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By Christine Falcon-Daigle

IntegrationSome say time and space are man-made constructs – that time is not linear and there is no such thing as past and future. However, the cycles of change – visible through the seasons – are undeniable.

Season Of Nostalgia

At this time of year, when hours of daylight wane and trees release their leaves, I feel myself seeking more solitude, more time for personal reflection. I have come to accept this as a season of nostalgia, even melancholy; a season of letting go.

Smack-dab in the autumn of my own life, I am faced with the joys and pitfalls of being a mother to a teenager, now a freshman in high school, who more and more resembles a younger version of myself (including a lot of my own negative patterns). Simultaneously, my parents are aging and we’re having tough conversations about limited mobility and end-of-life directives.

A Life-Changing Week

It has been seven-and-a-half years since I attended my Hoffman Process. That life-changing week set in motion a series of events I never could have imagined. One of the really great gifts of completing that work – aside from finding forgiveness and compassion for myself, my parents, and others – was experiencing the complete integration of all four parts of myself: body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

After the Integration Ceremony, the post-Process weekend, and the subsequent integration back into my day-to-day life, I began to see that all of us are imperfect, lovable human beings. In developing an ability to recognize and work with my own Dark Side, as well as cultivate loving kindness toward myself as an on-going practice, I have developed my capacity to forgive, accept, and love others as well – even those who have done what I describe as unforgivable.

Integration For Life

The work I did at Hoffman, and continue to do through the use of my tools and practices, makes me a better mother and daughter. I can now recognize in myself a positive legacy rather than a negative one. I can see clearly all the gifts I have been given as a result of the parents I have.

The beauty and wonder of it all for me is this: the more time passes, the more grateful I am. Perhaps my capacity to experience true gratitude has expanded. One thing is for certain: Integration truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Since her Process in April 2010, Christine Falcon-Daigle has been on a spirit-led path, dedicated to following her heart. It has led her back to school where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing & Consciousness; to the study of horticultural therapy and organic farming; and, most recently, to Baptiste Yoga Teacher Training.

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