From wendy at consciousembodiment.com Mon Oct 6 12:27:36 2008 From: wendy at consciousembodiment.com (Wendy Palmer) Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 12:27:36 -0600 Subject: Conscious Embodiment Newsletter, October 2008 Message-ID: <20081006182736.GD55377@aikiweb.com> Dear Friends, Let's take a moment away from the intensity of our lives and shift our energy to a more centered state. Starting with a long exhale imagine your breath spiraling down rooting into the earth. Then let your inhale spiral up your core and up through the top of your head toward the sky, creating a sensation of lightness. Exhale down again allowing the muscles to soften around your vertical core. Sense that you are anchored between heaven and earth in a stable and dignified posture. Now bring your attention to the energy and presence of your field - the life force that emanates from you and surrounds you. Feel or imagine you are supported from behind, front, left and right by the energy - chi or ki that is ever present in the spaces around people and objects. Ask yourself, "What would it be like if there was a little more ease (or your quality) in my body.....?" Although centering is a simple practice it can have a powerful effect. When our energy is organized in a different way we think different kinds of thoughts and we have access to different kinds of information. Our centered self has access to understanding and information that is found through our intuition, the universal data bank. This part of us is wise and creative in addressing some of the personal and global challenges we are facing. Center sees a bigger picture and recognizes the fundamental truth of interconnection. We are connected by the space we share. If we are willing to take a scientific point of view we can recognize that the space is not only a connector it is also a source of intelligence and information. You can read Bruce Lipton's, The Biology of Belief and Jill Bolt Taylor's, My Stroke of Insight if you want more formal information on this point of view. It takes discipline and concentration to begin to train our attention to reference on the spaces rather than the objects and concepts. If we don't develop this alternative reference point we will be caught in the limited world of our personality. Personality finds validity in people, objects and concepts and so it desires control, safety and approval. Our personality has access to a limited amount to creativity and intuition because it is too busy trying to become secure, to keep control. The part of us that is centered recognizes that we are connected and informed by the spaces and it is through our shared group and community intelligence that we will discover possible solutions to some of our greatest challenges. To access this wisdom we must be able to suspend the personality's need to feel safe and center ourselves. When we are centered we naturally open ourselves to the universal wisdom inherent in our basic intuition and deeper knowing. We can use the "yes....and...." practice to work with our concerns and frustrations. Yes, I may be concerned about our political situation and I am willing to be interested in other people's point of view even if I don't agree with them. I practice this so I can model the way I would like others to engage with me. Even if they don't agree with me I would like them to be willing to consider my point of view. Center allows me to tolerate differences and engage life with an eye toward plurality rather than buy in to my personality's need to have everyone agree with me. Our centered self becomes our ally, a supporter that enables us to remain open and interested in what is possible rather than retreating into a world of fear and resentment. Let's continue to build the muscle of center by committing to as least 10 repetitions a day! May we all act with wisdom, kindness and confidence in the days ahead. Blessings, Wendy ================================================================ Below are some of the Conscious Embodiment Workshops and courses for the remainder of 08 and the beginning of 09. I am currently working on dates for Level 1 and Level 2 weekend workshops in the Bay Area. They will be posted on the website as soon as firm up the date and place. 2008 Workshops and Courses: ~ * ~ Level II course with Wendy Palmer Mondays, Oct 13 - Nov 10 (5 weeks) 6:30pm - 8:30pm at The Yoga Room Berkeley, CA For more information Call: 415 472-1619 or email: info at consciousembodiment.com ~ * ~ Level II course with Wendy Palmer Thursdays, Oct 16 - Nov 13 (5 weeks) 10:00am-12:00pm at Aikido of Tamalpais Sausalito, CA Call: 415 472-1619 or email: info at consciousembodiment.com ~ * ~ Conscious Embodiment and the Path of Nature with Steven Harper and Wendy Palmer October 17-19, 2008 at Esalen Big Sur, CA For registration or information www.esalen.org/workshops/reservations.shtml ~ * ~ Level II workshop with Wendy Palmer October 27 - 28, 2008 Seattle, WA Any questions can be directed to Art at 425-417-0625 or art at integralstrategy.com ~ * ~ Drop-in morning classes with Cathy Dana October 11, November 8, and December 13 Alameda CA Please e-mail CathyDana at alamedanet.net or call (510) 523-7853 for more information. ~ * ~ 2009 Workshops, Courses and Retreats Level II weekend Retreat with Wendy Palmer Feb 20 - 22, 2009 Woodacre, CA For more information call 415 472-1619 or email info at consciousembodiment.com ~ * ~ Level II with Wendy Palmer March 6 - 8, 2009 Dover, MA Below is a link to more info about registration. Registration Deadline is January 2, 2009. http://www.couragene.org/component/events/?task=view_detail&agid=27 ~ * ~ Level I with Wendy Palmer June 6 - 8, 2009 Chicago, IL For more information contact: Karen A. Szymanski, PhD (o) 847.735.1431 karen at gateways-learning.com