I can't remember where I was or what I was doing the very first time I heard about a burning ceremony but I can tell you that I was desperate for freedom and willing to try just about anything. "What is a burning ceremony?" you might ask. What does it have to do with painful memories? The short version is that memories or old beliefs can run your life if you let them. Especially if they remain unconscious. Generally, when I person makes a significant amount of change in their lives in a short period of time, they will also find themselves face to face with their "issues." It's almost as if there is a Centurion at the door of the new opportunity you are trying to seize and before you can pass through the door, you must be willing to let go of something old. Many of us are unwilling to make this exchange so we stay stuck. I've found that instead of resisting change I would face it head-on and boldly. That's where the burning ceremony comes in. Basically, you sit down and write out all the old beliefs that have been holding you back in life. It can include fears, resentments, negative memories, etc. I recommend doing this with a trusted friend or Master Mind partner. Once you've come up with a nice long list, go someplace where it's safe to burn things. I usually go to the beach. In the photo above I went to a beach without fire pits, so I bought a box of wooden matches and burned one for every belief I was going to "extinguish". It's even funner to go to a fire pit with friends and light a big bonfire and ceremoniously throw a piece of paper for each belief you are burning then watch it go up in smoke and say goodbye to it forever. Last summer, Ty and the Savvy Soul Sisters went to Dockweiler Beach and we threw pieces of paper with old beliefs into the fire to let them burn and turn into ashes and smoke before our very eyes. It is a symbolic exercise in letting go. If you have a lot of old beliefs and feelings holding you back and keeping you from feeling galvanized, I highly recommend this ritual ceremony so you can be free at last.