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western-writer · 4 years ago

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Betrayal Beyond Forgiveness

Fandom: Far Cry 5

Warnings: cussing, descriptions of injuries, mentions of blood and death

Summary: The Whitetails conspire against Rook out of fear but things don't go the way they expected them to go.

A/n: Finally! I've been trying to produce content for the longest time but I couldn't finish anything to save my life. But here this is and I'm very happy with it. I also didn't proof read this but will be going back through as time goes on to edit things. Enjoy!

Betrayal is a funny thing. The stinging, burning sensation that pools and spreads like electricity throughout your chest and settles into a pit in your stomach. How it feels when that first jolt of Earth shattering realization leaves you reeling. Questions racing in your mind, yet somehow you’re unable to think or choke out the words caught in your throat. It’s funny because betrayal always comes from those you would least expect. That's what betrayal is. You enemies... you expect that much from them. You expect them to try to hurt you. You expect them you screw you over. But when it comes from those closest to you... it cuts deeper than you could imagine.

Rook would’ve expected something like this from Jacob - a set up. But the Whitetails? Eli? Rook couldn’t wrap her head around it.

It was just supposed to be a simple extraction of supplies the cult had taken. Stealth is her specialty, after all. Rook dropped the Peggies quick - almost too quick. To Eli’s dismay, this only drove his point forward and confirmed a suspicion he had for quite some time. Jacob’s trails had changed her and, the cult having been mostly under control, it was time to put her down.

Eli and Tammy watched her on his cameras as she worked. Tammy wore a “I told you so" look as Eli ignored it. With a heavy sigh, he raised his walkie talkie to his mouth and spoke. “We proceed as planned. I’m sorry, Dep.”

Having no idea of this so-called plan, Dep went through the plan as she was told. The area is secure, now she needs to check to see if the supplies are there.

This part felt a bit strange to Rook. Why should she check to make sure the supplies are there? If they sent her out on his mission, wouldn’t they already be sure they’re here?

Rook ignored her warnings going off in her head and she opened each container. Her heart dropped as she heard the familiar click and she knew what was coming. She had just triggered a count down to a bomb explosion.

Thinking quickly, Rook turned and sprinted away as fast as she could, but she wasn’t quite fast enough. The explosion went off behind her, sending Rook flying through the air.

Eli thought the plan had gone off without a hitch as a Whitetail checked her pulse and found no sighs of it. “I think she’s gone, boss. I think the plan worked.” Eli could only hope that she died a quick death. Tammy breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s better this way, Eli. She would’ve been a danger to us all. I’ve seen what happens to people after they go through those trails. Now it’ll look like she went down a hero. No one will know.”

Eli sighs, getting ready to announce her death, but there’s one problem.

Rook didn’t die in the explosion. She was knocked unconscious and came to just in time to hear about the conspiracy to kill her. She laid there for who knows how long just letting it sink in. Her head throbbed, probably due to the conclusion and she’s pretty sure she has a few broken ribs. Rook was pelted with shrapnel and is bleeding from multiple wounds all over her body. Multiple bones are horribly damaged.

Jacob, she would’ve expected to do something like this. Not the people she called family. Not after all that she’s done for them. The Whitetails are playing with fire and if she lives through these injuries, they’re gonna get burned.

“Deputy, Deputy, Deputy...” Jacob’s disapproving voice rings in her ears. “Bet you wish you listened to me now, huh?”

Rook opens her eyes a little bit, fighting off the drowsiness threatening to take over. Her vision is blurry and her ears still ring intensely from the explosion. She'll be surprised if she doesn't have some sort of hearing loss, even despite the ear plugs she wears.

It was sad seeing the fearsome Deputy laying here in a pool of her own blood. Having been betrayed by none other than the Whitetail Militia. Pathetic, really.

Rook, being the stubborn woman she is, struggles to sit up, only to have Jacob slowly push her back down. He cracks a smile, finding a bit of amusement in this.

“What do you want, Jacob?” she tries to hiss, but it comes out weak.

Jacob sighs. “I tried to warn ya. You didn’t wanna listen. Now look where you are. Alone. Dying. How does betrayal feel?”

“Shut the fuck up,” Rook manages to growl.

Jacob laughs. “I’ll hand it to ya, kid. You’ve got some real nerve. I can respect that."

Rook coughs, blood ozing from between her lips and she rolls over. Jacob watches her, almost like he's studying her as she spits out the blood. There's not a lot, but it's enough for Rook to be concerned.

"You have blood in your lungs," he tells her.

"No shit," she rasps. "Why... are you here?"

Jacob chuckles, wiping some blood from her mouth. "I hear everything, Deputy. These are my mountains, after all. I heard the whisperings. I'm honestly surprised they followed through. Their plan would've worked perfectly had someone bothered to confirm that you were dead. They just screwed themselves, didn't they?"

Rook nods slowly, beginning to wheeze. Jacob sighs.

"I guess I've screwed with you enough. C'mon." He extends his hand down and slide it under her back, lifting carefully.

"W-what're you doing?"

"I can't let them go and kill my best weapon, now can I?" He puts his other hand under her back and lifts her up. Rook doesn't bother with trying to struggle or fight him. She doesn't want to die. Not yet and certainly not because of people she would've given her life for.

Jacob picks her up, carrying her as gently as possible as to not injure her further. She rests her head on his shoulder, feeling oddly comforted.

Jacob felt oddly bad for the Deputy. It was never a feeling he expected to feel toward the young rookie. He felt her breathing against him, slow and raspy, pained. Anger burned inside him. Maybe he had a soft spot for her. He has to admit he holds a fair amount of respect for her. She's doing what most people couldn't, wouldn't, or would die trying to do. If he's being honest, he feels responsible for putting her in this situation, but at the same time, this is exactly what he wanted so why does he feel so guilty?

News of Rook's death shook the county. Everyone felt the sting of the loss all while she laid at the Vet's Center recovering and healing. Deputy Pratt stayed by her side the whole time in utter disbelief that the Resistance would do that to her. It took months for her to be well enough to stand and walk around but once she crossed that threshold when healed quickly, though, her loyalties had shifted just a bit and she would never be the same again.

Jacob tried to persuade her to forget about the Resistance. "After everything they've done to you," he said.

"It wasn't the whole Resistance, Jake," Rook defended them. "Just the Whitetails. And that still doesn't change the fact that what you and your siblings are doing is wrong."

Jacob just rolls his eyes. "If one part of the Resistance did this, the rest could easily too."

"The actions of the Whitetails don't speak for everyone, Jake. There's still parts of the Resistance that have fought beside me and some people have given their lives for me. I can't just forget that."

"Sometimes I think you're too loyal, Rook. I really do."

Now it's Rook's turn to roll her eyes. "Whatever you say, Jacob. I need answers and I intend to get them, whether you like it or not."

As Rook made her way out of the room, Jacob felt compelled to call after her, so he did. "Hey!"

Rook stop, turning to face him, seemingly annoyed. "What?"

"I just don't want them to burn you again. I don't want you to waste your energy on people that would literally murder you after all you've done for them. What if when you show up, they freak out and actually do kill you? I didn't save you just to have you be killed."

Rook would've be irritated with him if it weren't for the shock overriding her senses. This kind of vulnerability was incredibly uncharacteristic for Jacob, yet here he was. He showed her a side not many people had ever seen. His caring side. A side to him many people would argue is nonexistent.

Rook was confused at where the sudden concern came from but decided to brush it off - for now.

"It'll be okay, Jake," Rook responds, using her nickname for him to ease the tension. "They'll be too shocked to do anything."

Jacob watched her leave and sighs. At this point he feels a sort of obligation toward her and keeping her safe. The feelings confuse him greatly and he's unsure what to make of them. All he knows is that he hates it.

Rook stands in the doorway behind Eli, waiting for the perfect moment to make her presence known. She fights the angry trying to explode in her and reminds herself: you're here for answers, not to start a fight.

"Hey, Eli..." Rook says softly, making the man stop dead in his tracks and turn slowly.

"Deputy...?"

"Hey..."

With just a few strides Eli had closed to distance between them and hugged her tight. He was genuinely relieved to see her and know that he hadn't killed her. Guilt thumped in his chest like a drum as he held onto her.

"I thought you died..."

Rook had to admit, his embrace felt good. She wished she could forget the deception.

Eli pulls back and looks Rook in the eye. He notices that one has obvious damage to the cornea. Rook catches onto what he's looking at.

"Some, uh, some metal shaving managed to find their way into my eye during the explosion. Don't worry, it only took about 30% of my sight in that eye. My hearing though... I have about half of what I had."

"Dep - I am - I am so sorry."

"I also lost about 25% of my breathing capacity. Major concussion that will effect my cognitive function for the rest if my life. Broken skull and major brain bleeding. My left knee cap basically had to be rebuilt because of how shattered it was when I landed on it after the explosion threw me. My right ankle was broken, both wrists, my left femur, and both my radius and ulnar were pretty well mangled. Did I tell you that not only were multiple organs bruised, but my kidney had ruptured just a little bit? Oh and I had a ton of tissue damage, but I pulled through."

"If anyone could've done it, Dep, it was you."

"Yeah, it was me," Rook chuckles humorlessly. "After being left for dead on the ground... left to bleed out or die of organ failure... you'd never guess who found me but that doesn't matter right now." Rook takes a few steps into the Wolf's Den and looked around. The place was seemingly empty. "What matters is..." she trails off, turning to face Eli. "why'd you do it, Eli?"

A look of shock is plastered of Eli's face as he takes a step back. "D-do what?"

"Set me up, Eli. Why did you set me up? Why did you try to kill me? After everything I've done for you and this fucking county."

"I-I'm sorry, Dep. I really am. You were dangerous, or at least that's what they told me."

"You're smarter than that, Eli. Or at least I thought you were. Letting someone manipulate your thoughts like that... Who was it, hm? Was it Tammy? You know she never liked me."

"After the trials Jacob put you through-! She was terrified that he would use you against us. And I saw it Dep. How you took all those cultists down... it was unnatural."

"Are you fucking kidding me!? Seriously!? I have been fighting for my life, Eli! I've had to change to adapt my methods to fucking survive and you wanna say I'm dangerous because I had to get better? You really don't understand what I was up against. While you got to sit in here I was out there doing anything and everything you wanted me to do." She points to the door. "I was being kidnapped and shot and beaten. I killed for you and I wpildve DIED for you but THIS is how you repay me!? Fuck you, Eli. I thought you were family. I THOUGHT I could FUCKING TRUST YOU."

Rook steps forward, shoving Eli hard and he stumbles, falling to the ground. Rook stalks over, kneeling down next to him.

"You thought I was dangerous before? Get a load of this. Jacob saved me. That's right. Jacob. You know how much damage I could do if I wanted to? All I'd have to do is tell him where this precious hideout is and he'd come down on all of you so fast and so hard that you would never know what hit. You all would be dead before you could get your radio out. The Whitetails would be extinct and all it'd take is just a few words."

"You wouldn't dare," Eli hisses, glaring at her.

"Wouldn't I, though?" Rook answers dangerously. "All it'd take is a few words and your life would be snuffed out much like you tried to do to me. You involuntarily gave me so much power, Eli. Guess next time you'll check my pulse yourself, huh?"

"Dep... please."

Rook sighs, standing up and turning away from him. "And even though you'd fucking deserve it, I won't do that. But I will tell the rest of the Resistance what all of you did and let them decide what to do with you."

A crushing weight falls onto Eli. "I'm sorry, Dep. I really am. I never wanted any of this to happen."

Rook sighs and places her hands on the table in the main room. "You know I can never forgive you or any of the Whitetails for this, right Eli? I would've given my life for you guys... How am I supposed to forgive this? No. I can't. I just can't."

"I understand, Dep... I don't blame you."

Rook takes a deep breath and turns to him again, seeing that he has gotten to his feet. "I've been doing some talking and I've managed to talk Joseph down. They're not leaving but they'll stop targeting and recruiting unwilling participants as long as the Resistance leaves them alone."

"What does that mean for you, Dep?"

She smiles a bit. "I don't know... I mean I just experienced life altering trauma, both physical and mental. I have permanent brain damage. Another bad hit to the head could kill me. So I guess... early retirement. I'm partially blind, can't bear for shit anymore and get winded by walking for extended amounts of time so it's really my only option."

He wanted to say it again. He wanted to apologize until he lost his voice. He couldn't believe he had been so dumb. She will never forgive the Whitetails and neither will he. He will never forgive himself.

"Goodbye, Eli," Rook muttered as she left the bunker. All Eli could do is watch her leave and prepare for the chaos that is about to erupt. The Resistance will be furious with them. They'll be luckily if the rest of them don't kill them.

Rook found herself back at the Vet's Center and questioned herself for a moment before going inside. She could've gone anywhere but she chose here. She chose to come back.

Jacob is waiting for her as she enters his office.

"They thought I was a danger to them..." she mutters.

"Why?"

"Your trials... they thought you'd use me against them."

Just as Jacob feared, they had caught onto his plan. But she would never know that.

Surprisingly, Jacob walked over to Rook and hugged her.

She was stunned and almsot pushed him away before accepting the affection. God knows she needed it after the last few months she had. She never thought she'd find comfort in Jacob Seed but here she is.

And as for Jacob, feeling the younger woman in his arms did something to him. He didn't want to let go. He didn't want her to go. And he would do anything to make sure she didn't.

Some things are better left unsaid and Jacob is sure that this is one of them.

#far cry 5 #jacob seed #deputy rook #jacob seed x f!deputy #the deputy #my writing #junior deputy #far cry 5 writing

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hueynomure · 6 years ago

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Summoning Disaster - Part Two: Pandora’s Piñata

In which two of my OCs end up in @fatal-blow 's Golden Verse. Set in an unspecified point before Defenders of Earth's prologue; You can find out more about the story on his wip page.

First part

Third part

Fourth part

Here extrapolations start to wear thin and I have to invent things whole cloth. I'm open to edit things to be more in line with canon if feasible. Also, my OCs come from a more high fantasy setting, so their power sets are rather broad if compared to the Defenders.

(the title of the first part was inspired by an Imagine Dragon's song, the second by an album by Diablo Swing Orchestra)

Edit: I'm going to tweak this piece to better reflect the canon.

* * * * *

Once the guards were dealt with, Amp’s team took in the scene.

Aside from the parts that had been blown off, the walls and roof of the large room were scarred irregularly, soot and cracks forming shapes that hurt the eye if looked at for too long. The bare concrete floor was more evenly charred, with clear spots where equipment – and people, judging by the lingering smell – had been incinerated, but the snaking lines of a very articulated summoning circle had been etched on it with mechanical precision. And at the very center of the room, a large grey sheet embroidered with small glimmering stones and multicolored threads, buzzing with power, was covering something hemispherical and about ten feet wide.

Amp felt Norman’s focus wander on the circle and the shapes on the walls. “Reaper?”

“Never seen a circle this complicated. And the walls… it’s like the explosion was trying to add to it,” he replied with a frown.

Someone cleared their voice. The team turned as one toward the center of the room.

“I had hoped for a more badass one-liner, to be honest, but points for the spooky I guess.” The husky voice coming from the hemisphere had some hiss to it, and suggested the owner was rather large.

“A literal shroud,” Reaper whispered, “makes sense.”

Amp nodded. “Odds are there’s another creature in there,�� he whispered, and met Ethereous’ gaze. “Uncover and suppress them, slow as you like. Don’t display threats, everyone, but be ready for things to get messy.”

Ethereous nodded and cautiously approached the shroud. He grabbed a corner and looked back at Amp, who nodded. The shroud was thrown aside with a faint jingle. The hemisphere turned out to be a cage, its bars fixed directly in the floor, and inside it…

Amp blinked in silence, and the creature did the same to adjust their sight to the sudden light. The creature looked like… like a large, one-armed, muscular anthropomorphic dinosaur dressed up for a ren fair. Iron-grey scales, spiky head, crocodile-like eyes, long thick tail ending with an arrow-shaped bone, thick off-white tunic and leather bracer. Amp smothered his surprise to reboot his brain. The creature was alone, but kneeling off-center in the cage, as if giving space to an invisible companion.

The creature raised their snout to sniff around and grimaced in Ethereous’ direction. “Please stop that, this cage isn’t for show.” The lizard stretched its hand toward the bars – not in Ethereous’ direction, Amp noticed, they were just proving a point – and retracted it when a black flame sparked from the point where the lizard’s fingers were about to touch them. “And your magic’s stench is giving this shit a run for its money,” the lizard added gesturing at the cage.

The lizard was able to smell magic, apparently. Ethereous glanced back at Amp. Amp covertly gestured for him to back away and nodded, then noticed the lizard had followed Ethereous’ gaze and was staring at him in the eyes. Now Amp could feel the lizard, frustrated and excited and cautiously hopeful, and its hidden companion, curious and eerily calm. Red and blue. Amp slipped within the lizard to know more, finding a white-hot tangle of vicious anger kept on a short leash-

Amp reeled backwards, his head spinning. The lizard kept staring at him, tail swinging from side to side. He felt his team’s anxiety spike from far away, and blindly reached to keep it under control.

“Let’s keep our talents to each own, fellow Heartstoker.” The lizard sized up Reaper and Quantum. “I hope you didn’t come here just to kill assholes and taking turns to piss me off, I hoped for something more… I don’t know, civilized.”

Amp took a deep breath to clear his head. Another empath… they must have used that repressed fury to bludgeon him away somehow. He reached more subtly, feeling the lizard taming their own emotions. No reaction. The lizard had merely caught him off-guard, he just had to keep himself on the surface. The invisible companion showed no change. “Alright,” he sighed, “let’s be civilized. I’m Amp, who are you?” There was no reaction for the name in either creature.

“Sharaka. What’s your goal here?”

“Learning what the ‘assholes’ did in this room. Who’s your invisible friend there?”

“My name is Elphimas,” said a measured voice. “And I might be able to improve your understanding of what happened, though I do not know whether I should yet.”

“Amp, how are things around there?” Static. He felt slightly tenser than he should.

Amp covered his mouth with a hand. “Trying to figure out things. Anything wrong?”

“Not yet, but there are guys with weird armors that block sparks and light like nothing, they’re a pain in the ass.” The noise of a violent discharge, gunshots. “Bullets work fine though.”

“Roger that. Quantum, step back and watch over Static’s team.” Amp rolled his shoulders back and met Sharaka’s eyes again. “I apologize for my rudeness,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm, “but I’m on a clock here. What do I have to do to get an explanation?”

“Letting us out of here would be a great start,” Sharaka replied.

“Cracking the crystal on the top of the cage should suffice. I suggest a ranged attack,” supplied Elphimas. Amp felt vague concern. “As a gesture of good faith, I can tell you we are not the beings the ritual was supposed to summon. Luckily for this plane, I might add.”

Amp took a few steps forward to get a better view of the crystal Elphimas was talking about. Fist-sized, with some black substance whirling within it. Would probably backfire if hit from short distance. “Two questions. One: how can I know you’re not going to attack us as soon as you’re free?”

“How can I know you’re not just going to put us in another fucking cage?” Sharaka snarled. “You look like tough guys and did nothing stupid. Two?”

“I don’t want you to leave you with the ‘assholes’. Will you play nice and come with us?” Amp tapped idly on his gun.

Sharaka sniffed the air. Hope and distrust spiked at once. Did she smell emotions too? “I have to get a few things back from them,” Sharaka objected after a long moment. “Then I’ll decide.”

“Retrieving her weapon in particular would be in both our groups’ interest,” added Elphimas.

“Why? And could you please fucking show yourself, Elphimas?”

A second kneeling figure appeared next to Sharaka. Elphimas looked human, and very… nondescript. Aside from the ren faire clothes, their skin was vaguely tan, their hair mud-brown and their dull eyes a mixture of grey, green and brown. Amp was rather sure it wasn’t their true appearance, but it was marginally better than speaking to thin air. Elphimas smoothed nonexistent creases in their clothes for a moment, hesitant, then jerked their head aside as if they had heard something. “Your teammates are probably going to give you the reason momentarily,” they said with another hint of concern.

The earth shook with a low rumble, and right on cue Static opened comms. “Now would be the right time for the cavalry, Amp! They’re so mad they’re dropping the building on us!” Amp felt the faint shadow of worry at the bottom of Static’s laughter. “More importantly, I’ve been cut off from the others.” Gunshots, crackling of electricity, silence. “Wouldn’t want to outshine them too badly, know what I mean?”

Sharaka’s tail slammed on the ground. She was literally fuming - Amp could see air trembling around her. “Bastards, that’s my weapon! I’ll kill them all!” She snarled and slammed her tail down again. “Get me out of here and you won’t find the ashes of those fuckers!”

“Sharaka’s weapon can destroy almost anything on contact if imbued with enough energy,” Elphimas explained.

Amp took his gun out as the image of a cornered Static filled him with cold fury. Let Sharaka rampage, he could handle her if push came to shove and worst case scenario they could leave her body behind. The crystal exploded in a column of black fire when he shot it. He opened comms with the rest of the Defenders. “Reaper and Ethereous will threaten Lab 2 to take pressure off diversion team. Windfall and Anyform, don’t let reinforcements come near Lab 1. Static, Adamantine, broadcast your locations, I’m coming. Link, prepare Lab 3 for demolition. Quantum, help Link and blind Lab 1.” A noise of straining metal made Amp turn back to the cage.

Sharaka’s first kick had bent the steel bars. The second opened a hole in the cage, which she casually widened with her hand until she could squeeze through. “Elphimas. Pack.” she hissed, and the next moment she took off at dead run, shattering the door as she sped through it.

Amp opened comms again. “If you see a humanoid lizard, get out of her way. Repeat: humanoid lizard, get out of the way. Elphimas, you’re coming with m-”

But the “human” had already disappeared. Amp looked for Elphimas’ mind nearby, with little hope. He allowed himself three precious seconds of anger before sharpening himself again.

#trivia: sharaka didn't feel amp's presence #she just smelled her emotions on him and deduced he was another empath #her emp-ish powers are nothing compared to fergus'#summoning disaster #part two #defenders of earth #my ocs #crossover #in which elphimas is a dodgy little shit #who technically never lies #long post #and long tags to match

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jagadeeshkrishnan · 4 years ago

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The Path of Experience

There is a mysterious substance behind man's existence. The wise men have tried to define and explain it, but most people have not yet been able to understand it. In the last decades, a tremendous awakening has taken place all over the world and now people have accepted the fact that there is a very mysterious power at the core, at the basis of existence.

From where do the thoughts come and from where does the consciousness emanate? There are thousands of such questions which man has not been able to answer. We can discuss and explain them very clearly in theoretical terms, but they will never be understood in this way, because this mysterious substance is not a matter of knowledge, but of experience. We may have perfected our intellectual concepts; we may comprehend the nature of the substance in perfect mathematical terms and be able to explain it in thousands of equations, but the ultimate thing that needs to be achieved is 'the experience'.

When we realise the necessity of the experience, then we have to take a different direction altogether. The experience is not an outcome of intellect or even of scientific thinking, it is the culmination of a process of jumping over the mind. Knowledge is confined within the category of the mind; the experience is beyond mind, intellect, and emotion. Knowledge can be redefined but experience cannot. What is the way to the experience? Do we get this experience through a process of transmission? Can this experience be explained and understood, or is it an outcome of a process in which you transcend time and space barriers?

We know of two ways to achieve this experience, the vedic way and the tantric way. We have heard plenty about the vedic way in the past, but now we are talking about the tantric way of discovering this mysterious substance. Maybe you already have your own personal opinion about tantra. If so, for the time being, please forget all those concepts, otherwise it may' not be possible for you to comprehend the entire role of tantra. Tantra literally means expansion of consciousness and liberation of energy. There are books which say that tantra is occultism, magic, sexual sublimation, or an underground spiritual practice. However, this is not the grammatical, etymological, philosophical or traditional meaning of tantra.

A process by which you are able to expand your personal consciousness is one aspect of tantra. Our consciousness is confined within an area; the mind functions within a given space. The activities of the mind and its capacities are related to the senses and sense experience. For example, you can only hear as much as your auditory system allows you; you can only see as far as your optic system allows you. This is the limitation of the personal mind. There are minute forms in this universe which you are unable to see. There are resonant waves of sound which you are unable to hear. This indicates that the mind functions within a very small, confined area.

Therefore, what we have to do is to break the barriers, then the mind can flow out of its confinement and experience infinity. But mind is dependent on the information supplied. If the sensory channels are incapable of supplying the information, then the mind is paralysed. If your judgement, logic, or mathematics fail to supply the necessary information and decisions to the mind, the mind fails. This is the limitation of mind. If you want to break this behaviour pattern, then you have to adopt a new system; you have to expand the mind.

Science of mantra and yantra

Expansion of mind takes place through certain techniques in which you isolate the mind and allow it to slow down. This is the process of tantric techniques. In this system the first technique is the science of mantra. If you want to expand the mind and realise the mysterious substance behind man's existence, then mantra is the first step.

Mantra is a vehicle for awakening the deeper forces within oneself. Each mantra has certain wavelengths and frequencies that are able to penetrate the internal structure of the mind. If you practise a mantra even without trying to concentrate your mind, the sound waves that resonate during the practice permeate through and through your physical and inter-physical system. The different types of waves that you initiate while repeating the mantra, permeate a new dimension of your consciousness according to your practices. When you chant mantra, sometimes it produces standing waves, resonant waves, or rhythmic waves. When these various waves are produced, they not only influence the atmosphere outside, but the whole mental structure of your personality.

A sound is not just a noise. It is a wave that carries electrical vibrations with certain amounts of energy. When you practise mantra, the sound produced moves in a certain pattern. However, the sound recorded by your consciousness is not exactly the same as the sound heard through your ears. In the deeper mind, the sound of each mantra has its own archetype. Therefore, the sound of mantra has a totally different effect on our consciousness than other sounds which we may produce or utter.

Many people ask, 'What is Om?' Om is the dimension of your consciousness. When you chant Om, it penetrates into your consciousness and assumes a geometrical pattern. Every sound has a specific form- circular, triangular, rectangular, hexagonal, and almost any combination of so many types of geometrical patterns. These forms are not hypothetical, suppositional or imaginary. They are archetypes, and each sound has its own corresponding archetype. The archetype of mantra is known as yantra, and therefore, mantra is the subtle form of everything.

No need for concentration

The mantra you practise creates a lot of force within your inner self. Although you can concentrate with the help of a mantra, mantra is not a tool of concentration. The purpose of mantra is to permeate your whole body, mind, and spirit with resonant vibrations. Therefore, when you are practising mantra, even if your mind is not concentrated but jumping from thought to thought, you are still getting the full benefits.

Once I told my guru that the mantra he had given me was of no use because when I practised it, my mind would jump about like a monkey. What is the value of repeating a mantra if it doesn't concentrate the mind?

He gave me some very practical advice: 'You do so many things in life which apparently have no value. So why don't you continue with the mantra for an extra five minutes.' I repeated my mantra as he ordered for years together with absolute regularity. Even though I had no faith in it, the mantra had very deep and powerful effects on the whole structure of my consciousness. I practise it even today. So in tantric techniques, mantra is the first and foremost practice, which does not require concentration.

Expression rather than suppression

Everybody wants to realise and experience the mysterious substance behind man's existence, but they don't want to break the wall which separates them from it. They paint it again and again and keep the secret substance in obscurity.

When you sit for meditation and a thought comes, you suppress it. Thoughts of worry, anxiety, passion, anguish - different types of thoughts come to the mind when you practise mantra meditation. If you leave them unattended, they will crop up again. This is not the tantric way. The tantric way of dealing with the mind is to attend to each thought as it arises, and finish with it forever. That is the only way you will surpass it.

Even if you are able to isolate your mind, you cannot channelize it. You may be able to disassociate the mind from the sensory channels so that the senses cannot supply stimuli, but what about the inherent nature of the mind ? Mind is a bundle of samskaras, impressions. There are thousands of memories, of experiences. How are you going to deal with this multifarious nature of the mind? If you try to perform mental genocide, you will have to pay horribly. How many impressions in the mind are you going to decry, and who is going to do the job? This is how you create animosity within your own personality. Your religious mind says this is bad, and your free mind says it is good. So you already have two checks on one mind. This creates what we call internal conflict, which ultimately makes you schizophrenic.

You must allow the mind to think without opposing, abusing, or hating it. If there are any evil thoughts in the mind, learn to accept them; do not suppress them. Whatever thoughts arise, learn to face them with full awareness. They are your inheritance from childhood, from your parents, and from society. They are your personality, your structure. They are 'you', and you must not try to kill yourself. Therefore, when you practise mantra, please don't quarrel with yourself. If your mind is running into fantasies, let it go.

Learn to witness the mind. Sometimes it regresses into the remote past, sometimes it goes into the very distant and unclear future. If you allow your mind total independence and liberty, it will transcend itself even without your knowledge. The path of experience is not so long and tedious. The experience is here and now. It is already in you, so you don't have to develop it. It has always been in existence, but you are not able to experience it because you are bound by certain limitations. Allow your mind to flow, to break its barriers, to be anarchical, to wander freely like a vagabond, to commit crimes (inside, of course). Allow it to find itself, give it space to run, and let it experience psychic forms. Don't worry about bad thoughts, or be happy about good ones. Just see them as you see cars moving down the street. You are aware of them, but you have no personal involvement. Like this, there is endless traffic in the mind, and when you are trying to practise mantra, the rush hour begins.

The mind is constantly resonating, vibrating with all kinds of impressions, even now, but you don't see it, you don't know it, because your senses are engaged. As soon as you isolate your mind, you can see the whole beautiful game it constantly plays. The more you evolve in spiritual life, the more you become aware of the homogeneity of the mind. So therefore, in tantra, do not aim at killing any of the expressions of the mind. Mind is not your problem at all- you are the mind's problem, always wanting more experiences. So whenever you practise mantra, yantra or kriya yoga, please remember that you are not going to fight with the mind. As you practise your sadhana, you must see that you don't interfere at all with the mind and the experiences that come to you.

Bindu - the ultimate point

In tantra the way of meditation is spontaneous. In kriya yoga, for example, there comes a moment when you experience expanded consciousness even if you do not want to. Tantra is liberation of energy. This energy, called shakti, is the sum total of the creation of the universe. To be in tune with shakti is the discovery of the self. The destiny of man is to discover the absolute universal energy. This is the bindu, the point. In a circle, there is one curve which represents time, a second curve which represents space, a third curve which represents object, and a fourth curve which represents transcendental consciousness. Then there is bindu, the point or dot at the centre which represents the absolute. This is the nature of reality and of the universe- time, space, object, transcendence, and the ultimate point.

In tantra, the emphasis is on bindu. The whole universe is an expansion from that bindu; matter has exploded out of bindu. Bindu is one absolute, but it has divided itself into millions. It is endless, and every speck of creation is absolute. There is no imperfection in this great universe, in everything you see around you- past, present and future. That is the extent of bindu.

So the bindu point at the eyebrow centre is the nucleus of the universal mind. It is the tiniest of points which explodes into the whole of creativity. When you concentrate on bindu, what happens? Time and space come closer. Otherwise they are very far from each other.

Imagine what is time and what is space. They are not outside- they are within the mind. Time and space are qualities, characteristics of the mind. If there is no time and no space, there is no mind; and if there is no mind, there is no time and no space. When you say mind, you must assume time and space, and when you say time and space, you must assume mind.

When you concentrate on bindu, time and space come closer. Time is positive and space is negative. One is Shiva and the other is Shakti. In symbolic language, one is male and the other female; one is plus and the other is minus. Mind consists of time and space; if you separate them, mind drops away. Bring them together and mind is assembled.

If you bring time and space together and connect them, what happens? It is the same as when you bring two electric wires, one positive and one negative, together- there is a spark. Bring time and space together and they will start sparking. But if you bring them closer to the bindu, there is an explosion of energy, like a bomb. This explosion is the self in tantra. I use the word explosion here but actually words have no meaning in spiritual life. Only the experience has any relevance.

Bindu is the womb of matter and the two poles of universal mind are time and space. We exist in time and space, so we can't take time or space and throw them away. Only at the time of death, are time and space withdrawn into the universal mind at two different poles. Then they leave the body and enter into another body. But this is not what we mean here. We are talking about liberation of time and space, about active participation of time and space in relation to spiritual life. Therefore, when you practise concentration on bindu in the eyebrow centre, whatever experience arises, you must only feel that time and space are coming closer to each other. When this explosive awakening takes place, then what happens? Matter issues forth- the universal mind breaks into millions of fragments. It is all in the form of nebulae with each fragment a complete bindu, an absolute creator. It is like the atom splitting itself into thousands of atoms, all over.

At this time you have completed your evolution; the destiny of human life has been fulfilled. Just as when you finish university, you go out into the world and begin to work. So in spiritual life, when you have completed your evolutionary cycle, you go out and become a co-creator, a junior god. That's the ultimate goal to which tantra leads mankind.

Satsang on Tantra

Can you tell us about the origin of Tantra?

Tantra is the first discovery of man. It predates vedic literature but it was not recorded in the written form until after the vedic period.

In ancient days when man was living closer to nature, he moved with the spontaneity of natural behaviour. His concepts about philosophy, God and morality were not the basic philosophy of a society, nation or religion- they were more for his own personal evolution. He began to think about realising a higher status in life rather than the higher values of a society. You must differentiate between these two. Higher values in life is spirituality. Higher values of a society is civilisation and a nation. In our world today there are many countries with higher social standards, but with very low values of life.

This tantric system did not spring from any organised system or planned method. It originated with each individual as a natural urge. To give you a very gross example: hunger is not an organised urge. A man feels hunger individually and tries to satisfy it by any means available. If he is beneath a fruit tree he will eat fruit; if he is in the forest he will hunt an animal for his food and so on. In this same way tantra developed with the individual.

As the evolution of man took place, he experienced many peculiar things and he began to wonder how they happened. For example, if someone dreamed that something was going to happen and it actually did happen, he began to wonder how he could dream of the events to come. So the thinking people began to seek the source of their intuitive knowledge and finally they came to conclude that there was a higher mind and that mind was not restricted by time and space. Man began to think of his existence, wanting to overcome his mental limitations and to realise that higher spiritual being within. For this purpose he developed certain practices which aroused his personal consciousness, made him more intuitive, and increased his awareness. This is how tantra began and continued expanding.

In many different countries, including India and Mexico, hundreds of practices were developed for the awakening of one particular faculty. People tried various methods of concentration and worship of gods. They tried herbs, minerals, narcotics, alcohol, fermented substances, chanting of mantras, the use of sounds like the drum, bell, conch, and all forms of music and dancing. However, it was chaotic in the beginning without books or a proper system.

It was not until later, after the vedic period, that certain spiritually minded people realised the great potential that lay within the tantric system and wrote it down in book form. Some suggested austere and puritanical life. Others recommended meditation and spiritual practices, and there were some who suggested the path of devotion and religion. This is how the science of tantra developed in the course of time.

What is the link between the ancient civilisations and the practices of tantra which are being revived today?

A lot will have to be said about it. As far as we know, the Atlantis civilisation was aware of the different tantric practices, symbology and other forms of experience. These were already present in the human mind in the Atlantean era, some 45,000 years ago. Every form of knowledge has its symbol in the universal mind. Just as modern computers have a symbolical language, so the human brain possesses archetypes in the form of geometrical shapes which we know as yantras in the science of tantra. Utilising these yantras the Atlantean people were able to organise the knowledge and create a structure of experience which enabled the individual to become aware of the psychic dimension of his personality.

Eventually some crisis must have occurred, compelling the Atlanteans to make a fast exodus. Some of them went as far a field as Latin America, while others went to the European continent, to the Indian subcontinent and to the Far East. I have been through many different countries and I was surprised to see some of the pre-Colombian art pieces in San Agustin, Colombia, and in Lima, Peru. In the open air museums there, the yogic postures, mudras, bandhas and yantras are clearly depicted in stone and terracotta figures.

Unfortunately, in almost every country, the tantric tradition is completely lost today. But the tradition was quietly maintained in India by some very sincere people who had the help of the more conscious and influential of the country. If you read through the most ancient books - the Vedas, Upanishads and Puranas, you will realise that the tantric tradition was the basis of every kind of knowledge in former times.

Nowadays, the basis of this knowledge remains encoded in the language, pictures and diagrams of tantra. Only very recently have scientists been able to discover that the human mind possesses its own archetypes and endless forms, symbols and languages, and that the understanding of language and perception depends on what is already contained in the universal mind.

Global evidence strongly suggests that a prior ancient civilisation has already realised, recognised and understood the reality of the universal mind and the individual mind. However, in spite of all the evidence, universal mind is still just a concept or hypothesis.

What are the differences between Indian tantra and Tibetan tantra?

In the Buddhist period, tantra was divided into two aspects, known as purusha, consciousness, and shakti or energy. Both consciousness and energy are within us in a united form. But for creation to take place, they have to first be realised separately. Now when you separate them, either you follow the prakriti path (shakti) or you follow consciousness (purusha). The Buddhist system preferred to follow the path of purusha tantra, whereas in India they followed the path known as prakriti tantra.

I will explain it to you in a different way. When you sit for meditation there are two distinct things which come before you. One is the awareness of consciousness, and the second is awareness of the experience. Now, what exactly are you going to do? You try to eradicate one of them. If you are meditating on a particular point and any thought or experience comes into your mind, you push it out and try to maintain consciousness. You try to separate consciousness from all experiences, thoughts and feelings; from every point of mental activity. This means that you are following the tantra of purusha.

In prakriti tantra, the practices develop concentration in order to explode the shakti from within. Many thoughts, many experiences and psychic visions will come into your mind and you may actually forget your mantra (Om), which is the symbol of purusha. Instead you will follow the experiences. You may see a blue sky, clouds, bright colours or any other symbol. Whatever you see you follow.

When you concentrate your mind on a symbol and continue to concentrate on that symbol, it is known as the path of purusha tantra. But when you become aware of the effects of that concentration meditation, it is called prakriti tantra. Tibet follows the tantra of purusha, and India the tantra of prakriti.

What are the different kinds of tantra?

In order to develop the higher mind, numerous practices were devised and these practices formed the different paths of tantra. The first path is known as dakshina marga or 'right hand tantra'. It is for those who are beginning to live a spiritual life, whether they are renunciates or householders. This path talks of austerity and purity - purity of thought, food, life and devotion, as in Christianity and Hinduism. The path of 'right hand tantra' is a very slow one which can be compared to travelling by bullock cart.

Of course many people were not satisfied with this path, so they made it more powerful by adding the practices of yoga- asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, hatha yoga. But still they found that this was not a very quick way. The only difference was that it was like travelling by bicycle. So they discovered new ways, including the path of kundalini yoga.

In kundalini yoga they discovered mooladhara chakra and that if you can awaken this chakra, you can easily develop the higher mind. So the next thing they realised was that the sexual act could accomplish this. During the sexual act, two opposite energies are created by the man and the woman, and these energies can cause an explosive awakening in mooladhara chakra.

Then the question arose: 'But everybody does it, and their kundalini doesn't awaken?' So they began to think about it. Then came the practices of vajroli mudra and sahajoli mudra. Utilising vajroli mudra, the shakti could be prevented from passing out. Generally when orgasm ends, a fall takes place, but if the orgasm can be contained or continued, mooladhara awakens and shakti can be directed up into the brain. Now the whole position changed, and the people began to practise this new form of tantra in great numbers. This became known as vama marga, the 'left hand tantra'.

In kundalini yoga the brain is said to be the centre of higher consciousness, but it is not fully functioning. The brain has different areas and most of them are totally inactive. These inactive zones have special capacities which can be evolved through the tantric practices. Out of all the tantric systems, the quickest is the left hand path, but the right hand path is for a beginner. If you have no mental control, then you must follow right hand tantra, but if you are an advanced sadhaka or a yogi, and have control over your mind, you can practise left hand tantra.

The use of herbs was also introduced. About five to ten thousand years ago there was a plant, a type of creeper, named soma. They used to make a beverage or juice from soma and drink it on full moon night. With this they were able to transcend time, space and object. But they soon found that soma was not suitable for all, because many people could not face the transcendental experiences which it brought on. So they began to search for smoother ways as well.

There is a dialogue between Shiva and Parvati. Parvati, as a disciple, approaches Shiva and asks him the way to develop one's innate power. Shiva instructs her that there are not one, but thousands of ways. For those people who are not very evolved, and who have animal tendencies, there are certain practices. Those who have human tendencies have other types of practices, and those who are sattvic, quiet in nature, have different practices again. So in fact, in the science of tantra, there are as many practices as there are human temperaments.

Why is there so much secrecy attached to the tantric practices?

There is nothing to hide in the tantric tradition, but for over ten centuries we have lived under the subjugation of those who followed different religious and political philosophies. These traditions considered some of the elements of tantra as sinful. Therefore, the attitude of the people towards tantra has changed, and so these questions are being asked. People have been converted to such an extent that their philosophical respect for tantra has been shattered and annihilated.

According to dharma the marital relationship, or the relationship between the two forces of nature, can never be considered sinful. It was considered as a dharma, a samskara. This is made clear in the vedic Smritis also. If you study the life of the rishis and munis of the past, you will understand that some of the elements considered as sinful by certain traditions are not considered as such in vedic tradition.

The word tantra is a composition of two words, 'tanoti' and 'trayati'. Tanoti represents expansion and trayati stands for liberation. Therefore, tantra means expansion of mind and liberation of energy. Just as you liberate energy from matter, shakti is liberated from the mind. Here liberation does not stand to denote a religious state; liberation should be understood in the light of modern science. Energy is liberated from matter in the same way as butter is separated from milk. This is tantra.

What is the relationship between yoga and tantra?

Yoga is an offshoot of tantra. The practices of mahamudra, mahabheda mudra, siddhasana, padmasana, pranayama and so on, are all from the tantric texts. All the practices of hatha yoga and bhakti yoga were a part of tantra. The system of mantra is considered to be the very definition of tantra, and yantras and mandalas constitute the very life, the very substance of tantra. Kriya yoga is a part of tantra, and kundalini yoga, with its concepts of chakra awakening; ida, pingala and sushumna nadis, also arose from tantra.

Therefore, yoga as we know it today, is in fact tantra. But during history, people started criticising tantra because it accepted sexual life. Some religions believed that sexual life was not the divine life, others thought that if you want to rise high, you should abstain from sex. There were some religions which taught that sex was a sin. So when these religions became powerful, they began to oppose tantra.

Then the wise people took yoga out of tantra. They abandoned that part that was criticised and adopted that which was acceptable. So yoga is an offshoot of tantra.

How does the path of tantra differ from that of raja yoga?

In raja yoga there is withdrawal from life; in tantra there is acceptance of life. If a person drinks, leads an active sexual life, or eats meat, he can still evolve in the system of tantra. But in certain orthodox systems, these things are considered to be unholy, and if you have recourse to them, you will fall spiritually. In tantra, your way of life, according to your nature, is no barrier to spiritual illumination. Whether you drink or not is never held against you. Whether you are married or leading the life of a celibate, it is perfectly all right. Tantra will not force you to go against your beliefs.

The main premise in tantra yoga is that spiritual awakening can be had by anyone, under any circumstances, at any level of existence. Man should not oppose or antagonise nature; he should be spontaneous and learn to flow with it. If he opposes nature, he will develop a split personality by creating two patterns of thought.

When travelling in India and Nepal, I was intrigued by the temple art. Can you tell me why they display sexual interaction in such a spectacular manner?

Did you try to think about it? That which is behind the veil should be placed in front. Inhibitions have to be broken, so that the mind is exploded, so that there is nothing in the mind that is secret. By creating a social philosophy and social traditions, man hides from himself. This is not absolutely necessary. Man has certain inhibitions and these inhibitions have made him hide things. But the hidden things remain in his mind, unanalysed, unexpressed and unattended. Eventually they become archetypes, influencing the deeper personality.

One may not even know that this process is happening. These hidden things may influence the body or mind, leading to a cancer or perhaps disturbing the family relationships. They may damage the personality or they may inspire the creative faculties within the artist.

The statues in the great temples are the creations of artists. These painters and sculptors were very free. They thought about these hidden things and brought them to the public eye through their creations, so that people could see them for thousands of years. I have seen these temples in Nepal, Jaganath Puri, Konorak, and Khajuraho many times. But they hold no surprise, shame or fascination for me. Once the veil is lifted, the deep archetypes within the mind become known. Then the symbols or forms which express them are understood for what they are without any sense of repulsion or intrigue.

When most people look at these symbols, they see something which they know, but which they don't want to face. An area of consciousness is behind the curtain, and the curtain has to be thrown aside. I can see what I know; I don't see any difference between the temple art and the pictures in a gallery or exhibition. I can see them both equally because for me nothing new is depicted. Why shouldn't these forms be expressed? After all, they represent a necessary aspect of creation.

Jagadeesh Krishnan

Psychologists and International Author

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w0lfmaan · 5 years ago

Text

Introduction To Skijoring

Introduction to Skijoring

It's not news that humans have a passionate love affair with dogs. For over 10,000 years humans have kept dogs as companions. We used them to protect us while we sleep, help us kill our enemies, obtain food, and hundreds of other tasks. Tasks they are good at. For example the Jack Russell Terrier was bred to kill rats which helped keep down disease. One of the worlds first domesticated breeds was a version of the modern day Siberian Husky. [caption id="attachment_7829" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

Lead Dog Luna[/caption] Siberian Huskies are very much culturally known as "sled dogs" and have retained a significant amount of their wild nature. Huskies (as they are commonly referred to) are known escape artists, and love to run. Siberian Huskies are fairly small, fast, and powerful dogs. They make adequate pets but will often require a significant amount of time and energy to domesticate. Running, however is something that Huskies are amazing at! Athletic huskies can run up to 40km an hour! They can also easily cover 200km a day. Huskies prefer to be part of a pack. This means most people will find they are more stable if you have two or more. Huskies also prefer cold climates. The colder the better. Anything below +10C is preferred by the breed. However if they are brought up in warmer environments their bodies will adapt, however are not suited to running. When the weather falls below freezing, Huskies come out of summer hibernation and are always excited for adventure! If you have a husky, it's fairly straightforward to get them onto their ancestral path.

It's Not Cruel

Sled dogs have been pulling sleds for over 10,000 years! Let's put that into perspective. Imagine how different where you're reading this from looked 10,000 years ago. Was it all forest? Was it all desert? Was it covered under an enormous glacier? Was it under the water? Put yourself right where you are now, 10,000 years ago. There were no houses, buildings, cars, electricity, and most likely few people. As humans we had not even discovered how to take metal from the ground and make things like swords and bowls! Most of the world was empty, and most humans were still living in tribes and wearing loin cloths. Now imagine at this time in Siberia, your dogs ancestors were actively pulling humans on sleds, and hauling deer carcasses for food. There is a saying in the mushing community: "you can't push a rope". This reigns true in for dog sports. If your dog is healthy. If their harness is correctly fitted, and you are respectful of their limits, skjoring and dog sledding is an amazing bonding experience with your dog. If you're on a set of skis or a sled, and your dog does not want to run and pull you - your dog is not going to pull you. Nothing you can do will force your dog to pull you up the trail. Huskies will run and pull because they love running and pulling. When they are tired, they will slow down. When they are exhausted, they will stop running. When done with love and care, you are tapping into the ancestral, primal part of your canine companion that cannot be accessed any other way. Huskies are literally built for this job.

Begin With Skijoring

Skijoring is the simplest method to introduce you and your dog to pulling. It's fairly inexpensive to get started, great if you only have one or two huskies, low impact on both you and your dog, as well as a great adventurous bonding experience! If you live in a northern climate, the easiest way to do this is to visit a second hand store and buy a set of cross country skis, poles, and boots. Familiarize yourself with cross country skiing at local parks, and trails. You most certainly cant trust your huskies to pull you on skis safely if you are unfamiliar with the equipment. Don't spend your money on the newest, greatest, and latest of gear if you're not sure you will enjoy it. Older, antique equipment will work fine for your first winter. Hit the internet and your favourite search engine to learn more about different kinds of skis, poles, and boots.

The next things you will need to acquire will be a specialised pulling harness for your dog. The importance of a proper dog harness cannot be stated enough! An ill-fitting dog harness will cause severe and permanent injury to your dog! [caption id="attachment_7831" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

X-Back-harness[/caption] There are many companies that offer correct pulling harnesses for your dogs. This includes Alpine Outfiiters, and Non-Stop Dog Wear. Most pet shops will not carry specific pulling harnesses which are designed to disperse pulling weight and allow your dog unrestricted movement under load. Get out a tape measure, and follow the instructions on each website to ensure you get a properly fit harness. For yourself, a good rock climbing harness is a great investment. They are available at most sports retailers and can sometimes be purchased used. They need to fit you correctly. Do not re-use your skijoring harness for climbing for optimum safety. You can purchase specific skijoring harnesses if you wish. However most people prefer rock climbing harnesses as they have great fit and are fairly comfortable. Ensure you get a size or two larger than you would expect. This is to accommodate your winter layering. [caption id="attachment_7832" align="aligncenter" width="425"]

Rock Climbing Harness[/caption] Once you have all your proper equipment, and are familiar with cross country skiing, you can hitch up your dog and take them out onto a local, flat trail. Most times a former rail-trail is a great choice as they are always flat, and well maintained. Just be sure to pick a miserable today to go out, so there will be less people on the trail. It's best to be alone especially as a new musher your dog will be in charge as they are pulling you. Rail trails also have no sharp bends. Also very important if you're new and can't get yourself around the trail bend as fast as your dog. Be mindful that the best way to stop your dog from pulling is to fall over. This is a great, and immediate brake. Again, flat terrain is best until you are experienced. There is noting worse than an unexpected down hill and complete loss of control. This can end up causing serious injury to you and your dog. [caption id="attachment_7834" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

Skijoring Group[/caption] As with any activity, it's best to find a local group, club, or mentor to help you get started. This will ensure you are taking all the correct safety precautions with your dog, and yourself. There are also certain municipalities which have banned dog sports, and could result in a by-law ticket. Once you have had a few dozen shorter trips, you can hit the trails for a day out with your dog(s) and will find amazing satisfaction and adventure in skijoring and dog sledding. Huskies are built for, and desire this kind of activity. It's fairly simple, easy and inexpensive to get into, and will get you outside in weather when you would much rather hibernate.

A Few Warnings

As an experienced musher with thousands of kilometres under my belt, I can assure you that it will be quite an adventure. First and foremost, be sure to only by properly designed harnesses for your dog. If your boots aren't any good, your skis bad, or your jacket garbage - you'll be fine. You'll have a couple bad runs and then buy better gear. If your dogs harness isn't correct your dog will be unable to tell you of their discomfort. They can get chronic hip, back, and knee injuries that will cripple them for life. Learn to fall: This is an important skill. When out skiing without your dog, learn to fall and recover. Repeatedly. Get great at learning to fall and not get injured. One of my most serious injuries was taking too many dogs skijoring. The dogs went right, I went left, and fell. My ski pole got caught during my fall and pulled my shoulder out of its socket. When I landed my shoulder popped back into place. That injury took me over a year to fully recover from. When you're being towed at 20km/h up a trail and your ski hits a bald patch it may stop you dead. The kinetic energy of travel will still be there and you're going to go for a tumble. Controlled Falling is a great braking system: When out skijoring it's not uncommon for your dog to see a squirrel. Sometimes that squirrel is on the other side of a ditch. When your dog is in full-out run mode they connect with their ancestral, primal self and will bolt after that squirrel faster than you can imagine. As a new skijorer, your best course of action is a controlled fall to stop the dog from dragging you into a ditch, over a cliff, or other danger. It takes a while, but you'll get the hang of it. Try to be alone at first. Most humans dislike bad weather. This is a great time to bundle up with your dog, and hit the trails. Especially when you're new. Unless you are going with other skijorers, you don't want your dog taking off after another dog, or jumping on other trail users when they're 2m in front of you and you have no control over them. This can at least be humiliating and annoying and at worst end up being sued if your dog injures another dog or person on the trail. Tell someone where you're going! This is important! Lots and lots can happen when you're on a trail in winter, away from people. If you're skiing and you break a leg, and fall on your phone, it's important to have someone know when you're over due and go search for you. Bring Supplies: Again if you're alone on the trail ensure you have basic survival supplies such as matches, a lighter, water, small first aid kit, and other supplies to ensure if you do get stuck out there, you'll be able to last until help arrives. Below is a video demonstrating what running 5 dogs looks like. This was during a sled run as more than 2 dogs on skis is dangerous.

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References: MILLIKEN, Grennan - First Dogs May Have Been from Central Asia, Popular Science October 19, 2015 BENSON, Kristi - Digging into our Common Ground With Dogs April 26, 2017 Koler-Matznick, Janice (2002). "The origin of the dog revisited". Anthrozoös: A Multidisciplinary Journal of the Interactions of People and Animals. 15 (2): 98–118. Wayne, Robert K.; vonHoldt, Bridgett M. (2012-02-01). "Evolutionary genomics of dog domestication". Mammalian Genome. 23 (1–2): 3–18 "WORKING DOG". therealjackrussell.com. Jack Russell Terrier Club of America. Brown, S K; Darwent, C M; Wictum, E J; Sacks, B N (2015). "Using multiple markers to elucidate the ancient, historical and modern relationships among North American Arctic dog breeds". Heredity. 115 (6): 488.

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