Why talk about death at time of year when people are most focused on eternal life? What better time! Isn't this season of rebirth best time to celebrate a wake for dead things in our life-the beliefs and patterns that no longer serve us?

This month of December we endure shortest, darkest day of year-the day with least light shining on our lives. And it is also month of return of light-as days get longer and brighter, and life-giving sun shines stronger each day. It's a great time to die to old limitations and outmoded ways of thinking.

Death is Not What We Think It Is

The word used for "death" in Aramaic tongue-the language of Jesus and Bible-literally translated means "not here, present elsewhere." In most ancient and native cultures, border between life and death is highly permeable. This natural transition is not feared, but rather welcomed as an opportunity to liberate oneself from endless unconscious cycles of repeating patterns.

Death-the inevitable ending of each life event-is actually something that we experience in every moment of our lives. Transitions from life-to-life, as well as from moment-to-moment, are opportunities to renew our lives with fresh, authentic passion, excitement and vitality. In facing truth of death directly, we have opportunity to come fully into life. "Die to moment!" counsels St. John of Cross.

Death is a Sacred Rite of Passage

Death is actually only a loaded word for "transition" and an emotionally charged label for a very natural, safe "rite of passage." Our current Western society has lost touch with value of preparing people for this basic reality of life: constant change, continual transition from one form to another. Until modern era, sacred rites of passage have been important to health of human societies for thousands of years, enabling individuals to negotiate their life transitions with purpose, ease and meaning.

Is it time to re-embrace fact that we are constantly dying and recreating ourselves? If so, we could help each other to master our transitions between careers, relationships, marriage and divorce. Together we could move with grace through grief and loss, addictions, and illness. We could teach ourselves and our children to celebrate coming of age, menopause, midlife crisis, aging and spiritual awakening. Our reward would be a more harmonious journey on this planet.

"Make Death Your Ally"

With this motto indigenous shamans advise us to make inevitable demise of each moment-and of each life-a source of power and a well of motivation to live more vibrantly and fully in each moment. "Dying" is our friend when we allow it to remind us to let go of expectations of how "things have always been." " Death" is our ally when we let it remind us to open again and again to choosing innocence-that is, choosing to be innocent, free, of past and preconceptions of who we are. Being innocent means living fully in each new moment-leaving past behind.

"I Feel Like I'm Dying!"

Some common feelings people experience when moving through life changes and personal growth are emotions of impending death, or of wanting to die. Tribal people recognize these feelings as signals that soul is integrating more fully into body, threatening beliefs of personality and who it thinks "I am."

Excited to experiment with my passion, animal communication, I'd found a job at a dog kennel, exchanging 25 hours a week of labor for an apartment. It was a good deal for me. But after two years of working with barking dogs, I longed for more peace, freedom and flexibility than kennel allowed.

"There's no way," my mind insisted, "you'll ever find a better situation than you already have." Multitudes of emotions were stirring inside me. Doubt. Sadness. Resignation. My ego personality was gaining momentum in its "logical and emotional sales pitch." My thoughts were trying to convince me to stay right where I was so I wouldn't be disappointed when I failed to get a better job and home. Thank God my spirit wasn't buying mental spiel!

CREATING MAGIC

In my life, I've learned that magic occurs when I choose to feel completely my emotions around an issue. New doors open. Situations improve. I've also noticed how life patterns repeat themselves—how I don't get what I really want, how I settle for less—when I don't feel totally emotions my mind concocts. The emotional feelings are glue that holds old patterns in place. The emotional feelings are what discourage us from going after what we really want.

When my mind not so gently reminds me of my fears and failures, I've learned to embrace emotions that come up. Embracing emotions is just like embracing children who are scared, hurt, upset or angry. Once "the kids" feel totally acknowledged, appreciated, allowed (loved), they calm down and don't cause any more trouble. "The kids" get out of way. And we are free to pursue our joy. Emotions act same way kids act. Emotions just want our attention—our loving attention.

GIVING "THE KIDS" ROOM TO MOVE

One way to give an emotion full recognition and expression (love) is to feel emotion as energy, movement, sensation or vibration—instead of as a label of sadness, fear or anger. Rather than label an emotion with a name or category you don't enjoy feeling, you can choose to feel an e-motion (energy motion) as a more approachable state such as churning, stirring or heaviness. Feel an "energy motion" as aliveness, life force or power and it's even easier to choose to experience your feelings more fully.

Once an emotion—like a kid—is allowed to exist just as it is, it has space to be itself. It feels accepted and lightens up. Then "energy motion" naturally moves up and out of your body. You might experience this sensation of movement as waves of energy, pulsation, warmth or tingling in your spine, legs, arms or elsewhere in your body. Different people feel energy motions leaving or dissolving—integrating—in various ways.

When you give an energy motion room to exist just as it is—without trying to change it—it has space to fully express itself. Then it's done and out of your way. It goes full cycle and completes itself. Once you free yourself from obstructing effect of unfelt emotions, you can move toward your intention. You can take action toward your dream. You'll feel more open, creative, courageous and inspired! In a twist on old saying, "When adult is away, kids can play!" you can now enjoy, "When kids are away, adult can play!"

GETTING MY KIDS OUT OF THE WAY

After "feeling my emotions as energy" during my quest for a better job and home, my intuition suggested I run a want ad in local newspaper. The first responses were disheartening—no sweeter deal than I had already. My gut knotted. "See," my mind implored, "there isn't anything better. Stop looking. You'll only feel worse!" More "energy motions" to accept and feel. Disappointment. Hopelessness. Frustration. Each "kid" wants attention. I stay with energy motions until I feel genuine acceptance and appreciation for them. Then they move out of my way. I'm free of their power to stop me from moving in direction of my dream.

Once my creative space is cleared of blocking emotions, my intuition whispers to run ad again: "Professional woman wants private place to live in exchange for caretaking property, animals, plants." My mind perseveres in its outdated idea of how to keep me safe from failure and disappointment: "This ad will never work. What a waste of money!" But I don't listen—instead I keep on embracing and appreciating "the kids."

After several days of feeling churning energy sensations in my body, a pleasant woman called looking for someone to care for her dog when she and her husband travel. "The only problem," she candidly revealed, "is that guesthouse is rather small, and we live a ways out of town." I liked her honesty immediately. Soon my truck and I were headin' out to country.

MY MIND WAS WRONG!