Newborn

I recently spent substantial time with 6 month old twins (the children of dear friends). Being with them in abundance and so closely I was reminded so profoundly of the wide eyed wonder we are at that age. I was able to see these eyes and minds shaping to every little stimulus of touch, visual, sound and intention. Yes….intention. By this I mean the energy behind the actions. Everything is picked up by them…..and there really is no room for what we call subtlety. It all has an affect.

And I think we too often forget the profound affects we have on one another and ourselves in these more subtle realms. We have come to integrate so many underlying themes of degrading language and content as ‘acceptable’. Or we allow our unattended ‘parts’ to drive the car and kick mud up along our paths. We think ‘oh, it’s just a little mud’. We don’t even notice anymore the impact these have on our growing young and then continually on us as adults.

Is it the end of the world?
No
Will we live through it?
Most of us

And so we don’t seem to bother taking a closer look at the nature of our conditioned thoughts and how that leaks into our language and actions in these subtle ways. We simply accept that criticism, judgement and constant evaluation of ‘success’ and ‘better than’ is the path of being human. But I still ask ‘why not’?

Why not try something different……or is it we believe that the experience of suffering and struggle simply is part of being human?

I don’t know……but I am curious.

it’s not about cloud floating

Even in a space of loving myself every moment of the day…….I still have personality.  (My humanity is part of my divinity.)  I am not trying to get rid of my personality, opinions and quirks……I am simply trying to shift the ways in which I have learned to be judgemental of them.  I am understanding how to respect and appreciate them even while noticing the time has come for some to grow.

Unconditioned love grants space to let go of ‘judgement’ of self and other…..you can have opinions and walk in the world as human,  yet let go of our need to elevate or minimize ourselves or others.  To let go of a need to be right or wrong.  It is a balanced space of simply ‘being’ and noticing all the feelings and thoughts along the way.

During the course of the day I try to notice where things get sticky for me and where I feel attached. I try to feel when the waves inside me are calm and when they are turbulent. I cannot always shift these feelings in the moment but simply noticing them and being curious, I come to learn so much about habits and conditioned patterns that aren’t always helpful or healthy. It is not always comfortable because I don’t often let myself get too distracted from what I am feeling. (I always seem to be there observing in some way.) Some days I have more energy and other days it is all I can do to breathe. But all along the way I don’t ever slip back into anything less than love and kindness for myself….even when I am frustrated and confused. Eventually if I follow the thread, it untangles.

And it is this base I have (re)built of unconditioned Love that supports all of this.

It starts with a little practice and it grows from there.
It’s never as far away as you think.

parts work (part 1)

I thought I would talk about one of the main ways I function in life since sometimes it sounds confusing to people when I talk about my ‘parts’.  For me, the term ‘part’ makes perfect sense but I realize it might be a stretch for others out of context. So, here goes……

Many years ago I began to notice there were times when I felt completely at ease and without constriction and other times where I felt the opposite of that. I decided to see what I could notice in these shifting moments and the shades in between. It was within this exploration that I noticed threads of different aspects of myself. It’s all ‘me’ but I chose to recognize different emotions and thoughts as distinct aspects or parts (of me). This came from a time where the ‘volume’ or quantity of emotions and thoughts was too much when it would happen all at once. So, I learned if I could see distinction in the feelings then they were easily addressed and didn’t overwhelm me.
The cool byproduct of this approach was that I began to develop a deeper sense of relationship with myself and I have learned more about my ‘inner workings’ than I could have imagined.

Okay, let me try to describe the process more and move from the realm of vagueness.
In the beginning, I would aim to notice times when I went from feeling good to feeling less than good. As soon as I noticed this shift I would try to also notice all the qualities of my environment inside and out…..just notice them. There would tend to be a thought pattern/soundtrack/voice that had a conditioned response to some form of stimulus. For example, it might be I would read an article about someone achieving a grand ‘success’ in the newspaper and a litany of thoughts/voices would begin that were not loving but harshly critical of me. In that moment, I would address this unhelpful commentary direct and personally. This was a key tool in the process. If I simply noticed and made general statements to contradict it or just observed and reminded myself there was other ways outside this conditioned pattern…..it stayed sorta vague and distant for me.
But…..
when I addressed these thoughts direct and personally the game changed.

Imagine the difference between trying to have a relationship with an amorphous mass and a distinct entity. (For me, knowing myself is very much a form of intimate ‘relationship’.)
The process of how it went from amorphous to personal came when I simply asked questions. I spoke directly to the thoughts and feelings without expectation or concept of reply. In the instance of self deprecating thoughts……I would simply ask them what they need. That is where I started my relationship of getting to know them. I would continue to inquire until I heard something….anything from them. From there it would evolve and grow. The questions would shift and sometimes it took longer than others or there would be unexpected answers. There were also times I would simply wait and let them know I would be there to listen when they were ready to talk to me. I wouldn’t force anything or get frustrated with them.

parts work (part 2)

As you may notice, there is a ‘part’ of me speaking directly to other ‘parts’ of me. It was important that the part asking the questions wasn’t simply another part or thought pattern based in feeling bad about myself or limited in any way. The aspect of me that does the ‘noticing’ and asking questions is what I call my wise woman. Someone recently asked me to say more about that. My ‘wise woman’ is this place of expansive and unconditioned love/kindness. It is without judgement or attachment to opinions. It simply shows up with these wide open arms and says “I am here to listen and hold space for you’. (This quality is clearly the ‘medicine’ that works for me and I imagine each persons ‘wise part’ would offer what that individual uniquely needed……but I would dare suppose that unconditioned love is something that is healing for all persons…not just me)
So this expansive presence simultaneously exists along with the self deprecating, scared and small feeling parts.
The moment I can notice when the ‘lesser than’ parts are ‘in the house’ so to speak and affecting things……I need to pause. The pause is critical in this work because it helps me differentiate these ‘limited’ parts from my more expansive wise presence. When I can notice this and realize it is not all the same amorphous mass, I can then begin the direct conversation. From here I can learn and shape my relationships with these thought patterns or conditioned parts.
The more I have gotten to know these parts, the more they ‘heal’ and then simply integrate within the overall system of ‘me’. There is no intention to ‘get rid’ of some part of me. I find that when I give them attention, listen and don’t simply ignore them…..they stop ‘acting out’ the way they once did.
I love using the analogy of driving the car. I might ask myself ‘who’s driving the car’. Ideally it works best when my wise woman is driving (in ‘control’) but there are times some other part gets behind the wheel. (When I notice a disgruntled or insecure part has gotten in the drivers seat ……it is usually my wise woman noticing the shift.) She can then simply ride shotgun as opposed to demanding the car back. She can cruise around with them and simply make small talk, turn on the radio, comment on scenery etc. At some point she might say something like “I enjoy driving so if you get tired let me know”. Eventually trust is established and the part driving willingly hands over the keys. In the end, the wise part doesn’t kick this challenged part out of the car, she asks the part to go for a drive with her. They have a relationship rooted in trust and caring so it is far less adversarial.
All in all, this process is one of curiosity and creativity. I am always improvising…..no book or person could have fully prepared me for the scenarios I have encountered. I have had to be willing to step out of pre-conceived methods and ideas. It is like raising children…..where they are always surprising you. So I open myself to the mystery and stay on my toes with love and kindness.
Okay, if I was to break it down into steps……
1. Notice when you shift from ‘wise expansive’ part into parts having ‘limiting’ thoughts or emotions.
2. Pause or interrupt it from continuing as usual.
3. Choose to differentiate by speaking directly to the thought or emotion.
4. Be curious, kind and respectful when speaking to this part of yourself.
5. Ask it questions to establish trust and get to know more about it.
6. Let your intention be to develop a relationship which brings natural integration as opposed to ‘getting rid of it’.

Try these steps with thoughts or parts that are not too intense for you. This will help you experiment and explore. You will truly map your own path in this unique expression called ‘you’. And don’t forget to trust your intuition in the process……it is a great guide.

Enjoy the blessing and the challenge.
Thanks for reading…….Jacqueline

poem

Tell them I’m struggling to sing with angels
who hint at it in black words printed on old paper gold-edged by
time
Tell them I wrestle the mirror every morning
Tell them I sit here invisible in space
Nose running, coffee cold and bitter
Tell them I tell them everything
& everything is never enough
Tell them I’m another cross-wired babbling being
songs coming out all ends to meet & flash above the disc above my
brain
Tell them I’m a dreamer, new-born shaman
sitting cross legged in trance-stupor
turning into the magic feather contemplated
Tell them there are moments when clay peels off my bones
& feeds a river passing faces downstream
Tell them I’m davening & voices rise up from within to startle
children
Tell them I walk off into the woods to sing
Tell them I sing loudest next to waterfalls
Tell them the books get fewer, words go deeper
some take months to get thru
Tell them there are moments when it’s all perfect
above & below, it’s perfect
even moments in between where sparks in space
(terrible,beautiful sparks in space)
are merely metaphors for the void between
one pore & another

-David Meltzer

Jimi Hendrix

“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”

What does power mean to you?  Are there different types of power? Do you think there is a difference between ‘power over’ and ’empowerment’? How does power play out in the most subtle ways in your day to day exchanges? Or on a larger scale around you?

‘Peace’…….
And then I guess one might ask…….do you want ‘peace’?……..and what does that mean both inside of you and in the world around you?
It is a word and concept that has been tossed around so prolifically that I wonder if we truly even understand what it means to experience it.
How does it feel when you begin ‘peace’ within yourself?

Dictionary definition:
~Power |ˈpou(-ə)r
noun
1 the ability to do something or act in a particular way, esp. as a faculty or quality :the power of speech | [with infinitive ] the power to raise the dead | ( powers) his powers of concentration.

2 the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.

power of perception

If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. ~ William Blake

start small

Just one little thread. That’s all. Notice one small thread and just tug at it and see where it goes.

That is my love of metaphor speaking to the fabric of each of us. We are such an elaborate ‘weave’. So why not today…..or even right now…….take a few minutes. Let yourself think of a basic opinion you hold……nothing too emotionally ‘charged’. Once you think of it….simply get curious and perhaps start with the question ‘why?’. Let go of any passing of judgement or commentary/criticism. Just notice the thread of the opinion and follow it. See where the thread goes in the weave and perhaps what other threads or opinions it might be connected to. Is it integral to the integrity of the overall garment? Does it get lost in the intricacies of threadwork? When you get distracted just go back to the thread again and do this for a few minutes…..use your imagination as much as you need as that too is part of this weave(you).

That’s it…….just let it go. There doesn’t ‘need’ to be some grand revelation or insight. It is a practice of attention and focus……questioning and choosing. It feels like as a society we like having bigger pay outs for doing something……more reward. Try doing this for the satisfaction of small growth that might at first be imperceptible. If you can start with simple threads where there isn’t a lot of attached complexity you can learn this practice less encumbered. You can have more space to enjoy it and notice all you notice for the brief time you engage it. Over time you will find your own technique and ‘way’ with these more simple threads…..and you will have developed the muscle or skill for the more complex aspects of this ‘weave’ of you. Like any practice, the more you play with it the easier it becomes. Eventually the ‘effort’ becomes less, and almost like breathing, many threads will simply reveal themselves.

Okay……..what is your simple ‘thread’ this morning? I am going to follow my thread/opinion that I am a ‘good’ driver. Hmmm….ha ha……why not……

Enjoy!

and on it goes

I was talking with someone who was reflecting on her adult son and how she felt that he hadn’t lived up to his ‘potential’….and he was wasting his life and was ‘lazy’. Her thoughts didn’t seem mean-spirited and in fact she expressed a desire for him to be able to better take care of himself. I have found myself in a few conversations about the nature of living up to ones ‘potential’. Whew….talk about an amazingly subjective slippery slope. Many of these conversations have been one person reflecting on another person they care about and their frustration over their ‘wasted’ potential and all the ways they could stop wasting it. (and I am sure each of us is also familiar with how this same thinking can be put towards ourselves with thoughts/feelings of wasted potential).

It seems curious to me how when we care about someone and have a sense they are not living their ‘full potential’……. that we then choose to be frustrated with them? Why are we quick to ‘blame’ people for our own perceptions of their ‘wasted potential’….especially if it isn’t ‘hurting’ anyone else? It’s interesting that I don’t seem to hear people say, ‘that leaf falling from the tree is wasting its potential’ or ‘that wind is sure lazy’. But as humans here we go with our sharp minds to knock ourselves and others down when we perceive (even if it is based on intelligence tests or past achievements) they could ‘do better’ and live up to their ‘potential’.

It seems to me that energy without the subjective opinion we impose on it is simply …..’energy’. And I believe we ‘live up to our potential’ within the abilities of our personal environments. I thought of the example of a car. Let’s say you have a sporty car with a beefed up engine….one that has incredible power and speed potential. If someone placed a ‘governor’ on the accelerator pedal…..no matter how hard you tried, the ‘potential’ speed of that car will not be reached. When there are limitations or ‘governors’ placed on something or someone, they live within those limitations until or if those limitations might change. Another example would be water pressure in your house. The water pressure might have a certain potential but can be limited by the environment of the pipes, sediment, other systems functioning in the house etc……you get the idea?

We are like the car and the house in the sense that we are a unique system of ‘energy’ and design….and we are affected and ‘limited’ by our environment or certain ‘governors’ that have been put in place over time. Some we might be aware of and others not at all. The reasons for how we developed these limiters is unique and varied for each of us……but often they came into being for reasons that seemed good at the time. One possibility is that our systems of self protection or conditioning installed these ‘limiters’ as a safety device of sorts….which was probably helpful at the time.

So how do we come to know, understand and respect the limiters within our own design and conditioning? How do we invest in our awareness of these limiters and our choice to perhaps change them over time? How can our expanded personal awareness create more empathy for ourselves and other people? How can we shift the standard way of thinking to not ‘blame’ (or be frustrated etc) with those we ‘perceive’ as not living up to their ‘potential’? How can we be kind all the more as we realize how each of us has our unique set of limitations and is living exactly within our current ‘potential’? And how can we do this while still having our opinions and wanting ‘the best’ for someone and ourselves……realizing that all of this can co-exist with a little effort of gentle awareness?

All of these questions…….each of us with our unique response to it all. What is possible if we meet life…even things we accept as ‘that’s just the way it is’ or as ‘givens’…..with curiosity? Hmmmmm……..

I will leave you with one definition of ‘energy potential’:

The potential energy is a function of the state a system is in, and is defined relative to that for a particular state. This reference state is not always a real state, it may also be a limit. Any arbitrary reference state could be used, therefore it can be chosen based on convenience. Typically the potential energy of a system depends on the relative positions of its components only, so the reference state can also be expressed in terms of relative positions.

thanks for reading….Jacq.

simple exercise