Get started: 

1. Create a timeline of your life from birth to present day by drawing a horizontal line down the middle a sheet of paper.
2. Add markers on the line to note 5 year increments. 
3. Start plotting out everything you can possibly remember – no matter how small or seemingly irrelevant. It’s okay if you don’t remember an exact age at which something happened, just add it to the general timeframe. It doesn’t all need to make sense as you're plotting. 
4. Once complete, review it in its entirety. Can you spot any recurring themes? Can you connect any dots? Use this timeline as breadcrumbs to start peeling back the layers of your experience. 

Moments to consider: 

• Health history – including physical, mental and emotional health (everything from a broken toe to recurring ear infections, for example)
• Birth story – how did you enter this world? Was there any trauma during your transition into Life (i.e. umbilical cord wrapped around neck, etc.)? Were your parents experiencing an exorbitant amount of stress beyond what’s expected of birth?
• Marked experiences or transitions – puberty, sex, bodily changes, etc.
• Traumas – both big and small
• Influential Relationships – parents, caretakers, teachers, friends, family, lovers, etc.
• What you were consuming at the time – movies, shows, video games, toys, etc.?
• Major events – moving, divorce, starting a new school, an accident, etc.
• High points and low points – emotionally or mentally
• Recurring dreams or nightmares

​Take it further:

If you wish to take this further, take some time to tune into each experience and consider the following: 

• How do you feel about each experience? Can you remember how you felt when it happened? Do you feel an emotional sensation in the body now, if so, where? Reference the Feelings & Sensations List if you need help identifying the emotion or sensation. Keep in mind, various emotions have likely been layering overtop since the experience, so you may find that identifying the root emotion takes some time as you peel back the layers.
• How did the experience inform who you are today, how you operate in the world, how you make decisions, and how you respond emotionally?
• Can you identify moments where your inner child perhaps needs some acknowledgment, support, and/or reparenting?
• Can you identify where a shadow (the rejected or repressed parts of you) was created, and perhaps now craves light? 
• Can you identify a possible emotional or physical source for an ailment or challenge you’re experiencing today?
• Look at the bigger picture around that timeframe – what was going on in your life? Who was around you?  What were those relationships like? Were you receiving any particular programming from people or things? 
• Can you identify any patterns or connections amongst any of the experiences? 
• Do you notice if the experience still holds power over you, keeping you frozen in time? Would you like to release it? Are you ready to release it? Acknowledging its existence and consciously choosing to shine a light on it can begin the process of healing.