Ilinden – the day we raised our heads… and we still raise them

Today, when we celebrate Ilinden, My heart is filled with respect for our ancestors. This day is not just “historical” – Ilinden is a reminder that our people -knew to raise one's head. To straighten up. To say: "Enough is enough.""To reach for his own. But even though the Krusevo Republic lasted only ten days, in a way we Macedonians are still leading that struggle. Today, through all these hundred and twenty-odd years, as a people we are still learning how to hold our heads high. The lesson we did not learn then, to hold our heads high, to fight for what is ours, and to win… unfortunately, has not yet been adopted. It turns out that what our ancestors did not do, it remains for us, future generations, to complete. And there is no escaping that!

When I think about Ilinden, through the concept of Bert Hellinger – Family constellations For me, what we Macedonians lack is the life force that says: I have the right to be here. I have the right to seek, to create, to change. 

I have been learning a lot from my teacher for the last 3 years. Andrei Karimov from Russia about family constellations, about energy, about life and death.

I heard a profound truth from him: Life has its vitamins.. We don't buy them at a pharmacy – we develop and build them throughout our lives.

He says:"A person cannot live fully if he does not have his life vitamins. Without them, his soul decays."

And when I heard those words, everything became clear to me. What we lack are these four vitamins of life, which Andrei taught me to cherish, to live, to convey in my work.

🧡 1. Basic aggression – like the Krushevo Spark
Remember those ten days in Krusevo. For our ancestors, that was not just a revolution – it was their soul's callThose people said: We have the right to be here. We have the right to live with dignity.  That is precisely the basic aggression I am talking about here. It is not violence – but love of life, a desire for one's own space, one's own future.

Our ancestors in Krushevo did not wait for permission. They did not hesitate whether they were worth it. They raised their heads – with all the fears, with all the obstacles they had. Although they had shame, doubt, and pain – the desire for life was greater.

And we today, when we feel that something belongs to us – we should tell ourselves the same thing: I have the right to shine. I have the right to life. I don't need permission for that. 

💛 2. Interest – the longing that led them towards the greater goal
Why do you think our ancestors came together and formed a Republic? Why did they risk everything? Because they had a vision. An interest. A curiosity for a future different from the present.

Interest is what pulls us forward. The Krusevo Republic was not only against the occupier – it was an attempt to create a new world, a new system, a new way of living.

"Interest is the bridge between the present and the future."

We, like our ancestors, need to learn to discover new streets, new opportunities, new paths. Only in this way can we live fully.

💚 3. Contact – the soul of our tradition

In Krushevo, people were not fighting just for themselves. They fought for a greater goal that united them all. The community, the family, for families and neighbors.  Contact is what connected them – the belief that "we together" exist, have our own place and meaning.

In our tradition – in the song, the dance, the sounds of the bagpipe and the drum, the prayers, the family celebrations and celebrations – there is contact everywhere. Our grandmothers did not embrace each other with words, but with gestures. With touch, contact, with a look. With a humble stew placed in front of you when you are at your hardest.

Even today, we all need contact like bread. Look at someone and say: I see you. You have a place here. You are valuable.

Contact regenerates the soul. Through play, touch, and music, pain is released without breaking us.

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💙 4. Balance – the sacred rule of life
Our ancestors knew what loss meant. They knew what sacrifice meant. But they also knew how to make it happen. restore balance – with gratitude, with respect, with a return to life.  The Krusevo Republic ended, but not the spirit that created it. That spirit continued to seek balance in new attempts, in future – new generations.

Today, when someone hurts us, when something is taken from us, we can say: "You take that from me, but I will take the experience from you, and I will do something with it, moving on."

The balance is to forgive, but also to learn. To lose, but also to understand. To allow yourself to move on regardless of the blows of fate.

And yes, my dears – all these “vitamins” are within us. We need to activate them, to take them because they are in our genes, in our tradition, in our history.

In Ilinden, we not only remember – we we remember who we are. We connect with the root. We celebrate life.
We thank our ancestors – and we promise them:
We will hold our heads high. We will live with love. We will be light.

Love and light

Biljana Pesheva 🌸

 

P.S – Read about new events and come join me

🌸Saturday- August 16 I will work. according to Andrew's method in Sonje, family constellations with a shamanic approach. If you are in Skopje, read HERE and write to me.

💚Saturday August 30 related to the holiday Virgin Mary – 3-hour workshop on connection and healing: A Call from the Cosmic Mother and ,

🌊From September 21 to 28 we are leaving for JVacation in Nikiti, Greece

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about the author: Biljana is the founder of the brand Healthy Life Skills  & Healthy Yoga where she holds seminars, retreats, active vacations, trainings and classes to reduce stress and tension in modern man using a holistic approach in working with individuals and organizations. She is the author of several programs “Mental and Emotional Healing”, “Releasing Grief”, “Conscious Health”, “January Spiritual Workshops”, “Create a New Image of Yourself”, “Whisper with Ease” and others. She is the author of the book “Guide to Releasing Grief” - Holistic Tools for Establishing Life Harmony” and has so far organized 25 yoga active vacations which you can view HERE .