Re-building Self Esteem: Brazil and Portugal Unite to Understand the Past 

Oct 07, 2016

By Marcio Ribeiro

We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.
-- William James

It was the summer of 1952 when my father boarded the boat that would cross the Atlantic Ocean so that he would set foot in Brazil. Even at the age of 4, after an entire month staring at the sea, you grow aware that life has changed forever. Soon enough, perfecting a Brazilian accent became his only goal. Once the transformation was complete, he never looked back.
 
Sure, it's healthy to look forward, but it is undeniably useful to look into the past as well. And it's even better when you have a travel buddy with you. That's exactly what it felt like when Certified BodyTalk Practitioners Paul Henriques and Letizia Destefanis Henriques invited me to teach the first-ever Fundamentals class in Portugal, just a few hours away from where my father was born.
 
Change the names of the countries in the story above and you have your classic immigrant tale. But there's just something peculiar about Brazil and Portugal's relationship. Portugal's spirit for exploration and discovery had it sailing the seven seas. From the other side, Brazil watched its shores turn white with massive sails. Those boats carried two things that have marked Brazil's history and still linger in the consciousness of our people: slavery and religion. Translate that into BodyTalk language and you've got a whole lot of material on victimhood, as well as guilt and fear.
 
With my Portuguese citizenship paperwork underway, I wonder about heritage, the reliability of lineage and bloodlines, and beliefs about belonging, for example. It's impossible not to feel the energy that is building up towards this opportunity. I find it especially intriguing that although this new matrix "launch" will happen in Portugal, I'll be teaching the class in English, as I watch someone translate it to Portuguese, my mother tongue. Ironic, right? Just like the voyage my father made almost 65 years ago, now it's my turn to discover and explore.
 
Talk about untying a knot! It's like we are slowly treading the waters, needing a messenger at first, so that the victim-abuse consciousness wounds slowly come out to play. Portugal is a country that has existed in its present state for over 850 years; the history and associated consciousness passed down from generation to generation is mind-blowing. As you can see, I'm particularly excited about just how much of the mask of Separation will be ready for removal this October in Porto, near the northern coast of Portugal. And while this is a Fundamentals class and not Principles of Consciousness, it is still vital to read the energy field surrounding this class and more importantly, where it is held. The course will be intrinsic in grounding the Portuguese matrix both in Portugal and Brazil. Brazil and Portugal uniting to understand the past but also laying groundwork for the future.
 
Paul is also going back to his roots. His parents are both Portuguese, and after experiencing the growth of the BodyTalk matrix that Letizia built from scratch in Barbados, he decided to leave his expat banking life and become a Certified BodyTalk Practitioner. Now, the tides have taken him back to his origins, and together Paul and Letizia are building yet another matrix from scratch (there's the exploring and discovering theme I was talking about again). They are both doing a great job hosting the first Fundamentals class in Portugal.
 
And what a bold move they have made. To begin with, they've overcome any fear of dropping everything and saying, "Let's do it; let's move to another country where we'll have to explain BodyTalk and build a client list from zero." Add to that the idea of learning a new language (which is the case for Letizia) and adjusting the kids to a completely new life and school (they have two girls, ages seven and one). Can you feel your stomach twisting already? It sounds like many fun adventures, at least in theory. In reality, it turned out to be months of administrative procedures for them, episodes of sickness and dis-ease, intense fear and insecurities all while trying to hold their focus on their initial dream while also facing a culture in Portugal that is traditionally very apprehensive.
Today, while it has been a slow process, the Portuguese people are showing a strong interest in BodyTalk. I have followed and supported Paul and Letizia's challenges in the last few months and have had the privilege of helping to build that bridge.
 
So if you're thinking about doing something this crazy, or simply want to tap into this particular consciousness, you know who to look for. Paul and Letizia have reached expert-level at taking leaps of faith, in my opinion. And they have done this twice!
 
Meanwhile, we are all diving in to get a better understanding of the deep-rooted Portuguese culture so we can adjust the class marketing to local preferences.

If we can put ourselves into Paul and Letizia's shoes, it brings back important conversations with grandparents, recovering memories from long ago. So many stories of yearning, of searching for something else, which initially started within the country and eventually spilled out into the oceans. Stories of (perceived) successes and failures. All of this happening within families that have been split across longitudes and latitudes. The ancestors left us with many unsolved issues, paybacks, unfinished business, amends to make and stories to unravel. We are going to have to succeed where they couldn't.

We would be thrilled if you hop on board with us!

Blessings,
Marcio

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