[HP] Seeing yourself as a process (exercise + workshop)


Hello friends,

You are more than the sum of your parts.

If we accept that as true, then what are you?

To be clear, here what I mean by “you” is the individual person. We’ll set aside discussions of “the self” for another time. We can agree that individuals exist, whether or not “the self” is illusory.

Let’s also not get bogged down by the nature of the soul or consciousness itself. Any definition of these implies something larger than the individual person.

So what is this person we call “you”?

We know that you are not your body. Is it your brain? No, that doesn’t quite cover it.

For one, the brain is part of your body. Damage any part of the body, including your brain, and the rest of the system adapts.

No structure can be pointed to as the person itself.

What about your ego? Your ego is a psychic structure. (Actually the ego is a complex of many structures) A structure that has been formed to help “you” survive.

As a structure it is analogous to any physical structure. Thus, “you” are not the ego.

You are not a structure, not an object. You are a process.

A person is a becoming.

When we hold ourselves as a fixed object, we inhibit our growth and healing. We also tend to project that object-ification onto others.

When we understand ourselves as changing every minute, we give ourselves permission to be a mystery to ourselves. We then give others permission to unfold anew as well.

Living at the edge of your becoming opens the door to curiosity and self-discovery.

As a process, we feel more connected to the wider world. It’s obvious that any process is impacted by a myriad of other systems with which it comes into contact. We are exchanging molecules with our environments all the time. As the Locard’s exchange principle says, “Every contact leaves a trace”.

It’s only possible to view ourselves as separate beings if we see ourselves as objects.

You don’t have to take my work for it.

Try the exercise below and let me know what you find.

If you want to dive deeper into self-inquiry and realizing flow and energy, join us for a weekend workshop on September 25-27 in Victoria.

​Breath, Energy and Internal Arts w/ Gabriel Shaw and Sam Masich.

How does this land for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Let's practice together soon,
Gabriel


Exploring yourself as a process

Try this meditative exercise:

  1. Take a couple minutes to move, shake, stretch and warm-up your bodily sensations.
  2. Then sit down in a comfortable, upright position.
  3. Take a moment to be aware of your breathing. Notice how the breath is constantly moving in and out.
  4. Use your awareness to scan for the processes that you can notice. Can you feel your heart beating? Can you feel your blood flowing? Can you feel the involuntary fluctuations of tension and relaxation?
  5. As you zoom out, ask yourself “what is the actual felt-sense of this body”? You might notice a cloud-like sequence of changing sensations, movements and tingling.
  6. Expand your inquiry of “what it’s like…” to the include the entire being. Continue observing as long as you like.

Reminder! New weekend workshop coming to Victoria on Sept 25-27.

Sam and I are teaming up on a one-of-a-kind experience combining internal arts and somatic practices.

This weekend is built for practitioners of any inner work practice, or for a spiritually curious person looking for a grounded way in.

We'll cover the application of breath, fascia, fluid and qi in internal arts through qigong, partner practice and meditation. You do not have to know Tai Chi to experience the magic.

We're really excited about it and hope you can be there!

Choose the level of participation that fits your schedule.

Friday evening will be an introduction to the heat body and how emotions impact your energy, combined with qigong and meditation practices. Saturday and Sunday include options to go deeper with inner work practices and partner exercises.

Dates:
​
Friday, September 25, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Saturday & Sunday, September 26-27, 10:00am-4:30pm (with lunch breath)​

Location:​
Friday & Saturday, The Church of Truth
Sunday, Solwood Studio
Victoria, BC


Healing Shares

Each week I share vetted resources from trusted experts to assist your healing journey.

  • The Four Modes of Attention (10-min article + practices)​
    Get a taste master Sam's way to break down attention, along with simple practices.
    ​
  • Being at the Frontier of Your Identity (60-min Podcast)​
    The poet, David Whyte, is one of my biggest influences on the topic of the edge of your identity. Listen to his breakdown in the podcast above, or check out this summary blog on the same topic.
    ​
  • 30-second Hip Flexor Release (2-min Video)​
    This is a fun active relaxation idea for the Psoas muscle using the principle of reciprocal inhibition. Let me know if it works for you!

Thanks for being here with us. Did anything stand out to you? Please reply to let me know. We always enjoy hearing about your favourite resources, too.

Gabriel


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Resolve pain. Reclaim your capacity. Restore your presence.

I help leaders and professionals who are dealing with persistent pain and nervous system redlining. By integrating kinesiology and somatic wisdom, I help you resolve internal disconnect and restore capacity to show up with energy and presence. Twice a month, I share expertly-curated healing tools. Subscribe and I'll send you my Heal From Inside Out mini-course.

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