Eight years ago I was upside down, dangling by my feet from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun in the amazing ancient city of Teotihuac n, Mexico. It was not your average dangling; I had a morbid fear of heights and barely made it to the top of the massive structure that day. Never did I believe I would trust someone to hang me by my feet off the side of such a high place! But, in the end, I did and I let go of my fear of heights and a few other fears in the bargain. My gratitude for this experience was beyond measure as this miracle was not what I had expected when I signed up for this adventure. To be honest, the things I experienced I could have never imagined even in my wildest dreams! Just to clarify things, this was my first power journey with Toltec master don Miguel Ruiz, and climbing the Pyramid was the culmination of my five day voyage to this incredible city. Even more importantly, as I stood on the top of the Pyramid merging with the sun, I experienced the true presence of my inner spirit and my heart for the first time in my life.
The magnificent ruins of the ancient Toltec city of Teotihuac n are approximately 40 minutes northeast of Mexico City and one mile high in altitude. The Toltec were not a religious or racial group, rather they were humans who practiced a certain philosophy of life. According to don Miguel, Teotihuac n was a huge university dedicated to the transcendence of humanity. The layout of the city was modeled on the image of a long double-headed snake; one head on each end of its body. The apprentice would progress down the Avenue of the Dead, the body of the snake, section by section after entering the first plaza. Though this process, the snake digested all of the student's lies and beliefs that were limiting the full expression of their Spirit. As a result, they died to everything they believed about themselves and their world.
Lifetimes were spent letting go of all the boundaries man has put upon himself through the domestication of his mind. When there was finally nothing left of the student's personality, ego, and domestication they became what they really were; the divine expression of Love or Spirit. After finally exiting the body of the snake, the apprentice would climb the Pyramid of the Sun and, using the energy of the structure, would merge and become one with the light. Under the tutelage of masters, these apprentices would pass through the different sections of the snake until they had completed their training and transcended their physical bodies and earthly dream.
For years don Miguel and the apprentices he personally trained, myself included, have taken thousands of seekers to this wonderful city. I have watched hundreds of people come on these journeys stressed, confused, and wishing for something more in their lives, hoping to find what is missing. By the end of the journey their faces are glowing, they are relaxed, and they have clarity about the direction they are going in life. Even more importantly, they have a glimpse of the divinity that they truly are and the wonderment of that experience. It is a miracle to see people recognize themselves as the magical beings that they are and to take full responsibility for what they have created in their lives. After leaving the journey, they choose to use their magic to create beauty, love, and joy in their world rather than anger, frustration, fear, and drama.
When we journey to Teotihuac n we do not travel as tourists to take pictures of the ruins, look at, and climb the Pyramids. We go to experience the dream of the city as it was thousands of years ago and to connect with the intent of the place itself. Teotihuac n was built with the intent to transform the dream of the humans from one of fear to one of love and to assist us in detaching from the beliefs we have that do not serve our higher good. Our ceremonies, rituals, and activities on the grounds of the city are designed to access this energy directly. Because of this, our transformational process work is made more intense but easier as a result of tapping into the spirit of the sacred site itself. Miracles occur in Teotihuac n if your heart and mind are open to receive what the universe has available for you.
You are probably wondering what possessed me to go on this journey in the first place. Just like so many of you, I had reached a point in my life where I was so unhappy I felt like I could not go on another day. Feeling dead, like a robot repeating its boring daily activities, I could not believe this was my life. I had many moments of happiness of course, but I could not say that I was happy inside. Systematically I kept changing my outer circumstances thinking that would fix things, never realizing what needed to be fixed was me! At the time I was a practicing Podiatrist of 16 years and director of a surgical residency program. I had a wonderful home, career, car, and friends. But I did not have a healthy relationship with a partner, nor did I have a healthy relationship with myself! Upon reading don Miguel's book, "The Four Agreements," I decided to give the Toltec path a chance. Teotihuac n is where I discovered that nothing outside of me was ever the problem in my life. What was preventing me from enjoying my life was my programming and all the limiting beliefs I had about myself and my world. From that point on I started to dismantle those beliefs and started living my life according to my heart and my integrity instead of what I had been taught in the domestication of my life.
As a result, I sold my home, my stuff, and my practice, broke up with my boyfriend, and traveled west to apprentice with don Miguel. It has been a challenging process to be sure, but one I would not have traded for anything in the world. Of course, you do not need to sell your home and travel to do accomplish this; you can do it wherever you are, no matter what your circumstances may be. And believe me, if I could change my life, you can too! No written description can substitute for your own magical experience of this place. I invite each of you to come and feel the energy of Teotihuac n for yourselves. Come and gain the tools of awareness needed to make the necessary changes in your life. Create a dream of love rather than one of fear. Take a chance and transform your life, discover the light within you and expand your ideas about who you are and what you can be.
Dr. Sheri Rosenthal is the owner and director of Journeys of the Spirit. Our intent is for your spiritual transformation and personal growth with the opportunity to visit incredible sacred sites, and experience distinctive and extraordinary itineraries! You can reach us by email or at Journeys of the Spirit.
