Voice, Movement, and the Possibilities of Soul (1)

Okay. So I think I will try to find times and opportunities to weave in what I didn't get to say this morning in the days that follow, and instead, now, I want to experiment a little bit. In the past -- some of you may have encountered it on the web or in person -- I've talked a little bit about movement, and its relationship with soul and the imaginal, and also about mudrā, gesture. I gave some instructions, and I was trying to encourage a sort of inclusion of that exploration in the larger scope of the practice we're doing here.

One of the things I said -- and I want to offer it again as an instruction -- is that sometimes you're practising, and there's an image. You're with that image, and you're connected to that image, and moved -- the soul is moved by that image. And sometimes the image is in motion. For instance, recently I've had some images of dancers. So the image is one of movement. Or the image might not be in movement, but you feel a sense of something moving in the energy body. It's part of the interaction with the image.

Now, an instruction, a totally valid, kosher part of our practice now, is that you can let it move the body -- in here, when we're sitting, as long as it's not too noisy, okay? So that's a part of the practice. Or our walking periods, we could now call them movement periods. They may look like walking up and down slowly, like it usually looks in our culture, or it may look like something very different. You're letting the image be embodied, with all the same sensitivity, and care, and mindfulness, and relational nuances, etc.

Second option, which I also mentioned whenever I introduced this, is that sometimes what happens is it feels more fruitful -- the same thing is going on, but the physical body is completely still. The dance is still going on, and the energy body, it's as if it feels two things at once. It can feel this body sitting still, and it can feel the movements of the dance or whatever. So the 'outer' (so-called) body is still, but the energy body is moving, and that's part of what you're paying attention to. If you want to explore this in practice sometimes, you can do it in two ways. And I would encourage you to actually do it not always one way or the other, just to see, to experiment.

Sometimes image is other: I have an image that I'm in relationship to, and that image is other. It might be that that image is not a moving image; it's a still image. But maybe I feel devotion, for example, towards that image, and maybe the movement that I then embody is a devotional gesture or something like that, or a gesture of receiving somehow. It could be anything. Or sometimes when we're working with an image, you become the image: I am that dancer or whatever it is. Then I might move in relationship to the world, the image in relationship to the world.

Okay. So I want to reiterate and open up that instruction, open up that possibility. I talked about this in the past, but I want to just see what happens if we put a bit more emphasis and attention on it now, and explore it a bit more. One of the things (I think I've already said it on this retreat): when the soulmaking gets going, it's like a fire. It will reach out and it will catch everything -- not necessarily all at once; probably not all at once -- so that different aspects and domains of our being get drawn in and involved in the soulmaking. They become soulful. They become infused with eros and that whole eros-psyche-logos dynamic. So one of them will be body. One of them will be movement, gesture. At some point, if you pursue this kind of thing, it will start to involve every aspect of the being -- voice, as well, which is something we'll also play with a little bit.

When I introduced it before^[1] -- maybe two years ago -- I talked about mudrā, these sort of subtle hand gestures. I think it was, perhaps, not so attuned as a teaching. It was probably just too subtle for where a lot of people were at. That's fine. It's there floating around somewhere. So now I would like to do it in a way that's not just subtle. Some subtle stuff, but also some really not very subtle stuff. And also -- I did mention this before -- it would be great if we could normalize this in the culture. When I introduced it, it was interesting how few people seemed to pick up on it. I think one other thing is just a social pressure. So, you know, it looks a certain way, and again, we're back into meditation habit, and meditation mindset, and attitude, and conception, so that generally what looks normal in here is this. Of course, when the postman comes ... [laughter] After all these years he thinks it's pretty weird, the people walking up and down like that, or sitting still like this. It's like, how much we're shaped and constrained by culture, and can we actually start to normalize this, what we might call the soulfulness direction in movement? Can we normalize that in this culture? Sometimes we feel a little bit shy or it's not okay. So there's a desire for that.

Why are we doing this? Why? What's the intention here? Actually, I would say two things primarily. And I want to point this out because it can be quite easy, I think, to sort of grab hold of these kind of things with all kinds of other intentions -- which is fine and great, but I'd like to kind of highlight some possibilities that are a bit more honed in terms of what they're intending, what the purpose is. One is -- and I think it's really, really important, although not so dramatic -- to have the capacity more often, more available, to sense and see everyday movements -- your everyday movements, your friends' everyday movements, and gestures and voice -- the capacity to sense that as soul. Just moving my hand, or the voice, the sound of the voice, and the fact of the mystery of the infinite -- whatever it is. What is it to perceive movement, gesture, voice as soul, and to have that as just part of the healing of perception that we're trying to open up, to sense with soul and as soul? So that's actually primary.

Second intention here is to open up the range and the channels of soul. We're going to do some exercises in a minute, movement and stuff. We're not trying to develop into these sort of movement artists, just able to do amazing stuff and channel their soul in their movement in some wonderful way. Fantastic when you witness something like that; it's just gorgeous, you know? But that's not what we're kind of aiming for here. If it happens, great. [laughter] But it's more these two other intentions, to sense everyday movement, voice, gesture as soul, and to open up the range and channels of possibility for soul.

[9:04] Okay. So when we start to do this and we talk about this, it's quite a lot. Some of this, in different ways, might be a stretch for many of us in this room. So really, like with all this stuff, to think of it as a kind of gradual evolution. People are in very different places -- their relationship with their body, their relationship with movement, all that. It's very normal, and it's really okay. So if we think, you know, it's quite a big deal just to be mindful of the body, isn't it? And to be in the body, and aware of what movement feels like. Most insight meditation, most of the training is either sitting still or walking up and down. So what is it to do other kinds of movement and still just have that really basic mindfulness? That's one level. And it might be that actually that's the level I'm kind of working on right now. Super, absolutely super. It's just you have to kind of pitch where my edge is, where my growing is.

Then we've talked about energy body. It might be actually to be aware of the more subtle energy body effects of certain movements. It's a slightly different thing than just the mindfulness of sensation. Another kind of stage or aspect of this is just what about self-consciousness and kind of social anxiety, if you have to wiggle in a certain way in public or whatever it is? So that's a whole territory or level that might be an edge, might be "Oh, this is what I'm looking into with this." Just having a connection between self and movement. I don't know if you can see that, for some people, there's a very direct connection with self and movement, and for other people it's much more blocked. It doesn't flow. There's something a little constrained there. Wherever we're at with this, whatever reasons and history, it's really fine. But these are all different aspects of what we can be kind of slowly looking at, opening up, etc.

Another aspect is the freedom to move, the fluidity. Again, you can see sometimes it's really there: a person is very fluid in their body, and free to move in different ways. And sometimes it's not there. It's really perfect, whatever it is, and there's room to grow. What is it to be able to express with movement and through movement? There's starting to be more of a connection with soul there. And then, as I said, what is it to sense with soul and as soul, to actually sense movement imaginally -- my movement, your movement, whoever? And there's the possibility of becoming soul movement artists or something, but that's not what we're aiming for.

I want to say: there are pitches here. Everyone's different. We all have very different histories with this, different practices. So wherever you are, it's good. It's really okay. And there's going to be something to kind of learn and explore.

So why don't we play with this a little bit? I'm not going to do it. I've done something to my ribs and my back, and I need to be really careful at the moment, so I'm actually not going to. But in a way, that's a teaching, because for anyone who it feels like "this is not okay for my body" if we do certain movements, just either don't do it, or find a movement that somehow seems related or similar that is okay for your body. Really don't damage anything, okay? And also, if something feels like just a bit too much of a stretch for the soul, you know, that's okay too. Just either leave it for now, or come back to that later, or whatever, yeah?

[13:11, guided exercise begins]

So why don't we start by moving the mats again to the side, and then we'll see what we can do here. Okay, so if we can be kind of homogenous in the room, so there's, given the number of people, just the maximum possible space between us (which isn't very much, but still). So yeah, you'll have to excuse me. I'm just going to either sit or stand for this. I don't feel my body is able to do it at the moment.

Find a space. Why don't we just start with feeling the connection with the ground? And feeling the whole body. Is there the possibility, feeling your body, to feel your body as blessed, whatever is the condition of your body health-wise, appearance-wise, skill-wise? Can you sense your body as blessed?

Maybe just starting by doing a few of those sort of tai chi twists, which Catherine will demonstrate ... [laughter] Where you swing your arms. They don't have to be wide swinging. Just to loosen the body a little bit. Really let's try and use all the space. Yeah, that's great. And then actually just whatever your body, whatever movements your body needs to do right now just to loosen it up a bit. Bring the mindfulness there, so the whole body is filled with awareness, just feeling what this feels like. There's always some problem or other with the body. [laughter] It's never going to be perfect.

Okey-dokey. Exercise number one. Or game number one. Let's do it that way, game number one. (1) Game number one is you're drunk. You're completely plastered. [laughter] Off your rocker. And you're walking around the room. Ready?! [laughter] This is actually just more of a loosener. I won't give extra instructions for this one, but just see how much you can give yourself to being totally blotto. [laughter] How does that show itself in the movements? Just get into it as much as you can. Wandering around, you can use the whole space. Take care not to harm each other. [laughter] Just do that for a while, and then I'll add different layers. [laughs] [someone in background: "Are you going to watch?"] I am watching! [Rob laughs and laughs!]

Can drunk people get excited about something? [laughter] At least for as many moments before they forget what it is that they're excited about. How would such a person move? [shuffling, exclamations, laughter] Beautiful! Beautiful!

[19:21, bell rings] And now, with the magic of the mindfulness bell, this drunken lout is transformed into mindful stillness. [background sounds suddenly cease] Beautiful, lovely. That was really great. Okay. Let's take just a few breaths.

Catherine: It's quite surprisingly strenuous.

Rob: Hard work being drunk! Again, feel the feet. Feel the whole body. Let the breath come and go, animating the body, giving its blessings to the body, receiving breath. Can you feel this body as blessed? Can you know this body as blessed?

Okay. (2) Second game. I might need someone to demonstrate this. What is it to engage in a movement, let the body express something or be carried by something, where there's ferocity, power, courage? All the energy and intention is in the legs, squat. The connection with the earth. There's power coming from the belly and from the root, and it's there, and there's strength. And the body is expressing this courage and this ferocity and power. Scary. That's good. It's scary, you know? It's a warrior, okay? Maybe that's a way of putting it. It's a warrior.

So the whole body expresses this. It's a lot in the body, in the hips and the belly, and feeling that connection, that power. It's really about power and strength, and this unmovable warrior determination. It also comes out the mouth in a couple of ways. Are you okay with that? [laughter] So if you watch Catherine, the tongue comes out.

Catherine: [fierce roaring]

Rob: Like those gargoyles or tantric wrathful deities, in the tongue, in the voice, the throat. Everything's coming out. The chest, the whole body is involved there. That's also quite tiring, probably. And the eyes -- can you do that? Can people see that? [laughter] [To Catherine] Are you okay with this?

Catherine: Yeah.

Rob: So the whole body is channelling something, embodying something, expressing something.

Probably doing that, you'd probably go hoarse a little bit. So do it in kind of cycles. Do it a little bit, and then pause a little bit, and then do it. I don't know how you feel about this. Would it feel more comfortable to do it facing a wall? If you feel like you'd rather not want anyone to watch you, or you're concerned, or you don't want to see it, just do it facing a wall. Do you get this one? Do you want to try? Let's try that. You are some kind of wrathful deity or warrior or whatever. Just do it in your own rhythm, in your own time.

That's super. Okay. Now the other levels of this. Going back to what I was saying before, there are different levels of, if you like, awareness or sensitivities as you're doing this. So the body is doing something, and then the awareness can pick up all kinds of things. One thing: just what does it feel like to stand like that? What does it feel like in the throat? What does my face feel like? Just simple mindfulness of sensations. But then there's also: what does it do in the energy body? And then there's a whole other level of sensing it with soul, possibly. It's not like there's a right or wrong. It's more like, "What can I notice here?" And it may be that the whole thing, if you like, becomes image a little bit. Does that make sense if I say that? Yeah? The sensibility, the sensitivity, picks up on different aspects or nuances of the whole experience -- like, what do I notice here, and at what level? Any of it is good. Is that okay?

Let's do another round of that. You can do a few. Some of you will hurt your voice if you just do it continuously. Do it in rhythms, and see what happens.

[26:16] Fabulous! Good. It's quite tiring, yeah? Okay. Why are we doing this? Why are we doing this? [laughter] It's a good question. [shuffles papers] Let me just check. I'm a little disorganized here. [laughter] Yeah, it says here ... [laughter] The purpose here is not to prescribe a kind of soul-expression: "This is what all of you need, or this person or that person needs." Nor is it -- sometimes what you get is kind of like, "Oh, we're supposed to kind of balance our archetypes, so I have my whatever this screaming warrior is, and then I have my little angelic cherub image or whatever it is." In this system, we're not aiming for some kind of wholeness as a balance, or a complete set of archetypes that are all in perfect balance. Some systems do that. That's not what we're going for, okay?

It's rather to open up the channels of possible soul images, energies, movements, postures, expressions -- emphasis on possible -- so that if soul, at any time, wants to flow that way, it is available. It's not a no-entry. So certain images can constellate. You know, the mind affects the body, but the body affects the mind. If the body is not open in a certain way, sometimes the mind won't open in certain ways. Certain things won't arise -- certain images, certain energies, certain expressions, certain characters. So if soul wants to, or has a sort of momentary impulse to go in a certain direction, and it's blocked or it's rusted or broken, then that thing cannot manifest, either internally or externally. Mind and body are mutually dependent, so they feed each other.

I mentioned, I think this morning, we're not aiming for some kind of catharsis, like I'm really angry, and if I kind of bellow in this way, then it will be out of my system and gone and purified. We're actually more trying to loosen possible channels, if you like, or avenues of expression and embodiment in the body, in gesture, in movement, in energy, and therefore in psyche, so that they become an available colour, an available style, an available resource, an available image or archetype -- like when we talked about frustration and dynamism this morning.

Okay, one more thing, and we'll try something else. I'll mention this too. So we're creatures of habit. One way of understanding what the mind is is it's a set of habits. And the body is also a set of habits. Energy and expression and gesture get crystallized into certain habits. And sometimes what happens is there's a habit of the energy body, and even the amount of energy, to be limited. Sometimes it's not obvious. It's not at all obvious in a person, unless you're really thinking this way and kind of attuned in this way. The person doesn't even realize that or notice it. Everything's fine and functional, but there's actually a limit on what manifests, in terms of how much energy, what kinds of energy, what kinds of images, and what kinds of experiences in consciousness.

So partly, one of the things we're doing is getting used to just having more energy, and more energy flowing. Sometimes that can be really like, "Ooh, I'm just not used to this." I think I mentioned, just at a much more subtle level, that long breath that we played with very briefly on the first day, that also gives more energy. Sometimes people spending more time with that, they get used to having more energy. When the energy is limited in different ways, the energy body is limited, then also the emotions and the images -- everything can get limited and constrained.

[31:03] Okay. (3) So let's try something else. [To Catherine] Would you mind doing this one as well? Catherine's going to demonstrate. This is jumping from something quite gross that we just did, to something much more subtle. Can you stand up? Catherine will demonstrate. See if you can see Catherine.

Catherine: [inaudible in background]

Rob: Maybe if some people sit down near the front, then the others can see. Good idea. Thank you. So feet are sort of hip-width apart, and loose at the knees. And really, really subtle movement, really not dramatic: the head is just tilting up and down. Repeated, slowly tilting up and down. That's it. Actually, that's one part of it. And if you want, the arms can outstretch.

There's really not much to it: the arms are outstretched, and the head tilts up and down. Already she's noticing something; I don't quite know what yet. But this noticing could be at any level. So, of course, you move the head, or you hold the arms out, and there are just physical sensations. We all know that mindfulness. But there are probably movements in the energy body. There's probably some kind of subtle emotion being constellated by the movement. And possibly an image, imaginal sense, constellating of that body in movement. You don't have to share, but do you want to say a little bit or not?

Catherine: First sense I have of the heart centre, kind of tender. There feels like some kind of assent -- not ascent but assent, a supplication ...

Rob: 'Assent' means 'to say yes' to something. So you can already hear in what she's saying, there's already a sacredness there. She's tuning the level of attention -- not that this is right or wrong -- but tuning right to a soul-level with the emotional level. It's all quite subtle. Do you want to say more, or is that good? Have you got more to give? Don't have to.

Catherine: There's a shyness.

Rob: Okay.

Catherine: Some kind of becoming more humble.

Rob: Okay, beautiful. Thank you very much. Yeah.

So it's not like, "This is exactly what's going to happen if you stand like this and wiggle your head up and down." [laughter] It may. It might be something completely different. What's important is the sensitivity and the particularity, and 'particularity' means 'individuality.' It might be not much happens, or I don't notice much apart from the bare sensations. But there's a direction here, and, as I said, wherever we are is just completely fine. So shall we try this together, this one?

Just enough room to ... And so the arms are outstretched, and the palms sort of facing forward. There's not an exact posture, so just find kind of what feels somehow like it's a fruitful or helpful one, in whatever ways that is. And then very slowly -- and again, at whatever pace and whatever range of movement both feels doable, and comfortable, and not harmful to your body, and also somehow right -- moving the head, tilting it up and down. And bringing this receptivity of sensitivity and fine noticing to that. So actually the key thing is not the movement. The key thing at this point is the sensitivity. And that can be at all different levels. So where's your playground of discovery for this particular exercise? What level or domain of attention and sensitivity? If it's simple, basic mindfulness, then that's beautiful and wonderful. And if somehow the movement itself becomes imaginal, becomes image, that's also beautiful. Your experience, your body, your care.

Okay. When you're ready, just the arms down to the side, and the body to stationary, to stillness. Feeling the contact with the floor, feeling the air on the body. Is it possible to know this body as blessed? The mystery of movement, the mystery of a sensitive body, a sensitive soul -- all kinds of sensitivities. Can you know this body as blessed?

Okay. (4) Next exercise, some of you may be sort of familiar with it. Again, it's quite a subtle one, reasonably subtle one. It's just a small smile. Eyes shut. And just as much of a smile as feels helpful. What happens? Again, bringing the sensitivity there, what do you notice -- in the whole body, in the consciousness, in the soul, at whatever level, in whatever way? Just a small smile. And then you might let it go, and then rest for a while, and bring it back. Just notice the ripples from this tiny movement, the ripples in the energy body, in the consciousness, in the being. Let your whole body be open to whatever reverberations of such a small movement. What effect does that have on the heart, on the soul? Maybe it becomes imaginal in some way. Maybe not. It's all fine. What can I see? What can I sense? Some people call it a half smile. Just play with how much, what it does.

[41:26] Okay. And then letting that one go. Again, just coming into contact with the floor, and the sensations of the feet on the floor. (5) This next one is a vocalization. We're going to hiss, okay? You can try it two ways. Try it just with a sssssssss. And that may have all kinds of emotional flavours with it. So you see what that is, just with the voice. And then do it sometimes with the voice and anything the body wants to do with it. Does that make sense? In your own time, in your own space, in your own rhythm with this as well. So hissing. [everyone hisses] And again, find the pitch of the attention and sensitivity, whether it's simple mindfulness, or energy, or image, or emotion, or some or all of those. So sometimes just the voice, and sometimes the voice and the body, however it wants to be. Again, the key is sensitivity as much as anything, and noticing. If it doesn't feel right for you, if it feels like just a step too far, any of this, remember, you don't have to do it. Okay, last few seconds of hissing. And then letting yourself again come to stillness. The sense of contact with the floor. The sense of the whole body. Opening your eyes, taking in the room.

Okay. (6) The last little game is optional, as all these are. I think, actually, Catherine and I will demonstrate. Is that okay? We can sit and do the cushions. It's in pairs, so if you don't want to be in a pair, and you don't want to do this, then while the people do it who want to do it in pairs, who are okay with that, you can just move however you want your body to move, and the attention is on yourself, and what that movement feels like, or what you want to do, okay? But it is in pairs. Some people sit so we can see. You can find partners in a minute; don't worry about that yet. But if you're working with someone in a pair, either both stand or both sit. [To Catherine] Do you have a preference? So we're going to both stand. In other words, we're at the same level.

Okay. So we're going to face each other. We're 2 or 3 feet apart, something like that. You can decide whether you want to sit or stand. We're going to play with the balance of attention and just kind of arriving together when we do it. We'll guide that. So having played with the balance of attention, then one of the pair will move, can move, in any way they want to move. The other is still and witnessing. Both people are paying attention, with all the sensitivity, at what happens. So if Catherine will move in a second, my job is just to witness. I'm bringing my whole energy body into relationship, into the witnessing. I'm knowing, not just with my eyes -- with my whole body. So she might move ...

Catherine: And I'm tuning to your ...?

Rob: I think you'll be conscious of it, but primarily you're just moving how you want to move. You'll feel me in relationship. But my job is to notice how her movement impacts my energy body, or my soul, or my emotion, or my mind, or whatever it is. Again, there's a pitching of the attention to what feels most fruitful.

When you guys do it in pairs, you don't have to report "I felt this" or da-da-da. You just notice, and then you'll swap. First we do the balance of attention. We come into relationship. She's listening to herself and what kind of movement is called for. That will depend on me, it will depend on her, and the day, and all kinds of things. The room, the space is part of it. All of you guys, staring at her, thinking, "What's she going to do then?" [laughter] All that stuff. So everything is dependent arising. And it takes the time it takes. If it's subtle, great. If it's not subtle, also great.

Eyes are optional, contact or not contact, or you can go in and out. Sometimes when we do this pair thing, I think there's a bit of pressure, like I have to lock eyes, and if I don't, I'm a sissy. [laughter] And I've got to stay there, and it's like, "Oh, my God. When are they going to ring the bell?!" [laughter] That's actually not how human interactions are -- or proper, healthy ones. So let it be -- sometimes there's contact. Already when we made eye contact, I could feel something. There's a lot here. Just the contact there, and I can feel it in my heart. I can feel it in my energy body. So there's a lot of possibility here for sensitivity. But neither of us have to remain glued with eye contact. We can, or we can go in and out, or not, or whatever. But obviously I need to have my eyes open to some extent to see her moving.

[Catherine and Rob silently do this exercise together] That's great. I'm completely still. I'm not doing anything. Occasionally a bit of a smile came or whatever. But basically I'm not moving; she's moving. We did this a few days ago just as an experiment, a couple of weeks ago, and the movement was a lot more elaborate. But in a way, it's really great -- there was very little. It was really quite subtle. But again, if I'm attentive, I can see, actually, with each movement of her eyes -- they're just changing the direction -- I feel it in my energy body. It's not what you do; it's just an exercise in kind of developing the sensitivity in different ways, yeah?

Okay. So you don't have to do this. You didn't have to do any of it, actually, as I said at the beginning. If you want to play, then find a partner. If you'd rather not, then maybe find a space where you can just do your own movement, just for the period of this exercise, and be focusing on yourself. If you're with someone, you want to be really around them. Like Catherine, if you can see, she moved over there, which she didn't when we did it at my house, but ... [laughter] That's fine. If she went over there, it would be a bit much, because you're going to be like, "Where's my person amongst all ...?" So keep it in a fairly tight orbit if you're going to move at all.

If you want to play, if you want to see, find a partner. And if not, as I said, just find a space where you can explore your own movement. I'll guide you in, because we're going to do a bit with the balance of attention as well. If you need a cushion, sure, get a cushion. Is anyone who wants a partner without? No? Good. Okey-doke.

[53:28] So first thing is actually just shut your eyes, and ignore the other person. Just come into your own space, inhabiting the fullness of your experience, your energy body, right now, whatever is happening in that space.

And then, if you're not already, without opening the eyes, just being aware of the fact that you have a partner in this exercise sitting in front of you or standing in front of you. Let that into the consciousness, into your awareness. Just notice what happens with the attention. Does it go all into that fact of someone there, or do I have to keep reminding myself that someone's there because I'm mostly with myself? Just notice the tendency. Really a lot of kindness with this, whatever you notice. This business of twoness of attention is not easy. You'd think it was, but it's actually not very easy at all for most people.

You're aware of your energy body. You're aware of your emotions. And just gently, gradually, opening your eyes. You don't have to make eye contact, but you're just bringing more fully the other person's presence into the possibility of your consciousness. And then let's try again this kind of proportion of 80/20 -- 80 per cent of your attention, if you like, is with your own experience, your own space, your own energy body, and 20 with the other. Sometimes, for some people, it's more easy, sort of a fluid going back and forth, 80 per cent of the time with yourself and 20 with the other, but there's enough rapidity to stay in touch. So most of the attention on your experience, your energy body, your space, your emotion.

And then is it possible to play with a 50/50? Again, either spread in a kind of whole space of attention, or a kind of fluid back and forth fairly rapidly between the two of you, so the attention is balanced between the two of you. It's not an easy exercise. You'd think it would be easy. It's not that easy, and it's really okay. We get better at it.

Take a few moments to radiate mettā towards your partner. You may know them. You may not know them. Just wishing them well, wishing them peace and ease, well-being and health. Maybe there's eye contact. Maybe there isn't. Comes and goes. It's all fine.

Now, as you're giving the mettā, can you also be aware at the same time that you are receiving mettā? Again, there's a kind of balance of attention there. You are the recipient right now of goodwill, of well-wishing, of kindness. Giving and receiving -- both.

Now, perhaps, amongst you, if you can without too much fuss decide: who's going to be the first mover, and who the first witnesser? Okay. So the job of the mover is to move in whatever way they feel moved to, within this sort of staying in the space or even in one's spot. It's a movement that's still somewhat in relationship with your partner. You can move however you want to move. It could be really subtle. It could be quite not subtle. Of course, the mover will also notice what happens as I do this -- how do I feel? What happens emotionally? What happens in my energy body, etc.? What image is there of this? How does it feel, just in terms of to be witnessed like this? And the witnesser stays stationary, and just notices what the effects are in the body, in the energy body, in the emotions, in the soul, any of it. When you're ready, mover number one, you'll have probably somewhere between one and two minutes. So don't think you have to choreograph a whole ballet thing. [laughter] So between one and two minutes for mover number one, when you're ready. Please begin.

And the last ten seconds or so. Gradually coming to stillness again. Just checking in, each, both of you, what's reverberating in the body, in the heart, in the mind, in the soul right now. And offering mettā to yourself, to this mystery that you are, and this mystery of body and sensitivity. Then including your partner in the reach of the mettā, in the sphere of mettā, so you're offering mettā to yourself and to your partner both. Wishing well, wishing ease, wishing happiness. And again, recognize that, at this moment, you are the recipient of intentions of well-wishing, of mettā, of kindness. They're being directed, beamed your way.

Then gently letting the mettā intention just drop really to the distant background. It's always a base of what we do, but not so conscious. And when you're ready, mover number two can begin. You don't necessarily have to change places. Okay, so mover number two can begin when you feel ready. Again, the mover, let your movement be at least somewhat in relationship. Be conscious of the relationship as well. You're moving in relation to. The witnesser, with the whole body, the whole senses, all the senses, and all the sensitivity, witnessing, sensitized, open, noticing.

Again, last ten or fifteen seconds of moving and witnessing. And gradually coming to stillness. And again, the mettā. Starting with mettā to yourself, mettā for this body, this instrument, mettā to this heart and mind and soul. Perfect where it is, how it is. And then adding, including your partner in the sphere of mettā. Recognizing the giving and the receiving simultaneously. You are giving, and you are receiving. You are the object of loving-kindness in this moment. Bowing to your partner, or some way of thanking them -- whatever feels right.