Posts Tagged ‘Evolution’

Awakening Integral: Part 5 - Changing Kosmic Habits

Thursday, October 9th, 2008

Creating new habits in consciousness and culture

When we approach practice from an Integral Perspective it is very helpful to understand the influence that “habits” have on the development of consciousness and culture. Often what will prevent an individual’s, or group’s growth is simply being stuck in a bad habit. Perhaps it is a habit that had a function at some point in the past but if something is stuck, then it is no longer functional, and no longer serves growth. At the same time it is our intentional work of laying down good habits  that lead us forward in growth and evolution.

Ultimately this is what it means to be on a “path”, or to walk as a “conscious practitioner”. By taking on a “path” practice we intentionallyy choose to hold a higher discipline in two ways. One way is by overcoming negative tendencies, dysfunctional patterns and “bad” habits that hold back growth. The other way is by developing new capacities, perspectives and abilities that become our new “good” habits as we grow. This applies both in the individual self (our consciousness) and in the collective world (our culture).

I just received this video from EnlightenNext of a dialogue between spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen and Evolutionary Biologist Rupert Sheldrake where they explore the issue of “habits” in consciousness and culture.

Rupert lays it out succently:

“The good news is that we can change. The bad news is that we are all gripped by unconscious habits we’ve inherited from the past.”

And Andrew puts us in the context:

“What does it mean for the human being who’s passionately interested in the evolution of consciousness and culture to deliberately and intentionally chose to create new habits individually and collectively?”

Check out their dialogue about how habits effect our lives. It is very good.

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“Evolution Of Response” workshop, Tel Aviv, Sept. 12th and 13th

Sunday, September 21st, 2008

Evolution Of Response Workshop, Tel Aviv

On this past weekend of Sept. 12th and 13th Integral Aikido held a workshop on the “Evolution Of Response”. I’ve been teaching aikido seminars both here in Israel and abroad for some years now, but as for the “Evolution Of Response” seminar this is the first time I’ve offered it here in Israel.

This seminar is an excellent way to grasp what “Integral Aikido” actually is as it deals directly with “levels” of consciousness. Through out the workshop we look the way we respond to stress and conflict from the different lower and higher perspectives, and the technologies that naturally arise from each level.

I’ve posted about the “Evolution of Response” before but basically what we do in this seminar is to start by identifying with our “lower intelligences”, which are fear based ways of dealing with conflict. By bringing out our more basic tendencies it helps to integrate them into who we are and then give an orientation for our higher intelligences in responding to conflict.

We had 17 participants for the workshop and in addition to aikido students we had participants from dance and other martial arts as well.

Over the weekend in addition to aikido we practiced movement, meditation, inquiry and dialogues as well. True to the integral method we covered practices for the body, heart, mind and spirit.

It was a great pleasure for me to do this seminar here. A truly Integral Aikido community is slowly taking shape and I’m looking forward to more explorations and development together in the future.

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