Sourcing the Self for Truth
“There is no linear evolution; there is only a circumambulation of the Self…this insight gave me stability, and gradually, my inner peace.” - Carl Gustav Jung
Consciousness and “going-deep”: words/phrases we often hear echoing in many conversations and podcasts. What do they mean in theory? And, how do they look and feel in practice? These are the two areas we will explore in all Architecture of Humanity-hosted events and in fine detail within Sisters of the Forest gatherings.
Below, you’ll find the framework we’ll be using in Architecture of Humanity (AoH) to explore these two questions. There are many paths, to quote a phrase. One path is not right over another. You’ll know you’re in right-direction-alignment when you feel the resonance within your heart space, as opposed to the mind space. As Buddha said, “If you are facing the right direction, all you need to do is keep walking.”
For efficiency purposes, we will use the words/phrases, "truth, right direction and heart-centered actions” synonymously. These are grand topics whose content is deserving of more time and space. Please follow along with our blog posts as we will expand on these subjects in greater detail.
In the search for Truth within the AoH community, we loosely follow the ancient tenets of the yogic and Buddhist path, as well as the Individuation path as laid out by Carl Jung within Depth Psychology (late 19th and early 20th centuries). In addition to those somewhat seminal approaches, we adhere to a psychobiological approach, which is a contemporary construct and practice followed by the likes of Stephen Porges, Peter Levine and Stan Tatkin, to name a few. The common thread within all these approaches lies in the belief that peace and contentment are to be sourced from within; they are, in fact, our birthrights.
We are currently living in a collectively unconscious period of time…a moment in human evolution whereby the American society, in particular, is living in an incredibly globally-intense existence. In fact, the addiction we rarely hear of, is that to the bodily chemicals created from living a highly-charged life. This has left us depleted physically and psychologically, and in turn, highly vulnerable to manipulation, as we are so removed from our True Nature. Because of this, we are now combing through generations of conditioning that have lead us to believe that peace and contentment are sourced from external means. I have called this phenomenon, Global Codependence. We’ll go into further detail on this topic in a subsequent blog post.
A cognitive understanding of these theories and definitions will allow us an identification. Many, however, become stuck in this space of labeling who and what they are. True transcendence takes place when there is a “landing” in the body via embodiment practices. Transcending even beyond the writings and principles that might be memorized. Putting these principles into practice are the “yoga of action.” Below, you’ll find the four-part structure that allows a greater transparency of our AoH ethos and what our work/your work will look like at our events…how we will source the Self for Truth.
Spiritual Path
The root word for spirit is the Latin word “spiritus,” which translates to breath. Pausing to breathe into the heart-space is where our work will begin. This is the center-point from which our spiritual path is born. You may have already begun to pave yours or you may be looking for your own bespoke path. At AoH, we believe this is a highly individual endeavor that is lead with compassion, curiosity, surrender and patience. All of our paths are different. They are based on our individual heritage, culture, family of origin, DNA, epigenetics, Samskaral patterning, archetypes, wounds and traumas. It is a tapestry woven from the the many parts and slices that make you unique. Your spiritual path is your northern star, your longitudinal median, an energetic BFF…your constant companion onto which you can always rely. It is your soft place to fall.
Teacher/Mentor
Guru literally translates to “dispeller of the darkness. As we ascend and transcend, we will be asked to walk into the darkness of the forest. It is a necessary initiation into emotional maturation. Upon acceptance of this initiatory process, we inherently seek a teacher, an objective third party, an individual who has walked this path. She not only speaks the spiritual words but also lives these words through her actions, i.e., the way she lives her everyday life. Integrity energetically pulses through this person. In other words, what she says and does are two sides of the same spiritual coin. This person directs and teaches you how to source truth from your Self, that is to say, from your intuition. Because our society is so disproportionate in left-brain behavior, it is critical that our contemporary spiritual teachers practice and teach bottom-up practicing. This practice utilizes the soma (the body) to access wisdom and knowledge, oftentimes from the unconscious realms.
Sacred Community
Kula is a Sanskrit word for “assembly” or “family.” It western terminology, it denotes the sense of belonging that is cultivated in yogic communities. This sense of belonging to a spiritual tribe and the rituals and ceremonies that are practiced are oftentimes paramount to a feeling of safety. Entering into a spiritual community is an action into recovery; recovery of the soul.
Tapasya is a yogic term meaning the practice of austerity, which involves a conditioning of the body for removal of impurities and for overcoming the deficiencies and weaknesses of the body, mind and senses. To further cultivate safety, sobriety and cleanliness is practiced on all levels: clean communication, emotional sobriety, purified soma, etc., as presence is of utmost importance as we do our work together.
Daily Practice (Sadhana)
A Sadhana is a spiritual discipline or practice. It is the daily “temperature-check” of our nervous system. You may practice yoga asana, stretching, pranayama (breath-work) and/or read from a spiritual text. It may be five minutes or an hour. As previously mentioned, the practices we teach and practice within AoH events will be inspired by ancient and contemporary sources. Every event will include multiple practices, ceremonies and rituals to prime the access points in the body to access truth.
Our next Sisters of the Forest event is Saturday, March 12. Please click here for info and to purchase tickets.