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Hi Alex,<br><br>
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 ;-)<br><br>
1. About relaxing. <br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<br>
2. About bliss<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<br>
3. Reducing tension<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
And now it is time to go outside and enjoy a beautiful sunny autumn day.
I wish you all well.<br><br>
Koos de Heer<br><br>
<br>
At 02:20 17-10-2009, Alex Iglecia wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">My questions to you as
facilitators are:<br>
1. How does relaxing affect performance, and when it is
innappropriate?<br>
2. Does "bliss" actually exist, and would you call anything in
group process bliss?<br>
3. Please say something about OST and reducing tension - something
surprising...<br>
<br>
Thank you!<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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)<br>
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. <br>
I welcome your thoughts.<br>
<a href="http://www.innergetaway.com/melt/">
http://www.innergetaway.com/melt/</a><br>
<br><br>
Alex Iglecia<br>
781-405-1248<br><br>
<a href="http://www.alexiglecia.com/">http://www.alexiglecia.com</a><br>
<a href="http://twitter.com/AlexIglecia" eudora="autourl">
http://twitter.com/AlexIglecia</a><br>
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexiglecia">
http://www.linkedin.com/in/alexiglecia</a><br><br>
Initiatives:<br>
<a href="http://www.innergetaway.com/">http://www.innergetaway.com</a>
October 20th<br>
<a href="http://www.epicworkout.com/">http://www.epicworkout.com</a><br>
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