, or physical illness. Only when the pain is released can we bring about self-healing.
Even an unexpected situation can trigger a past trauma or unresolved emotional wound that you haven’t resolved or dissolved. It can trigger subtle layers of trauma that may seem to come out of the blue; yet, has been buried in your psyche for years. Even when you think you have worked through it all, more subtle layers can surface for healing when you least expect it.
You have physical or emotional triggers that alert you to what’s going on within you. Your body never lies and actually shows you where there is underlying unresolved trauma, pattern, or pain to be released. Notice when you feel anxious, restless, or irritable. These emotional cues are part of your spiritual guidance system.
Give yourself the gift of spiritual alchemy by transmuting your unhealed pain into spiritual information to guide your life. Here are three sacred processes to support you in doing so:
- Have a Sacred Chat with Your Discomfort: At the first sign of discomfort, find a quiet place where you can be uninterrupted. Just be with your discomfort like an old friend who has come to visit. Sit quietly, close your eyes, drop into your heart space, and lean into your discomfort. When your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to your breath, back to your center, and back to your heart. Be aware of what sensations you’re feeling in your body and where they’re located. Breathe into these places. Pay attention to what feelings come up in this space. Accept yourself and your feelings with loving kindness as you would with someone you love. Gently coach yourself by saying, open and let go or bless and release.
- Affirmations to remind you of your strength and courage during this spiritual alchemy process: “I embrace my tender places in compassion as I release them. I have the strength and courage to let go of anything in my life. I can heal myself through the power of love. I lean into my vulnerable pain and discover love in its place. I allow my emotions to surface so I can feel and heal them with love.”
- Journal Prompts to answer: What is the root of your discomfort? What unhealed part of you is being revealed? What is your fear or pain showing me about yourself or your life? Go deeper into your heart space and allow it to reveal more. What deep-seated emotional patterns—especially fear, worthlessness, and shame are there? What is the origin of these patterns?
You spend the first half of your life acquiring layers of patterns from your childhood experiences. Then you spend the second half of your life releasing these layers that no longer serve you. Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, this transmutation reveals the essence of your true being.
