Spontaneous Meditation

We live in a world that is self-centric. Human propensity (and culturally condoned narcissistic tendencies) dictate the belief in individuality, promoting that each of us is the center of the universe. So, we have "my life.... my community.... my meditation practice", and so on.

Lately, I have had the sublime experience of frequent spontaneous meditations; a 'sitting' period in the middle of somewhere (not my usual morning cushion), at a time of day when I'm not used to partaking in this activity.  What has surfaced over these unusual (for me) occurrences, is the realization I take false ownership of this thing I call meditation, and how usually there is a lack of mutuality with the energies around me, the divine, the relationship with Other-- that which is unseen and largely unknown.

Meditation in the past has in good part been 'work', self-discipline, occasionally agonizing.  Someone in me often labels meditations as:  a "good" sitting, a "difficult" sitting and everything in-between.  Rarely, is this naming habit self-questioned, this attitude that marks my internal experiences noted.  So, to have these spontaneous occurrences of connection to more of myself and to that which is around me and the enjoyment of the movement of the accompanying energies inside and outside of me is surprising.  It's not work, it's not self-disciplined and it's definitely not agonizing.  It brings to me the question, what in me sits:  wants to sit, needs to sit?  This is a feeling, a sensation not a thought.  Is the value of it usually a mental exercise of what I think is good for me (and maybe the world outside of me)?  This experience of a spontaneous meditation, feels organic, natural, unforced, not premeditated (no pun intended).  It also has a quality of connection that isn't self-centric.  It's not for me, about me, nor is it mine.  It's an engagement of another order.

This is not to judge the decades of the other qualitative types of sittings I've known.  It's probable that one type of connecting to oneself builds on the other efforts made which prepares the ground for yet other types of self-relatedness to be in existence.  So all is good; no effort goes unwasted, as it is said.

Which brings me back to the notion of being and acting from value not obligation, discipline and duty.  The quality of the experience is enhanced with the former.  An opening transpires, curiosity and  interest carry me with a buoyancy.  One's sense of aliveness is palpable,  When I value and feel the worth of the Stop, the breath, the stillness, the what Is, my connection is very different.  I become relatable, the attention is softly acute.  It's a state somewhat removed from the ordinary, unattached to my usual human struggle.

Obligation, duty, discipline-- there is a place for them, in meditation and elsewhere.  As I am finding with many practices, even diet awareness and exercise, when I approach them with excitement and curiosity or engage out of enjoyment instead of duty something else happens besides the accomplishment of a healthy meal, an exercise routine done or a morning meditation completed.  An experience, often transcendent, occurs.  I have more Life.  I have an experience which is more connected to myself and more related to the subtle energies that surround me.

Virtual Bodywork (?!)

It is the 21st century.  I am finding through trial and error, exploration and surprise there is a practice which could be named Virtual Bodywork.

Merriam-Webster's definition of bodywork, in my estimation, is woefully vague and lacking:   "therapeutic touching or manipulation of the body by using specialized techniques."  My experience of what bodywork is, from both the giving and receiving point of view, is complex and layered.  It includes M-W's definition, but goes way beyond (see a more in-depth description in my post:Bodywork, Energy Medicine: Whole Healing).  Bodywork is an act of a layered, mutual listening between facilitator and client.  Intuition and all senses are engaged in an acute attention.  The relationship in the experience of bodywork is anchored in trust; it has to be, because what occurs is deep, intimate, and often edgy.  From both role's point of view (the facilitator and receiver), there is a heightened sense of the sublime in oneself:  the way energy is moving, expressing itself; and the subsequent following provides information to the now and what is present.  The facilitator is not only grounded in whatever skills he/she might have developed, but is also providing an attention (full-bodied listening capacity) and meta-witnessing skills that are flexible enough to go with the flow, often the unexpected.  Trust is implicit. Trust of one's knowing in a moment.  Trust in one's inclinations as they come (even if they seem cognitively bizarre in the moment).  Trust in other.  This happens for both parties.  Whereas there is room for wonder and question, there isn't room for insecurity and fear.  Easy to say, hard to Be.

Based on the decades I have done bodywork, I can say that communication between facilitator and receiver is not usually seated in verbalization.  Bodywork is, by nature, often nonverbal; and when it's not, the verbal communication is based in an energetic exchange and doesn't usually have a 'chatty' or talkative quality.  Good facilitators and open receivers who are experienced in this type of work don't have rigid agendas or hard and fast rules.  To get the most from the work both facilitator and receiver allow the "energy bath" of the work to wash over them without immediately interpreting, but just following.  We are curious energy detectives, following the small and large clues, making no immediate conclusions, allowing what is to Be. 

Some of my work with people necessitates the use of the internet, webcams and (virtual) software applications.  Up until recently I was using this technology primarily for wellness coaching, which works pretty well with clients whom are long distance.  Almost accidentally, as of late, I have begun using this technology to do a version of long-distance bodywork.