I have been privileged to experience the 4^th level Inka teachings and initiations with respected Andean paqos Juan Nunez del Prado and Ivan Nunez del Prado.

The Inka tradition goes back thousands of years to earlier cycles of civilization. Much of this ancient Inka knowledge has been hidden since the Spanish conquest of the 16th century, except in the hands of the few traditional communities in the high mountains who preserved their culture and traditions.

The Q’ero Indians of Peru, the Kogis of Colombia, the Kawayas in Bolivia, and the Otabalos of Ecuador were some of these survivors. They still exist in their hidden mountain villages, still carrying the teachings of their ancestors. In many cases these teachings are being made available once more as we prepare for the collective transition from one world age to the next.

I would like to summarize here some of these basic teachings so we can sense their relevance and power in the culture of uncertainty and chaos that characterizes the modern age.

The Inkas, like many indigenous people around the world, experience the universe as a living presence, kausay pacha. There is no distinction between things and beings. Everything has a quality of life and carries kausay, or life energy, whether stars, mountains, earthworms, a speck of dust or a human being. Everything is constantly flowing in a beautiful dance of creation, based in the principle of ayni, or reciprocity. Humans who do not honour ayni stop this flow, and hence develop a heavy energy, hucha, which veils us from true perception of reality.

Thus our journey of remembrance is about learning to attune to the living forces all around us, and release the heavy energies that keep us in a state of fearfulness and separation.

As Juan Nunez and Ivan led us through some of these teachings and initiations, I could feel the very clear presence of the Inka lineage that stood behind them, extending back through their own teachers, and rooted in the understanding that we are all children of Wiraqocha, all carrying the seed of the divine within us, which is what the word Inka essentially means.

As paqos, we have the privileged position of existing simultaneously in all three worlds of creation, the hanaq pacha or heavenly realms, the kay pacha or earthly realms, and the ukhu pacha, the underworld of subconscious archetypes which drive our evolution. We are constantly supported by Father Cosmos above (Wiraqocha), and Mother Cosmos below (Pachamama). All matter is a manifestation of Pachamama, just as all spirit is a manifestation of Wiraqocha.

The Inka practices we were taught are rooted in this understanding of the cosmos, and represent a path of freedom as we learn to reconnect with the inka muju, or seed of enlightenment, that lies dormant within us.  As we move through these current times of pachakuti, or upheaval, these teachings and practices can help forge a path towards the new human species that is emerging in the world now, taripay pacharuna.

I would like to share here a couple basic exercises that can be easily practiced by those who wish to increase the flow of life energy through their lives, while releasing heavy energies associated with fear, separation, trauma and stress.

 

Interview and an ancient Inka meditation practice to find inner and outer peace

1. Stand comfortably
    
2. Imagine yourself surrounded by your poqpo, a transparent bubble of subtle energy. Inside this bubble you are connected with the sky above and the earth below.
    
3. Open a space in the bubble above you, while inviting sami or light living energy, to flow down the tube of light.
    
4. As the flow of sami is initiated, use your intention to gather and send any heavy energies that you experience in your bubble down through the tube of light towards the earth.
    
5. This heavy energy, or hucha, is food for Mother Earth, who welcomes it as a gift. As you release hucha, you are simultaneously filling your bubble with sami from above.

The Samin chakuy can be followed up with this next practice of Saywa chakuy, where Mother Earth reciprocates your gift of hucha with the gift of her own sami.
 

1. Stand comfortably
    
2. Imagine yourself once more standing inside your poqpo, connected with a tube of light to the sky above and earth below.
    
3. This time, use your intention to pull sami (light living energy) up from the earth. You will start to feel this as a vibration of subtle energy moving up through your feet
    
4. Continue until this dynamic nurturing and unifying energy fills your entire body and poqpo
    
5. Send the column of energy up to the hanaq pacha to reciprocate the gift of Wiraqocha.
    
6. Intend to remain in this energy of lightness as you continue your activities of the day.
   
    

Partner or solo exercise
 

1. Stand in front of a partner, decide who goes first
    
2. Person #1 puts hands on qosqo, moving arm out to strongest position of contact
    
3. Intend to pull in hucha from other person from outside of their bubble, from the skin of their bubble. Pull it into the qosqo, feel it splitting, heavy energy going down and light energy going up to become part of your bubble.
    
4. Continue until there is no more heavy energy or until it feels complete for whatever reason.
    
5. Close qosqo when finished, or it will just spontaneously close just like your mouth spontaneously closes when you are not eating. Meanwhile person #2 is simply relaxed, no intention required, just observing how it feels for another person to be cleaning up their hucha.
    
6. Tap person #2 on shoulder so they know you are finished, and then reverse.
   
    

These are three of the basic Inka practices common to many of the teachings. It is said that if practiced diligently these are enough to activate the Inka muyu, or seed of enlightenment, that lies within each of us, and we can be enlightened in one lifetime.

The Inka essentially describe enlightenment as being in ayni, or reciprocity with all things. When you are in ayni you are in a state of flow. There is no need to accumulate, fear, judge or reject anything that comes your way. You experience that you are not separate from the world around you. You live in a state of gratitude because you experience your relationship with the kausay pacha as safe and friendly. You trust and value yourself and your unique place in the world, and therefore can trust and value others the same way.

There are other practices and teachings that can help us deepen along the path, which we will share further in our journeys together. These can also be combined with Ilahinoor in a way that supports the highest elements of both.