Transcription
I'm very confused. It's hard to tell, for me, right now, what's needed. I had planned to continue our exploration of movement that we started the other day, and do some different things with that. But I just can't tell if it's the right thing. Maybe it's the right thing for some of you, and not for others. So I'm going to give you the problem instead of me. What do you feel would be helpful now? Would it be helpful to continue your practice in silence? This is a question for each of you, rather than coming to a committee meeting decision together. Would it be helpful to continue in silence and more stillness, or would it be more helpful to continue exploring that thread of movement that we started the other day? Asking what is helpful is sometimes not easy, because sometimes we have a certain inertia, or a habit pattern in one way or another. We tend not to like to move, because we're just used to being still, and sometimes there's a bit of just sluggishness or just a habit of being still. Or sometimes we want to move because we don't want to be still, and it's just a kind of reactive thing. So ... I don't know. [laughs] But if we give each of you the choice, then for those that want, we can continue to explore movement as we began, I think, two days ago, and for others, we have a kind of free schedule this afternoon, so you can walk or move outside, or practise sitting outside, and come back later. How does that sound?
So maybe let's just take thirty seconds together, and see what the kind of guidance is, which is different than just habit. There's no right or wrong, or better or worse option. Just see if you can get a sense of what would be fruitful for your practice at this time. The mats are going to be cleared, so whether you're staying or going, perhaps if we could move the mats, and then those who don't want to stay, it's a free practice period outside. And you can sit in the lounge if you want somewhere indoors to sit a meditation. I think some of it was a bit intense for some people last time, so it won't be so intense today, just so you know that. If we move the mats, and make your choice, and then we'll see who's left.
Okey-doke. So again, if we can kind of homogenously spread through the space so each person has some room. And two things: as before, it's all optional. The whole thing is optional, as I just pointed out, but also any part of it is. I've done something or other to my back and ribs, so I'm going to be hardly moving at all. If any movement doesn't feel right, don't do it, or just adapt it to what your body can do safely for you right now, okay?
[5:00, guided exercise begins]
But let's just start, again, feeling the contact with the floor, feeling that rootedness, feeling the uprightness of the body. So there's the gravitational pull, and there's also a line of energy up from the earth, and the body gathers, organizes itself around that vertical, with the sense of contact, and then the whole body as a field of awareness, a field of bodily texture, vibration, energy.
And taking just a minute to move your body however you would like, in a way that just feels like it helps to loosen it up a little bit. So whatever that is for you right now. Okay. Great. And feeling the contact again.
(1) Now, the other day you all channelled with remarkably intimate insight this state of a drunken person. [laughter] I was really, really impressed. This same friend of ours has been invited to a disco party. [laughter]
Yogi: Is it a seventies disco party? [chatter in background]
Rob: Yeah, seventies. No, not trance techno! Seventies disco party. [laughter] Okay? And they're even more plastered now. And they're a really bad dancer, okay? They are really bad. They have no idea that they're a bad dancer. [laughter] They're loving it! They're totally into it! Just for a couple of minutes.
Yogi 2: What if we're too young?
Rob: Just imagine. So ... channel the boogie. [laughter] You're so uncoordinated, it cannot possibly look good. You can hardly keep balance. There's not a trace of self-consciousness. Yeah, okay. That's great. That's super. You guys really know this. [laughter] Okay, wonderful.
(2) Now, last time we did this thing with the fierce warrior. I want to kind of tone that down a bit, or take a part out of it. Actually, I think it's better for this if, as much as possible, maybe we need to make two kind of ovals, but basically you're facing the wall. So you're really doing this in your own space, kind of to the wall, rather than in other people's face, etc. Probably, I imagine, two ovals. Yeah? Well, you know, it might leave people in the middle forming a smaller oval, if that makes sense. Maybe I'll go into the middle. That will help, probably.
Okay. Now we're going to do this two ways. There won't be any vocals with this one like there was last time with the screaming. It's just with the body. Catherine, can you demonstrate? Do you mind? [whispering to Catherine] It's kind of like ...
Catherine: It's not like Gandalf?
Rob: [laughs] No. So again, it's this warrior who has got tremendous power in their legs, in their hips, in their pelvis, and down into the ground -- from the earth, and down into the earth. But actually, they're expressing it by stomping. I'm not going to do it. Catherine will demonstrate in a minute. But again, if you've got at all any fragility, just temper your stomping, okay?
Catherine: Can we have a staff?
Rob: You can have a staff if you want. [laughter] You can embellish this as you like.
I'll explain the two ways [to do it].
(a) The first way is to let the movement lead. So you do the movement, which is basically this stomping, with as much energy, and awareness, and intention, and power, and force in the lower half of the body, and see what that brings up, or what you're aware of then energetically, or perhaps imaginally. The movement leads, and the awareness notices. Let's do that first.
Catherine: No demo, or demo?
Rob: Yeah. Maybe people don't know what 'stomp' means, so do you want to? [stomping sound]
Yeah, so that's quite a vigorous stomp. [laughter] My vertebrae would probably just crumble if that happened. So temper it to what your body can actually do, okay? That's great. And then you can do one, another. Just something from the body, and let the soul be aware of what happens through the body, if that makes sense. So let's go with that, when you're ready. [stomping in background] Take your time as well. You can pause between stomps, and there's the energy body awareness, there's imaginal awareness, simple mindfulness, emotional awareness. Just see what you notice. And then maybe you want to stomp, and let it resonate after the stomp in the stillness, and see what you notice resonating in the stillness, if anything. Please respect your body.
[13:33] Okay, that's wonderful. Thank you.
(b) Now a slight variation on that. Let your body rest a little bit. A slight variation. This time, an image leads, but it's a deliberate, prescribed image of -- as I was describing -- some kind of warrior who is like that. And then, how does that warrior move? So you've got a small space to move. How do they exude and demonstrate this ferocity and power and strength that they have? None of that means badness ethically, or evil, or any of that business, okay? So it might come out something very similar, or it might come out different. Maybe your arms are involved. Maybe your mouth is involved, but we're not vocalizing at this point. The image leads. And see how the body enacts, if you like, that image. When you're ready. [stomping in background]
Maybe there's a kind of feedback loop between the gestures that you make, and the movements, and then the effects of those movements in the psyche, and that shapes the next movement, or what you want to do, or to be still. Do this in a rhythm, at a pace that enables you to be also sensitive to the effects and the feelings, emotional, sensational, energetic, imaginal. How does your belly feel, your lower belly? What is the sense of the vertical alignment of the body, and also the alignment of the intention?
(c) Now, one more variation. Let the space of this hall that we're in, allow an awareness of that, and how does that influence the movement, and influence the expression, or transmission, or enactment, embodiment? So there's a wider awareness. Yes, the body. Yes, the emotions, the energy, perhaps an image. But somehow it's connected to this space, and the physical dimensions, geometries, and actuality of this space. So you might have no idea what that means, but just what happens if you include that in the awareness? Staying facing the wall, yeah. You might want to glance at the room just to remind yourself what it looks like, but you probably know by now. Anyway, if it's an imaginal space, that's also fine. So see what that does. And again, in the time, the tempo, the rhythm that allows you to notice as much as possible as well. Same warrior, but in a certain space, to which the senses are open.
[19:08] There's some kind of intimate connection, almost a physical connection, between this warrior, their movements, and the walls, and the space of this hall; some mysterious, almost physical, energetic, imaginal connection. They are two, and they are one. And a last few seconds for this warrior to exude in the body their essence, their being, their duty.
Lovely. Thank you. Okay, take a breather, maybe just a bit of loosening of the body after kind of jerky motions for some. Whatever needs to shake and loosen. Some breaths.
(3) So the next one, many of you will be familiar with this kind of movement. This one I can actually do! [laughs]
(a) The hands come to the lower belly, like that, anyhow that feels right. And then, with the in-breath, they expand out like that, and with the out-breath, they come back in. Simple as that. Your legs are probably hip-width or even wider apart.
Some of you will be familiar with this movement from certain other practices, etc. For those people, I wonder, it would be really interesting to not just go straight into the usual way of seeing it, or conceiving of it, or interpreting it. That might be quite interesting. Can this become a movement that's open to other ways of sensing it, other ways of imagining it? So it's really just that. And you can, if you like, feel yourself really rooted with the floor, the connection with the floor, and perhaps centred, as if the centre of your body is the lower belly, if that makes sense. You're breathing from there out into the world, or rather breathing in the world and then out, or something like that. Good enough? In-breath, the arms come out. Out-breath, they come back here. If that feels wrong, switch it around. Just see. There's not like a right or wrong here. We're just partly developing different kinds of sensitivity, so play. Okay? Ready when you are.
Like with all of these things, there's the possibility of pitching the sensitivities, the noticing, the awareness at different levels. No right or wrong. So it might be simple mindfulness, just the sensations -- contact with the floor, the arms, the breath. It might be energy flows or movements. But it might open up -- could be emotional awarenesses. Could also be imaginal awarenesses. This body with these gestures, these movements, this flow.
(b) And again, when you feel ready, to add to it the dimension of the awareness of this space -- the geometry, the physicality, the corners, the ethos of this space. So the gesture, the movement, and the space are connected, somehow mysteriously intimate, reciprocal, in relationship. They are two, and they are one. They are one, and they are two. See what helps; eyes open, eyes closed. Could be sensational, emotional, energetic, or imaginal, what you notice. There's no right or wrong. What is this body? Is it really just what I think it is, what I'm used to thinking it is, what I was taught it is? What is this space we are now in together? What can it be?
(c) Again, when you feel ready, adding, opening up just a little bit further, not just to the room, but to the world, the whole world. The earth, with all its beauty, all its creatures, all its craziness. Maybe even the cosmos, the stars, the galaxies, the interstellar reaches. See how wide. If it feels better, just the earth, just the world. Or even wider. But this movement is in relationship somehow -- self and world, body and other bodies, other forms, space. What can happen in your sense of this movement, in your sense of what it is, what it does, what you are doing, what is being done through you?
[28:32] Just the last few seconds of this one. Taking your leave of this particular window, this particular contact, this particular love. And little bit of wriggling, shaking, just to loosen things up, anyhow you like. Okay.
(4) The next one is vocal. And again, we'll do it two ways:
(a) Firstly, just the vocals. And then secondly, the vocals, and how does your body want to move with those vocals? I don't know -- it's probably got a name. Someone might know. But I'm just calling it a throat hiss: "haaaaaaaaah." So that's it, okay? You can just be still and do that. And again, you can see what's the most helpful right now. For me, right now, what's the most helpful pitch of the awareness? If it's just "there are some sensations in my throat," that's good to be aware of. Does it do something emotionally, or imaginally, or energetically?
Let's just do that with just the voice. You get this, throat hiss? Make sense? [throat hissing] Sure, it's a to-the-wall one. Be aware if your mind puts this in a box, or an ethical box. And again, let the rhythm be so that you can also pick up on any resonances or anything you notice, in the body, in the heart, in the image, in the energy. Okay. Wonderful.
(b) And now we'll add the possibility of moving in any way that feels right, which might be you stay completely still, and it's just as it was now. But how would the body, or how does the body want to move? Perhaps in conformity and expression of an image that goes with this, or just the energy or something. So this time you can move your body as feels somehow like it goes with these vocals. If there is an image, let the image lead. Okay? Ready when you are. [throat hissing]
And again, maybe there are some echoes when you come to stillness and quietness, and then you can do it again, if that helps, that kind of rhythm helps, to see the reverberations, the resonances before you start again. In your own rhythm, whatever feels helpful. Okay. Just a few more seconds on this one. Thank you. That's great. Just coming to stillness, and let your body relax. Stillness and relaxation.
(5) The next one is very, very subtle, and very, very simple.
(a) It's just rolling the head. That's it. Standing and just ... I would probably do this with the eyes open, okay? It's just that: one way or another, rolling the head. In the simplicity and the smallness of the movement, see how delicate the awareness can be, what you might notice in the sensations, in energy, or an emotion that might go with it, or image. Aware of your whole body. Aware of the whole energy body. There's no particular thing that's supposed to happen. Who is it who is moving their head this way? Whose head is moved this way? Who is it in response to the universe?
(b) And very gently, can you bring this movement -- as you continue to do it -- into double relationship with the molten core of the earth, and with the stars? Somehow, standing on the earth, the body upright and open and sensitive, to be in the mystery of the stars and the heart of the earth. And you, and this body, plunged into mysterious, inexplicable manifestation in this cosmos.
[38:44] Just noticing what you notice, with all the sensitivity, all the care of sensitivity that you can bring. And then coming to the close of this particular movement. Taking your leave of that particular window.
(6) And the next one. Catherine, do you mind demonstrating? It's okay? So if you can all see Catherine ... Oh, big people need to crouch. [laughter]
(a) Legs are going to be hip-width apart, something like that, yeah. And the movement is just centred at the pelvic floor, or definitely the lower belly, or even lower, and it's just a rotation (either way, whichever feels right). At the same time, there's a vocalization, just "ah." [To Catherine] Can you do it, and I'll talk as you're doing it?
So three parts: pelvic rotation, "ah," and then whatever feels the right thing to do with your arms. [laughter] Yeah? We've done it before. You did it at my house. [laughter] See if it can start down where the movement is coming from, so it's really quite a low "ah," but as you're doing it, it might feel like actually it feels more right for it to come somewhere higher up in the body. So just kind of see what's right. The arms can do whatever they feel like, when they feel like. A steady pitch, yeah.
Catherine: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Rob: Probably a bit more in the hips. [laughter]
Catherine: Is this really necessary to demonstrate? [laughter]
Rob: Maybe not, actually. That's a good point. [laughter]
Catherine: No, I don't mind! It's okay.
Rob: Go ahead.
Catherine: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Rob: So, got it? And I'll throw in just a few little variations while you're doing it. Is that okay? Yeah?
(b) So basically, from the pelvic floor, as low as you can get, there's this kind of rotation. What kind of rotation? A really subtle one, or a really big one? A fast one? A slow one? What feels right?
(c) What pitch feels right? Try first as low as you can go with the "ah," like it's really coming from the belly. But maybe later it doesn't feel right.
(d) And what kind of arm movements do you want to do?
So when you're ready. Just play with it and experiment, and see what feels kind of ... [everyone ahhhhhhhs] Whole body awareness, but almost centred at the hips, at the pelvis, pelvic region, belly, lower belly. What do you notice in the sensitivity? Okay. That's super. Super. Thank you.
[45:33] So let's try one more thing, but it's a solitary, still meditation. I'm wondering practically about how long it would take to get back the cushions. We're going to need to do it anyway, so why don't we do that now? See if you can do it with the whole mindfulness of the energy body. So don't lose the kind of holding of that awareness as we put the room back together.
(7) Okay, so just once you're settled, come into your meditation posture, and the meditative awareness with the energy body, with the poise of mindfulness and sensitivity. I'm going to give you a few options. You've actually heard them before. We'll just spend a few minutes on this. If we had longer, you could probably go through each of the options. But just explore what you feel drawn to of these different variations. These are the instructions. With all the energy body awareness, and the sensitivity, and in your posture, you call up something that either has been an image for you, or is an imaginal image, or that has come, or one that has touched you, or something that you have felt that imaginal connection with, as Catherine was talking about -- the sensing with soul. It could be something out in the garden, could be this place, could be this hall right now. So it could be something, anything like that. And deliberately summon, invite, the sense of that presence.
(a) Then the options are to keep the physical body still, and see how the energy body might move in relationship to this image. It might be a tree, or whatever it is.
(b) Or you can actually, in your place, move a little bit. So instead of keeping the physical body still, and just feeling that kind of imaginal movement and energetic movement, you can actually move a little bit. So those are two options.
(c) And then it might be that the image is other, and how do you move in relation to that image? So it might be a kind of devotional, or some kind of erotic dance, or you might be receiving something from the image.
(d) Or you might enter that image, and, so to speak, become that image, so it's no longer other, and then how does that image move?
So there are a few different options. There's no right or wrong; they're just different variations of possibilities. We'll just spend a few minutes together opening up that option. But there's a deliberate instruction here, so don't just sit and watch your breath or something like that. Okay? Let's try that together.
First you have to invite the image with respect, and come into relationship with it, just with the sensitivity, with the care. Sometimes it's a fuller, richer experience if the physical body is still. It's interesting. And sometimes the opposite -- fuller, richer, if the physical body actually moves and enacts something. Whole body awareness. Sometimes the movements that the energy body would make, or is making, are not actually physically possible. They kind of don't even make sense anatomically. So be open.
[53:22, guided exercise ends]
