In 1997 and on the eve of starting a new job that he wasn’t sure he wanted, Roman Castilleja and a friend embarked on a canoe trip on the Yakima River in Washington State. Some way along the river a huge fallen cottonwood tree lay blocking their route. Unable to avoid its submerged trunk and branches Castilleja found himself ensnared, forcing his canoe to capsize and trapping him under the water. Escape seemed impossible and, certain that he was doomed, Castilleja life flashed in front of his eyes, all of his regrets and bad decisions that had made up his 29 years on earth. He readied himself to die, but then he realized he had so much more to give. Castilleja felt some miraculous energy course through his body giving him the impetus to break free of the branches and the powerful current pushed him further along the river. Still trapped under the canoe, with the weight of the water pressing down on him Castilleja decided he had no choice but to go with the flow, to let the river take him. With the last breath of air left in his body he found himself wedged on a sandbank finally able to force his muscles to push against the river bed and the overturned canoe. Just in the very nick of time his head broke free of the water and he could breath again.
The change in Castilleja’s attitude to life and living was not instantaneous but his trauma on the Yakima River was the trigger for him to reassess the way he had been living and it opened a window on a new world of spirituality and personal growth. The first section of ROWING HOME (Lessons From The River Of Life) gives an autobiographical account of the years that lead him to his fateful canoe trip and it is a well written, if unremarkable, life story that, by its very ordinariness, will resonate with many readers. Castilleja is aware that something might be lacking in his life. He’s not sure of his direction or purpose until the near death experiences shocks him into a new way of experiencing the world. The remaining sections of the book reflect the author’s investigations into spirituality and philosophy and are a mix of short essays, verse and contemplations. There are references to writers including Eckhart Tolle and Don Miguel Ruiz and inspiration from the great religious traditions including Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. All of these combine to create a thoughtful approach to enlightenment and spirituality as the author opens his mind and his heart to the universe.
Roman Castilleja does an excellent job in laying out the truths that have been revealed to him and this beautifully designed book provides a wonderful opportunity for the reader to join him on a journey of self-discovery.
~Kent Lane for IndieReader