BECOMING UNDOMESTICATED
Today we want to share with you something that is very alive for us at Seven Directions Breathwork. In fact fundamentally it sits at the heart of the work we do. The practice refers to the teaching of undomestication, a Toltec practice which originated from the fantastic work of Don Miguel Ruiz and his seminal book, "The Four Agreements."
I have come across very few people who haven't heard of this book, so it's very evident that the Ruiz family have been hugely influential in the field of spiritual indigenous teachings. One of the main things I love about their teachings is the emphasis on coming back to the truth of who we are in our most pure and unconditioned nature. Of course in order to do that, we have to unlearn an awful lot, which is where breathwork practice comes in.
But let me backtrack a moment to the principle of undomestication. As we move through life, it's fair to say that the versions of ourselves that we are most familiar with are born of the perspectives of other people, whether that be our primary caregivers or early education systems, shifting in later life to our workplace and key relationships. By the time we get to later life, we have already largely decided who we are and either knowingly or unknowingly been shaped by our main nervous system responses, our core wounds and triggers, and our beliefs about the world. Is the world a safe place or an unsafe place? Is my perspective welcome here or do I need to stay quiet in order to belong?
Fundamentally I believe we are all looking for belonging and connection but the challenge inherent in that is learning how to lean into it, trust it, and more importantly, learning how to trust ourselves.
The Toltec path of undomestication requires huge shedding of old skins. As someone with snake as my power animal, I have learnt what that feels like over the years and it’s not easy, but perhaps what's harder is staying stuck, living with chronic insecurity, guilt, shame, self-doubt, and other unexpressed emotions. In order to become undomesticated, there is work to be done. I often see this work as the path of the warrior. It's gnarly, it's ongoing, and it will often test us. If we can stand strong in the face of those tests, we begin to find that we are inhabiting more of ourselves, feeling more freedom, more joy, and a greater sense of belonging in this world. We are less troubled by the opinions of others and certainly less defined by them and that’s a great thing right?
At a recent gathering with African elder Bayo Akomalfe, he said: “May our road be rough”, citing that when it is, this is where the real growth and therefore treasure can be found. Skilled sailors are rarely forged in smooth seas after all!
So before this post turns into a book, I'll leave you with one question:
What parts of yourself are you ready to stop believing in when those beliefs have been born from the unhelpful judgements of other people?
Maybe you'd like to join our free community breathwork session on Saturday and find out? Register free HERE
By the way, do let us know if you have read the Four Agreements book and share how it influenced or supported your own life. We love to hear from you!
