Sacred Journey to the Self: A Practice

In this summer season I am grateful I had the opportunity to spend five days at Kripalu studying with Amy Weintraub, founder of LifeForce Yoga, whose work beautifully bridges yoga and mental health, and Laura Schmidt, MSW, who introduced us to practical applications of Internal Family Systems (IFS). It felt like the perfect intersection of so many paths I've been walking for years—yoga, trauma healing, nervous system regulation, and compassionate self-inquiry.

One idea especially stayed with me:

We're not broken. We're often simply buried beneath survival strategies that once protected us but may no longer serve us. The goal is to access our in-dwelling divine Self, or "Self energy" which is our innate intelligence in IFS.

Learning a practical framework for recognizing and working with these protective "parts" of ourselves was truly mind-blowing. Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or inner criticism, we can become curious about them, appreciate how they once helped us survive, and gently invite them into a new role.

It felt deeply aligned with the heart of my own work and the message I've tried to share in Holistic Trauma Healing.

The week before Kripalu, I spent a joyful day at the OM Yoga Festival in the Green Mountains of Vermont where I explored even more ways the body stores—and releases—experience. Highlights included learning the Franklin Method's connection between movement and the pelvic diaphragm with Shannon Murphy, experiencing Hara Yoga with Kali Basman, restorative yoga with chakra sound healing and vocal toning, an eye-opening class on the responsive core, breath, pelvic floor, and nervous system with Solange Ross, ecstatic dance, and ending the evening immersed in my friend Kristen Ambrosi's beautiful kirtan (devotional chanting).

Every teacher offered a different doorway, but the message felt the same:

Healing doesn't always mean becoming someone new. Sometimes it means remembering who you've always been beneath the layers. We can begin by going back to the Gita quote.

Practical Steps to Start Your Journey:

• Meaning of the Journey of the self: You start by noticing who you are right now, including your flaws and your truth.

• Through the self: You use your own inner tools—like breathing, focus, and quiet time—to move past daily stress.

• To the Self: You reach a calm place inside where you feel fully connected to your true soul.

  
  

I'm excited to bring so much of this inspiration into my upcoming workshops and teacher training this fall.

I hope to see many of you there.

With gratitude,

Jackie

Thank you for reading. Please respond below. In what ways do you find connection to your soul?