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A Practical Guide To Personal Fulfillment
author: Kenneth Meadows
Kenneth Meadows is the author of Earth Medicine, The Medicine Way and Shamanic Experience. He has worked and studied extensively with several indigenous cultures, including those of the Native American, Polynesian, Chinese and Indian peoples. The method that he birthed to work with the shamanic aspects of these cultures he terms Shamanics. Shamanics is the essence of the wisdom and understanding of native shamans - a manner of working with this ancient wisdom in relation to the modern world. It is based on our relationship with nature, and how living in harmony with nature can lead us to self-realization. Through working with Shamanics, we reconnect with the Spirit within and come to understand that our reality is actually a multi-dimensional one. Shamanics is a true mind/body/soul connection. In Meadows own words, this book takes those who "seek" and turns them into those who "find". From the book:
Meadows starts out by defining body, mind, soul and spirit. This lays the foundation for the work covered in this book. Also defined are the terms shaman and shamanist. A shaman is defined as one who perceives what others cannot see, who understands that everything experiences its own awareness of "aliveness", and who is able to explore dimensions other than physical reality. A shamanist is defined as a person who applies the principles and teachings of Shamanics in furtherance of his or her own personal development and in service to others. Personally, I call that the shamanic path. There are many of us on this path who would never dream of calling ourselves shamans. To really do any work on ourselves, to have meaningful transformation, we need to understand our energy bodies, and how they inter-relate. Part of the work that I have always admired about Meadows is his work with the chakra system. He does and excellent job in this book of defining the chakra system, through text and through schematics that show us how we work with energy in our lives, and transport energy through our systems. There is also a very good discussion of how and why chakra's malfunction. Meadows has added three chakras that he says have recently been activated by the discovery of three "new" planets - Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The first of the "new" chakras is the "base of the brain" chakra. Located between the third eye and throat chakras, the base of the brain chakra deals with power and communications. The second of the "new" chakras is the feet chakra, which is located between the ankles and is related to rapid movement (a sign of our times!). The third "new" chakra Meadow's calls the "root" chakra, and is located beneath the feet and is related to nurturing. What we normally think of as the root chakra - the chakra at the base of the spine - he refers to as the base chakra. Throughout this book Meadows has included "experiences" - as opposed to "exercises". Experiencing is exactly what the student does - the tune in to and experience parts of themselves and connect with life around them. There are thirty-three such experiences in this book - and they are well worth working with! One of them is entitled the "Smile Within". In it, we learn to "feel" the energy of our smiles, and send it to every part of our bodies. I know this works - much of my work as a consultant is done over the phone. If I make a conscious effort to smile before I pick the phone up, I shift my own attitude and do a much better job of helping my client. There is also a significant amount of work in this book concerning the Native American Medicine Wheel, and how it relates to the Wheel of Life. The presentation here is very good, and includes experiences in connecting with the power of each of the directions, and working with the animals connected with them. (Specific animals personify the energy and intent of each of the directions.) At the end of the book Meadows presents fifty shamanic meditations - focal points for connecting with the Self. From the book: Past, present and future are but a constantly moving moment which embraces the whole of time. Rainbows are a demonstration of all colours combining together into a wholeness, and illustrate that separateness is an illusion. A rainbow indicates that all paths that are harmonious are ways to wholeness, all races are part of a greater unity and all paths that create beauty are deserving of respect. There is an added bonus to this book - a fifty-eight minute CD of shamanic drumming that works well with the experiences presented in this book. For those who want to reconnect with themselves, integrate all parts of their lives and walk a path of beauty and harmony in their lives, I strongly recommend this book.
Bonnie Cehovet
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