BodyBeing, Part 4

The theme for today is BodyMind Practice.

The cultural world we live in is aligned with one part of us,
and a small part of what we are capable of,
emphasizing intellect, concept, a certain syle of "thinking"
valuing it, differentiating it,
and doing the opposite, paying little attention
to what's outside that slice of reality.

It prefers things "conscious" rather than unconscious,
cognitive rather than intuitive,
categorical rather than unique,
distinct and separate rather than blended and whole,
clear, defined, and simple rather than fluid and subtle,
general and abstract rather than individual and particular.

The mind of practice needs both sides of this artificial opposition.
Form and formless are faces of the same arising.
You can study an art or tradition or practice from either side.
because things always have an inner and an outer facet.

The "external" view given by culture
Looks at things from the outside, from a distance.
As static things, forms, systems.
I like to think it means to be helpful,
in saying you need to acquire things you don't have
knowledge, techniques, practices, products of one kind or another.

But an open secret is,
we already have all the knowledge, "equipment", and techniques needed
for living life in the "full".

Forms are infinite - "the Dharma Gates are infinite".
It can be a deep learning to study a particular bodymind art form
and all its principles and subtleties
and I recommend these "vehicles"
but the real prize is the return to simple essences.
Forms can lead to formlessness.
And this is reversible
a thread leads from the one to the many
and from the many to the one
so  you're free to choose forms, parts
without losing the whole
as a way to hold the whole.

Another open secret is,
any part is a part of the whole, still connected
a handle that can lead you back there.

The concept of "impermanence"
implies the fertile process
in which things are continually coming into and out of existence.
Thus the world of the formless starts unfolding into the world of form.

What can we "do" with this?
It's not just "philosophy".

There is an interesting in-between perspective
a practical mix of doing and being,
a world of BodyMind form / energy patterns
rediscovered and presented in many different ways

Practice has certain general principles common to all arts
and the "internal" practices are really all facets of a unified thing
working together
If I were to choose two main ones
in addition to the ever-present "awareness"
They would be
(1) Relaxation.  
(2) Learn to take pleasure in and appreciate the exact thing that is happening moment to moment.
This will lead you towards more awareness and sensitivity
creating a growing "virtuous cycle".

One school says it is about
Relaxing
Feeling your whole body
Moving from your Center
Being Grounded
Being Calm.

Another says:
Locate your attention in your center
Relax completely
Let your weight flow down with gravity
Extend your energy into space around you

These are guidelines for whole embodied presence.
Something paradoxically "remembered"
and re-created in the moment.

This doesn't make sense
to the encultured mind:  if you do it,
it will likely feel boring or useless
until you "enter" its world,
and have a practice mind.

The world of bodymind forms is rich, complex, and fascinating
as is the world of knowing how to pursue your practices
and we can really enjoy learning how to learn
learning how to communicate about them
more accurately "WITH them" and "THROUGH them"
but they all come from the same "place".

Deep practices need no complexity and formality
just continuous awareness
and a focus - a meditation object
which can be nearly anything
why not choose something that's always nearby, part of your living
such as breathing, walking, sitting, or gazing.
There's no action you can do
that isn't continuous with the action of the whole universe.

When these awareness-based practices
become part of the practicer
they disappear again.
The practicer is "different"
The forms are filled out and alive.
The self and world seem more "dimensional".

"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are"

That being said, 
the BodyMind experience of most interest
is the particular one you are having right now
as life moves in and through you.