I sit in front of this blank page, not knowing what will flow onto it. It’s not always like this. Usually an idea forms before I get to my desk. But today, in order for something to come, I must be available. Something wants to manifest through me. But I do not know what it … Read more
Last Friday marked the annual celebration of Gurdjieff’s birth. It fell on the thirteenth, just before the Orthodox Russian New Year. Traditionally, January 13th has been celebrated as Gurdjieff’s birthday, although the actual year and date of his birth are shrouded in mystery. Apparently, Gurdjieff designated January 13th as the time to renew one’s work, not … Read more
There’s something about grief—I’ve never really thought much about. Our culture tends to ignore grief, as if it is something one must get past and leave behind. Somehow, we think getting back to “normal” is the answer. We tend to look at grief only in terms of losing a loved one or experiencing life-altering events. … Read more
There’s a knot in me. More and more, I’m becoming aware of it. I’ve been up against this before when I was introduced to my own Chief Feature. That did not taste good, yet there were moments when I experienced something delicious in the ingredients. This is similar, but different. This knot is also deep … Read more
What is the “truth” of my life? Every week, I prepare myself to write this blog. I have a set practice that I do, and it ends with a writing prayer I wrote in India, during the writing of my memoir. At the end of the prayer, I say, “and may the flow from my … Read more
Prayer—‘Tis the season… My recent work has me looking—at my relationship with feelings. With taking an “impression” of myself in an inner, collected moment, and in a moment of interaction with others. And the glue of why and how to keep working at these things in an active way. Somehow, I sense there is a … Read more
Being available, as in being open to another’s state of being, is tough for me. Like multitasking in the kitchen when my kids are visiting during a Holiday. Putting dishes away and thinking that just by being in the same room as my young grandson, I’m “being” with him. My whole operating mode has always … Read more
Mr. Bennett’s words were ringing in me as I woke up this morning. “Everyone must understand that this is the greatest opportunity that has existed for many thousands of years in the Work. Because not for thousands of years has there been such a need for people who could work.” For instance, look at this … Read more
The dénouement of my retreat at the Center for Conscious Living and Dying came during my last workshop, Process Spirituality. In the first workshop of the retreat, Grief Within and Between Us, we had played the game of Opposites. It had been facilitated by Will Daddario PhD & Joanne Zerdy PhD. The objective was to … Read more
Process Spirituality was the last workshop I attended during the Birth, Breath, and Death retreat. The title, Process Spirituality, didn’t reveal what to expect, but I heard others recommending Kalyan Volpe, the facilitator. It ended up the central experience for me on this retreat that my daughter-in-law, Michelle, had encouraged me to go to. Before … Read more