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WoK Practice Intensive: Jan 7, 2007


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Frank's Summary

In my first week of working with the wh in this way I had to consciously remind myself to practice at least five minutes in the morning and am happy I did it every day. I also kept notes. To enter the perfection the wh talks about, I mostly exercised wh in the form of repeating the words "This is perfect" or "Everything is perfect" silently to myself. I notice that doing this expands my awareness beyond my personal story, feelings, sensations and thoughts. It helps me to relate to whatever happens in this moment and to relate to the world around me in a relaxed way. No threat, or complaint. It melts my resistance to what is going on and somehow gives my judging mind a few seconds or minutes of holiday. There was a lot I habitually resisted this week because I was in Northern India which, besides its beauty, has a number of challenges. However I can't just blame it on India. It is indeed surprising how much I habitually and constantly resist my experience, try to change it etc.

I also attempted to feel wh in my body by allowing the sense of ease that comes from contemplating wh for me to be physically felt. Again it is a surprise how tension and uncomfortable humming can often be felt in my body. The body seems to resist situations in its own way. I can't report that this attempt for mind/body integration worked to well yet for me, however it appears to me to be a way that can help to heal the nervous system in the longer run, so I plan to continue a bit longer.

The strong or subtle resistance to what is happening seems to be the fuel for a an automatic inner problem generator. My experience from working with wh drives the point home, that a more welcoming attitude is an ever present option, even during slight discomfort. Then the problem generator and its follow up activities of solving these problems in a compulsive fashion run out of steam. Even although during my stay in India, there are still a number of things I needed to respond to, the sense that these things are intrinsically wrong was not as strong.

-Frank


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