The Shadow…….It’s Just Not in the Light

Posted in Uncategorized on 08/27/2010 06:24 am by feldychi

Our species is at an evolutionary crossroads---to evolve to know our interconnectedness to All That Is. This requires an alchemical mixing of dark and light--not an annihilation of one for the other or by the other. This alchemy is what we are and All That Is is--a dynamic and vibrant ever-changing continuum of gray. This interconnected world is the world of "and", not the world of "or". Just like the traditional Yin/Yang symbol --in every moment of dark is a moment of light and in every moment of light there is a moment of dark--or-shadow--what's not in the light.

Yin/Yang Symbol

We are currently in an unprecedented and monumental time for opening towards and shining the light of our awareness on the shadow--our own personal shadow and the collective human shadow.

OPENING TO THE SHADOW

What does it mean to open to our shadow? One has to gently and with persistence shine the light of awareness in the dark corners and along the dark edges of what is known. All this can be done to integrate the shades of shadow into the light and enfold not knowing into knowing. The new moment then has a 'knowing' of the dark embedded within the light making a new shade of gray.

I am writing this at dusk at a high alpine lake as the waxing moonlight is growing. The massive mountain in front of me has constantly changing light on it. The snowfields that I knew during the sunlight are slowly morphing into interesting shapes and figures coming alive with a presence of their own. This is all due to the changing light and therefore the changing shadows of the rock, trees and surrounding vegetation. This vibrant diversity would not be present without this awesome continuous shifting of the light and shadow on All That Is.

It takes courage, a gentle persistence, and unconditional warmth to what is found to open to the shadow. We often find murk that we don't like or are afraid of and shining the light of unconditionally warm friendliness towards the moment can allow for a more clear being with the moment as is. Allowing this "being-ness' to hold the darkness can transmute the murk often one tiny bit at a time transforming them to the conditions for growth. There is an ancient Chinese saying that the most pure lotus flower grows out of the darkest muck with the strongest stench.

THE COLLECTIVE SHADOW

Humanity's shadow has much in it right now. Greed, disconnection from Nature and our inseparableness from Nature, a belief in hierarchical power, a loss of community as a species living interrelated with the planet and each other, and a disbelief and/or denial in the mysterious or things unseen.

Sitting with and opening towards the shadow within is more possible, gentle, and easy when we learn to open our awareness to the moment at hand without trying to fix, correct, or change it. If a difficult emotion is encountered with all of the embedded physical sensations and thoughts, we can slowly learn and then practice turning towards the moment with an open friendly, unconditionally warm awareness.

Having a non-forced but possible open awareness is like having a gallon sized container to hold one cup of water as opposed to only a one cup container to hold the same amount of water. If the cup of water is analogous to the difficult emotion and all of it's attached sensations, then allowing that whole experience to be felt within a larger unconditionally warm gallon-sized awareness is much easier than filling up the one-cup capacity with the difficulty. There is more space and allowance for expansion to experience, allow and then transmute the difficulty.

EXPANDING AWARENESS MAKES IT EASIER

With a consistent awareness practice we can grow that gallon-sized container to an infinite-sized one, therefore allowing the darkness and the shadow challenges to be held more gently. An awareness practice that leads to increased consciousness and therefore spiritual evolution requires a direct opening to and communicating with the shadow.

We all have a personal shadow and are included in and create humanity's collective shadow. We are all in this together. The path for our continued evolution (and probably for our survival as a species) requires us to open to and look at the shadow. When open awareness is combined with gentle persistence and unconditional warmth in the face of the dark shadow, the murkiness becomes more clear with the newly available insight and wisdom. When this insight and wisdom is combined with universal compassion for All That Is and mixed with the individual flame of your deepest soul's purpose and passion here on the planet, all kinds of previously unknown possibilities can arise. These possibilities that arise from this alchemical union of dark and light can bring wholeness or 'heal' previously thought of impossibilities.

The time has come for an opening to our personal and our collective shadow to occur. Can you move forward to courageously and gently face your own shadow and the collective one?

It takes building presence through an internal awareness practice of your own to find your deepest soul's passionate purpose and marry it to your shadow with the light of unconditionally warm awareness.

Start now with an internal awareness practice with Feldenkrais and Qi Gong in Seattle with Carrie Lafferty, PT, GCFP. She can be contacted at feldychi@comcast.net and more information can be found at www.movementfromwithin.net.

 

Continuous Presence—Five Spirits of Qi Gong

Posted in Qi Gong Seattle on 08/12/2010 04:29 am by feldychi

Remaining present for what is…..what is just currently unfolding with allowing open awareness while engaging a stable, clear, open intent and paying attention while doing is what Qi Gong is.

Qi Gong is a sacred mind/body/spirit connection that is rooted in ancient Chinese Shamanic culture. Qi Gong evolved out of a time when humans and Nature were recognized as interconnected and actively engaged with. For example the water flowing in the river in it’s many forms of bubbly, deep, forceful, and trickling was found within the sense of being of those ancient humans and around them as well as within the very nature of water itself. Those same qualities could not be separated from within their daily thoughts, feelings, actions and interactions with All That Is.

All That Is included the elements within Nature (fire, water, wood, metal, and earth) and all they combined to become such as plants, animals, humans, as well as the cosmos, celestial bodies and all the cycles that interconnected and ran simultaneously through them all.

ANCIENT ONENESS CONNECTION

Our ancient ancestors all over the world in many different cultures during these times all knew this interconnection with All That Is. They realized the cycles that were manifest in nature were also manifest in the cosmos and in humans. The complex, diverse, rich and vibrant web of ‘livingness’ of All That Is was embodied and held sacred in all moments of doing and being. All moments and things and creatures were imbued with Spirit.

This ‘oneness’ was able to be embodied within the very simple (but not unchallenging) existence that was. This recognition of the inseparable existence of humans’ inner nature with Mother Nature just ‘was the way it was’ —sort of like water is to a fish. This universal truth was present in many cultures around the world and is the basis for the longstanding wisdom inherent in many indigenous Nature based systems as well as the Daoist, Buddhist, and Vedic traditions and at the core of all of the worlds’ great spiritual traditions (before the focus on duality and/or patriarchy become prominent). The nuances of each tradition obviously became shaped by the individual cultures surrounding this universal truth.

Within each tradition were other archetypal manifestations of that interconnection with All That Is Universal Truth. There was a way to access this interconnection for healing, defense, connection with the inner and outer environment, and for spiritual connection and evolution. These archetypal ways to access became embodied as ‘ways of being and/or doing’ over thousands of years of practice.

SHEN IS DIFFERENT THAN QI

The ancient Chinese (including what is presently today Nepal and Tibet) shamanic cultures termed the Universal life force vitality or energy that imbued All That Is with the name Yuan Shen—Original Spirit– a living Spirit within all. Qi is the energetic manifestation of Yuan Shen in all forms of matter within All That Is—the vital life force that animates all.

Qi can be felt, connected and communicated with and refined infinitely for any intent (as above–for healing, defense or for spiritual connection). Most importantly it was recognized that all of these intents were comprised of the same energetic forms and the intent of the moment could lead the energy to manifest differently from one moment to the next. They manifested as a harmonious, dynamic, continually alive interweaving process running through the cycles of the Cosmos, the Earth, the human and the interrelationship between them all.

This living interconnected web was followed, embodied, studied, communed with, honored and co-created directly with for healing and spiritual connection. This process became known as Qi Gong. Gong means ’study of or cultivation of’ and Qi is the vital life force running through all. Qi Gong–cultivation or study of Qi.

Yuan Shen (or Original Spirit) was recognized to have specific different manifestations in Mother Nature that correlated with physiological processes within a human and directly with human nature. The major elements and cycles of Mother Nature were recognized directly in an individual human’s complex physical, mental and spiritual processes. These two complex, and living dynamic webs of interrelationships (Mother Nature and Human Nature) kept a harmonious dynamic living (so constantly moving, transforming and transmuting) for health and vitality and connection to All That Is.

Everything was imbued with Spirit and these had specific names and qualities with completely embodied relationships between Mother Nature and Human Nature. Each of the major elements and their qualities in Mother Nature had a corresponding living relationship in the human. This relationship was an energetic one and not one that only existed in the anatomical part of the human it was named by. This complex living web of relationship was connected to by the living Spirit in all things. The five major solid human organs housed a specific manifestation of Yuan Shen, each with it’s own name and complex qualities. These five spirits were the direct energetic manifestations in humans as they were in Mother Nature.

Each of the five organ spirits is linked to the five major elements in Mother Nature and linked to a complex series of qualities within the human. These relationships are what true Daoist Medicine is based on (not a westernized version where the Spirit of the Method has been removed). This is also what an alchemical Daoist/Buddhist practice with Chinese shamanic roots is based on and what the ultimate intent of that practice is for— the spiritual connection, healing and transmutation to a divine and enlightened co-creation with Yuan Shen (Original Spirit).

FIVE SPIRITS AND FIVE ELEMENTS

The qualities and interrelationships are very complex and too complicated for this post. I will cover them only briefly here. When the word heart is used it means heart/mind—there is no separation. The heart spirit is called Shen and is our knowledge and desire. It is linked to the red bird, the element fire, the color red, the season summer, the emotion excitement, the taste bitter and the heat of the day (around noon time).

The lung spirit is called Po and is our animal nature or aliveness. It is linked to the white crane, the element metal (you can think of it also as mineral), the color white, the season autumn, the emotion sadness, the taste spicy, and the late afternoon time.

The liver spirit is called the Hun and is our imagination. It is linked to the blue/green dragon, the element wood, the color green, the season spring, the emotion anger, the taste sour, and the early morning hours.

The Spleen/Stomach spirit is called the Yi and is our intention. It is linked to the Bear, the element Earth, the color yellow, the season Late Summer, the emotion anxiety or worry, the taste sweet and linked to the times after we eat.

The kidney spirit is called the Zhi and is our will. It is linked to the turtle, the element water, the color indigo, the season winter, the emotion fear, the taste salty, and the late evening time period.

Please remember these organ spirits are just a direct connection to our non-separateness from Yuan Shen or All That Is. They are just housed in each of these solid organs but the energetic relationship has many complex linkings outside of the anatomical organ.

Here are some examples. Our heart fire creates our desire and knowledge as well as our passion and warmth and maintains the health of our small intestine and blood vessels. Our lung metal energetic system is related to our clarity and sharpness as well as our potential coldness and maintains the health of our large intestine, skin, hair and nose. Our liver wood energetic system is also related to our vision (both our direct vision of seeing with our eyes and also our wisdom or insight) and maintains the health of our tendons and gall bladder. Our spleen/stomach earth system is related to our continuousness, our steadfastness, our groundedness, our ability to transform and absorb, and maintains the health of our muscles and our lips. Our kidney water system is related to our trustworthiness, our perseverance, our strength (both of our bones as well as ourselves) and maintains the health of our urinary bladder, teeth and ears.
Lake Aititlan, Guatemala

Lake Aititlan, Guatemala—Finding Earth Within Water

QI GONG AS A PRACTICE

The study or cultivation of Qi known as Qi Gong is just a way of finding connection to the spirit that lives within us non-separate from the spirit within Yuan Shen or All That Is. Qi is the energetic manifestation of each of these five spirits and can therefore be communicated with on a level that can be learned with clear and regular “noticing within” practice. The quality of the open and clear relationships of the five elements and the five organ spirits is what determines our health, our vitality, and our spiritual connection and evolution. All diseases, imbalances and difficulties come from a disharmony at the Yuan Shen level (and it’s specific manifestation–Shen, Po. Hun, Yi and Zhi) first and then at the Qi level and finally shows up at the body level (known as the Jing level).

When Shen and/or Qi is healthy then the complex living web of life flows easily and harmoniously and we connect with the nature of reality as it is. Just like in Mother Nature there are many complex cycles that keep a dynamic living harmonious balance.

One of these cycles is the cycle of generation (or life cycle). This cycle goes like this: water nourishes wood, wood feeds fire, burned wood turns to ash and creates earth, earth disintegrates into the minerals of metal and metal holds water. Another is the cycle of destruction (or control cycle). This cycle goes like this: water controls fire, fire melts metal, metal cuts wood, wood contains earth and earth limits and controls water. These cycles and many others represent the complex relationships living within All That Is.

Qi Gong cultivation or practice uses meditation, visualizations, breath work, and specific movement sequences called Forms to explore the state and quality of Qi and Shen within the human self and the state or quality of that connection to All That Is. Different Qi Gong forms connect to different organ systems and their complex interrelationships and cultivate knowing their manifestation as Qi within the internal human sensory system. Qi Gong forms can really only benefit you if practiced and studied with and open heartmind over a period of time.

First there is an intent to create a state of stillness or quiet. This is done paradoxically through specific movement sequences being studied with an inward focus. Over time this stillness leads to a stability of the heartmind as the form is studied with a clear intent and an open yet precise focus. With further practice this stable stillness within creates a sense of calmness. When this state is reached with regularity, a multitude of wisdoms, insights, clarity and spontaneous wise knowing arise within you. These qualities arise as a direct knowing of your interconnection to All That Is and lead to health, vitality, wisdom and compassion in all of your actions relative to All That Is. This of course include your relationship to yourself, others, the Environment, and to Spirit.

Qi Gong is not a series of movements or exercises to stretch or strengthen you in any sort of traditional western way of thinking. Qi Gong is a powerful body/mind/spirit practice that can be done by anyone. It only takes an open heartmind, a clear intent to participate with your own internal world and a commitment to present practice. The ‘return to’ Original Spirit or All That Is that ensues is what All That Is is all about.

Qi Gong forms connect to specific Mother Nature qualities as animal or element qualities that are manifested as the spirit within us. The movements of a form can exhibit any of those qualities and are done with an ever-deepening study of your own internal sensations that match the studied qualities.

QI GONG AS POETRY

The ultimate intent of Qi Gong practice is to have the desire and knowledge of the heart Shen drop through the animal nature of the lung Po with the intent of Spleen Yi entwined to liver Hun imagination and finally connect to our kidney Zhi will and lead our lives from a wise place of compassionate and connected action. Otherwise our heart Shen desire and knowledge leads us on a separate path of living disconnected to our innate interconnection to All That Is. This path leads to disconnected actions to ourselves, others, and to/with our planet. This is the path we as a species are being faced with in our current times. This disconnected path has the potential to lead to our destruction as a species.

Poetically this is represented in Chinese symbology as the red bird (heart Shen ) of excitement must be gently ‘caged’ by the bear, crane and dragon (spleen/stomach, lung, liver) to ‘drop down’ to the level of the turtle (kidney) will and allow that diverse and vibrant alchemical mixing (of earth and heaven or yin and yang) to create a sacred passion for living– and knowing that living in an interconnected way.

Join Carrie’s upcoming Qi Gong in Seattle class starting on Sept 13, 2010 to be held at Chen School of Taiji in Fremont. See www. movementfromwithin.net/workshops.html for details. You can also contact Carrie at (206) 459-1773 or feldychi@comcast.net

 

The Awareness Train…….are you on it?

Posted in Feldenkrais Seattle on 08/07/2010 11:05 pm by feldychi

We are living in interesting times. We are living in monumentally interesting times. Whatever your spiritual connections or beliefs, it is hard to deny that there is a strong push for our species, the human species to evolve. To evolve consciously.

The impact we have had on our planet, Mother Earth, is profound and undeniable. We can’t continue as is. We have deeply injured Mother Earth. Conscious awareness of who we are, how we are, how we act and interact with all beings and with Mother Nature is on the rise. Have you stepped onto the awareness train? It is time–there is no time to waste. We as a species do not have ‘all the time in the world’.

Our planet will no longer tolerate our disconnection from our true nature–our disconnection from Mother Nature. They are one and the same.

How do we facilitate an improvement in our conscious awareness? There are many types of practices that can facilitate that improvement. At the core, our practice requires paying attention to how we do what we do, not just doing something. Not just mindlessly repeating a movement or a meditation or a mantra or an intent. Our practice requires being in harmony with our inner true nature–that unique quality that only you have to manifest in this world.

The collective human consciousness energy requires each of our unique energies to move forward to evolve fully and easily.

When do you feel most fully alive? When do you feel most interconnected to the unfolding moment? When do those moments occur with the least amount of ’stuff’ or ‘things’ required to create them?

Those wordless moments of connection can occur easily for some through being in nature, through music or other expressions of art, poetry, writing, through dance or any of the movement arts practices, through true undefended authentic connections with others, and through moments of sitting with internal stillness. They occur when we are being our authentic selves in any given moment–simple or complex as the moment is.

We are being called to return to these moments–to find them and know them through our internal sensations, thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Is it possible to simplify—to simplify your life? Can you begin to let go of what doesn’t allow your true nature to shine? Can you commit to a practice that asks you to pay attention to those internal moments of flow and interconnectedness? Can you commit to that practice frequently, daily?

Sitting. Just sitting and allowing what is to be there. What is there? Sensations. Pressure. Contact. Temperature. Heaviness. Lightness. Leaning. Tilting. Turning. Breathing. Rising and Falling of breathing. If you are having discomfort or tension—what are the qualities? Tight. Aching. Burning. Buzzing. Sharp. Dull.

What do you sense as far as feeling states are concerned? A feeling state. A sensory experience that gives rise to a felt-sense experience within us that we give a name to. Possibly curiosity, boredom, frustration, trying, wonder. Can you feel the qualities of sensation that make up the feeling state? They may be similar to the qualities you first noticed. Qualities like temperature, texture, weight, shape, density, or maybe a more metaphorical description of a quality–feels like sort of jumpy and quick as an example. If you really allow yourself to just sit and have a direct experience of the moment, you may be able to recognize the feeling state’s inherent basic qualities of sensation that make up the ‘name’ we give it.

Thoughts arise within us as a sensation also. They are usually much more difficult to directly sense however.

Sensations that are basic qualities as were listed above could be compared to the quality of earth. Earth is solid, dense and easy for us to feel and see in our experience. Like earth, these qualities of pressure, contact, texture, temperature, color, density, etc…. are how we directly experience a moment.

Emotions or feelings are also felt and could be more analogous to water. Like water, they are not so easy to ‘hold onto’ or ‘get ahold of’. They are less dense and much more fluid. As we know, they can at times flow more like a tsunami.

Thoughts could be compared to air. They are ungraspable. Tough to hold onto and very flyaway. Almost invisible. They are easily made into a story ‘about’ a moment or series of moments. Just like you can’t see wind itself but can only see wind move the leaves or branches of a tree, you can’t ’see’ or ‘feel’ a thought–only the direct sensation that makes it up. Once the thought is ‘held’ however it becomes more solid in our sensation–it becomes a belief.

An error we make as humans is to believe the story ‘about’ the direct experience that our thoughts, emotions and sensations make up. We think ‘about’ an experience or think ‘about’ an emotion and don’t allow ourselves to just have the direct experience–to just ‘be’ it.

Can you commit to a practice of sitting and just allowing……just allowing your direct experience of the unfolding moment…..by moment……by sensory moment…….

With time and with practice, this sitting allows ‘allowing’ to arise more easily in our lives. Allowing arises out of a neutral moment. A neutral moment is the direct moment of our experience when we don’t add anything to that moment. We don’t ‘resist’ or ‘help’ the sensory moment. Allowing lives between—between our adding help or resistance to a moment….or to an intent, emotion or thought.

This state of allowing is perceived by us as a gentle opening or a gentle expansion without any work or effort in the moment. We just ‘turn’ slightly towards the moment with a friendly warm open heart to whatever is there. One can reach this state through just sitting and gently allowing one’s awareness of the direct experience of each unfolding moment without adding. Deleting the extra ‘noise’ in the system then allows more clear knowing and wisdom and joy to arise. This is a state that can be reached through quieting the system during just sitting—through being–and alowing any unnecessary ‘effort’ of additions to thinking, feeling and doing to fall away. We can find the internal ‘movement’ that is pure and wise through facilitating external stillness.

This state paradoxically can also be found from the other side of the coin. This same state of allowing can be perceived by us when our awareness skills become more and more refined for discerning those particular qualities of sensation we listed earlier. Qualities of weight, direction, pressure, ease or effort in our moving. We can become infinitely subtle in our ability to pay attention to these qualities in our movement intentions. Over time our same wise, knowing self can begin to lead or organize our actions by slowly discarding those ‘additions’ we make to our movement intents. Training our sensory awareness more subtlely in this way allows access to a state of internal ’stillness or ‘calm’ or ‘no addition direct experience’ while we are doing slow, directed movements with particular sensory attention. So, paradoxically we can reach the same state of ‘internal’ stillness thru quality external movement.

These two ways to access our own inner knowing, our own wise self are not different–they are two sides of the same coin. Two ways into the same house. We require both to live in peace.

Meditation practice of ‘just sitting’ takes external stillness to reach internal ‘movement’ of wise knowing ad Feldenkrais and Qi Gong take external moving through wise directed attention to reach internal stillness. The two combined allow for the alchemical mixing of ‘doing and being’, of yin/yang, of masculine/feminine, and for our specific unique manifestation of that alchemy to arise within us as our own wise, alive, and vibrant inner guide.

This is ‘knowing our own inner true nature’. When we live more moments closer to this state-which includes all moments we are living that we are moving ‘in the direction of’ that neutral state,—- we feel interconnected. We feel ‘in the flow’ of what is. We aren’t adding. We aren’t resisting. We aren’t seperate from the unfolding moment. We are it. We are one and the same with the larger unfolding ‘flow’ of Mother Nature manifesting through the current moment as our own inner true nature.

This is the moment of ‘union’ or enlightenment that all of the world’s great and longstanding traditions are referring to. The moment when we are with what is.

We are at a crucial time on this planet where our species has the unique opportunity to exponentially create more of the above moments. Then we can act from that state of neutrality allowing healing for our planet which has occurred from our disconnection from the whole.

It all starts with the first step of paying attention inside (noticing qualities of sensation) as you ‘move’ (act) outside and also while paying attention outside (acting) as you move inside (noticing qualities of internal sensation). In other words noticing as we do and doing as we notice.

The first step along this path is cultivating your own inner awareness skills through a practice. Join in with Feldenkrais, Qi Gong and Meditation in Seattle.

Won’t you step onto the awareness train? We as a species are waiting for your unique true nature to become manifest within the whole. We are waiting for you!

 

No Posts for Two Weeks

Posted in Uncategorized on 07/19/2010 03:47 am by feldychi

Hi all,
I will be unable to make a post for the weeks of July 19, 2010 and July 26, 2010. I will be back posting the first week of August.

Blessings,
Carrie

 

Riding the Wave….

Posted in Feldenkrais Seattle, Meditation, Qi Gong Seattle on 07/14/2010 02:25 pm by feldychi

The new growth of spring blossoms into the full bloom of summer which recedes into the harvest of autumn and then sits in the quiet of winter germinating the cycle to restart again with the new growth of spring. We also live year after year within this cycle often not recognizing all of the little deaths that occur in order for the rebirths that follow keeping the wave of the cycle going. Do you find yourself ever resisting the change of seasons? Not wanting the cycle to flow as it is? To ride the wave of reality, we must be truly present for all that is.

The deaths and the rebirths–these are the transformations of our realities—of our lives. Finding a harmonious flow between and among the many deaths and rebirths or ups and downs of our lives is the action of finding peace. This is found in the presence of each unfolding mundane moment after the next.

In the martial arts Tai Chi Classics there is a line that says ‘invest in loss’. For a martial artist who has a deep internal arts practice this is a philosophy embedded in all of practice. During a two-person defense/offense movement energy study (known as push hands), one of the studies for beginners and experienced practitioners alike is to invest in loss. What does this mean?

Say one practitioner creates an offensive movement energy of pulling the opponent downwards and this energy (as all energies) can be countered in many ways. The habitual response for most is to stiffen and hold creating a resistance to the energy wave as is. This is often fed by a desire or a greed ‘to win.’ This sets up a struggle or a ‘fight’ between the two practitioners and no further refinement of skill can occur.

Refined skill comes from surfing the pull-down energy wave by consciously opening, softening, expanding and not resisting. If done with the right timing, the opponent who is issuing the pulldown energy is met with no resistance and throws himself or herself off balance completely by their own making.

The defender ‘invested in loss’ and in turn creates an opening or space for their own ease. Push hands practice is an intricate study of two practitioners who are continually refining their skills. One of them issues a movement energy of offense while surfing their opponent’s issuance of their own energy of softening and letting go. This letting go can slowly or more quickly change to a new issuance of offensive energy. This ’surfing’ the seasons of offense/defense allows the wave of practice to develop sensitivity of how to let go while remaining alert and clear with your own intent.

Investing in loss and not getting greedy as an offensive energy movement is made is what creates the space for skill refinement and ease to occur. It also creates a ‘moment’ for a new possibility or a counter movement to arise within the sensation of the practitioner and not within the thinking/reacting or fighting mind. This ‘remaining unattached’ yet alert and fully sensing the unfolding movement energy exchange allows the surfing of the current ‘wave’ of movement to open to the full ocean of possibility of new experiences.

Our world today is giving us numerous opportunities to open, soften and expand in the face of countless numbers of chaotic energies present. Can you invest in loss? Can you open to the varied shades of black, gray and emptiness?

On an individual level how attached are you to your stuff? Things, experiences, moments, remaining ‘as they were’ or ’should be’? Our planet can’t sustain our species’ unsustainable ways. Can you literally ‘let go’ of the excess—-excess stuff, things, experiences, effort and energy within the moments of your life? Can you live more simply—’lower to the ground’–more in the direct experience of the movement wave of balancing that is flowing over our planet—chaotically careening until we come in alignment with it?

In order for our own species and the multitudes of species co-living with us on our one planet to survive, we will require a more harmonious and equitable distribution of how we each live. Can you invest in the loss of some external things, experiences, moments ‘as they should be’ in order to allow the opening space to be created to more fully embody and experience your life–lower to the ground and interconnected in a sustainable way to the rest of life?

Mother Earth is bleeding and shedding in the Gulf Coast–bleeding oil and shedding fluid. I am holding an analogy of the massive oil geyser being like the shedding of the amniotic fluid that occurs with delivery of an infant. The infant is our ‘new’ human interconnected species that is so painfully being born. Our new species will no longer be able to be dependent on the oil amniotic fluid. Our new species will have to bring a much higher intuitive, sustainable, and interconnected way of ‘breathing’ with Mother Earth.

The horrendous greed and power of the oil corporations fed by our culture’s own unaware and selfish consumption has to come to an end. I personally first heard about the oil well explosion upon returning from an extended silent meditation retreat and found myself turning toward the waves of tears and sadness for the wound in Mother Earth by such blatant exploitation of greed.

Over the ensuing months (incredible to even say it has now been that long) many questions remain present. How could it happen? What happens to the countless numbers of wildlife and peoples’ individual lives that have been destroyed? What happens to the continued destruction of a very fragile ecosystem? What are we doing?

All of these deaths can, with conscious, open, and expansive awareness be transmuted into an individual and a collective rebirth. A rebirth that is born of the investment in the loss of the ‘old thinking!’ This thinking holds me separate from all others –people, things, experiences, other living creatures, nature, myself and all moments— and the container those occur within–our planet. The rebirth thinking opens to the interconnection of all of the above and requires I let go (or lose) the old way of thinking.

Mother Earth’s bleeding can be a catalyst for this shift to occur in a larger swath of the mass of humanity. Can you invest in loss–your own way? Can your specific way aid opening your own awareness thus influencing those around you? Can that open awareness and clear intent allow you to evolve–evolve to help solve this separatist way of being?

When resistance to a moment begins to rise, it is often in relationship to our ‘not liking’, doubting, or being agitated within the moment as it is. Investing in loss includes opening, expanding, and softening to exactly those moments that are difficult. Can you turn gently and in a self-friendly way toward that moment and allow yourself to experience it fully? Can you not invest in the greed of wanting a better moment–one that was, or should be? Can you not fight or stiffen to the feeling you find yourself not liking–possibly fear or anger or sadness? Can you invest in loss and let go?

We are faced with little ‘deaths’ each day. Going with reality as it is, riding the ever changing wave of change, experiencing a little death which arises to a new rebirth allows us to open to the vast interconnected expanse of wisdom within the interconnectedness of All That Is.

Begin or deepen your awareness practice through Qi Gong in Seattle, Meditation, or Feldenkrais in Seattle in order to allow you to ride the wave of change. We are all waiting for you!

You can contact Carrie at 206-459-1773 or feldychi@comcast.net for further information.

 

Conscious Convergence–Choosing to Co-Create

Posted in Meditation on 07/07/2010 07:57 pm by feldychi

The Mayan Calendar and it’s end date are not about an apocalyptic end of the world scenario. It is not about an event or a series of events that are just going to drop down from the sky upon us suddenly. It requires our active co-creation with it.

The Mayan Calendar depicts a non-linear evolution of consciousness tracking from the Big Bang nearly 16 billion years ago to the potential completion of that fully evolved consciousness–interconnected unity conscious–at the completion of the Calendar. Therefore, the Calendar isn’t about an end to the world but about a full completion or manifestation of evolutionary forces. This full completion however requires our active participation or co-creation with it.

The Calendar is driven by Source Wisdom held by the Universal archetypal image of a spiral World Tree that encompasses no-thingness and All That Is. This universal dynamic spiral or helix is the same at the quantum level of string theory through the spirals of Mother Nature and to the macroscopic level in the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. The same helix is interconnected between all of the above realms through us–the human species– within our own helix genetic code as well as our own dynamic neutral spiraling moving.

The Calendar can be thought of as a 9-tier pyramid with each ascending level of the pyramid going higher and being proportionately more condensed. Think of each level of the pyramid as being a passage of time and the energy of that level having a specific intent of consciousness manifestation. Each of the 9 levels of the pyramid continues along in time at their own rate all to manifest fully complete together at the end of the Calendar. All nine energy waves are concurrently being manifested and each specific level is also individually being manifested in a repeating pattern.

This repeating pattern is a division of each level of the pyramid into 13 even segments of time. Each pyramid level is divided into 13 even segments of time and each ascending level has the same 13 even divisions but they occur in a factor of time twenty times faster. Each of the 13 segments of time has a particular type of energy associated with it. The progression of the 13 divisions of time may be thought of as an archetypal passage of energy similar to how a seed germinates, rests, sprouts, rests, bifurcates, rests, puts down deeper roots, rests, creates full foliage, rests, buds, rests, creates fruit and/or flower, rests, and drops new seed to germinate again.

The energy of each level of consciousness undergoes a similar passage of 13 divisions on each level of the pyramid. During the 13th division of each level, a new twenty times faster energy wave becomes prevalent and starts the germination of the next higher level of consciousness. This same cycle repeats itself nine times for the nine levels of the pyramid. Remember that the 13th division of each pyramid level is still coming to full completion or manifestation as each subsequent level is beginning, continuing, and completing also.

The completion or end of the Mayan Calendar is when all of these 9 forces will be fully manifest and in place. The 9 cosmic forces require our human intention to align and become co-creators with for their full evolution to become manifest. Each wave shift in the 13 divisions of each pyramid level and each wave shift of each of the 9 pyramid levels supports a completely different quantum energy field and only that field. The full progression allows for consciousness to evolve from the spark of possibility at the Big Bang to fully interconnected consciousness of All That Is with humans knowing that interconnection at the completion of the Calendar.

Since the human species is the only species that can be conscious fully of our own consciousness, we are the potential co-creators to align with the cosmic forces!

Dr. Carl Calleman, the foremost scientist and scholar on the Mayan Calendar has tracked the biological and historical evidence that correlates, for the most part exactly, with each of the wave shifts of the Calendar’s 9 levels and 13 divisions of each level. His lifework since the late 1970’s has been on compiling this empirical evidence. See www.calleman.com. Dr. Calleman lives in the Seattle area.

He has given a name to each of the 9 levels or Underworlds as they are called in Mayan Cosmology. The name Dr. Calleman has placed on them is directly in line with the type of consciousness that particular pyramid level of cosmic force is manifesting or ‘bringing into’ the collective energy field. Remember from the base of the pyramid to the top, the forces depict an evolution of consciousness. From bottom to top they are as follows: 1) Cellular 2) Mammalian 3) Tribal 4) Familial 5) Regional 6) National 7) Planetary 8) Galactic and 9) Universal.

Each of the 9 levels then has the 13 divisions analogous to the progression from germination of the seed of that particular level to it’s full bloom. For example, the first level, cellular consciousness is currently in the 13th division of it’s manifestation which began as a spark of consciousness at the Big Bang. We as a species are still undergoing a cellular progression of consciousness that has been going on for 16 billion years of time and will require our co-creation with it to fully become manifest. This particular co-creation will allow full intuition to arise for us today. This is true for each of the other Underworlds also named aptly for their unfolding consciouness!

The energy of the 13 even divisions of each pyramid level alternate between a ‘light’ or ‘active’ or ‘day’ energy and a ‘dark’ or ‘resting’ or ‘night’ energy. This sequence is the same for each subsequent pyramid level and can be studied from one level to the next as a predictor for types of events and energies that are supported and those that are no longer supported. This is the huge mass of work that Dr. Calleman has done and can be studied in depth in his book The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Human Consciousness.

The perceptual feel of each shift of the 13 divisions of each pyramid level and the perceptual shift of each pyramid level itself can be and is being palpably felt by all on our planet! Since the same archetypal energy of the analogy of seed to flower to seed is occurring twenty times faster with each level, the palpable feeling of the acceleration of time is very much created!

This is alive and well today in the 12th division of the 8th Underworld. The 8th Underworld of Galactic Consciousness and the 12th division of rest before full bloom drops it’s new seed for the 13th division of the 8th Underworld to begin on Nov 3, 2010. This period we are in now is a ‘dark’ or ‘night’ or ‘rest’ division and these periods support resting, closure or destruction of ‘old consciousness’ that is no longer moving forwards towards the higher level upcoming. The 13th division or 7th Day (an ‘active’ or ‘light’ or ‘day’ energy) of the Galactic Underworld will begin on Nov 3, 2010 and move to full completion of Galactic Consciousness at the end of the Calendar just like all of the other 7th Days are doing concurrently.

This will then follow with the 9th Underworld or level of the pyramid beginning on Mar 9, 2011. The 13 divisions of time in the Universal Underworld or 9th Underworld will have a quantum energy shift every 20 days! The same amount of energy will be packed archetypally into each of those 20 day divisions as is packed into the 1.26 billion year division of the 13 segments of the Cellular Underworld and each of the other divisions of the following Underworlds! No wonder the energy is so palpably chaotic in our world right now and getting ready to shift to an even higher frequency soon!

The Calendar is completely fractal and based on factors of 13 x 20. The 4 Underworlds that track human consciousness most directly as we know it today are the top four–the National, Planetary, Galactic and Universal. These four Underworlds track 5,125 years in time–approximately that of human civilization–up to what we know today!

The division of time of the 13 segments of the National Underworld is 394 years covering from 3115 BC to the end of the Calendar (historically Human Civilization). The division of time of the 13 segments of the Planetary Underworld is 19.7 years covering from July 1755 onto the end of the Calendar (historically the Industrial Revolution). The division of time of the Galactic Underworld is 360 days covering from Jan 5, 1999 to the end of the Calendar (historically coming to possibly be called the Technological Revolution). And, as already stated, the division of time of the Universal Underworld is 20 days covering in time from Mar 9, 2011 to the completion of the Calendar (possibly the intuitive, telepathic or unity Revolution). Dr. Calleman has the completion of the Calendar on Oct 28, 2011 for reasons that are well documented but too complicated to explain here. Check his website or book for a definitive explanation.

I have elected to go into this much detail on the Calendar to give a background for the upcoming Conscious Convergence which is Jul 17-18, 2010. These days are analagous to the Harmonic Convergence which was Aug 16, 1987. They are analagous as they are both pre-waves to the subsequent Underworld they are precursor to. They are prepratory waves to their subsequent Underworlds. The Harmonic Convergence of 1987 prepared for entry into the Galactic Underworld beginning in 1999 just as the Conscious Convergence is the pre-wave to prepare for the entrance into the Universal Underworld starting Mar 9, 2011.

The Universal Underworld quantum energy shift will bring in the cosmic force of Unity Consciousness–that which supports the interconnection of all beings–the transcendence of all separation (ex: between self and no-self, male and female, human and nature, ruler and ruled, east and west, etc….) and the allowance to see reality as is–fully interconnected. This fully interconnected knowing embodies the complete alchemical interweaving and complementary dynamic balancing of yin and yang or dark and light for sustainable and Unity living.

The wave shift can only fully manifest with our active intention to align ourselves or co-create with it however! That co-creation is both individual and collective. The Conscious Convergence is about precisely that. This pre-wave energy will fully support and require our Conscious choice to participate in Unity Consciousness and ask how we specifically can manifest Unity for and with the collective evolution of consciousness?

This pre-wave of the Conscious Convergence is being participated in globally at the same time. A World Tree of events in the four directions will anchor the intent with all the other thousands of events filling in the Healing Medicine Wheel spiraling across, over, around and through the planet.

The World Tree events marking the four directions will be in Norway and South Africa in the North and South and Singapore and Guatemala in the East and West. The event I am hosing in Seattle is one of the thousands in between.

The event will be very organic and spontaneous in manifestation. Please come with an open heart, mind, and intent to allow your intuition and inner knowing to speak to you on all levels as to how you are specifically here at this time and place in the evolution of Consciousness to aid it’s full manifestation in the way that only you can!! Come prepared to choose to participate in Unity. To sit, move, wait, open, and expand into that wordless knowing of connection to All That Is. Then, allowing this knowing to guide your actions and being in the unfolding days.

Please tell others about the event and feel free to invite anyone who is choosing to participate in Unity!

You may contact me at 206-459-1773 or feldychi@comcast.net if you have any questions.

Blessings & En Lak’Ech (I am another You),
Carrie

 

ATM……..It’s not a Cash Machine

Posted in Feldenkrais Seattle on 07/01/2010 05:30 am by feldychi

What is ATM? Awareness Through Movement (ATM) is one of the two learning avenues of THE FELDENKRAIS METHOD. ATM is a verbally directed dynamic group (usually) learning experience. The Feldenkrais Method is about learning how you specifically learn through refining your own internal sensory experience while you move. This noticing while moving and acting is possibly the most unique characteristic of The Feldenkrais Method.

A particular environment is created during an ATM lesson (as they are called) in which spontaneous learning, knowing, or insight arises through noticing while doing. This spontaneous knowing is recognized on a sensory level–a felt sense experience–and can create a completely new or previously unrecognized way of being and doing–for anything in life.

Moshe Feldenkrais said “We act in order to perceive.” Not we act in order to get things done or to get as many things done as we possibly can. Our nervous system is designed to continually refine and discern the quality of how we do what we do and how we are the way we are in order to bring that way of being to a level of increased ease and higher functioning.

This perceiving the way we are acting (doing or being) is what allows us to access all sorts of untapped potential for creating increased ease, grace, comfort, wonder and mystery in our lives. It opens the door to spontaneity and wisdom.

ATM lessons create an open and expansive space where precisely acting or moving in order to perceive is what is being explored. Moshe Feldenkrais said doing an ATM lesson should be a ‘waste of time.” He meant that any ‘goals’ or attachments to achieving any right or correct way of moving or acting was useless. The learning occurs precisely from moving and exploring the sensory qualities of moving without this ‘image of achievement’ as he called it.

He also meant that by acting in order to perceive and refining that perceiving (which is what ATM is all about) is what allows a spontaneous, unplanned, and often a ’surprise’ knowing or learning insight to arise from the movement exploration. Therefore, this unplanned and at times meandering sensing from the intellectual mind’s perspective could be considered a waste of time! Nothing, however, could be further from the truth!

ATM is a powerful learning experience which has the capacity to change our very fabric of being. This is because it works below the level of the planning/striving mind. Moshe also said “We act in accordance with our self-image.” Both ATM and the other avenue of the Feldenkrais Method (Functional Integration-FI) work primarily with and from this statement. Moshe is referring to an internal kinesthetic self-image that we carry around within ourselves and are for the most part habituated to on a sensory level.

This internal image creates our thoughts, emotion, beliefs, and actions—all arising as internal kinesthetic sensation. ATM lessons allow a special opportunity to become intimately connected through direct experience with our own internal image. Through this intimate direct knowing comes more options for allowing increased efficiency, ease, and peace and wisdom.

In ATM lessons there is a continual relationship with possibilities and with constraints. This relationship exists within the variety of movement positions one is in during a lesson, the movements through space being explored, and the multitude of ways attention is being asked to be perceived relative to the intention of the movements being explored. There are a finite number of ways we can line up our skeleton within the gravitational field we live in and with whatever movement forces are happening and still maintain the integrity of our joints and soft tissue. There are, however, an infinitely huge number of ways we can more and more subtly make tiny changes within the patterns of combinations of muscle fibers and the timing of their firing within our movements. These subtlties lead to differences within our perception of a wide range of nuances of effort and ease within our movements.

These are called ‘patterns’ of movement in Feldenkrais. Patterns of movement have qualities such as directionality of body parts moving relative to other body parts, qualities of speed or acceleration/deceleration which can be perceived as jerkiness or smoothness, qualities of density or lightness, length or shortening, resistance or ease, and of connectedness, continuousness or fluidity. These are universal qualities and can be perceived by all with some training and directed attention on one’s intention.

This is exactly what ATM lessons do–direct your attention to very specific intentions manifested through movement explorations. These movement explorations are exploring a particular relationship of ‘basic’ moving patterning and systematically ‘playing’ with asking you to change your perception of how you notice yourself do the moving. You may be asked to keep your awareness the same and do the intention (or the movement) differently or you may be asked to keep the movement the same and change your awareness or your perception through directing your focus on different qualities of moving.

Overall there is an intent to continue to pay attention for a universal quality of ease and fluidity of moving that manifests within our perception as grace. This sort of moving has a uniform distribution of work throughout the system and an ability to be neutral or equally easy to be or move in all directions at any given moment wherever we are within the range of a given intended movement.

By keeping our sensory intent on this quality and pausing and allowing a spontaneous change or movement toward this intended quality if we notice ourselves going astray from it (by acheiving or trying to ‘get it right’ or by forcing) we allow the deep inner wisdom we all have to arise and bring us to a more neutral state or a state of increased ease and wise possibility. This changes our perception from within allowing us to feel spontaneously how we can create a sense of increased flexibility, strength, efficiency, balance or comfort.

ATM lessons can be done in any position or combination of positions. The movements may be tiny or large. In fact, the exploration of movement may be so tiny it is done within the ‘inside’ movements of our thinking or our imagining of movements.

The lesson may be done directly in a function such as exploring how one gets up/down from a chair or the floor or how one rolls over. The lesson may also explore a pattern of movement in one position that is seemingly unrelated to a particular function but then directly affects that function almost as a ’surprise’ to you.

There are countless different lessons as a lesson is organic and occurs only in the moment it is taught based on the persons being taught to and their individual and collective ways of perceiving. ATM is a completely individual experience done within a collective of others and is a powerful, awesome, subtle and fun experience!

Join Carrie’s current Walking ATM series at Greenlake Park on Monday evenings for Feldenkrais in Seattle.

 

A Mountain…… and Qi Gong

Posted in Qi Gong Seattle on 06/24/2010 06:28 am by feldychi

Recently on a weekend in May I was standing on top of Mt. St. Helen’s. This was my second time–nearly exactly 10 years later in time. The conditions and internal sensations that makeup my personal life are different 10 years later just as the conditions that make up ‘the mountain’ have also changed.

As we broke out of the trees and were able to first see the mountain in full glory up close, her rounded slopes looked lovely. I could feel the aliveness of the mountain with each step up her at times steep slopes. The climb was in snow the whole way with many ’steps’ already made by previous climbers. The climb is long which allowed for a beautiful unfolding of connection to occur with each step. I could sense a solidity, calmness, steadiness, steadfastness, and constancy all contained within a wide sense of strength being pulled up through me with each step. With certain steps I could perceive more of a quality of earth energy and with other steps more of a quality of metal or mineral/rock energy.

A rhythm of slow, continuous steps began to emerge to the deep slow and steady ‘beat’ of combined earth/rock energy. A ‘melody’ of wind/air would at times come into the foreground of my sensations cascading over and through the underlying earth rhythm. The wind played a solo upon arrival at the summit insistent on my becoming cozy with my down clothes before sitting down to immerse in the next merging unfolding.

The raw power of fire, water, and metal/rock was awesomely present–subtlely and not so subtlely changed in 10 years time. The mountain’s vibrant dynamic aliveness was vividly present. I could still feel the raw shear force from the explosion almost 30 years to the day earlier within the craggy yet sensuous shape of the crater. The dome growing inside the bottom of the crater was completely transformed in 10 years just like an adolescent’s body is over a relatively short period of time.

The cornices hung over the edges of the crater in shapes reminiscent of jagged bolts of lightning. Swirling cloud formations constantly changed in appearance from where I would view them from. Asking for permission from the mountain and then peering over the edge of one of the cornices to see inside the crater involved a continued sensing of deep connectedness to the steadfast, calm and strength of her earth/metal energy.

Here the paradox (and the dynamic mingling of interconnectedness) begins. Fire, water, and wood energy were all alive at once!

What were just a few rocks at the very bottom of the crater floor 10 years ago were now a ‘clump’ of haphazardly growing rocks appearing in organized chaos similar to the ‘pattern’ on a head of cauliflower. This ‘dome-like’ growth sported many smoking ‘peaklets’ and the grand smoking ‘peak’ in the center. I imagined a mother dragon’s bellyside as she rolled over to nurse her dragonlets with wisps of smoke curling out from each of the many nipples. The path of fire, water, ice, and rock could still be traced snaking east to culminate in Spirit Lake and beyond. The intermingling of the current alive fire energy manifesting as the smoking dome peaklets was entwined intimately with the ice and snow (water energy) like lovers entwined together.

Standing there on top of the summit and feeling the power of the mountain growing directly beneath me was a moment of complete permeable interconnectedness with my essence and the mountain (one and the same).

Opening to the power and subtlety of the elements of Mother Nature allows us to feel the dynamic ‘pulse’ of these elements vividly alive within and moving through us. Being able to discern our inner world more vividly, more clearly and with an attitude of unconditional warmth is our path to wake up to our true nature or to return to our Original Spirit as it is said in Daoism. A sitting meditation practice along with a movement practice can together create the space for us to wake up to our interconnectedness to our Original Spirit.

Qi Gong ‘forms’ or movement sequences are interlaced with gentle visualizations and moments of stillness all done with gentle continuous presence to the immediate direct sensory experience of the unfolding moments as they occur. These forms are directly a manifestation in human movement of the many ‘faces’ of Original Spirit or Source or God/Goddess Consciouness. Doing the movements with an open, warm heart, a persistence to remain present for the unfolding movements in sensation and following the particular ‘face’ or ‘intent’ of the form allows that particular manifestation of consciousness to come alive and become highlighted in your sensation.

Some of the ways these ‘faces’ of Source Consciousness are recognized in Qi Gong forms are through movements and visualizations that follow cycles of nature and the elements within nature. Of course these cycles or elements are easier to access when we are directly immersed in the beauty of nature. Imagine sitting by a roaring river and hearing all of the nuances of ways that water and rock intermingle. Imagine sitting under a star-filled dark night sky in an open field next to a campfire with a light breeze wafting in and out, interacting with the flames in a beautiful spontaneous dance. You can imagine many of your own personal moments like these.

We can find these same qualities in any ordinary or mundane moment simply by sensing the primacy or immediacy of the moment–the whole of our felt-sense experience. We can find the qualities of the elements imbued within the felt-sense experience. We can at times pick out a particular quality (say steady like mountain or earth or bubbly like water) or we can feel the co-mingling of them all. We can also allow ourselves to feel and welcome those moments when the quality of an element feels challenging–too ablaze like fire, too roaring like water, or rigid or cold like metal.

A Qi Gong practice done with awareness can be a powerful bridge to allow those inner sensations to become more vivid, refined and accessible. As our capacity grows to feel the refinements, we allow and expand our capacity to live more fully inhabited and harmonious with Source. This constitutes true vitality, health and freedom.

As you practice Qi Gong movements with awareness, your ability to become more present increases which feeds back a sense of increased harmony with what it is that you just connected with. Your inner world refines the flow and ease of the outer movements and this increased fluidity and flexibility refines the connection to your inner world in order to create more presence and ease for yourself.

All qualities are in all Qi Gong forms as all qualities are within you. We practice to welcome all of them with a warm heart and a spacious moment. Just join a class or a workshop and begin to allow this ‘presencing’ connection to begin!

I will be starting a weekly Mon evening Qi Gong in Seattle class in Sept 2010. Stay tuned for details!

 

My first Seattle Feldenkrais/Qi Gong blog post!

Posted in Feldenkrais Seattle on 06/03/2010 05:15 am by feldychi

Well, I’ve done it. Created a blog that is, or I should more accurately say, I have had help in creating a blog. A blog about Feldenkrais and Qi Gong in Seattle as well as other related ideas and topics especially in the realm of awareness, consciousness and sustainable connection/living.

Of course it is interesting (as some things in life are–especially those that are curious and push our limits of perception). I am one of those who has been saying, “I do not want to spend more time in front of the computer” and yet, here I am. Why? Times are what they are and this is a means for sharing that has potential to disseminate ideas and possibilities quickly. We are living in powerful and important times. This is the nature of reality as it is. How do we go with it? How do we become aware of our relationship to it? I have found my way as this blog post was written while sitting on the beach overlooking the sunset with pen and paper which allows the words to flow more easily for me than the interface of the computer.

How do we become aware of the unfolding moment? There are so many ways to reach that elusive moment and they all have at their core–the presence of allowing. The direct experience of an unfolding moment–the present moment. It is both powerful and empty. Just full of what is–no more and no less, no story, no extras–just allowance of the true nature of reality in that moment.

These times we live in are crying out for more direct experience moments. Moments where there is no self, no other, no object, no foreground, no background–just relating. The true nature of the self with the true nature of the universe interconnected. Our species is here to remember this interconnection —through any of the wondrous ways possible to have that experiencing or relating come alive. We are here to remember that our true nature and the true nature of the universe are the same–exactly the same.

We can find that direct experiencing when we slow down, sit back. be quiet, pay attention inside and allow……allow the direct experiencing or relating to just come alive. It doesn’t have to be a big fanfare moment. It can be simple–as simple as just walking outside each night before you go to bed and looking at the night sky. What do you feel? How do you experience the temperature on your skin? What is the direct sensory experience of the mist in the air as it settles on your cheek or your lips? Can you just experience the unfolding moment without adding any judgement of whether you like or dislike the moment or by quickly moving onto the next thing? As you stand there looking up at the night sky, can you allow your sensing of the moment to just come to you? Maybe you experience an occasional glimmer of a star that blinks at you behind a cloud. Can you open all of your senses as you ’see’ the star twinkle? How do you hear the night sky? How do you feel the darkness—even there in your own yard? Can you just allow without a story “about” to begin to arise? If the story does arise, can you recognize the train of thought and gently widen your senses and allow yourself to ‘return’ to the present alive and unfolding moment?

Can you begin a practice of going outside each night–no matter the weather–no matter how ‘busy’ you are? Can you be…….just for a few minutes…….be just one with and interconnected to the night; without doing anything, or participating in a story, just merging with the sacred moment of night-you-cosmic consciousness.

This is awareness. Awareness is. We don’t have to (and in fact we can’t) add anything or subtract anything from awareness. It simply is. Inner wisdom, intuition, insight, clarity of things, possibility, ancient novel knowing all arise from awareness. An awareness practice allows us to access these qualities.

An experiential moment of sensory-motor awareness is the same. Just noticing. Imagine sitting……at the computer…….as you may possibly be doing as you are reading this. Can you just feel yourself sitting? Can you feel the pressure of your buttocks on the chair? This does not mean ‘think about’ that experience. Do you remember just having the direct experience of the mist on your cheeks or your lips? You weren’t ‘thinking about’ that experience. Can you just feel the sense of pressure, the shape of that pressure of your buttocks on the chair and your feet on the floor? Can you just be…….feeling yourself sitting…..without adding anything to the moment? Creating no judgement of your liking or disliking the sense or moving quickly onto a need to fix, correct, or change the moment? Can you just be……like the moment of feeling the dark night sky?

Can you open your senses and allow just a little more space between your cells–your allowing cells—not grasping or striving cells but just allowing. By ‘allowing’ for a moment, our inner wisdom ‘moves’ gently forward as awareness– towards a more directly experiencing embodied self.

Cultivating this bare, simple noticing without additions or subtractions is what an awareness practice is. The power that lies within awareness is what allows our ability to be more comfortable, to be more at peace, and to return to our own wise inner true nature of oneness with all that arises.

Our world is in such need for more of us to wake up and create a clearer internal awareness practice in order to live and act in our world in a more interconnected way.

Feldenkrais, Qi Gong, and Meditation are all ways to cultivate this bare simple noticing and as I blog, I will share some musings on these amazing practices with you. Thanks for joining me.

 

My blog……..soon to come……

Posted in Uncategorized on 05/20/2010 02:49 am by feldychi

Hello! I have just got this blog set up (with help of course). I will be posting regularly in June. In the meantime, I am looking forward to some retreat time away to commune with Mother Nature.

Blessings,
Carrie

 
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