Heart of Being Courses

Heart of Being - CYCLE OF LIFE - THE WOOD PHASE

The Wood phase/element is the paradigm that relates to the Hun, or spiritual soul in Chinese. The Hun denotes our individuated spiritual aspect which incarnates into the physical realm. It originates from Heaven/Tien, (the spiritual realms), and is associated with cosmic consciousness. It therefore provides our impulse to grow, expand and evolve to reflect our spiritual nature in this world. It prompts us to reach for the stars, leap into the unknown and explore the very limits of our consciousness. In that sense it is the energy that drives our quest for spiritual vision and self-realisation.

It is the part of us that instils the longing for spiritual purpose and meaning and its expression. As well as a sense of limitless outer space, Wood also gives us the essential quality of internal space. We will explore this phase through movement, creative visualisation, voicework and embodied meditation. These will help to perceive an inner insubstantial and spacious presence of spiritual consciousness, feeling and energy. This is our soul; a subtle state yet also dynamic, full of vigour and vitality. When we connect with our soul its energy bursts through, to lift us and free us from the mundane drudgery of our materialistic culture.

This Wood energy is likened to the power and splendour of the Dragon; a mystical, invisible, free archetypal creature that can bless us with heavenly powers and beauty. It is its own master, not a slave to any worldly power which is an apt depiction of our soul, for we know this is what our life could be if only we embraced the hidden grace and truth of our spiritual reality.

A human stereotype for Wood is the Daoist, free-flowing, mystic wanderer who is relaxed, easy-going, wise and benevolent. It is also an accurate description of the nature of the soul. We will focus on this during this course, with the aspiration to connect and embody it. Aliveness and spontaneity will be encouraged by specific springtime Qigong practices. Attention will be given to spreading our wings through certain practices to open and connect to the transcendental levels of our being and to cosmic states associated with this Element.