My Practice
Here's the first part (the more general part) of a post about my Practice:
The bottom line of my ITP, or how I prefer to look at it, How I Choose To Live My Life (HICTLML!), is being mindful and attentive to where and how I invest my time and energy.
First thing I DO... is that I set an intention to be PRESENT... wherever I am, with whatever or whomever I'm interacting, with whatever is moving through my body, mind, heart, with whatever is unfolding in the environment around me. My intention is to be fully alive, aware in this moment, acting consciously.
Many habits that I have developed out of necessity for survival, in response to events that have occurred in my life, and as a natural part of my development, have lead me to act on auto-pilot... have caused me to move through the world unconscious of my motivations and intentions, unconscious of the deeper 'forces' that drive my actions. My practice is to uncover as much of those unconscious drives, freeing myself, allowing the divine to shine through me at all times.
When I am unconscious, when I am acting out of habit or fear, it is like those actions act as a 'dark' veil, blocking the pure essence of soul that WANTS to shine through me, that wants to be expressed, that IS the ESSENCE of all, the pulsing heart center radiating from the core of existence (as I see it!).
My habits are contractions pulling at me, holding me close to my identity and attachments. As I give those contractions attention, I offer light to my shadow. Attention and awareness shines upon the effort, illuminating it, offering an opportunity to make a conscious choice rather than unconsciously responding. As I rest in conscious awareness of this moment, I expand into fuller Presence.
As I consciously follow the flow of my own attention, areas in need of practice become very clear to me. For instance, I’m in a conversation with a person. I really feel a desire to share an emotional response that I am having in regards to this person. I don’t know if I should, is it appropriate? Will it turn them away? Am I capable of expressing this emotion? As these questions and concerns start pouring through my mind I notice that I am contracting around this choice of ‘What should I do?’ I also notice that I am no longer as present in the conversation because I’m now preoccupied with my own needs. It is part of my Practice to tend to that moment of anxious paralysis immediately. I search for what line of my development is in need of growth and expansion in that moment and then take a leap, throwing myself beyond the contraction, beyond my comfort zone, and into action. If I’m afraid of the vulnerability of expressing myself, then push my limit and share my emotions. If I am in need of strengthening my timing and respect of boundaries, I push my limit by recognizing the environment I am in and not indulging my own needs to speak immediately, discharging my discomfort onto another. If I am in need of finding language to express my emotions then I stumble around with words accepting that I am awkward and clunky because I am learning. I am engaging my Practice in the moment that it is needed. I listen, allowing the cues to catch my attention, “Hey you, you’re hitting an aspect of your life that isn’t so developed, now’s an opportunity to practice.”
Another example. Recently I was in an incredibly heightened state of flow. Life was humming vibrantly. I heard these sounds within me that I wanted to make, tones that wished to pour through my body. I was struck with a difficult decision. I knew that my capacity to recreate those sounds vocally was not practiced enough. I saw that I had two choices. I could open myself for sound to move through, accepting that expressing this less-developed line of myself would most likely bring me into a different state (one of practicing a skill in need of development as apposed to a state of heightened expression in areas more developed). I chose to silently enjoy the sounds within my being, taking note of the fact (again) that I need to begin a routine toning practice. It is in this manner that my ‘ITP’ defines itself for me. When I am Present, the areas in need of practice (development) let themselves be known, essence wishing to be expressed through me knocks at my door and I make the choice to invite it into my being or continue ignoring it for a bit longer.
I love this quote by Forest Jackson
A couple of questions I like to ask myself, "What do you want to be more conscious about?" "What are you willing to do to help cultivate that awareness?" "How do you share your consciousness with the world around you?"
The bottom line of my ITP, or how I prefer to look at it, How I Choose To Live My Life (HICTLML!), is being mindful and attentive to where and how I invest my time and energy.
First thing I DO... is that I set an intention to be PRESENT... wherever I am, with whatever or whomever I'm interacting, with whatever is moving through my body, mind, heart, with whatever is unfolding in the environment around me. My intention is to be fully alive, aware in this moment, acting consciously.
Many habits that I have developed out of necessity for survival, in response to events that have occurred in my life, and as a natural part of my development, have lead me to act on auto-pilot... have caused me to move through the world unconscious of my motivations and intentions, unconscious of the deeper 'forces' that drive my actions. My practice is to uncover as much of those unconscious drives, freeing myself, allowing the divine to shine through me at all times.
When I am unconscious, when I am acting out of habit or fear, it is like those actions act as a 'dark' veil, blocking the pure essence of soul that WANTS to shine through me, that wants to be expressed, that IS the ESSENCE of all, the pulsing heart center radiating from the core of existence (as I see it!).
My habits are contractions pulling at me, holding me close to my identity and attachments. As I give those contractions attention, I offer light to my shadow. Attention and awareness shines upon the effort, illuminating it, offering an opportunity to make a conscious choice rather than unconsciously responding. As I rest in conscious awareness of this moment, I expand into fuller Presence.
As I consciously follow the flow of my own attention, areas in need of practice become very clear to me. For instance, I’m in a conversation with a person. I really feel a desire to share an emotional response that I am having in regards to this person. I don’t know if I should, is it appropriate? Will it turn them away? Am I capable of expressing this emotion? As these questions and concerns start pouring through my mind I notice that I am contracting around this choice of ‘What should I do?’ I also notice that I am no longer as present in the conversation because I’m now preoccupied with my own needs. It is part of my Practice to tend to that moment of anxious paralysis immediately. I search for what line of my development is in need of growth and expansion in that moment and then take a leap, throwing myself beyond the contraction, beyond my comfort zone, and into action. If I’m afraid of the vulnerability of expressing myself, then push my limit and share my emotions. If I am in need of strengthening my timing and respect of boundaries, I push my limit by recognizing the environment I am in and not indulging my own needs to speak immediately, discharging my discomfort onto another. If I am in need of finding language to express my emotions then I stumble around with words accepting that I am awkward and clunky because I am learning. I am engaging my Practice in the moment that it is needed. I listen, allowing the cues to catch my attention, “Hey you, you’re hitting an aspect of your life that isn’t so developed, now’s an opportunity to practice.”
Another example. Recently I was in an incredibly heightened state of flow. Life was humming vibrantly. I heard these sounds within me that I wanted to make, tones that wished to pour through my body. I was struck with a difficult decision. I knew that my capacity to recreate those sounds vocally was not practiced enough. I saw that I had two choices. I could open myself for sound to move through, accepting that expressing this less-developed line of myself would most likely bring me into a different state (one of practicing a skill in need of development as apposed to a state of heightened expression in areas more developed). I chose to silently enjoy the sounds within my being, taking note of the fact (again) that I need to begin a routine toning practice. It is in this manner that my ‘ITP’ defines itself for me. When I am Present, the areas in need of practice (development) let themselves be known, essence wishing to be expressed through me knocks at my door and I make the choice to invite it into my being or continue ignoring it for a bit longer.
I love this quote by Forest Jackson
Integral Practice leads us into a style of living that seeks to engage and draw upon the totality of our being in the process of growth towards our highest potential.
A couple of questions I like to ask myself, "What do you want to be more conscious about?" "What are you willing to do to help cultivate that awareness?" "How do you share your consciousness with the world around you?"
