Underground
– D. Bowie
We have had much positive feedback about the deep effects of Kaal Bhairav rituals upon the lives of participants.
This has encouraged us to start this year’s rituals upon a deep note, building the year with a strong foundation. Kaal Bhairav is indeed the deepest of the underground forces – if you would like to find out more about Bhairav, read our recent blog post.
Kaal Bhairav, is the Tantric deity of time, depth and darkness. The 8th night of lunar waning every month is Sacred to Bhairav, the darkest form of Shiva, and it is known as Kaal Astami, or Bhairav Astami. Kaal means time, Astami means the eighth. Kaal Bhairav represents Time and Death. In fact, Kaal means ‘dark’. He is the black Crow master who rides upon the Black Dog. Crows and black dogs belong to his realm and are the messengers of his secrets.
Within the skyes Kaal Bhairav is also the heavy and slow planet Saturn, recognised by tantrics and astrologers alike as the planet whose magnetism draws us the darkest aspects within us all.
Tantrics approach Bhairav each month on his Astami night, and spend time investigating the dark and secret layers of their being.
Time is indeed of the essence. It may contain the essence itself, but our time can be something devoid of magic. It then becomes something to waste away when it is barren of Moonlit Magic. Some of the modern rituals we repeat daily are worth our investigation. If something is repeatedly done with our concentration then it becomes a ritual.
Kaal Bhairav ritual-worship has the potential to show us the most obvious – yet easily unseen – things of what we are doing with time. Or perhaps what time is doing with us…
When we align to the deep slow realm of Bhairav, he guides us into the invisible line between life and death, beyond the threshold of creation and destruction. Life and time, creation and death, all hold hands in the realm of a Kaal Bhairav.
Bhairav is a deep friend, liberator and protector, if he is approached in honour. He holds the Danda, the stick of power. Dandapatti means the friend of ‘the stick’, or ‘the friend with the stick’. It is the magic wand of the Wizard and broomstick of the Witch. It is the spine that flows with the dance of circuitry in the currents of life and death. It is the stick within grasp when we study the mysteries of Bhairav.
The stick is called Kankala Danda, literally the ‘skeleton stick’. The stick of Bhairav gives the protection of courage to go under the surface of skin and flesh, right to the very bone of our lives. Bhairav asks us ‘are we here to live or are we here to die?
For this ritual you will require a stick of power. You may use a broom, or any stick you find. You may go out into nature on a magical quest and find one – or let it find you. You might even be surprised and realise that you already possess one. Whether your stick is a broom, a wooden spoon or a crafted wand, have your Danda close to hand for this ritual.
On this ritual night, we will continue to work deeper with the Kankala Danda (skeleton stick mudras) which we begun in December to further explore the connection between life and death, and the ways in which we may be wasting our lives away. The stick of power that Bhairav carries represents the measurement of time, it is topped by a skull that signifies the mystery beyond time.
Because Kaal Bhairav is obstinate, tenacious, terrifying and immovable by his laws, he helps reveal where we are obstinate, tenacious and immovable to his laws of Time and Death in our lives.
Many may be consumed with the issue of ‘how to live’, but the tantric equally concerns themselves with ‘how to die’.
The rituals takes place ONLINE, from 7pm until ±11pm Central European Time (CET).
*A recording will be made available, if you cannot make the exact date/time. Just specify by email.
To find out how to register and what you will need to follow the practice online, click on the button below.
On these healing circles you will practice a form of Yoga that is rarely available and accessible even in India today. You will take part in a sacred Yogic tradition that roots itself in India’s native shamanic wisdom & Tantric lineage handed down orally between generations of Yogis, Babas, Sadhus and Fakirs.
You will be exposed to the old tantric ways of seeking profound healing and spiritual awakening, including practicing in darkly-lit spaces to quieten the mind and awaken the senses to the body’s subtle energy currents, holding simple postures for long periods of time, and engaging in powerful breath-work to open-up the body and take the mind into altered states of consciousness.
The practice draws on postures seldom used in modern styles of yoga, ancient sequences that honour the mother and the divine feminine, gently opening-up the body to its highest levels of flexibility through minimal effort.
Integral to this experience will be the exploration of sound-currents present in the body (Nada Yoga) – perhaps one of Yoga’s greatest secrets and one of the most powerful vehicles through which the karmic patterns stored in the chakras can be accessed and released in pursuit of profound healing.
Unique to this tradition is its simultaneous employment of Asanas (postures), aerobic & anaerobic Pranayam (breathwork), Mudras (gestures), and Mantras (sacred sounds).
The synergy created by the employment of these various yogic tools will lead you into altered states of consciousness and dream-like experiences aimed at facilitating a greater openness to inward journeying and an easier access to your subconscious.
Because we are going to play with shamanic yogic traditions, the practice will take place outside of clearly time constraints. Generally, the practice will last about 6 hours, but if the group is ready to practice longer we might carry well into the night.
The Circle is open to those interested in the healing path.
Tantra and Yoga practitioners, and those seeking healing, practitioners of the mystic arts. Both advanced and beginners will find a place in this circle.
If you have had or are having psychosis please get in touch directly with us as this is important to know about in this work. The same goes for those with strong mobility issues. Drug and alcohol users also need to inform us of their condition. Thank you.
The practie usually takes place in the dark or darkly-lit spaces.
The pictures below were taken in daylight to capture the flow of a practice.
BOONATH was born into a life of yoga. He grew up between Europe and India and was introduced as a child to yoga through his grandparents who were on both sides yoga practitioners.
His grandparents took him on his first Himalayan pilgrimage when he was just seven years old and he has been exposed to the world of yogis ever since.
Boonath has taken initiation into the left hand path (that’s the path of the heart) and specialises in the branch of Chandra Parampara, that is a secret style of Moon practice that works with the night forces. It is a style of tantra that goes very deep into the subconscious roots It is first and foremostly a Healing System. Most of his family still lives in India and he has been travelling there regularly throughout his life in pursuit of yoga. He has worked closely in apprenticeship with elders in the line of Siddha systems of healing and holds much knowledge in the use of rituals, mantras and body/spirit healing methods among other things.
Boonath has been working in this line and helping people with the implementation of these techniques for over 25 years to successfully overcome mental and physical problems, from chronic pain to addiction.
Boonath’s healing and yoga work sees him travelling across the whole of Europe to give workshops and healing sessions. His travels and yoga workshops continue to benefit people in deprived circumstances.
In recent years Boonath has been living and teaching yoga in Germany where he has a network of students. It was in Berlin that Boonath met Kim, with whom Boonath co-founded Working with the Shadow in 2014.
Formal studies and encounters have all left their impression on Boonath, but his teachings are deeply rooted in the Shamanic traditions of the mystical Babas and Fakirs of India, with whom Boonath has been studying closely since childhood to the present day.
KIM is an Eco-Activist turned Yogi and the founder of Healing in the Willows, the retreat company hosting Working with the Shadow, which he developed in 2014 in collaboration with Boonath, who he assists with the teaching. Kim discovered Yoga in 2005, following a burn-out at work that brought him onto the path of ‘Yog’. Kim had spent over 10 years coordinating international environmental campaigns in Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin for major environmental NGOs, including Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth, ActionAid, and many others.
Kim practiced Yoga with many teachers from several modern styles of Yoga (including Iyengar, Astanga, Vinasa, Bikram, Sivananda, Scaravelli, Kundalini) all over Europe, India and further afield. In 2011 Kim set up a first yoga collective in Berlin, which he then expanded to a new location in 2013, in one of the economically deprived areas of town that was undergoing gentrification. The collective brought together a variety of local teachers to promote yoga on a donation basis within the surrounding community unable to afford the increasing cost of living. It was there that Kim met Boonath and, through Boonath, that his understanding of what Yoga is and what Yoga can do shifted entirely. Boonath’s rare and ancient Tantric lineage revolutionised Kim’s understanding of Yoga and initiated him into a mystical healing journey that impacted strongly also on Kim’s activist work.
Since then Kim has been collaborating with Boonath on developing Working with the Shadow through the retreats, workshops and online classes.
*A recording will be made available,
if you cannot make the exact date/time.
Please specify by email.
STEP 1 | Make the payment
either via Paypal or bank transfer (see below).
STEP 2 | Send a proof of payment
(a screenshot will do) to info@healinginthewillows.com
We will then:
STEP 3 | Send you a confirmation email confirming your registration.
STEP 4 | The day of the event, we will send you an email containing:
– all the technical details to connect to the class online,
– suggestions on how best to prepare for the practice (foods and drinks to avoid),
– how to set-up your room for the practice,
– props you might need during the practice (blankets, cushions, etc).
FEES VARY ACCORDING TO INCOME
Please choose the amount matching your current economic situation,
whether you are unemployed, low income or high income.
Please remember that we depend entirely on peoples’ fees for the carrying out of this work:
kim.bizzarri@gmail.com
Account holder: Kim Bizzarri
Iban: IT91A0200870691000003926096
Bic/Swift: UNCRITM1CEC
Bank: Unicredit
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THE SESSION WILL HAPPEN ON ZOOM
We will send you the links and passwords necessary for joining the practice.
All your need your end is a computer / tablet with a camera (preferably, but not essential – it’s important that you can see us), a microphone (so that we can hear you, but it’s not essential) and good speakers / audio,
as it will be fundamental that you hear the instructions.
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We promise not to share your details with third parties & to write only a couple of times a year!