Tensegrity is the modern practice of the warrior-traveler’s path with heart which don Juan Matus taught his four students: Carlos Castaneda, Florinda Donner-Grau, Taisha Abelar and Carol Tiggs. The word ‘tensegrity’ was coined by an architect, scientist, engineer, global thinker and dreamer whom Carlos Castaneda admired: R. Buckminster Fuller. Fuller described tensegrity as a process of tensional integrity—the inherent interdependence of structures such as cells, bodies, and solar systems which are held together by a continuous web of tension (such as gravity) holding together discontinuous islands of compression (such as the sun, planets and moons in the solar system).
    As a modern practice of shamanism, Tensegrity means adapting to our own energy, the energy of sun and stars, the air, water, the land, and of its inhabitants in a way that supports the interdependent integrity of the community that we are, as individual and collective beings. The tools that can help us to do this include the ancient energy-enhancing movements and breaths known as magical passes, as well as tracking and dreaming exercises, all of which we will do in this workshop.
    Tracking exercises are: guided self-examination exercises practiced individually and with a peer witness, which allow one to track not only our physical patterns, but also our related mental and emotional patterns and their consequential behaviors and judgments, which we inherited from our lineage and cultures.
    We can direct the energy and awareness gained from this review to access what don Juan Matus called freedom of perception—the freedom to move past any limiting interpretations of our lineage, upbringing and culture to perceive energy directly, and to dream true interdependence—new possibilities of working with others and with the earth–wherever we are, possibilities which spring from an open heart, from bringing one’s best to the interchange.

 

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