Once you realize that you have to know yourself to create a healthy partnership, relating with others becomes easier.

Dear Friends,

Saying goodbye and parting ways with anyone we've shared a connection with can be difficult. But, many of our readers have found it particularly challenging when intentionally ending a relationship, so we wanted to bring you an online course that consciously addressed navigating this time. Today we're speaking with best-selling author Ragini Elizabeth Michaels about her DailyOM course, Separating with Grace and Respect.

Course Overview
At the dissolution of any relationship, most people hope for an amicable end, or at least minimal hurt or animosity. However, there can be a lot involved that can make it seem impossible to navigate and achieve that optimal closure. In this powerful ten-day course, taught by best-selling author Ragini Michaels, you'll be guided step-by-step on how to make relationship separation decisions with compassion and forgiveness, for both you and the other person. With the support of expert insights and an action plan, you will be able to assess your relationship, determine the best path forward, and generate new perspectives. By the end, you'll emerge from this experience with lasting confidence and contentment.
  • Receive a new lesson every day for 10 days (total of 10 lessons).
  • Have lifetime access to the course for reference whenever you want.
  • Select the amount you can afford, and get the same course as everyone.
  • If you are not 100% satisfied, you may request a refund.
How much do you want to pay?

$15$35$50

This is the total amount for all 10 lessons

Interview With Ragini Michaels

DailyOM: Is this course for people who have already decided to separate, or will it help them decide if they want to separate?

Ragini Michaels: I wrote this course for both kinds of people: those who have already decided to separate and those who need guidance before making that decision. Sometimes a decision should be reconsidered, especially when you start seeing things from a different point of view. Whether you stay and give it another try or go and start a new life on your own, this course offers very specific guidance on how to first be happier with yourself. Knowing how to do this changes the way you relate to others and engage in your relationships, whether you are part of a couple or on your own. Of course, the most important relationship of all is with yourself. Yet, this is easily forgotten when you are operating inside a partnership. Once you realize that you have to know yourself pretty well to create a healthy partnership, relating with others becomes a lot easier, more enjoyable, and hopefully more fun.

DailyOM: Why is it important to be mindful of how we separate? What are the benefits?

RM: Doing anything difficult becomes a bit easier when you do it mindfully. Mindfulness grants you a clearer perspective because you have some distance. And that distance grants you the possibility of reconnecting with the love you once felt for the other person. It helps to remember that despite all the differences and problems, love was once there. Or, you may still feel love for the other, but you know in your heart that it's not good for you to stay. Parting from anything that was once filled with love, laughter, and fun can be heart-wrenching.

When I say mindful, I mean simply being present to and aware of your anger, frustration, irritation, sense of betrayal, and so on. Being present leads to taking responsibility and understanding your part in causing things to unravel. You learn that blame is never a useful approach to creating a thriving life. Being aware of when you fall into blaming is the first step toward taking charge of your life. Putting your happiness on someone else's shoulders means you will eventually be disappointed, hurt, and probably mad. So being mindful when you are separating is smart, challenging, and liberating. Whatever your final decision, it will be of greater benefit to both you and your partner, now and in the future.

DailyOM: Tell us how you designed your course and the type of homework it provides.

RM: I designed this course to follow the stages you naturally go through when you come to realize you are not happy in your relationship: shock, disillusionment, anger, rage, blame, sense of betrayal, anxiety about the future, fear of failing on your own, sense of loss, grief, self-doubt, and a bit of self-flagellation. You cycle through these until you conclude that either you can change the way you are behaving in the relationship you are in, or you cannot (or don't want to), and it is time to leave. However, before coming to either of these decisions, it is important to explore your emotions from different angles. Whether your goal is to get clear on what you want to do or explore how to separate with grace and respect, there are specific ways of looking at things that offer some powerful guidance.

Since emotions are often disruptive to clear thinking, I designed the course to help you identify and explore your feelings, and then offer options for what you can do with those feelings to support your decision. The course emphasizes that blame is not a useful perspective if you want to be happy in a relationship. Instead, it offers guidance on how to take charge of your life and make it real. I encourage people to answer the questions at their own pace and at a depth they feel comfortable with. But I also suggest you push just beyond your comfort zone, because that is where you usually find the most interesting insights and clarifications about why you are unhappy.

DailyOM: Separating can be a very emotionally difficult and vulnerable situation. How do you help students deal with these kinds of feelings?

RM: The course includes lots of self-reflection and journaling questions to help you better understand what your feelings are and what to do with them. Emotions are packed with energy and power, so it is important that you learn how to manage your emotions instead of letting them confuse and trigger you. This can free you to move through the process with less angst, anger, blame, and frustration. The course also offers four guided meditations that help you recognize what is going on unconsciously and what to do with it. That includes what to do with the perceived threat of change and all that comes with ending something you never thought would end, and embarking on a new beginning that is still ambiguous. Navigating difficult emotions requires trust that you will emerge on the other side of the problem, having found all you need to create a new beginning in whatever way you find necessary. It may seem impossible at first, but knowing how to navigate your own emotions is the key to finding your way toward a healthy, fresh start.

DailyOM: Will this course help people learn how to have better relationships in the future?

RM: Definitely! The only way to have a better relationship in the future is to be clear about what made the past one stop working. The course is designed to help you recognize and honor your particular foibles and what you can do to manage them more effectively. If you are open to learning why things didn't work, taking a fresh look at what happened, and accepting responsibility for your part, you can make lasting change. And that's when a good relationship is more likely to manifest in your life.

How Does It Work?
Starting today, you will receive a new lesson every day for 10 days (total of 10 lessons). Each lesson is yours to keep and you'll be able to refer back to it whenever you want. And if you miss a lesson or are too busy to get to it that day, each lesson will conveniently remain in your account so you won't have to search for it when you're ready to get back to it.

Free Gift
As a free gift, when you sign up for this course, you will also receive the award-winning DailyOM inspiration newsletter which gives you daily inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day. We will also let you know about other courses and offers from DailyOM and Ragini Michaels that we think you might be interested in.

Get Started Now
We are offering this course with the option of selecting how much you want to pay. No matter how much you pay, you'll be getting the same course as everybody else. We simply trust that people are honest and will support the author of the course with whatever they can afford. And if you are not 100% satisfied, we will refund your money.

How much do you want to pay?

$15$35$50

This is the total amount for all 10 lessons


Thank you, Ragini. Whether you are uncertain or know it's time to separate, you can decide to navigate through this situation in a whole new way. A way that does not have to cause further pain or regret, but instead fosters growth and understanding. This course will help you do that, and more. Until next time.

Be well,

DailyOM