Honor and respect were an important part of the code of a samurai in Japan. They connected to their ancestors and the way they conducted themselves. This influenced their values and the courage that they could draw upon. The way they behaved was considered a reflection upon their ancestors.
While you may not have samurai blood in your DNA, you are here today thanks to your ancestors. It was through their hardships and survival which has directly led to you being able to appreciate the present moment.
Imagine taping into the kind of courage they displayed in the past. Just as they are a part of you, their courage to survive during difficult times also exists within you.
Learning this ritual will help you get into the correct state, to connect with the courage wielded by those that have come before you.
The key is practicing this summoning ritual regularly, so that you will build confidence and develop a habit that can be utilized when needed most. It is important that when practicing the methods in the rituals to always prepare and warm up correctly as guided in the practice videos.
Ritual Practice
As you breathe, release all tension from your body. As you relax with each exhalation, close your eyes, and place your focus and awareness inwards.
Imagine yourself standing in a circle and visualize your family tree in another circle in front of you. Picture an actual tree, with your immediate family sprouting from the branches at the very top. Your parents, brothers, and sisters.
Take note of the positive qualities that your family members share, focusing on the things that you admire within them.
Now, go one level deeper and imagine your grandparents or other elders on the branches beneath your immediate family. Once again, take note of their positive qualities.
Keep going further back: think of your grandparents and great-grandparents deeper within the tree. Each time you picture someone, imagine the attributes that you might admire, and note that just as your ancestors are in your family tree, so are their strengths.
Continue and keep going further back until you reach the root of the tree, to family members you no longer recognize. Go back hundreds of years, if you can.
Draw upon the positive qualities of the family members you know to imagine an ancestor whose strengths ensured the survival of their ancestors for generations to come.
Visualize the kind of things they might do in their daily life, how they feel, the energy
and emotions they have. Picture their strengths and courage that have been passed
on into your DNA through generations. Imagine their energy radiating in front of you, as the family tree fades away.
Enhance this feeling by taking a deep breath, pulling in the energy of your ancestors in front of you and absorbing their attributes. Imagine the intensity increasing in front of you, and then take a step forward to connect with the energy of your ancestors.
Feel their energy flowing up from the ground and through your body, like roots leading
up from the earth into a tree. Take a moment to fully absorb the courage that has been passed on to you through generations.
Ritual Benefits
After practicing this ritual, you should feel increased confidence and a sense of relaxation. You feel heightened as the tension in your body disappears. You will now be aware that you have the courage of your ancestors within your body.
You can now access this and draw on this courage whenever you need it by taking a step forward, and especially before making any difficult long-term decisions.
Whenever you are faced with a difficult life decision, close your eyes, summon the courage of your ancestors, and take a step forward to begin your journey with confidence.
Remember to practice this ritual regularly, and you will be able to draw upon the courage within you from your ancestors and allow your instincts to guide you so that you will act with complete courage without even knowing it.
