This is the story of Ananachimo and the lesson of needing to allow.

In one of the regression exercises we did with Brian Weiss the image of a group of people crawling up a small slope emerged.  I wondered what could this image be and if it is something I needed to brush to the side in my mind in order to get to something more valid.  However, I decided to stay with it and see if it develops.

The picture came into focus.  The group of people was a band of Native Americans.  I wondered which tribe they belonged to and in my head popped the answer that they were with the Plain Indians.  Next, I began searching whether I am among the group of people.  And there I was.  How did I identify myself?  I was drawn to the person I was in that lifetime.  I just knew who I was.  In an instant I knew that my name was Ananachimo.  I kept on repeating the name to myself so I can remember it.  Ananachimo was a young man with an agile, lean and muscular body.  He was tall with long black hair and a strong square jaw.  Around his neck he wore the tooth of a white bear he had killed in a hunting trip up north.

The band of Indians was very careful when ascending the slope.  On the top of the slope there was a flat area where a house was built.  They were spying on the settlers who lived in that house.  The settlers have been invading the lands of Ananachimo’s tribe.

I saw him standing on a hill looking across a valley and other hills as far as the eye can see.  Ananachimo lifted his left hand in front of his shoulder and gave a vow to protect his land and his people from the settlers.

Ananachimo was greatly attuned to nature.  Nature spoke to him.  He heard the whisper of the trees when their leaves were swaying in the wind.  Every flower, bush and blade of grass carried a message that he was able to read.  Ananachimo was also a healer who used herbs to bring back into balance the health of his people.

At the age of 37 an important event occurred in Ananachimo’s life.  He had captured and bonded with a mustang with big red and white spots.  The name of the horse was The Red Lightening.  The white people have somehow taken possession of his mustang.  Ananachimo tried to free it and they caught him and accused him of stealing the horse.  To punish him, the white people tied his hands above his head and whipped him.  I did not see the horror of every whip falling on his back.  I only saw that as the white people began whipping him the horse, which was near by, watched everything and shared Ananachimo’s anger and sense of injustice.  It was raising its front legs, kicking, making terrible noise and trying to free itself.

However, it was all futile.  This event broke Ananachimo’s spirit.  He lost his horse but he also lost faith in his own ability to protect his land and his people.  He felt that great injustice was being done but he was powerless to bring any change.

As time went by things got worse.  His tribe was driven towards the northwest.  They were far away form their hunting grounds.  On a cold day, at the age of 42, Ananachimo died.  He was laying down in his tepee feeling defeated for he could not protect his people, for he could not save them, when his spirit left his body.  Outside mostly women and children form his tribe, as most men have died, were going about their day.  They were cold, hungry and were feeling completely lost.

As the regression was nearing its end I began searching for the soul lesson of that life.  The lesson was about allowing.  I had to learn to allow. I blamed myself for having failed to protect and save my people but the truth was that I could not have saved anyone or protected them from the painful historic events.  I must allow for people’s lives to unfold as they are meant to, because their souls need these experiences.  They have agreed to go through challenges to learn their own lessons and find their own enlightenment.  I have seen the big injustice caused by the white men as an evil I have promised to fight. Yet, I have failed to really be of help in times when I was most needed.  People do not need saving.  People need love, support and encouragement that they can withstand any trials and will always come out stronger, wiser and more compassionate.  I cannot shelter anyone from the storms of life because they will never grow, learn and expand.

But how do you allow?  How do you maintain the balance of being loving, kind and wanting to help against wanting to save people form the injustice of the world or their own silly mistakes? As you have guessed already, this lesson continues to be a challenge for me so many years later.  Even though I changed my gender, my name and my appearance I still want to rush in and shield people.

I left the class session and headed to my room that night with these heavy questions on my mind.  The cabin we are in has two rooms in it.  As we entered we met one of our neighbors who was on her way to the bathroom.  A moment later she realized that she and the other roommate, who was showering, have locked themselves out since both their keys were in their room and the door has locking itself when she pulled to close it.  It was pouring outside and our neighbor was barefoot.  What a situation to find yourself in!  I offered to help.

As I walked in the rain trying to find an Omega staff person I instantly recognized that this little crisis unfolded because of me. It delivered to me the final piece of my lesson.  We should always help people in every way we can.  We should spare no effort when assisting them on their path.  Yet, we should never try to alter the course of their lives by shielding them or trying to save them from their troubles.

I was so grateful to our lovely neighbors.  My lesson has crystallized for me.

Image: Ames Pond Water Lily, a Creative Commons Attribution photo from Mr. Ducke’s Flickr stream

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