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After decades of a troubling, disrupted life compounded by worsening health issues, the author found herself “inwardly guided” toward her eventual discovery of the Five Tibetan Rites. Throughout the process, an earnest quest for harmony and balance aided her understanding of body, mind, and spirit, eliminating former obstacles. Throughout the first five chapters, Gravit explains the symbolic significance of each rite, layering in descriptions of her progression and recounting how each of the five has empowered her holistic journey. Gravit’s concluding chapter, “Whole Well-Being,” likens all five areas to a continuous cycle, much like “the natural cycles of the world.”
Gravit’s composition reveals a seamless blending of various storytelling elements resulting in a compelling read. For example, her work is simultaneously biographical, an introduction for the general reader to the mechanics of the rites, an engaging piece of inspiration, and an all-encompassing examination of achieving balance and harmony in one’s life. The author liberally shares many tough realities with which she has battled—including medical, interpersonal, and more—while at the same time making the case that her spiritual quest has lifted many such burdens.
Focusing on the vital elements of health, wealth, love, beauty, and harmony—each presented alongside their corresponding iconic symbols—this volume provides a rich, deep dive into each Tibetan rite, alongside the corresponding physical and mental exercises for each. “The melody of the symbols,” writes Gravit, “as they imitate the natural cycles of life, lunar phases, and ocean waves, is only the surface.” She further successfully articulates a “complex, intricate network” of evocative tones, whose rhythm and rhyme reveal much about life’s mysterious depths.