Recapitulation is one of the fundamental keys of Nagualism. Both Carlos Castaneda and Taisha Abelar deal with it extensively in their books, so I will only do a brief summary here, and then give you some practical suggestions and directions.
I would like to emphasize that this practice is essential. It should be taken very seriously and performed with continuity and dedication. I say this because, since it requires discipline, many people start to exert it, to then abandon it, or practice it very superficially. Yet, it is foundational for all other activities of the warrior. Recapitulation develops your discipline (precisely), generates sobriety, offers infinite spaces for freedom, and leads towards effective movements of the assemblage point. For modern Toltecs it is the core of stalking, and hence the core of Nagualism. It is one of the best ways to gain the maneuverability of the assemblage point.
In the course of our existence we lose the compactness of our energy fibers. This mainly happens due to the interaction with our fellow humans, but not only. Every time we interact, but also when we adopt an intent mode for our image (which we then reiterate for all our life), it causes fractures, “spaces” between our energy fibers. Foreign filaments infiltrate in these spaces, while ours remain “caught” in other people. This condition is devastating, both on an energy level and on that of everyday life, and must be remedied in order to change the own intent. Recapitulation lets us reacquire the original compactness and restores our energy body’s ability to act and make final decisions.
However, keep in mind from the outset that recapitulation is not a self-analysis technique and its purpose is not to resolve traumas. Certainly, among its consequences, recapitulation practice also gives our existence new stability, but these are just side effects. Recapitulation is a strictly energetic act, always remember that.
WHAT DOES IT CONSIST OF? There is only one way to regain energy compactness: put everything in its place. To do so, the Toltecs use a particular breathing form, while reliving the events of their lives, in particular the interaction with their fellow humans. If you read Carlos Castaneda, you already know how to practice, nevertheless …
You need a dark, silent and confined space. Warriors build boxes or recapitulation tents, whose walls should be at a 10-20 inches distance from the body. Once inside, they start to recall the memory, while performing the sweeping breath. This is accomplished by moving the head to the right shoulder, having exhaled all the air, and then breathe in slowly, moving it over to the left shoulder. Next, they exhale again, moving the head back to the right shoulder, and so on. Breathing should be slow, deep and entirely through the nose.
The memories are not recalled mentally, but through the area of the will. What warriors do during recapitulation is to relocate the assemblage point to the exact position it was at the time of the event. This way, they can relive the event, but from a particular position, both as actors and as witnesses, while the breathing guides the reintegration of the energy fibers through the area of the will.
There are several stages and execution modes of recapitulation, and you will find them described in detail in the book. My practical advice is to start performing the daily recapitulation, that is to practice every day, or every other, or every week, but to do so in a way to maintain yourself “reintegrated” from the very day you start it. This also serves as a training for recapitulation, to get access to the full memory, the one where the will cancels time and space.
Besides, there are very special forms and applications of the recapitulation, like the recapitulation of personalizing feelings, the recapitulation performed in accordance with elements of the world (by using the possibility of the parallel movement of the assemblage point), or the one that deploys the capacity of opening the time line. The sweeping breath can also be applied to obtain results beyond recapitulation, as for example, if it is used to separate the right side from the left side.
Yet, all these special forms become fully accessible only after mastering the “normal” mode of recapitulation.
