The Human being is a most complex thing. Riddled with trauma and conditioning yet capable of the most wonderful experience. Meeting the horizon dissects the human condition before healing the seven aspects of consciousness utilising the seven chakra system teachings of old alongside modern, somatic and psycho spiritual therapy. The path from fear to joy is available to us all if we we just learn to find what doesn't belong to us and rediscover our true, authentic selves. With narration, meditation and exercises galore, this work will enable the reader to practice their true calling as part of their everyday lives.
The Human being is a most complex thing. Riddled with trauma and conditioning yet capable of the most wonderful experience. Meeting the horizon dissects the human condition before healing the seven aspects of consciousness utilising the seven chakra system teachings of old alongside modern, somatic and psycho spiritual therapy. The path from fear to joy is available to us all if we we just learn to find what doesn't belong to us and rediscover our true, authentic selves. With narration, meditation and exercises galore, this work will enable the reader to practice their true calling as part of their everyday lives.
In Indian philosophy and medicine the body is a network of energy channels. These are called nadis. Indian texts name over eighty thousand of them within the human body. As before, one could almost say it is an ancient understanding of the nervous system. As in Chinese medicine (meridians) these points and channels can be manipulated to bring healing and understanding of the body as a whole. This is what acupuncture or acupressure is based upon. Everything is interconnected and the body is treated as one organism - emotions, mind and body.Â
We find blockages and their causes and heal issues by having a knowledge of the whole rather than isolating the symptom and focusing on that as doctors do in the West.Â
Here, a doctor finds the symptom and using manipulation or medication attempts to alleviate it. He has little interest in finding the cause of it and would laugh heartily if you suggested that a physical ailment may have its root in an emotional or karmic wound.Â
In Indian medicine, solutions range from yoga, diet and astrology to karmic work and herbal remedies.
An ayurvedic understanding of the whole organism is incredibly complex and takes years to comprehend.Â
When the British rolled up in India to conquer and plunder in the nineteenth century, those who took an interest, found the nadi system incomprehensible. Just like Indian food in British restaurants, the Indians offered a far more simplified and palatable version more in line with the western mindset and taste buds.
This chakra system consists of seven major energy points that follow the spine from the coccyx up to the crown of the head.
1:The coccyx (base or root chakra)
2: The hara (about five cm below the navel -sex centre, hara is the japanese term not the Indian name).
3: The solar plexus.
4: The heart.
5: The throat
6: The third eye (between the eyebrows or a little above)
7: The crown.Â
Each chakra represents elements of the mind, body and emotions. Everything is interconnected. They all have a colour and even exotic mandalas associated with them.
The aim in kriya yoga practice is to find the life force or âpranaâ at the root of the spine (described as a coiled up snake) and to somehow allow it to surge upward through all the energy centres eventually reaching the crown where upon connecting with and breaking through, one finds union with God and the Universal truths. A state called samadhi which leads to total freedom from the mind body - moksha or freedom from samsara - the endless cycle of birth and death.
In Chinese and Japanese tradition this energy resides in the hara and must be pulled backward toward the coccyx before travelling upward.
Of course, we are full of reasons why this is very difficult. The emotional body is full of blockages, conditioning, trauma and karma. Physically, we create blockages via the polluting environment we live in, the food we eat and the destructive things we do to our bodies like sitting for hours and foolishly partaking in intense sport which we are fooled into thinking is actually good for us.
Cleansing the chakras is a mixture of:
Karmic work
Ancestral work.
Physical cleansing and opening.
Emotional cleansing
and
Work on our conditioning and beliefs.
As before, each chakra represents different aspects of these parts of ourselves that need cleansing and healing.
In yoga, it is recognised that we are all born with karma that it is our duty to work though or âburn offâ in this lifetime. Or, at least, as much of it as is humanly possible.
This can somewhat be explained through astrology and explains why children from the same parents, seemingly enjoying identical upbringings can be so different. If we delve into the possibility of past lives then this can become more understandable. Soul families take on a much larger role. This may be the blood family in this life but doesnât account for a myriad of past incarnations.
So, traditionally, the yogi would spend his life mediating and working through accumulated karma from past lives, purifying himself and eventually reaching moksha.
In modern, western life however if we return to the USP, things get a little complicated and the chances of simply recognising and burning off past life karma and the karma we were born with becomes the least of our problems.
If past life karma is Universal, what about Societal and Personal karma we acquire?
From the moment we are born we have Societal rules thrust upon us. What we should eat, when we should sleep, how we should behave, what is good and what is bad. What is acceptable and what isnât.
When we add this to our universal karma which is unique we become a mess of both worlds which results in our personal karma now having its own basis in all three elements.Â
We no longer have our own thoughts and feelings but a mix of the society we have grown up in, including our family and the conclusions we have come to from this warped perspective. Our personality, however, believes that it has come to these conclusions all by itself. This is the illusion of free will and free thought.
As an example, I myself have spent time in five different countries, three of which are in Europe. I am always rather astounded at how much we are conditioned by national traits.
If we take something we consider very personal like, for example - food, we will see that âour tastesâ are really anything but. Most people believe that the food from their country is the best. Not because it is but because they have been conditioned to eat such things from birth. Try taking an Indian to the UK, A Frenchman to India or someone from the U.S to Spain and youâll see what I mean. People do tend to grow their taste buds these days and global travel alongside migration has opened up new avenues of cuisine but it is very much about being open minded. Freedom from the norm. We find it risky to try new foods initially. I was offered horse meat in an Italian, mountain hotel recently and needless to say I declined to the consternation of the chef.
One aspect which is a lot more ingrained however, is a sense of humour. One would think what makes us laugh is a very personal thing but from my experience this is simply not the case.
There are universal things that tickle our funny bones but on the whole so much humour is based upon national stereotypes, societal âin jokesâ and what a certain group of people find amusing. We are tribal and much of what we do, like or dislike is based upon the rules and conditioning of the tribe.
No harm in that of course but once we start to enter into the world of politics and religion it starts to become a tad more serious.
When our beliefs about race, conditioning, war or relationships are blinkered by patriotism and national identity then we are entering dangerous territory. If we are told to believe something otherwise we are being unpatriotic then a lack of personal integrity becomes a problem. Governments worldwide have been using this con to get away with murder and division for too long now and it only seems to be getting worse. We feel impelled to pick a side as this is our tribal conditioning.
So, we have three layers of conditioning that create more and more karma. These manifest on a physical, emotional and mental level. Before we can attempt any form of freedom, we must begin to question what it is we believe about ourselves and the world around us.
Where our emotions come from and how they manifest in the body.Â
In this writing we will move through the chakras one at a time and see how a blocked version impedes us emotionally, mentally and physically. We will find practices that help to cleanse these blocks and discover how a fully functioning, unblocked energy centre can feel.Â
Later on we will look at the idea of the healing spiral and understand that this self healing path to liberation is long, tough and sometimes frustratingly repetitive. We encounter similar blockages again but each time on a more subtle level.
Meeting the Horizon explores what it means to be human by working upwards through the seven chakras, arguing the importance of moving through each, and taking a journey towards self-knowledge by working from our roots upwards towards a deeper spirituality and consciousness. Itâs a warm and sensitive book that explores how we become increasingly embedded in social norms and values, to the point that acknowledging and discovering our unique selves and our connection to our deepest spiritual beliefs takes time and patience. It explores the ways of healing on each level of awareness.
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This is a thoughtful read filled with insights that bring deep reflection. At every level, the writer challenges us to think through what we have been told about ourselves and about how we shouldâ live in the world, casting doubt on both social norms and political correctness until we are encouraged to find our truth. These include the myth that love is all you need and the belief that we should absorb the political beliefs of our times without question.Â
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As a reader, I enjoyed the thoughtful discussion and the compassion underlying the explanations. The author approaches each challenge with kindness and empathy for humanity's struggles. I didnât feel as though I was being given answers or forced to accept a particular truth, as much as I was encouraged to doubt the âtruthsâ that might hold me back from being myself.Â
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This is a book for readers who want to engage with a soulful exploration of what it means to be a human being. The grounded and sensitive approach to growth creates space for reflection and deeper thought. At every step, we are encouraged to look after ourselves rather than the gurus who guide us or the people in our lives who might benefit from our spiritual quests. This is a book for everyone who has an idealistic approach to life and who would benefit from self-care. Itâs also an excellent choice for anyone trying to find a way out of dogma or fundamentalism in any form and towards a path of growth. I am so grateful I got to read it.Â