Lately, I'm intrigued by the idea and process of "alchemy." Funk &
Wagnall tell us, alchemy is a transformation, "a change in
nature, form or quality." Michael Brown author of "Alchemy
of the Heart: Transform Turmoil into Peace through Emotional
Integration," says in order to make these changes and become a
true "alchemist of the heart" we must first make the internal
adjustments. This in effort to change our outward experience.
I tend to agree with him.
So how to take charge of your own personal
alchemy? For me, it's always been about making changes through
rediscovering my relationship with mind, body
and spirit. Brown takes this one step further and begins our journey
by asking leading questions. The answers, as we understand them, will
create the framework which can bring about an awareness within us. I'm
sure he won't mind if I share these questions, here with you. He asks:
1.) What
Am I?
2.) What
Is God For Us?
3.) Where
Am I Now? (p.11)
For me,
It's easy to feel overwhelmed when thinking about the process of
making a personal overhaul. Brown helps us all overcome this
obstacle by creating a pathway for us to follow. For once we've identified
what these questions mean to us, we can then embark on what he calls the
"Pathway Of Awareness." As I understand it, the Pathway Of Awareness calls
us to give up all of our preconceived notions about our outward experience.
It leads us instead to discover within an already developed energetic
pathway. Once we connect and understand how this pathway evolves for
each one of us, we are well on our way to opening our hearts.
Where does
this pathway come from? Brown tells us this pathway is within us from birth.
It runs, as well, from the "emotional, to the mental to the physical." Therefore, it's important to break
each of these ideas down to their least common denominators. To do this,
Brown shows, we must recall our life's stories. To create alchemy we
must allow our experience to be our greatest teacher.
Once we've reached a certain age of maturity
then, we naturally begin to understand the stories that happen to us.
In what Brown calls an "indigenous" type experience we can begin to
integrate these story lines into our lives and will, as a result, soon reach
a turning point. He explains some of the process in these words:
"As a species, we have trodden
our way wearily through the world of manufacturing
and have now arrived at the doorway to the consciousness of creativity.
Whereas manufacture
is the art of manipulating and adjusting the exterior, creativity is the art
of
mastering the interior...
Our current confusion arises out of standing
with one foot in each of these worlds. We are
still trying to do mentally and physically what only the heart can
accomplish. We are still trying to do collectively what can only be
accomplished individually.
We are still trying to feel better, when we are
not being asked to get better at feeling. (p. 93)"
Brown continues his book to completion by walking us through the
process of what it means to truly "feel." And in doing so teaches readers
how they can become better at this art of feeling. In my opinion, if you invest the time and
are willing to open your heart, soul and mind, you will find Brown's book
full of beautiful parables. These are all life lessons that in the end
will help you improve your daily experience. Taken as a whole:
Alchemy of The Heart is a treatise on right living, and the art of
transforming ourselves and others through this process.
Taken in
short sips, however, each chapter also offers up a lesson of higher
learning. This by the direct use of our thoughts to meet the intention and
desired outcome of our life's journey. To conclude, Brown reminds us, the
end result is not always as we expect, but it is what is right and
what is true. Therefore, if you are searching for a life with
greater meaning, Brown's ideas may just be the missing pieces, you've been looking for.
About The
Author:
South African Michael Brown was living
what he calls a "blissfully unconscious life" working as a music journalist,
television script writer, columnist, and magazine editor, when in 1987 he
developed Horton's Syndrome, an acutely painful neurological condition.
After suffering through conventional medicine and alternative therapies,
Michael embarked on an odyssey that led him into present moment awareness --
a heightened consciousness that runs parallel to ordinary mundane
experience.
As he became increasingly
present, Michael's painful condition
subsided completely. This led him
to chart a methodical pathway into
present moment awareness, now called The
Presence ProcessTM. As
others learned this process, they too
found release from physical, mental, and
emotional conditions.
The book The Presence
Process made this journey accessible to
everyone. Now, Alchemy of the
Heart takes a further step in
facilitating present moment awareness
through emotional integration.
Alchemy
of The Heart is
available in paperback
please visit
www.namastepublishing.com
for more information.
About The
Author:
