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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Learning Report – ROOTS Forum OS–
multi-community citizen’s group<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Well, just home from two days on Saltspring Island at
the invitation of Chris Corrigan who asked a bunch of us Island OSers to join
him in opening space for a multi-island citizen’s group concerned with
supporting the governmental body (Islands Trust) that is charged with
preserving and protecting the very special and fragile Gulf Islands that we all
call home. It was an amazing learning opportunity and I want to thank and
send appreciation and hugs to Chris, Beverly, Nancy and Val. There is no
way I am going to be able to report all of the learning that took place, so I
will limit myself to a couple of highlights and current wonderings that have
come out of this one. The photos are up at: <a
href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/89394054@N00/sets/1018993/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/89394054@N00/sets/1018993/</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'>One thing that I have consistently noticed is how the
energy in the space and in the conversations gets deeper (spiralling) as the
day progresses. Chris and I were discussing how this might connect to the
emergence of wisdom. In thinking about what I know about the developmental
continuum from knowledge to wisdom, it led me back to several teachings from my
meditation tradition. The first is the progression of learning from book
learning (normal learning) to conversational? learning (student-teacher), to
experiential (self-learning). Book learning is considered knowledge,
which then is transformed through an intermediary stage (conversational,
mentorship, transmission) (which I think may help to develop analytical skills,
increased focus capacity, depth of engagement, transmitted experience, and
increase subtlety of mind, inquiry skills and so on) to eventually emerge as
self-inquiry/experiential learning which is the path that eventually leads to
the development of the quality of wisdom. So, I wonder if as the
discussions proceed through the day, participants receive knowledge, engage in
conversation, and then begin self-reflection. This connects to the idea
of increasing subtlety of mind as a consequence of prolonged focus. Conversation
can assist us in prolonging our capacity to focus on an idea by using the
energy and attention of others to constantly return our attention to the task
(just as in meditation, one constantly must return the attention to the
practice—training the puppy as some call it). This process is
re-iterative…learn fact, etc from someone, talk about it, begin to
self-reflect on it, learn next thing, talk about it, reflect some
more…and so on. Spiralling re-iterations. And there is also
something just hovering on the edge of consciousness for me…something
about engagement with another mind/other minds and the mirror that can create
for the self—maybe deepening or strengthening the impulse to
self-reflection… I don’t know…there’s something
there…good fodder to sit with…<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Next cool thing was finding fodder for our (Chris and
I) continuing conversation about the Practice Workshop. So I was noticing
what the four practices look like for participants. I spent a lot of time
in the Newsroom and noticed again how deep the energy is in there. Have
you noticed that? Which led me to thinking that report writing is a
grounding practice for participants. So my current thinking on the
quadrants for participants looks like this…opening- hearing/receiving the
invitation; inviting—posting a topic/choosing to attend/not attend a
particular session; holding—hosting a conversation/participating in a conversation/conference
quest, butterflying; grounding—writing a report, reflective closing
circle question, action planning/commitment to act. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'>The last thing I want to explore a bit follows on from
Lisa Heft’s question at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Halifax</st1:City></st1:place>
on what is a space invader. In having the opportunity to debrief a
challenging opening on day two, Chris reflected to me that the so-called space
invader was actually issuing an invitation to open more space (space that
would/could be inclusive of his needs—or real diversity as Wilber would
probably say). Which I went on to ponder more—especially why it
*feels* like space is closing when these kinds of things happen. And
something else that Chris said made me wonder if the closing sensation is
actually coming, not from the ‘space-invader’ who is usually
blamed, but from others in the room who experience emotional or other
constriction (closing) reactions to the behaviour. I think that thinking
about it in this way will help support a practice of compassion when these
situations arise. Someone who is experiencing a strong sensation (fear,
anger, frustration, etc) issues an invitation to the group that causes many in
the group to experience a strong sensation (fear, anger, frustration,
annoyance, etc.) to which they may react by constricting their hearts. It
is much easier to have compassion for everyone involved when it’s framed
this way. And then, as a result, it’s much easier to act from
compassion and hold the space strongly and open more space within it.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Oh, and a little quote that I came across the other
day that has been floating through my mind (one day I will write these down as
I find them and then will be able to tell you who said them…) “When
it’s no longer mysterious, it’s no longer true.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'>That’s it for this one. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Love, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN-CA
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Wendy<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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