manawa family constellations
heart breath emotion
Beginnings
I was born in the shadow of Mt. Taranaki, Aotearoa-New Zealand, of Maori (Ngati Ruanui) and English heritage. I arrived with doses of intergenerational trauma, and intergenerational resilience, then picked up some ACEs along the way. As we do.
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The route I have taken to Family Constellations is via interest in and study of trauma informed therapy over a decade, including my own therapy with a Compassionate Inquiry certified practitioner.
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During my process I reflected that in the past the village, the community, and especially the campfire, existed as a healing space where people gathered; where collective responsibility and care for one another matched the warmth of the fire.
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Most of us have moved away from the campfire, the village, the natural healing circles of community living. We’re left stranded with our confusion and pain. This pain clouds our innate wisdom and knowledge of ourselves.
'Clearing', Copyright Karen Sole www,solekart.com
What happens to us...
It's a feature of being human that we become entangled in many unhelpful scenarios in which the other players are our dearly loved ones. In this paradox, we receive no guidance or effective rules for negotiating the difficult and sometimes terrifying territory we find ourselves in. We get stuck in grooves with our family of origin, our own children, our friends, our romantic and domestic partners, and our workmates.
So, here we are, and we didn't even know it was happening.
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I believe we all have innate wisdom that we can return to and reconnect with. We can then come to our family and all relationships differently, and back to our true selves.
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Why Family Constellations?
Participating in the intuitive processes of Family Constellations is a dynamic, safe place to start or to continue the work of reclaiming your self. The work may be very emotional, and or challenging, and worth it.
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Manawa, (Maori) carries the complex meaning of heart, breath and emotion, which describes perfectly where our pain resides: out of sight, out of mind, in our bodies.
Mokau River mouth, Taranaki, NZ. Photo Karen Sole
'Ghosts haunt us. Ancestors walk beside us.' Bruce Springsteen
with Barack Obama, on Renegades: Born in the USA, Relationships With Our Fathers and Masculinity, Higher Ground podcast series,
Ghosts Haunt Us. Ancestors Walk Beside Us. 102 x 102 cm copyright Karen Sole www.solekart.com
For my father, Thomas Edward Sole
Storyboard Of A Long Life 76 x 76 cm copyright Karen Sole www.solekart.com
For my mother Nola Florence Brogden, later Sole