Cord Cutting | Intentionally Let Go & Reclaim Your Power

By Briana Barela

September 18, 2026

In my last article, we talked about resentment and forgiveness - how to begin letting go of emotional attachments from past relationships. We talked about acknowledging the hurt, forgiving yourself, and why setting boundaries - and keeping them - is so important.

But that conversation brings us to another question:

Once you’ve decided you’re ready to let go, how do you put that decision into practice?

You can decide you’re done carrying something and still catch yourself picking it back up. The conversation, the resentment, the explanation you never got. Or the imaginary argument where they finally understand what they did.

This is where cord cutting comes in. A cord cutting ritual is an intentional practice for acknowledging an attachment and making a clear decision to release it.

What Does Cord Cutting Actually Mean?

In energy work, a cord is a way of describing an attachment between you and another person. You may experience that attachment as a lingering pull toward them, a need for their approval, or the feeling that something between you remains unfinished. Within my practice, cord cutting gives you a way to bring that connection into focus and work with the intention of completely dissolving and releasing it.

The person matters, but so does what you are still holding on to through them. Maybe you are waiting for an apology. Maybe you still want them to recognize your worth, admit what happened, or become the person you believed they could be. You might have no intention of going back and still find yourself measuring your life against whether they regret losing you or not. Being honest about that gives your intention somewhere specific to land.

A cord cutting ritual creates a deliberate space to acknowledge that attachment. Through focused attention, visualization, and words spoken with intention, you give yourself a practice for expressing what you are ready to release. You choose one connection to focus on, recognize what you have invested in it, and begin directing your attention back toward yourself. The energetic language is part of the spiritual practice. You do not have to force a particular sensation or interpret every feeling as proof that something magical is happening – your own intention is the magic.

What Are You Actually Ready to Release?

Before you begin a cord cutting ritual, spend some time getting specific about what still connects you to this person. Saying “I want to let them go” may be true, but there is often more underneath that statement. What are you hoping will happen when you think about them? What still feels unfinished? What do you find yourself reaching for, even when you know the relationship is over?

Sometimes the attachment is to a possibility. You are still holding on to:

• Who they were in the beginning
• Who they occasionally became
• Who you believed they could be if they finally worked through their own shit

You remember the moments when the connection felt good and keep wondering whether that version of the relationship could have lasted.

Letting go can mean acknowledging how much you invested in a future that was never going to become a reality.

Other times, you are waiting for them to confirm something about you. If they apologize, maybe it proves your pain mattered. If they come back, maybe it proves you were worth choosing. If they regret losing you, maybe you can finally stop questioning whether you asked for too much.

That is where your intention can become more specific.

“I am ready to release my need for their acknowledgment.”

“I am ready to stop waiting for this relationship to become what I needed.”

“I am ready to trust what I experienced without asking them to agree with me.”

You do not have to use those exact words. Choose words you can actually mean, even if part of you is still struggling with the decision.

You can also acknowledge what you valued. Maybe there was love. Maybe there were experiences you would never take back. You don't have to make the entire relationship meaningless before you are allowed to release your attachment to it. You can appreciate what was good while recognizing that continuing to organize your life around this person is costing you something now.

You do not need to arrive completely detached. You are making room to begin. What matters is being willing to name the attachment, acknowledge what you hoped it would give you, and consider how you can start meeting your own life with that same attention.

Emotional Engineering: Where Does Your Energy Go After You Let Go?

So where does Emotional Engineering come in? Once you recognize where your attention keeps going, you can begin making intentional choices about what you want to reinforce.

Maybe you stop checking their page to see whether they seem happy without you. Maybe you make plans without wondering whether they’ll reach out. Maybe you finally give time to something you have wanted to build, explore, or enjoy. These choices give your intention somewhere to go. You begin making room for a life that doesn’t keep revolving around what happened.

The ritual marks your decision, and your choices afterward help you follow through. You may still remember them, miss something about the relationship, or feel angry about the way things ended. Those feelings do not erase your progress or mean you performed the ritual incorrectly. You can acknowledge what comes up without making it a reason to return to the same pattern.

Releasing something with grace includes how you treat yourself through that process. You can catch yourself replaying the conversation and gently bring your attention back. You can have a difficult day and still keep your boundary. Every feeling does not require you to reopen a door you have already chosen to close.

Final Thoughts

You may never get the apology or acknowledgment you hoped for. That can still hurt. But you can begin deciding what you are ready to stop waiting for, what boundaries you want to keep, and where your energy goes from here.

That's why I created Sever and Reclaim – The Cord Cutting Ritual — $44 – a digital guide that allows you to move and clear energy with intention in your own space and at your own pace.

It walks you through my spiritual practice of identifying a connection, setting an intention to release it, and reclaiming your energy.

You have given that experience enough of your time, your attention, and imaginary conversations. It's time to give yourself some of that energy now, and Unleash Your Power from within.

For deeper personal guidance, you can also book a one-on-one energy cleansing session with me. We’ll focus on what you’re ready to release and what reconnecting with yourself means for you.

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Disclaimer

This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The concepts discussed throughout this article are meant to support self-awareness, personal growth, and understanding of emotional and nervous system patterns from both psychological and holistic perspectives.

If you are experiencing severe anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, or any medical concerns, please seek support from a qualified healthcare professional. Always use your own discernment and make decisions that are appropriate for your unique circumstances.