ABOUT ERICK ROOK and HOUSE OF ATTILIUS
About Erick Rook and House of Attilius
History records show that centuries ago, during the roman gladiator era, a commoner named Marcus Attilius chose to enter himself as a free man into a gladiator school to pay for the debts he accrued. It was here that he learned the 3 principles of building his "house"….. Foundation = The Spirit Walls = The Body Roof = The Mind Applying these principles, Marcus Attilius went on to become one of the top gladiators of his time. His victories around the year of 75AD are inscribed onto the walls in Pompeii. These same gladiator-like principles are the applied philosophy at the House of Attilius… ...a person can push themselves to achieve and overcome life's obstacles resulting in great success. The House symbolizes a return to the basic foundations of health and wellness. Thus, helping to maintain and improve your basic functions required to deal with pain, breathing, movement, and mobility.
I was born in 1973 in Madison, Wisconsin.
I did not begin my Martial arts (Muay Thai) and Qigong journey until later in life, 2014, but I started taking my a deeper look at discovering Meditation and learning its practice in my mid to late 20’s.
I was a shy and reserved kid growing up, of which some of that provided confidence issues throughout my years. Muay Thai training had a huge impact on helping with that particular issue, albeit later in life. Thus, my love for Muay Thai extends beyond just what one would see on the surface.
Qigong I actually had not heard of until around 2014 when I stumbled across an article. This article focused on a strength coach at Cal Poly university who utilized a form of Qigong with his football players, of which he had positive results from. After discovering this article I researched a bit deeper and discovered Qigong forms that best resonated with me and began my practice from there.
Buddhism has also has become more of a reflection of who I am and representation of my beliefs on my current journey. I don’t focus on just one tenant of Buddhism though. I find that various tenants offer different guidance that can apply to my life, my journey, so I take bits and pieces from each to help strengthen my House.
I have an immense passion for helping people, and my goal is to build House of Attilius into a beacon of light for generations to come, for those who are seeking an alternative means to transforming and healing.
ASK: WHAT DO I WANT FOR MYSELF?
Honesty in the context of Buddhism means realizing that all conditioned phenomena are illusions, and using the original reality-body in its natural state. This is true honesty. The fact is that the ordinary people are very sick patients. Ordinary people ought to recognize sickness first. In the ignorant mind that fluctuates, there is a sickness of delusion, there are sicknesses of greed and false views, there are sicknesses of weakness and injustice. Based on the mind infected by the three poisons, there are diseases of eighty-four thousand afflictions. Getting rid of this mind is called Buddhism.
My credentials & certifications include:
*Weight Management and Hydration Specialist (Lockhart & Leith)
White Tiger Qigong Course Completion: 5 Animal, 5 Element, 5 Trigram
Muay Thai Training 5+ years
My interests, studies and research into fitness and wellness are ongoing due to the ever changing industry.