Basic Goodness

There has been a feeling of uncertainty arising when I consider posting my blog entries of late.  It is a familiar feeling; one that hits at my deepest level of fear that what I have to say will be rejected or dismissed as unimportant.  It is strange to send my private musings out into a cyber world, never knowing unless I get a response (rarely, thus far), whether anyone other than the mechanical web crawlers will access them.  Worse will someone see them an think me a fool, or not worth their consideration.  All of my judging parts rise like primitive hairs on the back of my neck, bristling with defensiveness and reasons not to allow myself such vulnerability.  Yet if I don't take the risk, I will never complete my goal - that of sharing what I know and experience in my rare privilege of access to the deeper workings of trauma and human development.  In fact, my very hesitation is a prime example of how we are shaped by the meanings we absorb from personal (and universal?) interactions.  Old messages about limitations of worth; undeserving-ness of attention; self-obsession; light under the bushel basket, and all that.  Those are the big T and little t traumatic meaning that many of us carry, affecting how we participate and who we are. 

The meditation group I started attending last Autumn has been a factor in my concerns.  Confusing messages about the illusion of separateness and the limitations of ego have me questioning myself even further.  Still, I am where I am in my journey, and there are signs from those I speak with and work with that tell me I have something unique to offer, a perspective informed by training and experience.  We all have something unique to offer, and I am resolved to put it out there in hopes that it makes a difference, and that you, reader, will receive it, as I will take in what you have to offer, in a spirit of open acceptance.

Yesterday there was a message from the teacher of our Shambhala group, declaring May 7 (tomorrow) to be "basic-goodness day."  What a lovely idea, and one I get the opportunity to share, here and in my interactions with students and clients, perhaps some shopkeepers, and certainly my family and friends.  The day offers a challenge, and answers my question about whether what I have to offer is of value.  As one element of our enlightened (and enlightenable) society, I recognize my basic goodness.  I recognize the basic-goodness that is in you, and I trust that you will hear me without judgment.  If so, maybe you could take a moment to let me know what you think, I'd like to hear from you.

We declare May 7, 2013 to be Basic Goodness Day, a day when people all over the world, no matter what their beliefs, religion,culture, or creed, collectively affirm their own and others’ basic goodness.

For more information on Basic Goodness Day click here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/sakyong-mipham/invitation-to-basic-goodness-day/524676044261454

Many Roads to Mindfulness

Options for accessing mindfulness are as many and varied as are the individuals who seek to open up to such growth-enhancing experiences.  A general grouping of such practices might fall under the following headings.  

·     Meditation:  Practiced since ancient times, attention to one’s experience of internally directed consciousness has long been considered a primary path to enlightenment.  Whether sound driven (chanting, listening to chimes), or silent contemplation; emptying the mind or filling it with a single-minded focus, or; non-attached awareness of moment to moment experiencing; meditative practices continue be a cornerstone of many spiritual traditions. 

·         Yoga & Body Therapies:  Since body and mind are one interconnected entity, any process that allows for non-judgmental awareness of one’s internal and external state is by definition a mindful state.  With such attention almost any focused activity, be it sensory (listening to birdsong or music, studying a flower’s petals, savoring a favorite food, healing massage), or movement (dance, tai-chi) based can result in a sense of present moment calm.

           Artistic Expression:  Symbols speak volumes.  The old adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is true, not only for representative artworks, but, perhaps even more so, for the abstract and personal expression of inner conflicts and celebrations of self.  Even practical arts like weaving and textiles work can offer solace in their very rhythm and FLOW, at a level of unconscious expression, opening one to creativity and meaning.

·         Self-Leadership:  Internal Family Systems Theory (i) offers an open-ended structure for accessing internal guidance, and for encountering and negotiating with protective parts (even those which may have been mistaken for negative influences).  This example of internal and external compassion offers a methodology for advancing self-awareness and self-leadership based upon internally held knowledge and experience.  How much more wise and safe an option is this than an externally introduced overlay of someone else’s “truth?”

These are but a few of the many choices available for the free expression of internal conflicts and transformation of meaning.  Alone or in combination, such practices will enhance your recovery process in ways unique to your own journey and unfolding.

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^[i] Schwartz, R., (1995)