the Big Dump

[Chris Corrigan]

Rafael Mier wrote:


> I was wondering how different OST practitioners do their inner
> preparation in order to be a calm source of harmony during the event.

Almost all the things I do have actually been lifted from or connect me
to the people on this list, and I have a bunch of little rituals like
Joelle that I perform before I open space.  These include:

* touching each chair in the circle and sort of blessing it

* getting into a meditative state while ripping small pieces of tape and
sticking them to the walls.  Aitken gave me this idea.  I sometimes
think of him as I'm stick pieces to the walls and it sometimes feels
like I'm at the Wailing Wall, swaying with the rhythm and hoping that
the tape is used to stick juicy topics on the wall.  Sometimes I arrange
the tape in meaningful patterns, like 4 rows of thirteen pieces, for the
four seasons and the thirteen weeks.

* Being the first in the room and ringing my bells in the empty space.
Sometimes I sing in there, if it's a big echo-y room like a gym.  I like
to be the last out too.  Gives me a tangible sense of hold space.

* I like to make the post-it notes the night before and the signs the
day of the event.  Dunno why.  It's ritual now.

* I often wear something that has meaning from my history with OST, very
often it's a little carved wooden pendant that Elena Marchuk gave me
from Siberia when she visited for OSonOS IX.  I always carry stones too,
sometimes the one that Birgitt gave me from near Ayres Rock in
Australia, sometimes ones I picked up on the beach walking with Ashley
Cooper or Tova Averbuch at Practice of Peace, or more recently a shell
from Tahunanui Beach in New Zealand, gathered with list member Daniel
Lebel a couple of weeks ago.

I like the way these things connect me to the space, the participants
and the people who have supported my practice over the years.  It eases
my mind before an event and helps me to remember all the good advice
I've received.

Chris

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html