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Dear Harrison,<br>
<br>
I love your response in many ways. It's very confrontational towards
this need in me to have a formula of a specific amount of clock
time, and laughing it off.<br>
<br>
In many ways, Anne's invocation of the trans-finite seems to invite
this kind of meditation. Thank you Anne for such an invocation of
going beyond the finite. How much time do you need for a deep
silence? It reminds me of the opening stanza to the William Blake
poem, Auguries of Innocence:<br>
<br>
<br>
To see a world in a grain of sand,<br>
And a heaven in a wild flower,<br>
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,<br>
And eternity in an hour.<br>
<br>
<br>
A deep satisfying silence of 10 seconds could be much more impactful
in certain circles than forcing an 8 minute meditation on them. For
myself, I have noticed many times my own butt beginning to wiggle
considerably even just thinking about having to sit still from a
command from the facilitator to sit in silence. During the
retrospective meeting yesterday with most of the organizing team and
some of the participants (everyone was invited), it was quite
interesting to contemplate this question of silence. Some balked at
the idea of an elongated silence. In fact one of the organizers
hypothesized the opening was already too "woo woo" for some of her
University friends, and they walked out after the opening circle.<br>
<br>
And then again - I suspect for many circles - perhaps 8 minutes of
silence would have only whet their palette for what they needed for
a deep comtemplative journey together. Maybe they might need 15
minutes before the session genereation. Or 30 minutes. Imagine an
hour of sitting in a circle together for an hour?!? Speak about
eternity. I wonder if such a circle might be empowered to solve the
most difficult of planetary questions.<br>
<br>
Alas - I suspect there is no need for agreement here - or a final
answer. Just a question and a wondering.<br>
<br>
How long a silence in the opening? How many breaths is a deep
silence? How does one sense when there's been enough?<br>
<br>
Thanks to all who have engaged with this question!<br>
<br>
Harold<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 6/19/15 3:02 PM, Harrison wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Harold
said... “Would 8 minutes of grounding silence after the
welcome and logistics opened enough space for participants
so they didn't need silent reflection time with their papers
and markers to gather their thoughts? Do you offer anything
before letting the participants make their offerings to help
invite in the "transfinite"?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">I
love your intensity. But I do have to ask. “8 Minutes?” ....
On which planet, what galaxy? And who cares? Deep silence
makes its own time. My experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">ho<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span><br>
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<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>
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