Exploring Mind - Body - Spirit

Topics covered:

• Brief Practice (again)
• Posture
• Empathy during conflict

Brief practice

Another way of thinking of brief practice is that we are breaking up our rhythm in the world to develop a rhythm with Spirit. Eventually we are able to stay in rhythm with Spirit while moving smoothly through the world.

The simplest brief practice is to remember "I am Light" or "I am Love". That is practicing the presence of Spirit. We are one with Spirit andwe acknowledge that in every moment that we can remember.

We can develop the habit of brief practice by coupling the briefpractice with an action that we do frequently during the day. Forinstance making a phone call or opening a door or using the bathroom, or washing our hands, ... .

Postures for meditation

I advise people to find the posture that facilitates their intention for the meditation and use that. Some people find that it helps them to be in the same posture everytime they  meditate. Others find that changing postures helps. Do whatworks for you.

My opinion is that there is no particular position that will work the same for everyone. So what works for some one else may not work the same for you.

Is empathy with someone who is hostile the equivalent of taking in toxic energy?

If I have to deal with someone whose views are extremely different from mine, even ones that I might consider evil, then it is especially important for me to seek to understand them.  First of all, too often we jump to conclusions about what people represent or how hostile they really are. By making sure we understand them, then we can avoid conflict with those we may actually be in agreement with.

Second, even if we have significant differences, we may also have areas of common ground, and by letting the other get close enough I may find that we can use our similarities to work through our differences.

Finally, even if our differences are so significant that we are going to end up in conflict, the more I understand the other the more likely I am to engage in that conflict successfully. The first requirement of combat is to know yourself. The second is to know your opponent. Too many conflicts have been lost because someone underestimated or misunderstood their opponent.

The question of how to combat ideas or people who are hostile to us is one that I can't answer in general. I don't think that violence is an effective method of resolving conflict in the long run, no matter how attractive it may appear as a quick solution. However, I can't say that violence is never needed. I am quite certain though that the effects of violence are hard to predict, and that violence is very hard to undo.

I've had a couple of requests to cover anger vs. rage and this seems to lead into that so perhaps I'll explore that in the next class.