Published by Kerry Meath-Sinkin
From discussions with clients, colleagues and my close friends, it is clear that many people struggle with their relationship to money. A healthy relationship with money involves making the right choices with our money on the practical level, and feeling clear and spacious with our money on the inner level. Because let’s face it, too many of us are walking around feeling confused and constricted with our money, or so out of control with our money that we get into problems. Everyone is craving clarity and confidence in relationship with their money; the question is, if we aren’t feeling that way now, how can we get there?
I have spent a lot of time exploring and researching the practical and inner sides of a healthy relationship with money. On the inner level, I wanted to understand how to heal relationships with money, both for myself and others.
First, I want to share how I have been healing my inner relationship to with money. I was able to identify in myself that I have felt constriction around money for a large period of my life. For example, as a little girl I remember thinking, “I need to save my allowance” because what if something happens and those $10 would make a difference? What little girl thinks like that? As time went on, the same constricted feelings continued. This was true even when I was a consultant in DC. I was fully supporting myself, with upward mobility and likely financial gain lying ahead of me.
However, my inner life felt incomplete and I wanted to deeply explore that part of my life. This led me to Ayurveda school, where I was able to deeply explore my physical and emotional health. I explored many deeply held beliefs and stories from my life, but interestingly money was never one of them. Because I believed that a spiritual person shouldn’t worry about money I avoided addressing or exploring it. I felt embarrassed to share how insecure I felt about money, as if somehow these admissions would tarnish another’s opinion of my being a spiritual person.
Following Ayurveda school, I began working as an Ayurvedic practitioner. I can’t tell you how many times topics of money would come up during our discussions. It was continually surprising to me how a client’s overall health and relationship with money were often intertwined. The intertwined relationship between the inner and practical aspects of feeling abundant in one’s life is what inspires me as a financial planner and what underlies the purpose of this blog, Wealth & Wellness. To help people develop not only a healthy practical relationship with money, but also feel abundant and free emotionally.
I firmly believe that we can all cultivate a healthy relationship with money whether we have a lot or a little. I also believe that it requires some work and exploration to get there. We can explore how we relate and connect to money in different ways. Whatever you choose, it is important to bring our feelings and relationships with money to the surface. It is common in a meditation practice to name your feelings or experiences. That practice alone can sometimes help free something that is stuck. Naming feelings or emotions we have in relationship to money can alone be powerful by releasing emotional blockages from the body.
An easy place is to start is by grabbing your journal and writing about what comes up when you think about money. Prompts for journaling might include your present relationship with money, and associations to money you may learned in childhood or other stages in your life. You can also spend time meditating on the topic, and naming what arises. Another option is having vulnerable and open conversations with your partner or intimate friends. You may be surprised about what you learn about yourself or others. The most important thing is to be in a safe space, where you can be honest and open as you share or feel your experiences.
Kerry Meath-Sinkin is a registered investment advisor and financial planner based in Minneapolis. She works with clients not only in the Twin Cities, but nationwide. Kerry believes in a holistic approach to finance. She works with her clients to develop a practical plan with their finances, while also working on their inner relationship with money. Together, these aspects allow clients to feel healthy, abundant, and free. Kerry also has a passion for healthy living, is a certified Ayurvedic practitioner, and public health educator. Click here to learn more about Kerry.
