BodyBeing, Part 3

The theme for today is, again, BodyBeing.
continuing with some of the ideas from last time.

Here are some observations:
People might say "I am not my body" but then also say "my body is Me".
Apparently I and Me are different;
Body is Me but not I

I can see my body as a "thing" or be "in" it as an I.
Body is both World and I,
a creative mixing zone between I and World
where they get to know each other, and new things are born of that union;
a piece of the world that I can call "home".

Wow, how much knowledge, how much information is available
from a part of the World that is also my "internal",
the world as Me,
available to the eye of I and its shifting identifications,
that I can feel in exquisite detail, can move in and as and through,
exploring its many ways of relating to the rest of World?

Body is that which through, and as, we experience World
in its nuances and layers,
contours, movements, and edges.

In the hand alone there are many worlds of experience
the hand as an object
the hand that feels and senses itself
the hand of movement, where you go as you,
the hand of touch, feeling and sensing the world
the hand that's busy with its tasks, making things happen
the hand as a signal and sign to others
and more,

all this experience becomes knowledge when given proper regard,
respect and attention,
and well-storied.

As for the Hand, so much more for the Face.
Hands and Faces are where so much of it happens
this business of being human.

But every part, every system of the body
has a rich "interior", a world of experience
both as a learner and as a teacher -
bones, skin, spine, belly,
hands, feet, shoulders, hips, elbows, knees,
ask any of them for their stories and songs
and they're willing to provide.

Body as a whole, is both an orchestra
and a dancer in the Company of Life.

And yet we've learned to live, move, experience
in conventional ways
doing the expected, getting the job done,
aware of almost nothing of this richness

(unless something goes wrong, of course)

Body is sometimes like a ghost house
or a shared house whose mates are not home at the same time.
Symptoms are like part of you
leaving another part of you
messages while "you" are out;
you come home and find someone else's socks in the sofa
some used utensils in the kitchen
empty beer cans on the carpet
and that someone is you.
We call it the unconscious,
but maybe it calls YOU the unconscious.

Body then is the medium of communication
between one's various intelligent parts.

The parts are of a whole,
one we may not or even cannot be aware of.

Where and how can the parts be re-united?
They need a good introduction, a matchmaker
to say, "meet your long-lost relation, do you remember when...?"
Integration is one of the few but important uses of awareness.
Working hand in hand with another, Appreciation.

I hope we will have time to look at
some of the forms and practices
of BodyMind awareness and development
underlying different Arts and traditions.
I'm sure we have many methods and insights to share

but if our time is short
I'd like to start with some even more basic things

Awareness (and as the Zen teacher kept repeating, awareness...)
in the realm of bodily experience;
   its intellectual form, curiousity
   its emotional form, willingness to be surprised, to be uncertain
   to be, occasionally, bored;
and its complement,
Trust:
that is, allowing for the awareness the World has -
  its innate wisdom.
Trust your learnng process
as it winds through light and darkness, self and other.
Most healing takes place outside awareness.

Don't hold too tight
  or too loose
with attention and awareness
with ideas and concepts
with body and effort.

Watch your distance
sometimes backing off for perspective and intependence
sometimes getting intimately close
sometimes stepping into the very center.

Carry yourself well
as a world walking within worlds
and learn to move freely
letting forms and movements emerge naturally
and without plan or preconception.

And last, but certainly not least,
Relaxation,
the gateway to flow, vitality, intuition, and accurate perception.

If I relax, and give awareness,
bodily
right now
what is going on?