How to Let Go of Generational Trauma and Reclaim Your Life

When we merge art with spiritual practices, we open ourselves to profound insights and transformative shifts in our lives.

For some time now, I’ve been experiencing physical pain. When I meditate, maintain my energetic cleansing rituals, practice somatic movement, and nourish my body with what it truly needs, the pain fades. But as soon as I fall out of balance—neglecting my spiritual, mental, emotional, or physical well-being—it returns. I felt a resistance to fully letting go, and I couldn’t understand why. So, I began asking for guidance and opening myself to receive it.

What I discovered was unexpected yet deeply meaningful—this pain is connected to my grandmother. Though she is no longer in the physical world, we are tied through generational programming. Her struggles, her unexpressed grief, and the trauma she carried have been passed down through our lineage.

A Family History of Resilience and Loss

My grandmother was once an immigrant, just as I am. However, her journey was vastly different. She arrived in Brazil as a young child with her family, my ancestors, after an arduous voyage from Poland. They spent months on a ship, surviving on black beans until they reached their new home. But Brazil held more hardships than hope.

Shortly after their arrival, my great-grandfather mysteriously disappeared—presumably killed—while searching for a way to provide for his family in an unfamiliar land. Left with nothing, my great-grandmother soon fell ill and passed away, leaving behind four orphaned children. The two eldest found their way back to Poland, while the younger two, including my grandmother, were adopted by a German family in Brazil.

Her life was never easy. She lost both parents in a foreign country, had to learn German before Portuguese, and carried an immense burden of grief she never fully expressed. The sorrow she suppressed began to manifest physically, accumulating within her body.

Later, she married and had four children with my grandfather, a German immigrant. But tragedy struck again—he passed away from a heart attack at a young age, leaving her alone to raise their children. Once again, history repeated itself, though under different circumstances.

Breaking the Cycle of Inherited Trauma

This pattern of loss, survival, and struggle didn’t end with her. My mother also emigrated—moving to Chile, where I was born. And I, too, became an immigrant, settling in New Zealand. Though our circumstances are different, I have unknowingly carried my family’s generational trauma.

It isn’t enough to simply understand these cycles; we must actively work to release them. Otherwise, they continue in new forms, shaping our lives in ways we don’t always recognise.

My grandmother passed away relatively young, burdened by illness and physical pain. Her perspective on life was one of constant struggle, and that belief manifested in her reality. I see this same struggle within myself, and I work every day to let it go, to reframe my perspective, and to shift my energy.

Recently, I realised why I haven’t fully released it yet—I have a spiritual contract with my grandmother. A deep, invisible bond that has kept me tied to this inherited pain. But awareness is the first step to healing. By acknowledging this connection, I now have the power to release it—not just for myself, but for future generations.

A Step-by-Step Ritual for Releasing Generational Trauma

If you feel tied to ancestral pain, this psychomagic ritual (psicomagia) can help you break the cycle and release inherited trauma. This process is a sacred act of honouring your ancestors while reclaiming your own sovereignty.

✨ Important Note: Healing is a journey, and sometimes we need to repeat this ritual multiple times, even for different ancestors. Be patient with yourself as you start changing from within. Each time you do this, you clear a little more of what no longer serves you.

Step 1: Write a Letter to Your Ancestor

Find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. With a heartfelt intention, write a letter to the ancestor you feel energetically connected to.

• Acknowledge their struggles and the life they lived.

• Honour their journey—thank them for their experiences, their strength, and the lessons they unknowingly passed down.

• Express your gratitude and love, and tell them that you are now choosing to release this connection in a way that serves both of you.

Step 2: Trace Your Hand & Colour the Page

After writing the letter, place your hand over it and trace its outline. This represents your presence and commitment to healing. Then, colour the entire page in any way that feels right—using colours, symbols, or patterns that resonate with you.

• Set the intention to transmute and release ancestral trauma.

• Imagine the energy shifting and dissolving as you fill the page with colour.

Example of a letter to an ancester to release generational trauma.

Step 3: Burn the Letter & Visualise the Release

Find a safe place to burn the letter, such as a fireproof bowl, fireplace, or outdoor firepit.

🔥 ⚠️ Safety Warning: Some paints or inks may be flammable, so take proper precautions. Burn the letter in a controlled environment, away from anything that could catch fire. Keep water, sand, or a fire extinguisher nearby in case it’s needed.

As the flames consume the paper, visualise yourself letting go of all accumulated trauma—wherever you feel it in your body.

• It could manifest as pain, heaviness, stiffness, excess weight, or tension.

• See all of it dissolving into the fire, transforming into smoke and disappearing into the universe.

Step 4: Surround Yourself with Healing Light

As the letter burns, close your eyes and imagine yourself surrounded by a golden, soft light—like a warm cocoon of healing energy.

• Let this light fill every space where trauma once resided.

• Bring it to the areas of pain, weight, tingling sensations, or emotional heaviness.

• Allow this golden energy to replace all that you are releasing with love, peace, and harmony.

Step 5: Speak Your Release Into Existence

While visualising the healing light, repeat these words (or modify them to fit your truth):

🌀 “I let go of (insert what you’re releasing) with love.”
🌀 “My life is my life; your life is yours. I am me, and you are you.”
🌀 “I release the bonds and contracts that no longer serve us. May this trauma be transmuted into light.”

Step 6: Bury the Ashes & Complete the Ritual

Once the letter has burned completely, gather the ashes and bury them in a meaningful place—perhaps in your garden, at the base of a tree, or in a natural spot that feels right to you.

• If you wish, plant a seed or flower on top as a symbol of transformation and renewal.

• Set an intention for Mother Earth to transmute any remaining pain, sorrow, or burden into love, peace, and harmony.

🌿 Final Reflection: Healing is a process. Be gentle with yourself as you navigate these changes. If needed, you can repeat this ritual over time, working through different layers of trauma and even connecting with other ancestors. Each time you do it, you step further into your power and freedom.