What are the opening hours?

Monday 5:30pm - 10pm Tuesday 5:30pm - 10pm Wednesday 5:30pm - 10pm Thursday 5:30pm - 10pm Friday 5:30pm - 10pm Saturday 9am - 6pm Sunday 9am - 6pm

Anima et Ignis, Reading (2025)

02/11/2025

Welcome to Anima et Ignis

There’s more to self-care than scented candles and borrowed quotes.
It isn’t found in mantras or quick fixes, but in the quiet work of showing up for yourself.
Discipline is a form of kindness; honesty, the highest form of self-respect.

I’ve worked with systems and I’ve worked with minds. Engineering taught me structure; psychology taught me depth. Somewhere between the two, I learned that the real work is always within.

Hypnotherapy taught me something practical — that small, deliberate shifts in behaviour can reshape the mind. Whether it’s your morning routine, a workout, or a school project, the subconscious can be trained to work for you, not against you. That’s the warrior’s approach — the path of least resistance.

My aim is to share my journey with honesty and prudence; to offer lessons learned, insights tested, and to invite genuine connection along the way.

Most of us forgot how to tune into the body. We got lost in translation — between what we think and what we truly feel. Here, we learn that the words we whisper in our minds shape the physical world more than we realise.

Buddha warned: avoid idle thoughts. I say — make them useful. Give them direction. Train them to serve your growth. As Émile Coué put it: “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.”
If you can’t silence a thought, give it a job to do.

We realign here. We ground the work in the body — the ancient teacher so often treated as a machine. Trauma lives there, yes, but so does wisdom. Together, we’ll tap into those forgotten wells of knowing.

So tune in. Sit by the fire. Pass the gifts from left to right.
Share your warmth, your stories, your stillness.
We remember who we are together.

And last but not least - thanks for stopping by.

Rad May

25/10/2025

“Truth is a pathless land. You cannot approach it by any path, by any religion, by any sect.”

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Krishnamurti was once raised to be the new world teacher. The Theosophical Society built a movement around him, convinced he would lead humanity into enlightenment. And then, standing before thousands, he dissolved it all. Refused the crown. Walked away.

He said no one can give you the truth. A true teacher points, then disappears.

The irony is that even the pathless land has stepping stones. One of them is Atmavichara - self-inquiry, the art of using duality to dissolve itself.

See the distinction between the thought and the one observing the thought. This is the first spark of awareness, the witness noticing itself. When you see it, do not name it. Do not label it. Simply stay with it. Become it.

This observer is you. It was you all along. This is what teachers mean by unlearning.

It is what Jesus pointed to when he said, “Unless you become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” To see as a child is to see without prejudice, with humility and grace. To return to the beginning before the mind divided the world into this and that.

In our longing to be closer to the divine, we personified it. We called it God, the Universe, Cosmic Consciousness. We wanted to touch it, so we made it in our image. Yet with every description, we stepped one word further away from the truth into illusion we created in order to understand on the intellectual level. It’s the cost we pay for logic and reason. It’s the great philosophical schism that is here to unite us all.

For the truth cannot be spoken. It can only be lived - through awareness.

And remember this: you do not owe your thoughts to be completed.
Next time they disturb your peace, draw them back with your next inhale and think quietly, come back where you came from - I owe you nothing.
Then ask again, who is the one realising this, who is the one observing?

Each time you do, the illusion thins - until only truth remains, the one that has all forms, and forms all. Thank you, Jiddu, for being true to yourself, for not being swayed by fame and power like some others eg o(sh)o 🤷🏼 love and light

22/10/2025

What is your archetype?

When I first read Terrence Watt’s Warriors, Settlers & Nomads, it reminded me of something ancient; the truth that every system, from modern psychology to Vedic philosophy, builds its own language to describe the same mystery. Watts used three archetypes. Jung used many. The mystics spoke of paths, the alchemists of elements, the theologians of virtues. Different shapes, same core.

All schools of thought begin and end in the same place; the human heart and the restless mind that longs to understand itself.

The more I study, the clearer it becomes; none of these frameworks are about labelling. They are about remembering. About learning to see your strengths, your blind spots, and the quiet truth that runs underneath both.

Every seeker, whether spiritual or psychological, eventually finds themselves drawn toward one of five archetypal streams:

The Mystic — the path of surrender and silence. Truth is not reasoned but revealed. They dissolve the self through stillness.

The Philosopher — the path of reason and reflection. Truth is questioned into clarity. They build understanding one thought at a time.

The Magician — the path of transformation and will. Truth is tested in fire. They embody what others only study.

The Healer — the path of empathy and service. Truth is shared through restoration. They mend others to become whole themselves.

The Warrior — the path of courage and confrontation. Truth is sharpened by struggle. They find peace by walking through conflict, not around it.

Each path speaks a different language, yet all translate to the same sentence; awareness is freedom.
How you get there depends on your nature.

So, know your nature. Find your stream. Do not follow blindly, but walk consciously. Read, study, pray, experiment — whatever brings you closer to stillness.

Because all teachings, when stripped to their essence, point to one thing - what you are searching for is already looking through your eyes.

Whatever you do, make it unique to your journey. Do not compromise on your values, but always seek compromise with those you love and care about

19/10/2025

THE PATH INWARD: Ancient Science of Awakening the Modern Mind

They say that before the universe was born, silence dreamed of knowing itself. From that stillness came movement; from movement came mind; and from mind came the search to return home. That search is what we call life.

The wise have always known that the meaning of life is self realisation. The path does not lead upward but inward. It takes us through worlds unseen; through the libraries of the ancients where the truth of consciousness was inscribed long before modern science learned to measure thought.

Vedic teaching is not a belief system; it is a precise map of awareness. What psychotherapy and neuroscience now begin to glimpse, these texts explored with breathtaking clarity thousands of years ago. They show us how to cross the storms of our modern age; how to remember the peace that hides behind noise; the stillness that breathes beneath our endless pursuit of more.

There is nothing new to discover; only to remember. The truth waits quietly behind the mind’s curtain, whispering that less is more; that peace lives in stillness; that silence is not absence but alive presence.

Words are symbols; they are torches that guide us through the fog. Two lights illuminate the way; the teacher who appears outside; and the inner guide who awakens within. Both point to the same destination.

Let us walk the ancient path step by step.

⸻

1. Aarambha; the beginning
Every true journey begins with unease; the sense that something is missing even in comfort. This restlessness is sacred; it is the soul remembering itself. Here the seeker learns sincerity, the art of seeing without illusion. Viveka, discernment, and vairagya, dispassion, take root.
Neuroscience hint; the brain’s reward system begins to shift from pleasure seeking to meaning seeking; the default mode network starts to quiet; curiosity awakens in its place.

⸻

2. Dhyana; the still mind
With practice the mind learns to rest. Through pratyahara and dharana, attention gathers like light through a lens until it holds steady. The waves of thought no longer disturb the depth of the water.
Neuroscience hint; activity in self referential regions drops; connectivity between emotional and attentional networks strengthens; awareness becomes stable and clear.

⸻

3. Savikalpa Samadhi; union with form
When meditation ripens, the boundary between observer and observed thins. The seeker merges with the chosen object of contemplation; bliss arises; time fades. Yet a faint sense of I remains.
Neuroscience hint; high gamma synchrony links sensory, emotional, and cognitive regions; perception becomes unified; the brain functions as one luminous field.

⸻

4. Nirvikalpa Samadhi; union beyond form
Here all distinctions dissolve. No subject; no object; only awareness aware of itself. This is the silence beyond silence.
Neuroscience hint; global quieting of self based processing; minimal energy use; sustained coherence; awareness persists though content disappears.

⸻

5. Sahaja Samadhi; the natural state
When the silence becomes effortless, life resumes but without clinging. Action flows; thought moves; yet the center remains still. This is freedom in motion.
Neuroscience hint; the quiet mind becomes the baseline; low default mode activity even in daily life; balanced nervous system; increased resilience and compassion.

⸻

6. Turiya and Turiyatita; beyond all states
Beyond waking, dreaming, and deep sleep lies Turiya; the silent witness of every experience. Beyond even that lies Turiyatita; the pure consciousness that contains and transcends all states. Here there is no separation between spirit and matter; the dance and the dancer are one.
Neuroscience hint; coexistence of deep rest and sharp alertness; overlapping alpha, theta, and gamma rhythms; stable awareness across all modes of being.

⸻

The path begins with discipline and ends with grace. It begins with seeking and ends with seeing. Nothing is gained; only revealed. What remains is what has always been; still; luminous; infinite.

The key to remember; struggle belongs to life as water belongs to fish. Learn to breathe through the struggle rather than holding your breath until it gets easier.

Ramay

18/10/2025

💬 My teacher used to say:
Therapy is like taking your car to the garage.

Funny how nobody calls you crazy for servicing your car,
yet many still think you must be if you service your mind. 🪞🧠🔧

⚙️ Maintenance isn’t madness. It’s wisdom. For cars it’s mandatory yet so few regularly service their mind.
🚨 Check in before you break down. 💭

12/10/2025

Only a madman does the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.

Fail, learn, adjust. That’s it.
Move when you can, rest when you must, but never drift off course.
Direction is paramount; pace is arbitrary.

You are the Ship of Theseus. Rebuild yourself according to your goal, not your circumstances.

Aye, captain. You got this!

05/10/2025

Here is a map of yoga philosophy and practice, tailored for the path of direct awareness - Maha Yoga

⸻

1. The Aim of Yoga

Liberation (moksha, kaivalya) through recognition of one’s true nature (Atman), which is not the body, mind, or intellect, but pure consciousness itself.
All yogas converge toward this; Self-Inquiry is its most direct route.

⸻

2. The Four Primary Yogic Paths
1. Jnana Yoga – the path of knowledge. Inquiry into the source of the “I.” Practices include Atma Vichara (“Who am I?”) and Neti Neti (“not this, not this”).
2. Bhakti Yoga – the path of devotion. Dissolving individuality through surrender and love for the Divine.
3. Karma Yoga – the path of selfless action. Acting without attachment to results; purifies ego.
4. Raja Yoga – the path of mental mastery. Uses the eight limbs (Ashtanga) to bring the mind to stillness.

All others—Ta**ra, Kundalini, Hatha—can be seen as elaborations or blends of these four.

⸻

3. The Six Philosophical Foundations (Darshanas)
• Nyāya – logic and valid knowledge (pramana).
• Vaiśeṣika – analysis of reality through categories (substance, quality, motion, etc.).
• Sāṅkhya – dualistic cosmology: Purusha (consciousness) vs Prakriti (nature).
• Yoga – practical system using Sāṅkhya metaphysics; aims for kaivalya (isolation of Purusha).
• Mīmāṃsā – right action and dharma.
• Vedānta – non-dual realization: Brahman = Atman.

For self-inquiry, Advaita Vedānta is most relevant, because it treats consciousness as the only reality.

⸻

4. Core Concepts to Master
• Ātman – Self; the witnessing consciousness.
• Brahman – infinite, indivisible reality.
• Māyā – illusion; superimposition of the unreal on the real.
• Avidyā – ignorance; root of ego and suffering.
• Guṇas – Sattva (clarity), Rajas (activity), Tamas (inertia).
• Karma – cause and effect of action.
• Samsāra – cycle of birth and death sustained by ignorance.
• Moksha / Kaivalya – liberation from this cycle.
• Prāṇa – vital life energy.
• Chitta / Vṛtti – mind-stuff and its modifications.
• Iśvara – personal aspect of the Absolute.
• Svādhyāya – self-study, both scriptural and inner reflection.
• Tapas – disciplined energy of transformation.

⸻

5. The Eight Limbs of Raja Yoga (for mental purification)
1. Yama – ethical restraints
2. Niyama – personal observances
3. Āsana – posture
4. Prāṇāyāma – control of breath / energy
5. Pratyāhāra – withdrawal of senses
6. Dhāraṇā – concentration
7. Dhyāna – meditation
8. Samādhi – absorption

The last three form Samyama—the integrated practice leading to transcendence.

⸻

6. The Spectrum of Samadhi

Understanding this is key for Atma Vichara practitioners.

Level Description Notes
Savikalpa Samadhi (Samprajñāta) Awareness is one-pointed but still has an object—bliss, light, mantra, or sense of “I am.” Mind refined but not dissolved.
Nirvikalpa Samadhi (Asamprajñāta) No thought, no distinction; awareness rests in itself, content-less and silent. Temporary cessation of ego; after emerging, duality resumes.
Sahaja Samadhi Natural, unbroken abidance as the Self even while active. The culmination of Self-Inquiry; spontaneous and effortless.

• Nirvikalpa Samadhi is like deep sleep while remaining fully conscious—there is no “I” to know it, yet awareness is.
• Sahaja is when that realization continues in waking life; the mind never again obscures awareness.

⸻

7. Specialized Yogas and Approaches
• Atma Vichara – direct inquiry into the source of the “I.”
• Asparsha Yoga – “yoga of non-contact”; realization without dualistic relation (Gaudapada).
• Laya Yoga – dissolution of mind into consciousness.
• Kundalinī Yoga – awakening the latent energy to merge individual and cosmic awareness.
• Hatha Yoga – physical and energetic purification to stabilize the mind.
• Mantra Yoga / Nāda Yoga – transcendence through sacred sound and inner vibration.
• Kriya Yoga – integrated discipline of breath, energy, and devotion.
• Maha Yoga – the “Great Yoga”; abiding directly as awareness itself—no method, only being.
• Ta**ra / Kashmir Shaivism – recognition that everything is the play (Spanda) of Consciousness.
• Advaita Vedanta – wisdom path revealing the identity of Ātman and Brahman.

⸻

8. States of Consciousness (Mandukya Upanishad)
• Jāgrat – waking
• Svapna – dreaming
• Suṣupti – deep sleep
• Turīya – the fourth, witnessing all states
• Turīyātīta – beyond the fourth; unity of all experiences

Nirvikalpa Samadhi corresponds roughly to Turīya; Sahaja Samadhi to Turīyātīta.*

⸻

9. Foundational Texts for Self-Inquiry Students
1. Upanishads – primary revelations of non-duality.
2. Bhagavad Gita – integration of all yogas into one path.
3. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – psychological map toward stillness.
4. Mandukya Upanishad & Gaudapada Kārikā – exposition of Asparsha Yoga.
5. Maha Yoga by K. Lakshmana Sarma (“WHO”) – Ramana Maharshi’s teaching systematized.
6. Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi – living dialogues on Self-Inquiry.
7. Ashtavakra Gita & Ribhu Gita – radical non-dual scriptures for mature aspirants.

⸻

10. The Process of Self-Inquiry (Atma Vichara)
1. Turning attention inward – trace every thought back to its origin.
2. Finding the source of “I” – each time the ego rises, ask “Who is it that perceives this?”
3. Resting as awareness – when no answer comes, remain in that silent being.
4. Fading of the seeker – as inquiry matures, the questioner dissolves; awareness remains self-aware.
5. Stabilization in Sahaja – awareness ceases to alternate between depth and surface; it is continuous.

⸻

11. From Practice to Being

Stage Description
Discipline Purifying body and mind through ethical and energetic means.
Concentration Gathering scattered attention.
Meditation Steady awareness of awareness.
Nirvikalpa Samadhi Cessation of mental movement; temporary ego-silence.
Sahaja Samadhi Continuous abidance in pure consciousness amid daily life.

⸻

Yoga, seen through Self-Inquiry, is not a climb toward something new but a return to what has never left.
Every practice—whether breath, mantra, or devotion—points back to that silent witness.
When even practice falls away, Nirvikalpa Samadhi dawns; when that silence flowers in motion, Sahaja Samadhi abides.

01/10/2025

My teacher used to say: without parents, there would be no need for therapy 🤷‍♂️

28/09/2025

In therapy we say: the map is not the territory.

This map reflects Jung’s view of the psyche. Ego at the surface. Personal unconscious beneath. Collective unconscious deeper still, holding shadow, anima, animus, archetypes.

It is not the full truth of you. But it points to truths you carry whether you admit them or not.

Here is the takeaway: language gives you leverage. When you call something by its name, you bring it into focus. Without words, it stays fog. With words, it becomes something you can work with.

So next time you catch yourself in a feeling or a fear, try to label it. Where does it come from? Why is it here? More often than not you will discover something unique about yourself. And if you ever feel stuck, reach out for help, do not allow the lack of time or knowledge to stand in your way to become better, happier, healthier. You deserve to excel and be happy. It is time to show up for yourself

24/09/2025

BWRT - Maximum results with minimal effort

17/09/2025

From harm to heal in one thought

This mantra came from Émile Coué. As a sickly child and later as a pharmacist, fighting his own health problems, he discovered that words could shape the body as much as medicine. He proved it first on himself, then on thousands of others ❤️‍🩹

He wasn’t a strong man preaching strength; he was a weak one who rose above weakness and handed that key to others ✊💚

The power of this mantra lies in its open meaning. The subconscious interprets it in the way most useful to itself (you).

It is exceptionally helpful when the mind won’t stop, because it gives that restless energy a job to do.

It’s like Tai Chi for the mind 😊

14/09/2025

Have you heard of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? What about this one…

Anima et Ignis

02/11/2025

25/10/2025

22/10/2025

19/10/2025

18/10/2025

12/10/2025

05/10/2025

01/10/2025

28/09/2025

24/09/2025

17/09/2025

14/09/2025

Address

Opening Hours

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Monday	5:30pm - 10pm
Tuesday	5:30pm - 10pm
Wednesday	5:30pm - 10pm
Thursday	5:30pm - 10pm
Friday	5:30pm - 10pm
Saturday	9am - 6pm
Sunday	9am - 6pm