Tree of Life Meditations is an integration of several spiritual practices that I have studied and taught over the past 45 years. The primary sources have been:
1. Mindfulness meditation – Entering into and being with the witness aspect of your being. This basically means viewing all that arises in your experience without judgmentalism and with empathic awareness. Aspects of this involve shifting from a solely thinking-based way of relating to the world to a more direct experience-based way, being more in touch with and at ease with the ebb and flow of feelings and body sensations, being more in touch with the basic compassion of your ultimate nature.
2. Agni Yoga – A practice of meditation in which you tap into the sources of life-energy within and channel these through your body and out into the world. Aspects of this involve accessing the primary attributes of your deep Self such as creativity, healing, wisdom, will and vitality, and the archetypal aspects of Spirit: the divine Mother/Father, the Warrior, the Inner Healer or Artist. I have written more about Agni Yoga here:http://www.sacredriverhealing.org/agniyoga.htm
3. Shamanism – Practices and ways of seeing the world that derive from a variety of methods involving altered states of consciousness. These shifts in consciousness move us from the ordinary way of perceiving, feeling and understanding reality and have the purpose of bringing healing or direction to our lives and to our family or community. Some of the methods utilize drumming, chanting or rattling and opening to the presence and support of our ancestors and spiritual teachers not present physically.
Over the course of teaching Tree of Life Meditations as a weekly class, I have sent out messages that speak to one or another aspect of this process. If you go to the Tree of Life Facebook page, you can see these and enjoy the poems and quotations that speak to the journey. Like us when you’re there: https://www.facebook.com/TreeOfLifeMeditations/
Blessings,
Alan Levin