REWILDING THE HUMAN HEART

Oppenheimer offers a course of meditative practices aimed at reconnecting readers to their essential natures.

Despite the plethora of spiritual guides meant to help readers escape the hamster wheel of modern life, it often remains difficult for many to achieve even a modicum of peace, let alone anything approaching an enlightened state of being. As the author observes, “Gaian principles reigned for millennia, but in humanity’s recent past they have been abandoned for free-market principles that go against life’s fundamental structure. This endangers all living systems and beings.” In this case, “Gaian” refers to a “unified conscious” or “intelligent Being.” If that sounds just a little too woo-woo, don’t worry—the author gets it. “Having been raised within the predominant western paradigm, it was only in my teens that I discovered this understanding of personhood bequeathed to all life,” she writes. Further references to “a holon within the holarchy of the cosmos” may initially leave many readers scratching their heads, but those digging deeper into this lush and lyrical text will discover a strong foundational basis for Oppenheimer’s brand of spiritualism. Some of the author’s more grounded observations—including a 2021 UN report finding that we have something like 60 harvests left before Earth’s soil is completely depleted, or that 40,000 metric tons of stardust fall on earth each year—are thoroughly intriguing. Each of the book’s five chapters concludes with a section on “Deepening Practices” meant to help readers apply the ancient wisdom they will acquire here in more direct ways. Much of the practices revolve around simple breathing exercises and varying forms of meditation. “How do we learn to let go?” Oppenheimer asks early on. “Slow down. Breathe. With each exhalation feel your heart soften. Melt and allow dissolution to become more permeable with each breath. Feel the breath swinging through your heart.” If the esoteric knowledge doesn’t get you there, the soft, melodious prose just might do it.

A comforting retreat and respite from the daily grind.