Alex's project - and questions about relaxing
Koos de Heer
koos at auryn.nl
Thu Oct 29 23:48:27 PDT 2009
Hi Bernd,
Thanks, it's good to hear that. I am now off to a weekend training
workshop where we will be working with all these themes (breathing,
stretching, meditation, even bliss) a lot. Looking forward to it!
See you all again next week.
Koos
At 04:57 29-10-2009, Bernd Weber wrote:
>Dear Koos,
>
>what you wrote helped me very much to become clearer on this topic,
>which has been interesting and important for me since a long while
>What you offer is: pragmatic knowledge about relaxing and you are
>not "nebulous" when doing so. Very often when I want to talk about
>such questions with people, there are two kinds of typical reaction:
>1.) They treat all this as "rubbish", irrational non-sens 2.) They
>are so "inclusive" in their thinking, that they leave no possibility
>for critical analysis and any "systemic delimitation" ot the
>topic. Both reactions made it difficult to me to continue the communication
>But your reaction is very different: So you delighted my heart and
>my brain. And I learned that looking at these things differently
>than (1) and (2) and communicate clearly from a "3rd position is possible.
>Thank you
>Bernd Weber
>
><mailto:bernd.weber at change-facilitation.org>bernd.weber at change-facilitation.org
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>Am 17.10.2009 um 16:39 schrieb Koos de Heer:
>
>>Hi Alex,
>>
>>Interesting questions. I will give you my thoughts on this. I will
>>relate my thoughts to stretching, breathing and visualization,
>>because I understand those are the topics you are interested in. Of
>>course, there are many more ways to relax (e.g. take a walk, get a
>>massage, take a nap, have a Martini). But I will leave those out
>>for the moment. This email will be long enough anyway ;-)
>>
>>1. About relaxing.
>>
>>For me as a facilitator, relaxing is appropriate before the event,
>>right up until the moment I open the space. I usually meditate in
>>the mornings, but on the morning before the event starts, I make a
>>point of getting up early enough to do some exercises (stretching,
>>breathing) and have a longer meditation than usual. At the moment
>>when it is all about to start and I stand there and someone (host,
>>sponsor, whoever) is introducing me and the last seconds are
>>ticking away, there is a mixture of relaxation and tension. I find
>>that just a touch of stage fright gets my energy up and makes me
>>attentive and clear in my mind. Later on, during the event, I find
>>that being relaxed and awake at the same time works best. For me,
>>meditation is what helps me the most in that respect. Below that, I
>>also find that feeling connected with my body and being present in
>>my body helps my meditation. Therefore, I also regularly do some
>>stretching and breathing exercises.
>>
>>I have had discussions with people who proposed to me that we
>>should collectively do some stretching or physical warming up with
>>the entire group at the start of a conference, e.g. as part of the
>>opening. Visualization and meditation have also been suggested, or
>>a combination of those. So far, I have the belief that in most
>>cases, this is not appropriate. I do not know if this is what you
>>are thinking of, but I will say something about it anyway. I do
>>believe that exercises like stretching and warming up help people
>>to relax and to feel connected with their physical being and
>>therefore will generally improve performance. Usually, the same
>>will count for meditation or visualization. That is the reason I do
>>these things myself. However, in my opinion, the opening of an Open
>>Space conference should be as simple and lean as possible. I make a
>>point of reducing rather than adding. The reasons for that are that
>>simplicity is inviting and complexity is not, and that I do not
>>know if people will be comfortable with the exercises, for whatever
>>reason (not the least matters of different cultures). I do not want
>>to impose something on them in a situation where the law of two
>>feet has not been introduced yet and where it would be awkward to
>>walk away. Now if someone proposes to do a session on this type of
>>exercises or if people want to start their sessions with it, of
>>course that is fine.
>>
>>There is one exception: when I do an Open Space event for a group
>>of people who are accustomed to doing a warming up and a meditation
>>at the start of their meetings, I gladly include it in my opening.
>>And I must say I really like doing it and I love the effect it has
>>on a group when it is done collectively. I tend to think that this
>>effect is partly due to the fact that the people are used to it and
>>feel comfortable with it, but I have not researched this.
>>
>>Visualizations are to me somewhat different: I have the idea that
>>in a warming up or a meditation, I create a container that lets
>>people experience more or less what is appropriate for them. With a
>>visualization, there is so much more direction from me, so much
>>more guiding the experience, that I will not do this as part of
>>Open Space, not even with a group that is used to it and asks for
>>it. Of course it is fine if folks want to do it as part of their
>>session, but I will not do it as part of the opening. I do use
>>visualizations in training programs, but then the arrangement is
>>that I provide guidance because I am the trainer. As an OST
>>facilitator, my role is different and I cannot take on
>>responsibility for the content of what people do and experience.
>>
>>
>>2. About bliss
>>
>>Yes, I am sure many people on this list will agree with me that it
>>does exist. Also collectively. And it does show up in Open Space!
>>Often the atmosphere in an Open Space event is described as "high
>>learning and high play" and I think there are moments when this
>>goes so far that it can be called bliss. Of course, bliss is an
>>individual experience that we tend to project. If I feel bliss, I
>>can easily have the idea that others around me feel the same, which
>>may or may not be true. Now you ask if anything in a group process
>>can be called bliss. I want to be careful on that one, as I believe
>>it is an individual experience in the first place. Now I do believe
>>that the bliss of others can strengthen my own experience of bliss.
>>This may be a little off topic, but I also give Tantra training
>>courses and there, we work with the exchange of blissful energy.
>>But that is something completely different.
>>
>>
>>3. Reducing tension
>>
>>You want a surprise here. Well, I don't know if this is surprising,
>>I guess not.. But I will say it anyway because it is what I
>>believe. Open Space reduces tension by allowing the tension to
>>surface and by making space for people to do what needs to be done.
>>Is this effective? Yes, very much so! Would introducing techniques
>>that are designed to reduce tension help making Open Space even
>>more effective in this respect? I do not think so. To me it feels
>>as if by introducing one or more collective exercises into an Open
>>Space event, the space would get smaller and on the whole, it would
>>be less effective. Assuming that people will do what needs to be
>>done, these things might show up in sessions and that is fine.
>>
>>But what if people are not familiar with the beneficial effects of
>>breath, stretch and visualization, and therefore do not use it? It
>>might help them but they do not know it - isn't that a missed
>>opportunity? Maybe, but it is not for me to decide that that is
>>what they need. For me, that goes against the principles of Open
>>Space. It might help them - but at the same time, it might be
>>completely wrong. In Open Space, we reduce tension by giving trust
>>and getting out of the way; by being present and invisible.
>>
>>I understand the desire to share the power of working with breath,
>>stretching, meditation and visualisation with others. I have that
>>desire too. But I believe that Open Space is not the right setting
>>for me as a facilitator to share it with a group.
>>
>>And now it is time to go outside and enjoy a beautiful sunny autumn
>>day. I wish you all well.
>>
>>Koos de Heer
>>
>>
>>At 02:20 17-10-2009, Alex Iglecia wrote:
>>>My questions to you as facilitators are:
>>>1. How does relaxing affect performance, and when it is innappropriate?
>>>2. Does "bliss" actually exist, and would you call anything in
>>>group process bliss?
>>>3. Please say something about OST and reducing tension - something
>>>surprising...
>>>
>>>Thank you!
>>>
>>>I've posted related to body-mind work before, and I continue to be
>>>very interested in dialogue with OS community on this aspect of things.
>>>
>>>A project I'm launching with my wife, and (and I want to include
>>>teachers, trainers and movers and shakers in the near future - so
>>>please inquire directly with me)
>>>is a teleconference/webinar called Melted Bliss, for the purposes
>>>of using breath, stretch and visualization pragmatically to
>>>refresh, renew, and plant seeds of resolution.
>>>I welcome your thoughts.
>>><http://www.innergetaway.com/melt/>http://www.innergetaway.com/melt/
>>>
>>>
>>>Alex Iglecia
>>>781-405-1248
>>>
>>><http://www.alexiglecia.com/>http://www.alexiglecia.com
>>>http://twitter.com/AlexIglecia
>>><http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexiglecia>http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexiglecia
>>>
>>>Initiatives:
>>><http://www.innergetaway.com/>http://www.innergetaway.com October 20th
>>><http://www.epicworkout.com/>http://www.epicworkout.com
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