Stalking the Gaps: Embodied Spirituality and Repair of the...
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Stalking the Gaps: Embodied Spirituality and Repair of the World
Transcript of Stalking the Gaps: Embodied Spirituality and Repair of the...
StalkingtheGaps:EmbodiedSpiritualityandRepairofthe
World
“Thereisalwaysatempta>ontodiddlearoundinthecontempla>velife,making
itsy-bitsystatues.”ThomasMerton
“Thereisalwaysanenormoustempta>oninalloflifetodiddlearoundmakingitsy-bitsyfriendsandmealsandjourneysforitsy-bitsyyearsonend…sayingInevermeritedthisgrace.Iwon’thaveit.Theworldiswilderthanthatinalldirec>ons,moredangerousandbiJer,moreextravagantandbright.Wearemakinghaywhenweshouldbemakingwhoopee;weareraisingtomatoeswhenweshouldberaisingCain,orLazarus.Goupintothegaps…Stalkthegaps.Squeakintoagapinthesoil,turn,andunlock-morethanamaple-auniverse.ThisishowyouspendthisaQernoon,andtomorrowmorning,andtomorrowaQernoon.SpendtheaQernoon.Youcan’ttakeitwithyou.”
AnnieDillard,PilgrimatTinkerCreek
AWEJasonSilva,Youtube
Exercise:• Consideramomentthatyouwoulddefineforyourselfas
spiritual–whateverthatmeansforyou–amomentwhenyouwereawakeandawakenedtothatpartofyouthatisfullydeeplytrulyyou--inaweperhaps-andatthesame>meconnectedtosomethinglarger.
• Jotdownwordstodescribethatexperience.Whathappened?Whatwasitlikeinyourbody?Whatdidyoufeel?Howdiditchangeyou?Yourviewoflife?
• Findapartner…
AsWeMoveTowardtheSpiritual…
Wemovetowardpresence…andtowardmindfulawareness…
“Throughmindfulnessweelevatetheordinaryintotheextraordinary,”TalBen-Shahar
“ThegreatgiQofaspiritualpathiscomingtotrustthatyoucanfindawaytotruerefuge.Yourealizethatyoucanstartrightwhereyouare,inthemidstofyourlife,andfindpeaceinanycircumstance.Evenatthosemomentswhenthegroundshakesterriblybeneathyou—whenthere’salossthatwillalteryourlifeforever—youcans>lltrustthatyouwillfindyourwayhome.Thisispossiblebecauseyou’vetouchedthe>melessloveand
awarenessthatareintrinsictowhoyouare.”TaraBrach,TrueRefuge:FindingPeaceandFreedominYour
OwnAwakenedHeart
AsWeMoveTowardtheSpiritual…
Wemovetowardwholeness…andtowardinterconnectedness…“ThesimpleactofbeingcompletelyaJen>veandpresenttoanotherpersonisanactoflove,
anditfostersunshakeablewell-being.Itishappinessthatisn’tboundtoapar>cular
situa>on,happinessthatcanwithstandchange.”SharonSalzberg,RealHappiness
“Einsteinsaid:“Ahumanbeingispartofawhole,calledbyusthe‘Universe,’apartlimitedin>meandspace.Heexperienceshimself,histhoughtsandfeelings,assomethingseparatedfromtherest—akindofop>caldelusionofhisconsciousness.Thisdelusionisakindofprisonforus,restric>ngustoourpersonaldesiresandtoaffec>onforafewpersonsnearestus.Ourtaskmustbetofreeourselvesfromthisprisonbywideningourcirclesofcompassiontoembracealllivingcreaturesandthewholeofnatureinitsbeauty.”
MaJhieuRicard,TheQuantumandtheLotus:AJourneytotheFron>ers
WhereScienceandBuddhismMeet
Exercise:• Journalforafewmomentsnow…
• InwhatwaysmightIbekeepingmyselfseparatefromthespiritualinmylife?
• Whatgoodemergesfrommydirectconnec>ontomyspiritualprac>ceorwayofbeing?
AsWeMoveTowardtheSpiritual…
Wemovetowardpurpose…andasenseoflife(oursandothers)assignificant…
“Ihavefelttheswayingoftheelephant'sshoulders;andnowyouwantmetoclimbona
jackass?Trytobeserious.”Mirabai
ASignificantLife
Jessica’sDailyAffirma>on“SuperheroTraining”
AsWeMoveTowardtheSpiritual…Wemovetowardcompassionforthesufferingofourselvesandothers…Ifwedefineourspiritualityonlyinposi>veandglowingterms,itwillbecomesen>mental,andthenitisofnouse.Tobespiritualisnotjusttoprayandmeditatebutalsotobeinvolvedinthestrugglesofmarriage,work,andraisingchildren;insocialresponsibilityandintheefforttomakeajustandpeacefulworld.ThomasMooreWhetherthingsturnoutforthebeJerdependsonwhatwedo.Weoughtnotspendour>memastermindingthefuture,butrecognizeourmarchingorders:todothebestwecanforhistoryandtheplanet.HustonSmith
TheBody/SpiritualConnec>on
“Researchindicatesthatself-compassionmaybeapowerfultriggerforthereleaseofoxytocin.”“Self-cri>cismappearstohaveaverydifferenteffectonourbody…Whenweexperienceathreateningsitua>on,thefight-or-flightresponseistriggered:theamygdalasendssignalsthatincreasebloodpressure,adrenalineandthehormonecor>sol,mobilizingthestrengthandenergyneededtoconfrontoravoidathreat.Althoughthissystemwasdesignedbyevolu>ontodealwithphysicalaJacks,itisac>vatedjustasreadilybyemo>onalaJacks—byourselvesorothers.Recentresearchindicatesthatgenera>ngfeelingsofself-compassionactuallydecreasesourcor>sollevels.”
Kris>nNeff,TheChemicalsofCare:HowSelf-CompassionManifestsinOurBodies
TheBody/SpiritualConnec>on
“…integratedwithinourDNAaretheseverypowerfulmechanismsthatmakeuscare,thatmakeusrespondtosufferingofanother,and
actuallyhaveadesiretointervene.”
Evolu>onarymandate:…aswebegantodevelopalargercortexandfrontallobeinordertothinkabstractly,wedevelopedsophis>catedlanguage,abilitytostrategize,thesechangesmandatedthatwealsodeveloplongergesta>onperiod,reducedliJersize,andoffspringthattookadecadetofunc>onindependently,whichledtodevelopmentof
extraordinarilylongbondingandnurturingpathwayswithinthespecies.
JamesDoty,ProfessorofNeurosurgery,StanfordUniversitySchoolofMedicine;Director,CenterforCompassionandAltruismResearchand
Educa>on
TheBody/SpiritualConnec>on
Instatesofmindfulnessandcompassionwesee:
BiologicalProfileofM4(CompassionateorWisdomMindfulness)• IncreasedVagalToneandAutonomicFlexibility• IncreasedOxytocinTone• IncreasedHypothalamic-MidbrainSocialBondingTone• IncreasedFrontalLobeFlexibility• IncreasedConnec>onsbetweenRewardandSocialEngagement/Exper>se
Pathways• DecreasedConnec>onsbetweenFear/VigilanceandSocialEngagement/
Exper>sePathways(reducingsocialcomparisoncompe>>onandinadequacy)
• DecreasedOverregula>onofAJunement/Emo>onSuppression(feelemo>onsrichly,andtheyguideyou)
EmilianaR.Simon-Thomas,ScienceDirectoroftheGreaterGoodScienceCenter,Berkeley
SpiritualityEmbodied
Wearewiredforconnectedness,compassion,care
ofothers
AND
Ourbodiesdobestwhenwemovetowardquali>esofaspiritualexistence
