The 4 Stages of Alchemy

The 4 archetypal stages of spiritual Alchemy represent a universal process of transforming psychological shadows into the light of self-knowledge, shifting unconscious patterns of mind and body into their highest potential for radiant health and harmony. The 4 alchemical stages also correspond to the Hero’s Journey, where one skillfully moves from a state of confusion and despair to being uplifted in light of inner knowledge and wisdom.

In this Alchemy course, John will guide students through basic Bowspring poses and breathing exercises to alchemically transform body, mind, and heart. Each week, there will be a specific focus on the cultivation of a few key life skills which can powerfully help us to overcome chronic psycho-emotional patterns which block the path to our highest golden potential. Habitual postural misalignments, which are intertwined with these mind-body somatic patterns, will be revealed during this alchemical process, enabling us to consciously choose a higher path in our life.

Video 1 – The Blackening
This first stage of the inner alchemical process is to recognize our unconscious patterns of mind and body, which keep us stuck in an unhealthy and unhappy state. In turn, the first Bowspring practice of this Alchemy course is to cultivate the courage and honesty to look directly at our dark habits and inner shadows. Old patterns which don’t serve our highest spiritual aspirations are offered into the fire of the Bowspring practice. The first stage of this transformative process creates an uncomfortable “blackening” or a deconstructing of our long-held ideas and rigid mental structures which are intertwined within our nervous system and the myo-fascial patterns of our daily posture. Posture is body language and is communicated both inwardly and outwardly. Our positive relationship to ourselves and our self-concept depends on progressive uplifted posture, just as much as our relationship to the people in our lives and the world that surrounds us.

Video 2 – The Whitening
Once the ego becomes painfully aware of its shadows and imbalances, there is a cleansing opportunity in Alchemy referred to as the Albedo or ‘whitening’ stage in which the higher frequencies of our soul begin to shine through our thoughts and actions in daily life. We realize that we are not stuck in our personal definitions or fixed in an individual identity from a time in the past in which we made mistakes and acted out of alignment with Nature’s way. We learn how to forgive ourselves for our past stupidities and to choose a new, higher vibration in the ways we think, feel and move through the world. This is a cleansing period to bring new awareness into the pragmatic application. When we chose to do a nutritional cleanse the palate is clarified and is more able to sense what is truly nutrient-dense and what feeds the body-mind and what doesn’t. As we resist opening our eyes to the truth, we remain dull and in denial. This lack of awareness holds us back as awareness itself can be curative. Once we know, we can’t continue to act and posture with the same ignorance as before. Therefore, change naturally and organically ensues.

Video 3 – The Reddening
In the third stage of inner Alchemy, specific character virtues become cultivated in order to skillfully deal with the myriad of distresses, losses, and negativities which we confront throughout the course of our lives. Higher knowledge can be applied with divine wisdom to any low vibration circumstance or situation in order to alchemize them into compassion, greater health, and long-term happiness. This is the stage where dark lead is turned into shining gold, signifying that even sinners can become saints. In mundane terms, we are able to transform old postural misalignments to more balanced forms through the Bowspring method, facilitating the transformation into a pain-free, supple, and strong, beautiful body. With the application of higher knowledge, we demonstrate wisdom through our choices and actions. Every choice we make is creating our experience and even what makes up the matter of our form. A dancer’s repeated patterns are made visible in the creation of their strong and supple form. Just as unhealthy choices, lack of discernment, and disempowerment are characteristics made notable in the form of the sedentary, addicted, and victimized.

Video 4 – The Purpling
In the fourth and final stage of Alchemy, the wise person has passed their main trials and tribulations through which they have skillfully transformed themselves, and they now choose to reenter the world in service for the greater good. This is a stage of integrating the most skillful and highest aspects of body, mind, and heart – the ego and the soul – into our daily lives and relationships with others. When we read a book that changes our lives and perception, we immediately think of who we care about in our sphere of influence who might also benefit from the same knowledge. We pass the good information forward. From the ignorant fool to the humbled seeker, and to the disciplined student, we move into the phase of the wise teacher with gifts to bestow from the cultivation and application of knowledge transformed into wisdom.

*7 hours and 55 minutes of content (1.5 hours of classes with 30-minute Q&A)

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This course blends esoteric knowledge from Jungian psychology, Joseph Campbell’s the Hero’s Journey, and neo-Reichian somatic therapy fueled by Bowspring practice and breath-work. Each 90-minute class will be a mix of lectures, in which you will be encouraged to take notes, and embodied practice on our yoga mat of these alchemical ideas.

Instead of a comfortable, care-free, all rainbows and lollipops practice, we will be immersing ourselves in shadow work – unearthing some old dark, unhealthy patterns within our mind-body and bringing them into the light of awareness in order to alchemically transmute them into higher vibrations of truth, goodness, and beauty. We will be working with our fears, old traumas, heavy feelings of loss, and various levels of anger, which are energetically stored in the liquidy fabric of our myo-fascial matrix. As we align to the open dynamic posture of the Bowspring and use various powerful breath techniques, shadowy unconscious memories arise which we will then be able to work with to recalibrate into new, higher, more harmonious frequencies.

Some of the key somatic areas that we will be exploring and alchemically shifting include the pelvic floor, lower belly, solar plexus, heart, upper back between the shoulder blades, and the throat. Of course, you are welcome to go at your own speed with the exercises so you feel safe and in control. All of the information that you will gain in this course can be used for the rest of your life, so there is no expectation to force lead into gold in any one session! The stages of Alchemy are evolutionary so they take time. And as you are ultimately in control of the speed of your own progress, you may relax knowing that there will be no forceful transmutations in these classes. In any case, the alchemical process may be intense at times, especially the Blackening phase, so prepare accordingly.

Physically: Eat lightly hours before the class, be well-hydrated, and get plenty of sleep.

Psycho-emotionally: Conscientiously, clean and consecrate your practice space – light a candle, have a picture of a loved one or teacher nearby, and something representative of high beauty – flowers, a crystal, a piece of art, and/or uplifting cultural iconography to adorn your space.

A heroic mindset aligned with universal virtues will be highlighted and emphasized in each class. Primary heart themes in this course include the cultivation of courage to face our shadows; temperance to have the discipline not to succumb to old self-destructive habits; compassionate patience while the alchemical process is working its magick; and the wisdom to honor and promote the truth in our lives under any challenging circumstances.