Taking a Nap

Henri Lipmanowicz henri.lipmanowicz at verizon.net
Sun Jan 30 16:43:19 PST 2005


Harrison,

Thanks for the lovely thoughts you sent our way. Here is another angle on
the same theme. During the day both our bodies and minds take a beating and
a number of "things" get damaged, hurt or discombobulated.  If you think of
sleep as a time of repair, re-ordering, re-patterning, re-connecting,
re-synchronizing, it makes eminent sense that new thoughts would emerge. I
personally think this can be to some extend cultivated by extending one's
daydreaming (half awake, half asleep) time, a time when unconscious thoughts
can be sort of listened to consciously. It is for me like "letting go of
thinking" in that it seems to be happening by itself and I am like a
spectator. In any case I find it fun. As I travel quite often overseas, jet
lag increases my opportunities for this neither nor state. That's about the
only positive thing I can say about jet lag!

As we get older we must in any case find more reasons to justify the
productivity of our naps...

Henri

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Harrison
Owen
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 8:22 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Taking a Nap

Mikk and Funda - -

I never really thought about it, but it may be (as Mikk suggests) that
taking a nap is more than an accommodation to my own needs. There is no
secret as far as I am concerned that by the time I have gone through the
opening of the space, I am pretty well bushed. I start a lot earlier than
the participants with some quiet time for myself (meditation), come into the
room way before anybody else just to get the feel and sense of the place,
and then of course there are all the complex :-) practicalities to take care
of like magic markers and Post-its. Once all that is done a whoosh of
energetic anticipation erupts, groups form, lots of chaos -- and then
(usually) silence if everybody has gone to breakout rooms. I am just plain
tuckered out and a nap, or definitely a long quiet walk, is the only option.
Certainly seems like the right thing to do.

But I can see Mikk's point. It is all about letting go and opening up some
more space as well. In order to take a good nap -- you just have to let it
all go. Otherwise you just toss and turn, and the nap is useless. And by
physically removing myself, more space inevitably opens. For anybody who
thought I was going to take charge, my absence puts that silly notion to
rest. Of course, there have even been times when I had no (other) place to
go and found a quiet corner in the main room. Talk about sleeping on the
job!

There may be something else here as well. I have noticed over the years that
my most useful thinking seems to take place when I am asleep. (Don't laugh!)
Given a real knotty problem that is going nowhere near solution -- I find
that the best thing to do is "sleep on it." More often than not, when the
morning comes, the way forward is clearer. I suspect that the secret is that
I have given my good old subconscious some space and time to work in --
without all the distractions of waking state. I would guess that the same
sort of thing happens in dream-time in Open Space. I am no longer distracted
by all the words and externals, and have a real opportunity to appreciate
the emerging possibility space the group has created and is busy exploring.

How is that for a rationalization? But anyhow, I think naps are wonderful.

Harrison



Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Mikk Sarv
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 5:27 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: facilitator & sponsor identity

Dear Funda,
during last OS facilitator's training I provided, the becoming facilitators,
who tried out opening space for others found out, that just "taking a nap"
is the most challenging, but most efficient exercise to get the space
opened.
With best greetings,
Mikk Sarv
Estonia

----- Original Message -----
From: "Funda Oral" <fundaoral at ttnet.net.tr>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: facilitator & sponsor identity


> thank you Harrison...this is really the best job in the world; the
responsibility is "taking a nap" :-)
>
> > Kimden: Harrison Owen <hhowen at comcast.net>
> > Tarih: 2005/01/28 Cum PM 11:47:22 GMT+02:00
> > Kime: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > Konu: Re: facilitator & sponsor identity
> >
> > Funda - for you Anything! Yes I think you have it just right. The
sponsor(s)
> > is the one(s) who needs the space opened. And the Facilitator is the
person
> > who does the work. This also includes taking a nap if I am the
facilitator.
> >
> >
> >
> > Harrison
> >
> >
> >
> > Harrison Owen
> >
> > 7808 River Falls Drive
> >
> > Potomac, Maryland   20845
> >
> > Phone 301-365-2093
> >
> > Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
<http://www.openspaceworld.com/>
> >
> >
> > Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
> >
> > Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
> > OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> >
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit:
> > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Funda
Oral
> > Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 8:38 AM
> > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > Subject: facilitator & sponsor identity
> >
> >
> >
> > Referring to my last (today's) answer to  Zachary's question. I think i
> > confuse the role of the facilitator and the
> >
> > sponsor.
> >
> >
> >
> > I want to share with you while trying to clear my mind;
> >
> >
> >
> > -there is a "question" that is worth opening a space
> >
> > -sponsor is the one who should be sensitive to the question in the
subject
> >
> >  and looking for the answers
> >
> > -faciliator should be neutral...he is not looking for the answers...he
> > doesn't need to listen or
> >
> >  read the answers. He just makes a formal introduction among the
sponsor,
> > guests and the
> >
> >  question...and explains the method (OST)...and that's it....so
facilitator
> > should be really
> >
> >  without any identity, expectation, neutral...even doesn't have any
interest
> > in the question and answers
> >
> >  and be able to leave sponsors and guests alone and free....
> >
> >
> >
> > So the facilitator's main role should be offer a space to those who
should
> > own and solve their issue
> >
> > where the facilitator doesn't have any responsibility or stake.
> >
> >
> >
> > I appreciate any comment on that, especially from Harrison.
> >
> >
> >
> > thanks,
> >
> > Funda
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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