Practices and Contexts of Connection
Meeting the World as Embodied Wholeness
A Context of Becoming
We're changing all the time, learning things, needing different things, liking different things, becoming fascinated, recognizing what we do not want anymore. Who we are becoming is something we don't know, we can only discover - shaped by and revealed through relationship with the world. We are sparks of life pulsing on the earth. Life is living and shifting, and the intelligence that orchestrates migrations is flowing through us in ways we don't understand. We are part of something much bigger than ourselves, and we can align to the flow that moves it all. Gentleness is the order of the day. Humility. Reverence.
Slowing Down : An Orientation
When my doctor told me I needed to slow down, I couldn't have disagreed more. I needed 20-30% more activity if I was ever going to get on top of life. Then maybe I could relax, but what would that even mean? I had an education in slowing down that has made it shift from handicap to catalyst.
So, I love slowing down, and valuing going slowly, becoming more aware, receptive and connected. It remains an act of will, something I have to do intentionally, but my effort is always richly rewarded.
Inhabiting the Fullness of Our Bodies
Our experience of wholeness begins in our central nervous system. The entirety of this corridor services every function of being. If we identify with (and therefor primarily attend to) exclusively the mental realm, we are not engaging 2/3 of our resources. When we inhabit and identify as the fullness of our nervous system, we can meet the world in our wholeness. [When we are less of ourselves, we are less of ourselves]. Can you notice your breath through the fullness of the spine simultaneously? I think Bodyfulness is the next Mindfulness.
Every Breath Counts
Presence is a breath-by-breath experience. I employ prompts to develop the habit of noticing the breath and the body throughout the day. A full inhalation and full exhalation, with the focus of attention on the feeling experience of the body is a powerful practice. Doing it periodically throughout the day is life-enriching. Even a single breath can reshape our state, but usually one feels so good we take a few. Our day offers opportunities for natural micro-practices that add up to a greater sense of wholeness, presence, authenticity and vitality - it takes no time, costs only attention and expands experience enormously.
We are a Technology of Nature
The body is an expression of nature, and the vehicle of our intimacy with the world. Paying attention to our bodies, sensitizing to our state of being, becoming fluent in the nuance of our experience, connects us to all of life. Sublimating our bodies' needs in service of some agenda misses an opportunity to engage wholeheartedly and authentically and informed by the moment itself. We are life living. We are earth walking. The part of us that knows this has more resources available than the thinking brain understands.
We Need Each Other
"You can't become yourself by yourself" is one of my favorite lines (Claire Zammit). We are social beings. We are connected to each other and to everything and our engagement defines our life. Often we think we need to fix ourselves first and then engage - but we discover our answers together. "Healing happens in relationship" Therapy is good. Relationships whose foundations are grounded in healing, health and support are fundamental. There are so many beautiful communities with space for processing. Let what 'lights you up' guide you towards people, activites and practice communities.
We Curate Our Attention
What freedom to decide what to read, what to watch, what to pursue, what to take in, what we enjoy, what brings us peace, what calls us to action, how we spend our time and attention! Our feeling state is a rich source of endless fascination, but so are the chorus of voices offering the insights into connection - these are the voices currently harmonizing in my inner landscape.