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who have the desire to cultivate a life of clarity, compassion,
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1. Simple Story
During my first year in Japan I took a hitchhiking trip for
two week's time and went to numerous fishing villages on the
west coast of Japan. This journey was one of the finest trips
I ever took.
I visited tiny villages that had no hotels of any kind, and
very few tourists stopping by. What I had to do was go into
a village and find the houses of people who were known to be
willing to take in visitors for a small fee. I ate with my host
family and then had a simple room to sleep in.
In one village I had the privilege of meeting a very special
man. He was in his sixties and walked with a noticeable limp.
He told me that as a youth he was very involved in karate, but
that at the age of twenty five he was injured while working
on his father's fishing boat, and he had been limping ever since.
We sat out on a small wooden dock one night as he told me about
his life. He said that once he realized he would no longer be
able to actively take part in karate, he made a firm commitment
to use his life as a fisherman to further his studies. He read
various books written by martial arts masters and then he applied
what he had read to his work life.
"One of the most important things I have learned"
he said, "Is to create a rhythm with your presence, movements,
and breathing, that matches the rhythm of nature." "This
is a phrase numerous martial arts masters wrote about in the
books I have read."
As we sat by the water, he invited me to "Notice the ebb
and flow of the ocean, and the sounds of the tide lapping against
the pilings of the pier."
"You can sense the movement and sounds of the ocean...
.
And I want you to notice your movements and breathing... .
As you feel yourself going IN... and OUT... of rhythm with this
flow."
I began to do as he suggested and I quickly felt like I was
being drawn into a parallel world that I was somehow usually
ignoring, or simply not noticing.
"Feel the life force of the ocean" he said, "and
breathe with the ocean."
"Feel the life force of the ocean, and without doing anything,
allow yourself to move with the ocean..."
"Breathe, move, and feel your heartbeat..."
"Invite your heartbeat to synchronize with the heartbeat
of the ocean."
"Now you are becoming one with the water, and the fluid
inside your body begins to become a tiny powerful ocean that
ebbs and flows throughout your system."
"Now, like the ocean you can begin to feel the power of
flowing without resisting. Flowing without fighting against."
"The water surrounds and moves past all obstacles. There
is no forcing, and no need for strength.
"Only flow... . The power is IN the flow, and each drop
of water is pliant and soft."
"No one drop of water is powerful on its own."
We sat there together for a while. The man, myself, and the
ocean.
I felt the power and presence of the ocean, myself, and the
fisherman.
Not separate, but together.
And I knew very clearly that all this power was really One.
Such was my journey.
And I hope that in some small way, when reading my story now,
you can feel the power and the presence that resides within
yourself.
The one tiny drop of water that you are.
Not separate, but immersed in the flow of the ocean of life.
2. Further Thoughts
Many wonderful moments have come in my life when I was least
expecting them. My time with the fisherman was just such a moment.
Part of the beauty of nature is that when we are in natural
surroundings we have a heightened opportunity to realize that
the ebb and flow of our own life does indeed mirror the ebb
and flow of all life.
Experiencing the parallel universe of nature and the flow of
the natural world requires that we calm ourselves, slow down,
and become aware of our surroundings. And while engaged in this
process of mindfulness we notice how the tiny drop of water
known as "me" is an integral part of the ocean of
life. We come to realize that our power manifests most gracefully
when we join our spirit to the spirit of all creation. We come
to have a deep personal understanding of how indeed we are not
alone in the world. We create the illusion of being separate
by speeding up our thoughts and actions, and pulling in our
senses to where we are mainly only aware of ourselves.
Breathe deeply, calm yourself, and begin to notice and appreciate
the ebb and flow of the world around you...
And you will discover the power of the universe is the power
that feeds your life.
3. Practice
"The
ebb and flow of life"
Today's Practice is designed to give you a sense of being connected
to the natural world, and knowing you are not alone.
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Private Sessions
If you would like to become better able to work wisely
with core issues such as your identity, deteriorating
health, a general sense of well-being, destructive habit
patterns, strained personal relationships, and various
professional concerns, please consider engaging in an
in-person private session with me.
My private sessions in San Diego, CA, will be on July
14th and 15th; in New York - on July 19th and 20th, 2004;
in Washington DC - on July 27th and 28th, 2004.
Read
more about how you can benefit
from a Seishindo private session.
Read
what other people say about Seishindo sessions.
If you think you might be interested in a private session,
please contact Charlie directly at charlie@seishindo.org.
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4. Resources
Dorothy Pietracatella
Today I have the great pleasure of introducing my dear friend
and colleague Dorothy Pietracatella.
Dorothy assists me in our NYC and DC workshops, and in general
she acts as a sounding board for new ideas, and further developments
of Seishindo. She adds a rich perspective to the Seishindo workshops,
and offers a wonderful supportive energy to the work.
Dorothy and I often work in tandem with clients. They have
a session or two with me when I am in town, and see Dorothy
for the bulk of their sessions.
Dorothy has an active private practice, working one week a
month in DC and the balance of her time is spent mostly in NYC.
What exactly does she do?
Well, it is hard to put it into words, but here is what one
of our recent flyers says:
Dorothy has had a successful professional career in opera and
is highly skilled in various forms of bodywork, and Mindbody
disciplines, and has specialized training in Somatic Experiencing
and other trauma work.
If you have ADD, a sore back, a broken heart, a fear of performing,
or you would simply like to pamper yourself with some bodywork
that reinvigorates your soul, you will find Dorothy's work to
be exquisite.
You can reach her at her email address: dcphealing@si.rr.com.
5. Suggested Books
"Turtles All the Way Down: Prerequisites
to Personal Genius"
by John Grinder & Judith Delozier
This is one of the most entertaining books there
is on the topic of NLP. It is rich with metaphors and stories
from various cultures and disciplines.
What is NLP you might likely ask?
NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming.
Yes, but what IS NLP you ask?
Well... read the book and then you will begin to have an
idea. <g>
NLP is a study of how human beings learn and adapt to change,
and the study of NLP offers us the opportunity to model
excellence in others. John and Judy challenge you to reexamine
the way in which you structure your mind and how you can
better integrate all of the various aspects of "self"
to achieve greater health, well-being, and full bodied intelligence.
6. Suggested Music
CD: "Prayers to the Protector"
Steve Roach and Thupten N. Pema Lama
On this CD, ambient composer Steve Roach collaborates
with the Tibetan Buddhist monk Thupten Pema Lama. The lama
chants and Roach adds his usual amazing soundscapes as accompaniment.
The results are deep, ancient, harrowing at times, and devotional.
7. Endnote and Invitation
If you have a business, hobby, group, or organization that
you would like other members of the Seishindo community to know
about, then please send us a short write-up (two or three sentences)
here.
You don't have a website? Then let us know how other members
might contact you by phone, fax, in person, or in writing.
We also invite you to send in:
A) Questions and comments relating
to what you read here.
B) Experiences that relate to
the "Practices" presented.
C) The names of books/music/services/products,
etc. you feel might be of interest to the Seishindo community.
Please include a short write-up (two or three sentences) about
your selections and send all input here.
8. Copyright
Unless otherwise attributed, all material for the newsletter
"Pure Heart, Simple Mind"(tm) is written and edited by Charlie
Badenhop ©. All rights reserved.
You may reprint, copy, or distribute "Pure Heart, Simple
Mind” (tm) provided you: a. Receive our written permission
(which is likely). b. Attach the above copyright notice
to our material. c. Do not sell our material to others.
d. Keep the content of our material intact without any editing
whatsoever.
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