Burning for a New Beginning: What We Need to Let Go Of

There are things we continue to carry—not because they serve us, but simply because we’ve become accustomed to them. Weakening thoughts, draining habits, old emotions that still take up space in the heart. We move on, but inside, something stays stuck.

Lag BaOmer invites us to reconsider what truly burns within us—and what it's time to burn away- not out of anger, but out of clarity. This isn’t a destructive process but a precise act of cleansing.
In the same way that a snake sheds an old layer of skin as part of its natural growth and renewal, we too must burn away the old to make room for something new.

Why burn at all?

"Letting go" is a beautiful idea, but sometimes words aren’t enough. We need something tangible that signals to our consciousness: I’m not there anymore. I’m choosing something else.

The word “burn” may sound extreme—maybe even destructive—but at its core, the opposite is true. Burning leads to renewal.

In nature, for example, some forests are intentionally set on fire in a controlled process known as “prescribed burning.”This sounds violent, but in fact it's an act of nourishment. The fire clears out old undergrowth and layers that block light and air, preparing the soil for fresh blooming. Some seeds that have lain dormant in the soil for years can only germinate after a fire- only when the ground is cleared can something new break through.

The same is true for us. Within us are old layers of habits, identities, and beliefs that no longer serve who we are today. It’s not always easy to let go of them. They’re familiar—and in some way, even comfortable—but they hold us back from growing.

Lag BaOmer invites us to look inward and ask ourselves:

• What am I holding onto simply because I’m used to it?

• What is no longer letting me breathe?

• What within me needs to burn so that I can grow?

This symbolic burning isn’t about destruction, but a conscious choice to make space.

Writing Practice: What do I want to release?

Take a few quiet minutes. Grab a blank sheet of paper and a pen, and allow yourself to write freely, without overthinking.

Answer one or more of the following questions:

• What no longer serves me, even if it once mattered?

• What habit or thought has been weighing me down recently?

• What would I like to burn to make space for something new and better?

• What old belief is it time to say goodbye to?

Don’t worry about writing something “nice” or “correct.” Just write what’s real—even if it’s still messy or unclear. Read through what you wrote and choose one word or sentence you’d like to symbolically burn.

The Release Ritual

Take the paper with the sentence or word you chose. Before you let it go, read it one last time in your heart and say to yourself: “I thank what was—and I release what no longer is.”

Then burn it, tear it up, or throw it away. 

If you’d like, write a new word to carry with you moving forward. For example: Clarity. Presence. Compassion. Listening.
Put it in your journal, phone, or even your pocket—as a gentle reminder of your new path.

We’re not erasing what we burn—we’re honoring what was, and choosing a different way forward.

Lag BaOmer is an opportunity for conscious emotional cleansing.
Just like the trees that turn to ash and nourish the soil, what is released in us, makes space for new life.