Roberta Chromey 
The space between remembering and forgetting, in Gurdjieff terminology, is usually supposed to be filled with “remembering oneself.” At least I thought so and worked at this for some twenty years at Claymont following my Sherborne course. One day I went to see Pierre Elliot, our teacher at Claymont. It was after a very intense … Read more
On Easter Sunday morning, the priest spoke about the blood and body of Christ being real. I heard him and knew that for him it was a big deal and the difference between Catholic and Protestant religions. The Catholics believe the host and wine turns into literal blood and flesh. The Protestants believe the communion … Read more
Law of Three Why is Denying Force holy? Gurdjieff teaches about the Law of Three, sometimes referring to it as Holy Affirming, Holy Denying, Holy Reconciling. Bennett, in Deeper Man, digs into the law as triads, breaking down and reconfiguring the interactions between Active, Passive (or receptive) and Reconciling forces. I’ve studied triads, experienced moments … Read more
This little light of mine, I’m gonna make it shine… The other day I caught myself wondering what earthly good my little inner-work efforts are, anyway? I see the suffering from war in Ukraine. I’m aware of the interwoven cultural-historical relationship between Russian and Ukraine, an obvious cause for anguish with many international families. Close … Read more
The reality of trying to line myself up on the fly to remember a specific inner task is this: It didn’t work but it gave an insight. Last week I wrote a high falutin’ blog piece about Feeling I; Sensing Am. Contemplating this post during my morning’s jog, I remembered the task I’d recently suggested, … Read more
“I” is a feeling, “Am” is a sensation in the I Am exercise as I’ve newly rediscovered. On our course at Sherborne I was introduced to stops during practical work. We would pause from our physical labor, be it gardening or construction or cutting wood, breath in “I” and exhale “Am.” I remember breathing in, centering … Read more
There’s a still, quiet, readiness I recognize from movements. It’s taken a long time to get there. Movements, Phase I When I was introduced to movements as a twenty year old, they were not that appealing to me. Too angular, too militaristic for my ballet influenced sensibilities. Then I experienced how they can change one’s … Read more
My understanding about chief feature is this: That each of us has an inherent central “feature” which is at the core of who we are and how we manifest. Everyone’s chief feature is unique. Gurdjieff called it chief fault. It was suggested to me by Mr. Bennett as the tint of glass through which I … Read more
Why is not knowing so hard for me? There were technical questions about lymph nodes and blood cells I needed answered. Michelle is asking me to give up wanting to understand what is happening inside of her. My suspicion is this is hard for me because “knowing” is comfortable. It makes me feel safe, grounded. … Read more
I’m dealing with tumultuous emotions. My daughter-in-law, Michelle, has cancer and is recovering from major surgery. This has all transpired in the past six weeks. My wish is to be available to her and my son in all three centers. Yet my emotions break through at times when I’m thinking or talking to others about … Read more