Creatorship

Applying Presence

It's clear that I often talk about being present. It's not always easy to describe to someone how you know your are or what you do to get there.

I found an interesting article by Jon Aronstein,  Applying Presence: A Practical Exploration of the Means- Whereby" * that gives you a simple exercise to allow yourself to come into the moment.

I had done a similar exercise a long time ago (I was focusing on my hand at the time), I was amazed that at the end I felt a lightness and joy.  It crept in as the thoughts left and I simply became aware of my hand making the smallest of movements.

As with all things profound, embodying them is a journey, often entailing layers of awareness and understanding.

Try the exercise and see what happens. In its essence it is about slowing down and becoming 'aware of a type of presence, the "mind in the body." '

"Stand up comfortably, in a neutral and grounded position.  Take one shoulder and begin circling it:  Up,  forwards, down, back, etc. Very easy indeed. 

• Is the movement smooth and lubricated, or is it choppy and disconnected?  Stop reading and sense.

Notice that this can be done on "auto pilot."  That is, your intention is to circle your shoulders, your action is to circle your shoulders, done deal.

• Now begin "turning down the volume."  Slow it down.  Sense.
• Become acutely aware of the "quality" of the movement.  Sense.
• Are the circles really circular?  Stop reading and sense.
• Slower now.  Let go of the goal of shoulder circles just be aware that you are making the circles.  Let the circles happen. Don’t analyze them. 
• What parts of the circle are flat? 
• Can you feel why? 
• What tensions prevent the smooth movement? 
• Are you circling your shoulder blade?  Do you feel your waist muscles?  What are your hands and arms doing and feeling?
• What is happening in the rest of the body? 
• What are your thoughts?
• Try to avoid labeling and just sense.
• Feel the special mood of concentration turned inward that shows up.
• Get smaller and smaller, stay in your comfortable range of motion.
• Get more "cortical and new" as you move away from moving "habitually and reflexively."
• Reverse directions of the circle and apply the same type of internal questioning and awareness.
• Continue for as long as you like... get the hang of this and do it without reading this, or find someone to read it to you the first few times until you do it on your own."

When you are through, just pay attention to what you feel, sense, and experience.

The article covers much more in regards to sensory-motor, somatic learning. It is well worth the read.

*published in the Newfield Network Newsletter, July, 2009

And then there was that small voice...

This vacation was special. No only was there the experience of being present, there was that small voice....

Now let me be clear, the trip was not perfect, at least not in the traditional sense that many think of it. There were glitches, but they always worked out.  And each time, I heard a small voice inside say "See you are being taken care of. "

The first time was our stay at Foss State Park in OK.  The site was delightful. The birds in the prairie field across from us were active and filled the air with songs. We went to bed under the stars looking up through our mesh roof.

During the night, the wind began blowing. It got to be so vigorous we had to put the tent fly on. We noticed our "front door" pad had blown away. A cursory look with our flashlights didn't find it.

When we got up the next morning, the sky looked ominous. After some discussion, we decided to break camp and eat on the road. We took one last look along the edge of the prairie field and there it was - our blue pad. We packed up and left. It was only after we got on the highway that the storm hit. And then I heard that voice...

The next day, after a long drive, we took a chance on going to a different park then we planned, without a reservation -  Bluewater Lake State Park, NM.  We arrived later then we would have liked but after looking around we found a spot that over looked this wonderful canyon. How perfect! After setting up camp as I was gazing over the canyon, I heard that voice...."you are being taken care of."

I heard the voice again in the Dead Horse Ranch State Park in AZ after we went to talk to our "neighbor" in the truck occupying the site across from us. He was playing music way too loud for quiet time. We felt pretty centered going over to talk with him. As we approached the truck, it became obvious he was a pretty stoned. We were still feeling centered and remarkably nonjudgmental. He roused himself, thanked us for letting him know and turned the radio off. And then there was the voice...

The voice came when the lost briefcase was found by the hotel staff and was retrieved by my sister and her husband. And it came again and again. "See, you are being taken care of, you are not alone."

That sense of being taken care of has stayed with me.  It's not about not having problems, but its knowing that some how it is all perfect and that I will be fine.

3945 miles later something changed.  I think it was me.

I don't know what happened...not really

Our days were spent driving, finding campsites, making dinner, and in the middle, staying at a hotel while we had a great visit with my sister and her husband in Prescott Valley, AZ. It sounds like any other vacation, except it wasn't.

My husband and I camped our way to AZ from OH using our wonderful Marmot tent, staying mostly at state parks. 

We decided to forgo radio, CDs,  books on tape... We set our intention to be present - something we'd both been practicing.

Presence can be understood many ways. One that works for me is Tolle's power of the present moment.  It's being aware of your body and what's around you. It is connecting to an energy inside. 

Well, 3945 miles later it became clear.

Something had changed for both of us.

Maybe it was that we got used to the quiet. Maybe we got used to being in our bodies (centered, anchored) vs. our heads. Maybe it was that we took things as they came with acceptance. Maybe it was because we were enjoying the incredibly beautiful land around us; the birds, the scenery, the spaciousness of it all.

Maybe we were just more aware and therefore, somehow more alive.

Whatever it was, we both found a place inside that was calm and peaceful. I felt nourished. It was a way of being I wanted to continue.

I had the experience of what life could be like living from presence.

....and still there was more.

(see next post)

...and where are you when the stars come out ?

"Ralph Waldo Emerson  once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course...We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God."    [People would camp out all over the world to see this wondrous event...wouldn't you?]

"Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television."*


 Here's to living in wonder! The earth is a treasure, may you experience it as such. We need less distraction and more genuine awe in our lives.  As Auntie Mame once said, "Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death."


*Read the rest of Paul Hawken's 2009 Commencement Speech given at The University of Portland. 

Gifts that pay it forward

"For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. for beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day." Audrey Hepburn (See The Audrey Hepburn Children Fund )

I just received a lovely gift from a friend...a donation was made in my name to the Seva Foundation. Now some might feel that this was not as exciting nor as personal as a good book, a bracelet or even a nice smelling candle.

I thought it was perfect!  Ir reminded me that 1) I have much and need little these days, 2) Someone thought of me as having abundance and as willing to share, and 3) that in these times of financial stress, so many are, and have been, in great need.

Intrigued I started to notice all sorts of charity giving opportunities.

If you want the giftee to participate in where the gift is donated there is tisbest.org  You can buy a gift card and the giftee can pick their charity of choice on line.  

Another site is justgive.org  where you can not only

buy a gift card, you can actually set up a charity gift registry for birthdays, memorials, or anniversaries...how neat is that?

If you have children there is  echoage.com. This site was started by two mothers  who got tired of the the growing ritual of "elaborate Birthday parties and even more elaborate gifts."  They wanted a cool alternative with parties that allowed kids to be with each other and where they could celebrate giving to others.

Another great site is the 10% Solution for  businesses and individuals. They are encouraging tithing to the charities of your choice. They offer statistics (see left) and a host of places to put your money.  And, you can get your business certified as a tithing organization.

People who give to others may live longer.  Plus, you might just feel good that you are making a difference.

Thanks to ODE Magazine for sharing this information.

The Age of Conversation

How long does it take to publish a book?  How about one with multiple authors scattered across the globe? How about less then two months?    Gavin Heaton  and Drew McLellan  spearheaded such an effort resulting in the recently published book, The Age of Conversation. They have amassed 103 authors, spanning 10 countries. Each entry is about 400 words and addresses something to do with the topic of conversation.

Having just downloaded the book, I've only started reading it.  I am impressed however with what this effort represents: 

• Global interactions that were unheard of 20 years ago.
• The mobilization of diverse people around a project they care about (or at least found intriguing)

True the conversations are limited to the "blog literate" so to speak.  And for those of us used to personal contact, there is a sense of the surreal  -- is this really conversation?   But clearly the electronic linking across the globe mirrors what we are learning at the quantum level:  We are connected.

What has this to do with Creatorship?  Perhaps it is simply that connecting around common interests is powerful.