ANCIENT ROOTS

Yoga often finds us at major turning points in life. We may have lost direction, experienced illness, had a bereavement or suffered in some way. Challenging times cause us to dig deep and ask questions. We may look to reset and rebalance our lives. Yoga with its spiritual secrets and promise of wellness, offers answers to life’s many questions. It directs us within where we have an opportunity to develop awareness and enhance life in body, mind and spirit.

More than 4 decades ago I found myself at a turning point in life. I had recently decided to let go of a successful fashion business and started asking the question; “is there more to life?” I felt the need to explore this question. So, I literally left everything and everyone behind and chose to take a major sojourn. It is still one of the most defining choices I’ve made in my life. And it deepened my journey with yoga. As a young seeker, I was drawn to the yogic path not for its physical discipline but for its profound spiritual depth, a way of life rooted in ancient wisdom that deeply resonated with me. My journey took me to India which nurtured my understanding and practical experience of yoga. I immersed myself in the spiritual development ashram life provides and surrendered to the transformation that took place within me. I changed forever.

Indian and Egyptian Yoga

While the myths and mysteries of India lit my inner longing, another flame also shone in my heart. I first visited Egypt in the early 80s, and the magic and magnificence I experienced there left a warm glow and lasting impression. India and Egypt are both home to ancient cultures and in-depth spiritual traditions. They both have sacred art, spiritual practices and systems of self-realisation. The more I explored them both the more I saw the common aspects. Many of these similarities I detail in my first book Opening to Spirit.

Re-membering the Divine Feminine

During my numerous visits to Kemet, where I now lead groups yearly, I have been blessed to re-member so much of what was fragmented and buried in time. My re-membering is visceral an embodied experience, a knowing. I focus on the Goddesses and Divine Feminine Technology of Kemet. The Feminine Energy still pulses through the Temples. From the nurturing wisdom of Auset to the fierce protection of Sekmet. Maat provides order and cosmic balance.

The feminine presence in Kemet is so powerful, its spiritually alive. Standing in Temples once dedicated to the Goddesses; Temples that held their rituals and ceremonies, I literally tap back into the magic and magnificence, it feels so tangible. It is the same Shakti Energy I encountered during my yogic journey in India. The Divine Feminine is honoured in both cultures and it is this Energy the ancients knew so well, that I believe, we need to reclaim now to awaken a higher consciousness. Shekem Maat offers tools for healing and alignment with the celestial realms.

My study and practice has evolved over the years. I enjoyed a deep exploration of Indian and Egyptian Yoga. On a recent visit to Egypt, which I call by its original name of Kemet, meaning the black land, I felt such a deep connection. The wisdom of the Temples spoke to me. The colossal monuments and sacred spaces whispered their secrets. The seated statues of Kings and Goddesses in meditation with spines upright, hands resting on their knees and calm faces, called out to me. Egypt’s key of life, the Ankh, opened the way for me. I saw expressions of an embodied wisdom and I re-membered what had been hidden and lost in the sands of time.

What is Egyptian Yoga?

Egyptian yoga refers to the spiritual philosophy and practices that can be found encoded in sacred art, hieroglyphs, mythology and the ancient teachings of Kemet. Indian yoga, despite colonisation has maintained an unbroken practice. Today it’s still a living breathing tradition, that has been passed down over thousands of years. Egyptian Yoga on the other hand is more of a lost art. Its practical teachings and knowledge encrypted on Temple walls, in ancient coffin texts and papyrus scrolls. The oral tradition has faded with time. There are no Egyptian Ashrams. Yet Kemetic

The Heart of Egyptian Yoga

The key principle of Kemetic science is alignment of the celestial, and terrestrial realms. The human body with its chakras and auric field is like a conductor between the two realms and when all three are in alignment harmonious balance occurs. This balance and the order that ensues is called Maat. She is the Goddess of balance and harmony and sits at the heart of Kemetic teachings. Kings and Pharaohs, the leaders in Kemet made a daily promise to live in accordance with the law of Maat, and initiates of Shekem Maat, are invited to do the same, to live by the Divine laws of Maat. Much like Raja yoga which starts with the yamas and niyama’s; sacred laws to live by daily. Dharma in Indian philosophy is living in alignment with truth and universal law. Just as Maat is living in accordance with truth and Divine law.

Egyptian yoga, particularly Shekem Maat includes, postures, meditation, breathwork, somatic work, use of symbols and sacred geometry, prayer and of course rest.

Temples, are stone libraries where the wisdom lives on.

The ancient Goddess Auset (Isis) brought together the scattered remains of her husband Asar (Osiris) and re-membered him, so she could bare an heir and continue his lineage. In the same vein through the magnificent Temple ruins of Kemet, using meditation and activation, I began to re-member this lost art of Divine Feminine Wisdom. The teachings are set in stone. The postures, healing arts, rituals, many powerful stories of the Gods and Goddesses, all provide a path for deepening spiritual practise. I vowed to continue the teachings of the Goddess, and created Shekem Maat Healing System, to embrace and embody the forgotten Temple wisdom of ancient Kemet. I breathed life into the lost art of Divine Feminine Technology.

Just as Indian Yoga can include, asana, meditation, pranayama, mandalas, vastu, mantras and nidra. The similarities suggest a shared history, which is beyond the scope of this article, but I do detail it in my book Opening to Spirit. Both traditions see humans and our environs as a microcosm of the Universe. They see the body as a sacred vessel of Energy and light. In India, instruments of ascension are the chakras and kundalini Energy. In Kemet the parts of the soul named Ka, Ba, and Sahu carry you towards liberation and eternal life. Both philosophies advocate an inward spiritual journey that illuminates the soul and unites you with source. Yoga means Union with the Divine.

In Kemet the Sahu is the Divine spiritual body attained through purification, initiation and righteous living. After death the Sahu allows the soul to live eternally in the realm of the Gods. This Egyptian understanding of spiritual evolution is also the Indian yogic goal of Moksha which is liberation and Union with the Divine.

I choose to honour both traditions; India’s living yoga practice, and I breathe life back into Kemet’s ancient healing arts. They both offer a powerful piece of the puzzle that deepens our understanding of what it means to be human and Divine. They share a spiritual ancestry. Whether you walk by the Nile or the Ganges, in every step the message is clear: your body is a Temple, your spirit is eternal, and the spiritual path will lead you home.

Ultimately, re-membering the lost Kemetic Healing Arts, and learning to de-code the truth reveals a complex system of self-realisation and eternal life. Both Indian and Kemetic paths guide the seeker from fragmentation and separation to sacred union and oneness with the Divine, which is our true nature. This is a journey from the limitations of being human to the liberation of being Divine and Godlike, balanced, harmonious and eternal. Both paths lead to the realisation of our true nature as pure Divine Consciousness.

Caroline Shola Arewa known as the Energy Doctor helps you get your Energy back and your Life on track! A leading figure in the worlds of Spirituality and Wellness. Shola has delivered her award-winning Energy based work internationally for decades. A psychologist, speaker and author of five books, including bestsellers Opening to Spirit and Energy 4 Life.

Shola trains and certifies Spiritual Coaches and offers individual Mentoring to Energise and Empower you. Shola’s newest program is the Shekem Maat Healing System, based on Kemetic Healing Arts. It is come about at this time to help us Heal the Heart and reclaim Maat.

Working with Shola is not just information, but transformation. She’ll help you reach your highest Purpose and Potential with an abundance of love and laughter.

Book your Free Discovery call at Shola. co.uk