Class started at 7:00 pm with the facilitator opening up the floor with a question: What are you experiencing – Where are you at? Participants would stand and share experiences. The facilitator would clarify by asking another question, “And, what is that doing to your life?”
Let’s continue with another concept.
Natural/Normal
Let’s explore an idea. Describe a 4 year old child? What are they like?
- Do they have a lot of energy?
- Are they spontaneous?
- Are they enthusiastic?
- Do they trust?
Does a 4 year old child learn this behaviour or is it they “just are”?
And what happens when we become adults? Is this learned behaviour?
| Natural: not learned | Normal: adult learned |
| joy love peace curious Inquisitive forgiving trusting energetic compassionate focused sensitive expressive creative peaceful relaxed |
depressed angry apathetic nervous addictive insecure hurried/harried self-righteous shy fearful arrogant reactive resentful tired anxious |
Exercise: Describe (in detail) in your journal in what areas of your life have you become “normal” and in what areas do you need to become more “natural”?
Concept: Rainbow Centering
Jim Quinn would often say, “Centering is not something you do, it’s something to be. To be a centered person.”
This rainbow centering script is designed to relax the body, release emotions, calm the mind and center the spirit. This particular centering process uses colours as a point of focus.
Red is Physical so I relax my body.
Orange is Emotional so I release my emotions
Yellow is Mental so I calm my mind
Green is Peace so I sense peace within
Blue is Love so I feel love for myself and others
Purple is Aspiration so I seek out the depths within
Violet is Center so I am centered
For the best results, one should record this script in their own voice and then play it back to themselves while sitting in an open-body position. Remember to read slowly. Approximate ideal centering time is anywhere from 15 – 30 minutes.
Rainbow Centering Script
I now prepare to center myself and become more aware of my inner being.
I close my eyes for peace and quiet.
I straighten my spine to stimulate energy.
I open my hands to receive and I just let go and relax.
Relax, relax, relax.
My breathing is slow and peaceful.
I can feel my body becoming more and more relaxed with each breath that I take.
As I take a deep breath now and slowly exhale I visualize something red from nature.
As I see the color red clearly in my mind’s eye I relax my body from head to foot.
I feel a wave of relaxation moving downward through my body.
And I bring my body into a complete state of relaxation.
Relax-relax-relax.
I let go of my body and I just relax.
Next as I take another deep breath and slowly exhale I visualize something orange from nature.
As I see the color orange clearly in my mind’s eye I release and let go of my emotions.
I neither dramatize nor deny my feelings.
I desire only that which is good for myself and others.
As I take another deep breath and slowly exhale I visualize something yellow from nature.
As I see the color yellow clearly in my mind’s eye I calm and still my mind.
I bring my mind to rest.
I find that when I calm and still my mind that answers come to me naturally from within.
As I relax and go deeper still.
Next as I take another deep breath and slowly exhale I visualize something green from nature.
As I see the color green clearly in my mind’s eye I sense a state of peacefulness within.
Peace-peace-peace.
I sense that indwelling presence of peace.
This peace is always there and I can experience it whenever I relax my body-release my emotions-and calm my mind.
As I take another deep breath and slowly exhale I visualize something blue from nature.
As I see the color blue clearly in my mind’s eye I feel myself full of love.
I feel love moving to me and through me to others as if I am a living conduit for love.
I always remember that love in my heart wasn’t put there to stay-love isn’t love until I give it away.
Next as I take another deep breath and slowly exhale I visualize something purple from nature.
As I see the color purple clearly in my mind’s eye I aspire to that inner secret place.
I seek out the depths within.
I desire to find and fulfill my life’s purpose and I know that I will make a positive difference with my life.
As I take another deep breath and slowly exhale I visualize something violet from nature.
As I see the color violet clearly in my mind’s eye I enter the innermost part of my being.
I am now there. I am centered.
In order to go deeper within I will count backwards from 21 to 1 going deeper and deeper with each number.
21 – 20 – 19 deeper and deeper.
18 – 17 – 16 deeper still.
15 – 14 – 13 deeper and more inward.
12 – 11 – 10 deeper and deeper.
9 – 8 – 7 deeper still.
6 – 5 – 4 even deeper and more inward.
3 – 2 – 1 I am more centered than before.
I am now at one with myself.
A state that encompasses all of time.
I just become aware of the totality of the now.
Only conscious of the present I feel and sense this one moment in time.
I am at one with my inner self.
I am calm.
I am still.
I am at peace.
I am centered.
For the next few minutes I will remain centered and I will experience whatever I am led to experience.
I relax and let go-I just relax.
My experience reminds me of how much I want to live and celebrate life.
I now prepare to return to the everyday world.
I come back slowly from the center of my being from the inner to the outer.
I remember that after centering myself spiritually I become more enlightened.
In fact my inner light shines so brightly that it affects all of those in my world in a positive manner.
This in turn affects me mentally and I become more enriched-my thoughts are more pure and creative.
Which in turn affects me emotionally and I become more enthusiastic-with more love for others.
Which affects my physically and I become more energized-with the fullness of life.
For after centering myself I know that with my inner spiritual power-all things are possible in my life.
And that whatever the spirit within leads me to do I will do better that ever before.
In fact each day in ever way I am getting better and better and better.
Now in a few moments I need to open my eyes so I prepare to visualize the colors of the rainbow in reverse sequence.
Starting with that innermost color violet-moving upward and out to purple-then further up to blue-then to green-next yellow-orange-red.
I open my eyes and I am wide awake.
Revitalized refreshed and in tune with life.
I am enlightened.
I am enriched.
I am enthused.
I am energized.
I just am.
I just am.
Concept: Peace Square
How do we achieve peace?
When we bring our 4 natures into balance, we can experience peace. To balance our physical being…with our health, wellness, diet, exercis and relaxation. To balance our minds with fun, learning, and work. To balance our spiritual life with self-expression. and to balance our emotional being…with our feelings for ourselves and to others, to bring more love into our relationships. Did you know in the Greek language they have 3 words to describe love? Eros, philos, and agape love.
Eros Love is the physical – touching love. Take “hugging” for example. Feels good, dispels loneliness, overcomes fears, opens doors to feelings, builds self-esteem, fosters altruism, slows down aging, helps curb appetite, eases tension, fights insomnia, keeps arms and shoulder muscles in condition, provides stretching exercise if you are short, affirms physical being and it is democratic (everyone is eligible for a hug). Hugging also is ecologically sound (does not upset the environment); is energy-efficient(saves heat); is portable, requires no special packaging or equipment; demand no special setting or training; makes happy days happier; makes impossible days possible; imparts feeling of belonging; fills up empty places in our lives and keeps on working to dispense benefits even after the hug is released.
“Analysis is the way of the mind, hugging is the way of the heart. The mind is the cause of all diseases, and the heart is the source of all healing.”
Osho
(from: The Wild Geese and the Water no. 4, 1981)
Love, it is one of the most fundamental needs of human beings. Unless one is cared for, one starts dying. Unless one feels that one is significant to somebody, at least to somebody, one’s whole life becomes insignificant. Love is one of the greatest therapies there are. Hugging is a gesture of love, of warmth, of caring. The very feel of the warmth flowing from the other person melts many illnesses in you, melts the ice-like, cold ego. It makes you again a child.
The psychologists are now well aware of the fact that unless a child is hugged, kissed, he misses some nourishment. As the body needs food, the soul needs love. You can give to the child all the physical needs, all the physical comforts, but if hugging is missing, the child will not grow into a wholesome being. He will remain sad somewhere deep down, uncared for, neglected, ignored. He was nursed, but not mothered.
It has been observed that if a child is not hugged, he starts shrinking – he can even die – although everything else was provided for. As far as the body is concerned, every care was taken, but no love surrounded the child. He became isolated; he became disconnected from existence.
Love is our connection; love is our very root. As you breathe – for the body it is absolutely essential; stop breathing and you are no more – in the same way, love is the inner breath: the soul lives by loving.
Types of Hugs
- “Grandma/Grandpa” Hug. It’s an “A”-frame hug. You lean into the other, keeping the chest and lower body away from the individual. Sometimes it is followed by a “burping” motion of patting each other on the back”. The feeling is polite and friendly.
- Side-to-side: Walking or strolling along, arms around the other’s waist. This is a friendly, merry and playful hug.
- Cheek hug: A tasteful way to greet a friend or relative, say “hello”, “I’m sorry”, I’ve missed you” or of a joyous occasion such as “congratulations”.
- Sandwich hug: This is a lesser known hug. It’s a hug for three. Two facing each other with the third in the middle facing either one. Parents and kids.
- Full body Hug: Bodies are open and touching in a embracing squeeze (no crushing bear hugs please). The feeling is warm, supportive, secure and loving.
Philos Love is emotional love – brotherly, friendship love.
Agape Love is perfect love – unconditional love.
But it is fear that separates us from our peace.
Exercise: Continue with your journal and list who in your life do you need to give and receive more love from? Make a commitment to hug at least 3 people today.
Fears and Barriers
What are your fears and barriers? Let’s make a list.
| Fears and Barriers | |
| rejection failure success alone intimacy no intimacy being lonely being hurt ridicule poverty sex no sex losing control being yourself |
change exposure being wrong trusting saying “no” taking risks opening up embarrassment making commitments death what others think loss |
Exercise: Journal in detail…
- Write down at least 5 fears and barriers that are getting in your way?
- What do you do to get love as a child?
- What are your biggest fears and hurts?
- Where and when did these fears and hurts start?
- What will your life be like when you breakthrough these fears and hurts?
Programming
What are some of the programs you learned as a child? Here’s one: “Look both ways before…you cross the street. And it worked so well, Do you do it even on a one way street? What about the program when the phone rings? Are you compelled to get up and answer it, even when you don’t want to? Do you have any programs about sex, religion, marriage, men, women? Are you Catholic? Any programs around guilt?
Exercise: Continue with your journal on the following questions.
- What are my major fears? (Be specific)
- What non-survival programs have my fears created?
- How do my non-survival programs affect the results in my life?
- What’s my next step?