<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I think there are many ways of activating my imagination around the notion of inner village Harold - and Matilda's idea sounds wonderful also.<div><br></div><div>I have heard about but never experienced the 'empty chair' process - that sounds intriguing as well. </div><div><br></div><div>My own preference at this stage in life has emerged out of my own lived experience and deepening connection to my Celtic heritage. I am continuing to explore other avenues of access to the richness of my inner life - and acknowledging myself as some sort of system within systems...all self-organising of course. </div><div><br></div><div>I also think that my growing awareness of my many selves has enriched my practice of Open Space...and helped me to more fully present for the service I offer.</div><div><br></div><div>cheers brendan</div><div><br></div><div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On 14/09/2012, at 9:14 AM, Harold Shinsato wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Matilda, thanks for your reply. I look
forward to learning more about the Hal and Sidra Stone 'Voice
Dialogue' technique.<br>
<br>
Brendan - I remember you very well as an important part of my
experience of Berlin - especially your statement about letting go
of needing to make a difference, so that you can make a
difference. Your response was worth reading a few times. If you're
familiar with Gestalt therapy's "empty chair" technique, how do
you think this Celtic wisdom might apply? A coach led me through
the process a few times, and it has been quite intriguing. I even
got a bunch of different hats to try doing the work on my own. It
seems to help to give these different elements of the psyche some
space to express - open space and let the inner conflict be
visible so that these elements can be more in communion. It's one
of the things I enjoyed most about studying improv and acting.
Playing with different persona's made it easier to be less rigidly
identified with the ego.<br>
<br>
So much of theater and acting seems like deep shamanistic psyche
work. This seems very rich territory for exploration.<br>
<br>
Harold<br>
<br>
On 9/13/12 5:42 PM, Matilda Leyser wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:43EF25B3-1F6A-4C26-A45D-99DB05433987@mac.com" type="cite">Hi Harold and Brendan and all,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Joining this thread late, or just at the right time :-)! - I
am a little slow on email these days since my circle of one has
become a circle of three, with our 8 month year old son
wriggling round it all day. Yes, Harold, you remembered the
session in Berlin well and Brendan's description of how he opens
space for himself is wonderful, as is that quote of John
O'Donohue's. My own process has also been influenced by a body
of work known as 'Voice Dialogue,' developed by Hal and Sidra
Stone, which is precisely about the many selves we carry inside
our self, and developing the ability to hold space for all of
them. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Hope to see some of you soon in a circle in London,</div>
<div>Love</div>
<div>Matilda and Riddley and Phelim and the cuddly toys xxx</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
<div>
<div>On 12 Sep 2012, at 14:43, Brendan McKeague wrote:</div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
<blockquote type="cite">
<div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space;
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Well Gijs...what
a lovely memory you're triggering from the Presidio..and
Matilda's creativity in Berlin
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Here is a the context, best expressed for me by John
O'Donohue in his inspirational book, Anam
Cara...Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World</div>
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Arial; "><br>
</span></div>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;">
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Arial; ">"Individuality
is never simple or one dimensional.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; ">Often it seems as if
there is a crowd within the individual heart … At
the deepest level of the human heart, there is no
simple, singular self.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
">Deep within there is a gallery of
different selves.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
">Each one of
these figures expresses a different part of your
nature.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; "><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
">Sometimes they will come into
contradiction and conflict with each other.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
"><span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
">If you only meet these contradictions on the
surface level,
this can start an inner feud that could haunt you
all the days of your
life.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; "><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
">Frequently, you see people
who are sorely divided.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;
">They are
in a permanent war zone and have never managed to go
deeper to the hearth of
kinship where the two forces are not enemies, but
reveal themselves to be
different sides of one belonging.</span></div>
<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Arial; ">We
cannot embody in action the multiplicity of selves
we encounter in our most
inward meditations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>But without a
knowledge of these numberless selves our existence
is severely diminished and
our access to mystery is blocked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>We are talking here of the imagination and
its riches; too often we
degrade imagination to a problem-solving
technique.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span></span></p>
</div>
<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Arial; ">We
need to develop a new sense of the wonderful
complexity of the self.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>We need thought models or
patterns
which are fair and appropriate to that complexity.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>When people discover their own
complexity, they become
afraid and with the hammers of second-hand
thoughts they beat this rich
internal landscape into a monoscape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>They make themselves conform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>They agree to fit in; they cease to be
vivid presences, even to
themselves." (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Arial; ">pp146-48)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></span></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<div>This notion got me to thinking - how would it be to
facilitate an Open Space meeting for my 'inner village',
or 'inner family'...or 'inner tribe'....</div>
<div>A colleague of mine had introduced me to the Jungian
'thought model' of 'Active Imagination' where we can
create a space for conversation with these inner-village
people by intentionally engaging our imagination. These
characters often appear in dreams and I had been setting
time aside to have a yarn with each of them in response
to the purpose behind their appearance in my
subconscious world. I would sit quietly with journal and
write out the conversation as it unfolded...a kind of
imaginary dialogue with 'part of me' that needed to be
given voice in my conscious, ego-controlled presence.
This was very useful for me in surfacing and addressing
some 'shadow issues' with a trusted companion (spiritual
guide, therapist...). </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I then wondered what it would feel like if I invited
whoever wished to come along to an Inner VIllage Open
Space meeting - and guess what, it was very similar to
an outer-world meeting...issue an invitation around a
theme that's significant for me at the time, see who
shows up, post topics, host conversations, converge and
plan actions....with me (ego state) the
sponsor/facilitator recording the proceedings and
getting more in touch with the deeper recesses of my
'truth'....and I must confess that some quite shady
characters often show up - an old/familiar acquaintance,
a shy stranger, a domineering autocrat, a frightened
child, a passionate activist....all the right 'people'
of course!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>So, maybe its the leprechauns in me...regardless, I
love it - even tho some of these meetings can be very
draining and last for a couple of hours...its a rich
experience.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Cheers</div>
<div>Brendan </div>
<div>(and his village)</div>
<br>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Harold Shinsato<br>
<a href="mailto:harold@shinsato.com">harold@shinsato.com</a><br>
<a href="http://shinsato.com/">http://shinsato.com</a><br>
twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/hajush">@hajush</a></div>
</div>
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