Thursday, July 03, 2008

slowing down, part twelve

SLOW DOWN

Like how fast we are driving?

Like how fast we are talking?

Like how fast we are eating?

Like how many things we are doing?

Yes.

And even better, spend a day not being in any cars.

And talking less than usual, say letting the phone kind of take care of itself, and letting other people talk, but not feeling compelled to tell them all our brilliant and wonderful ideas.

In keeping with that, I won’t tell you a bunch of wonderful ideas about the slow food movement, or just the slow living movement, or any of that.

You are smart enough to be curious about what would this day be like if you took plenty of time between things to sit and do nothing. Or sit and contemplate what you’ve just learned and experienced.

To sit and sense yourself.

To lie down on the floor and try the day one activity, the pelvis clock.

To sit in a chair or on a log and try the pelvic clock.

To sit anywhere and follow your breathing and have an empty mind and see if you can allow to percolate up in you what you really want to be doing next.

Yes, yes, of course you have your obligations, and a little slowing and not rushing off might surprise you about how much or little you really want to do the next thing that is on the “to do” list.

What would it be like to be present in our transitions from one activity to another?

What would it be like to not know for awhile, or even for big patches of time, what we are going “to do” next?

What if we veered off on a walk, or a stroll, or a roll around on the ground, or a roll in the hay, or took a nap?

Would the world fall apart?


Who knows?
What will we discover when we slow down to the level of life lived in the present moment?

Who knows?

You will, if you do it.



Danger, though: this could become a habit, and a very pleasurable and life shifting one, at that. Ah, well. That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

la, la

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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

less force, and more...

to learn
we need to perceive something
new

if we get in a jam
we often want,
as parents,
or as anyone,
to try to bash on through

as if doing what we were doing
that didn't work
and using a louder voice
or tighter grab
or more frantic air
will get things to the next place
we want to go

unfortunately,
this might work,
with everyone feeling rotten,
but they got bullied
along

maybe
this is not
such a good idea


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Monday, October 01, 2007

Anat Baniel Method: new version website, up and going

Olson Park
Olson Park, where DNA yoga is taught Saturday and Sunday

a new
website

no,
a new version
of an ongoing website

the training
Brendan
and I
are attending:

learning
to learn:
by

going slow
trying things in many ways
reducing force
being interested in the process
letting the outcome emerge
taking rests
finding new possibilities
using our non verbal thinking
being present
sharpening powers of awareness
refining attention
enjoying the learning

the website,
new version up today
is
AnatBanielMethod.com

lots on there
lots to learn:

note,
free introductory workshop
this Saturday evening
down in San Rafael,
6-8 PM

ciao
and enjoy

chris


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Saturday, September 29, 2007

Too much force

pretty hill
this idea,
the idea that more
can get done
with less force
and more discrimination

is coming along at the training
i'm going to with my son,
brendan

i'll give the website
tomorrow
or the next
because it's supposed to be a new
zippy version

anyway
some example where given:
in skiing,
when you get good, the
less force you can use,
the better
your skiing will get

in flying a plane,
either you react slow
and light
or thngs get very troubled

and then in parenting:
if you are in a rush,
you "show the kid how,"
which means,
make the child do it
as you do it,
and don't give time
to go slowly,
and gently
and so no
discovery takes place

so,
what is it about force
and the world of today?

well,
look around,
listen:
cars and roads are the dominant force
in our "civilization"

what powers a car:
thousands of explosions a minute

what makes the place
the car can drive,

big machines, tearing up nature
to pave out those roads

we explode the gas,
we pave the world

and we forget
sometimes
the simple
power
of the blade of grass,
pushing itself up
through a crack
in the asphalt

what is the crack in our asphalt
where and
what
is our blade
of grass

maybe
that's what some of these poem
thoughts
are about

hope
so

ciao
chris

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