Spiritual Development with Amadis Cammell in London, UK

Heart of Being Courses

Heart of Being 'CYCLE OF LIFE' - WOOD

The Wood Phase correlates to the season of spring and this module is dedicated to opening-up our ego defences so that we can connect more fully with our soul and the other energetic and archetypal aspects of the Wood element.

The Wood phase/element is the paradigm that relates to the Hun, or soul in Chinese. The Hun denotes the individuated spiritual aspect of our being which incarnates into this physical realm. It originates from Heaven/Tien and is associated with cosmic consciousness and the impulse to grow, expand and evolve. It prompts us to reach for the sky, to leap into the unknown and to explore the very limits of the cosmos and our consciousness. It is the part that instils in us the longing to find spiritual purpose and meaning. In that sense it becomes the foundation for our quest for a spiritual vision and self-realisation.

As well as the sense of limitless outer space, Wood also gives us the essential quality of internal space. Entering deep into this state through embodied meditation will allow us to sense everything within as 'empty' and spacious yet filled with the presence of pure being, our soul and spirit.

The archetype for Wood is the Daoist, free-flowing, mystic wanderer who is relaxed, easy-going, wise and benevolent. This is nothing less than an accurate description of the nature of the soul. It is this very archetype that we will focus on with the aspiration to connect to and embody that aspect.

Wood provides us with the dynamic energy to break free from limitations and restrictions. The power of Wood springs us into action and pushes back the defences of our self-made confinement. Hence in this module we will be giving time to explore vitality, aliveness, spontaneity and expression through movement, Qigong, dance and bioenergetic exercises. Attention will be given to spreading our wings through movement, visualisation and opening to the possibility of connecting with transcendental states of being within ourselves and the celestial realms beyond.

The emotion associated with Wood is anger, which is induced when we feel our body and well-being is threatened or when we sense our freedom is being curtailed. Whenever the free-flowing vital life-force of Wood is stifled or obstructed, it builds up within our system. If the motion of life-energy (Qi) is restricted or blocked, we experience this stagnation as feelings of frustration, irritation and resentment. The emotion of anger then prevails as that is our instinctive impulse to break through contractions in our system. Generally however, what should be a natural human emotional response is contaminated by unresolved issues and suppressed feelings from our childhood. Rage and fury are then typically the result, often accompanied by destructive urges, which are usually towards our own self. We will work to resolve such chronic knotted feelings trapped inside as well as feelings of shame that may be associated with them; to replace them with feelings of ease, release, expression, flow, freedom and love.