Primary Modalities

Āyurveda is the ancient form of nature-based medicine indigenous to the Asian sub-continent, including the regions now known as India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

If yoga is a spiritual science, Āyurveda is the holistic medical system that makes possible the robust health necessary to pursue one's true purpose.

The essential assertion of the Āyurvedic worldview is that all beings are composed of a combination of the five great elements (ether, air, fire, water & earth). These universal energies describe bodies just as well as thoughts, emotions and dreams. 

Each being (be they mineral, planet, animal, human or ecosystem) is created with a unique ratio of elements that defines their innate qualities. Inevitably, through interaction with their dynamic environment, that innate ratio becomes distorted so that one or another element is in excess or depletion.

The process of Āyurveda is to identify which elements are out of harmony and introduce substances (food, herbs, oils etc) and activities that help the individual move gently back in the direction of their innate state of health and wholeness.

The Sanskrit word for astrology is jyotish, meaning "the study or science of light." Indeed, astrology is the study of how life on Earth is impacted by changes in light as time moves through space.

Astrology is a form of omenology — the art of pattern recognition and the interpretation of events as symbols indicating potential futures. The movement of stars and planets are the most consistent and predictable omens available to human perception.

The precise placement of planets relative to the stars provides a unique timestamp for any event — a human birth, the founding of a business or nation, a significant ceremony, for example. This timestamp serves as a karmic map, indicating the momentum and direction with which a given entity enters the material world.

People use astrology for a wide range of purposes, including insight into their soul's true purpose in this birth, ideal career or relationship choices, guidance about when to make a major change, where to move or even which politician, sports team or cryptocurrency to bet on.

An astrology chart can reveal physical health issues, the nature of family, romantic and professional relationships, the kind of person who wants to give you money, the most fruitful type of spiritual practice for you, as well as the secret superpowers living latent within you, just waiting to be acknowledged and activated.

You as a person are a beautiful, complex painting. The planets and stars are the array of unique colors on the painters' palette. The work of an astrologer is to see through the layers and textures of the painting to expose the primary colors used in its composition, thus allowing for wise additions and edits to bring out the true vibrancy and character of the painting.

IFS is an evidence-based approach to psychotherapeutic Self-healing based on the principle that the psyche is one whole organism composed of many constituent parts.

IFS is a non-pathologizing modality that sees the individual Self as innately capable of calm, clarity, confidence, compassion, courage, connection, creativity and curiosity. 

It is understood that there are no bad parts; every part intends something positive for the system, even when their behavioral strategies for accomplishing that benevolent end appear problematic.

In practice, IFS consists of finding and differentiating parts from the Self then befriending those parts and inviting them into a more harmonious relationship that serves the goals of the whole.

The whole-parts paradigm is applicable on an individual level, but also useful for macro scale applications. It provides valuable insight into organizational, societal and geopolitical dynamics. Systems operate according to the same principles at every scale; IFS shows how our personal work can have cascading positive impacts on the planet as a whole.

Non-Violent Communication (NVC) is a compassionate worldview that expresses itself as a coherent system of grammar and vocabulary. It was originally developed by Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D.

The core belief is that there are certain universal human needs which, when unmet, give rise to universal human feelings. Behavior follows feeling, whether benevolent or problematic.

When we recognize that any behavior (ours or others) is a strategy to resolve difficult feelings by meeting unmet needs, we have access to a greater measure of compassion (for Self and other) and a whole new set of potential solutions become possible.

NVC is a powerful tool for resolving conflict at the intra- and interpersonal level, as well as for organizations, communities and geopolitical negotiations.

NVC provides important support for the practice of Internal Family Systems. When attempting to befriend your inner critic, for example, it is important to understand the needs and feelings that motivate their unskillful attempts to help you. Cultivating compassionate connection with your parts is a primary indicator of Self-leadership, and NVC provides concrete tools to do so.

NVC is also profoundly helpful for clarifying confusion and miscommunication with intimate relationships. Instead of degrading the relationship, persistent conflicts and acute triggers become opportunities to deepen the connection.

Animas
Archetypes

The Animas Valley Institute was founded by Bill Plotkin, author of Soulcraft, Wild Mind, Nature & the Human Soul and The Journey of Soul Initiation.

These books describe the Nature-Based Map of the Human Psyche and the Eco-Centric Development Wheel, assigning Jung-inspired archetypes to the four cardinal directions, plus Spirit above, Soul below and Self within.

These directional archetypes guide the cultivation of psycho-emotional wholeness, preparing the seeker for the "descent to soul." Soul is understood to be the "unique ecological niche" each individual is born to occupy. The ultimate goal is to embody your mythopoetic identity and share your soul gifts with your people and the more-than-human community.

The enactment of these theories comes primarily in the form of wanders in wild places, experimental threshold crossings, solo vision fasts and a variety of other nature-based activities.

The Animas system of archetypes and the creative invitations that follow provide an accurate map of your evolutionary path. No matter where you are on your journey, Animas theory and practice can enhance your sense of Self, deepen your connection with the natural world and show you the most urgent next steps necessary for your soul-level development.

"Inner Physics" is a phrase borrowed from Richard Schwartz (founder of Internal Family Systems) that I use as an umbrella term for the math and science that describes how systems operate according to similar principles at every scale.

Buckminster Fuller says: "Nature has one comprehensive coordinating system." Meaning: nature does not have a physics department separate from the chemistry department separate from the biology department separate from the humanities. It is all one spontaneously self-organizing system. 

The forces that organize galaxies and atoms are the same forces that define your physical body and the workings of your mind, emotions and imagination.

There is a coherent set of physical and metaphysical principles that provide a precise description of how this system operates. It begins with vibratory frequencies which give rise to predictable geometries which provide the archetypal structure within which material life can manifest.

This admittedly nerdy obsession provides the facts that inform my faith and the science that supports the art of spiritual counseling. Inner Physics describes the geometry of consciousness, and for me, there is no mystery more fascinating or worthy of pursuit.