Horse Spirit Animal

From January 31st 2014 is Chinese New Year, ushering in the Year of the Horse, and it is followed one month later by Losar, the Tibetan New Year. 

“When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.”     Shakespeare, Henry V

According to psychologist Carl Jung, horses symbolize natural forces mastered by human beings. Just like we harness a horse to ride it or use its power, we can harness our own energy or nature’s to serve us and bring us further. 

Horses are noble, grounded, powerful, spirited, and independent.  In virtually every culture, they are symbolic of freedom and passion. But they are land-based animals, so this freedom and passion is based in this world, defined by action – a very different feel than last year’s Water Snake energy. 

That theme of service is present in some Native American representations of the horse. As a spirit animal, the horse symbolizes the driving force or passion that carries us forward in life. But horses are also friends of humans like almost no other animals (other than perhaps dogs.) They have played a huge part in human culture all around the world, in the realms of transportation, agriculture, and sport. This was certainly true in many Native American cultures as well (though horses weren’t introduced to the Americas until the Spanish brought them in the 1500s, when they greatly changed the Plains Indians lives.) In other words, horses represent this combination of passion and service. In the best of circumstances.

In Buddhism, the horse is a symbol of effort and energy in spiritual practice. In some teachings, it also represents the prana energy running through the channels of our body, and particularly the mind-energy as it manifests. This mind-energy is sometimes called the ‘wind-horse’, and we can ride this wind-horse – we can tame and direct our mind – in whatever direction we want with effort and discipline.

The 11th century Tibetan yogi Milarepa speaks of the taming of this wind-horse in his  “Song of the Galloping Horse of a Yogi”:

In the mountain hermitage which is my body,

In temple of my breast,

At the summit of the triangle of my heart,

The horse which is my mind flies like the wind.

He gallops on the plains of great bliss.

If he persists, he will attain the rank of a victorious Buddha.

Going backward, he cuts the root of samsara.

Going forward he reaches the high land of Buddhahood.

Astride such a horse, one attains the highest illumination.

(translation by Losang P. Lhalungpa)

It was a great year to be with horses, the year of the horse.

Magnetic human energy field No. 2

The Energetic World In And Around Us

(sourse: http://rmorf.hubpages.com/hub/Speaking-With-Your-Energy)

There really is plenty of evidence that we live in an energetic world. Even if you look at the world through the eyes of a quantum physicist, everything is constantly exchanging sub-atomic particles back and forth... and string theory tells us that at the most subtle levels everything is multidimensional vibration. That has an erie similarity to what the shamans, yogis, and mystics have been telling us for centuries.

• We live in a world of constantly interacting energy fields
• We ourselves have a human energy fields
• Our physical bodies decend from energy
• What effects our subtle energy has a dramatic influence on us

So Why Can't We See It

If human energy fields exist why can't people generally perceive them? Actually, it's just a matter of training. Most people can't perceive the difference between a masterpiece work of art and an extremely good copy. Yet, a trained art expert can perceive the difference quite easily. It's really the same for the human energy field. Trained practioners can actually see the fields of energy including the acupuncture points. But what can you do if you haven't received the proper training or been gifted with the raw talent?

Resonance and Dissonance

Actually, there is a simple technique based on the concepts of energetic resonance and dissonance. The idea that you can resonate with something is already common in western language. The basic idea is that when you do energetically resonate with something you are better or stronger. On the other hand, if you are in a state of dissonance, you are worse or weaker. Taken literally, if you are in a state of resonance with something your muscles will be stronger, but if you are in a state of dissonance with something your muscles will be weaker. The truth of this proposition is well established in chiropractic practice and theory and has become known as kinesiology or, more commonly, as muscle testing.

There are different forms and techniques of muscle testing. Many chiropractors know very specific muscle tests to check the alignment of each individual vertebra in the spine. However, there is a very simple technique that anyone can learn. Yet, this test is based on a very particular flow of subtle energy in the hand based on a very particular mudra from yoga. I believe this technique is much more sensitive to subtle energy in and around the human body that other techniques.

A simple muscle testing technique

This technique can be easily mastered with a little practice. It helps you to sense when things are resonant or dissonant with your energy body. The testing technique consists of inserting the index finger of the right hand into the loop formed by the thumb and ring finger of the left hand and using just the right amount of force to press the index finger down where the tips of the thumb and ring finger join.

If something is resonant, then the muscles in the thumb and ring ringer will be stronger and the pressure from the index finger will not cause the thumb and ring finger to seperate. Conversely, if something is dissonant, then the muscles will be weakened and the pressure from the right hand's index finger will cause the thumb and ring finger to separate.

A complete demonstration can be seen on the video

How To Use The Technique

This technique is very powerful because it can effectively test things impacting the physical body, the physical energy body, the emotional energy body, and the mental energy body. That means you can test your resonance or disonance with:

• Physical objects like foods, medicines, vitamins, and herbs
• Emotional feelings
• Ideas

For example, you can test a particular herb at the local herb shop to see if it will actually be beneficial for you. You can hold a particular idea in your mind and see if it resonates or not... and, yes, you can actually test another person to see if you really do resonate with them.

The two things that are absolutely required for this technique to work are lots and lots of practice and your belief in the technique. The practice will develop your technique. Then, what's the point of doing it if you don't believe you are actually getting in touch with your personal energy.

Something beautiful

“I am the light that is over all things. I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained.

Split a piece of wood; I am there.

Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.”

A link to beautiful photos: http://irenakovacphotograpy.blogspot.com/