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October 08, 2004
Yay easier
First, today has been a wonderful transition from ^HELL WEEK^ and into a calmer, more graceful ease.
Yesterday I forgot to mention the highlight of my day. For the first time ever in our class, Erica asked at the beginning if anyone would like to lead us in warming up. I volunteered immediately. I started people stretching and jumping up and down, and then explained that I like to do an energy tuneup each morning, but didn't get to do it today and so they all got to do it with me.
It's basic, takes only five minutes, and they loved it. It was relevant because it involves some points we do, but it was also fresh because it involves some energy work we don't do in shiatsu, like cross crawls and crown pulls.
So I led the class like a giddy little boy. All I needed was some pajamas with feet. Not exactly Masterful, but nothing to be scorned in my opinion.
So Sarah's show was great, although much of her work revolves around relationships... not sure I was in a great place for all of THAT, but I guess it's good that I was more sensitive to being touched by it than I might usually be. It was mostly singing/guitar, but also some nice spoken word stuff. Most of it was very funny.
One of her songs is about her first yeast infection; it's a sing-a-long and the chorus goes "In myyyy-yy-yy VA GI NA." She encouraged guys to sing along and be open to profound experiences while doing so ;-)
Another that sticks out in my memory was about the perils of sensitive New Age men and how dating them isn't always what it's cracked up to be.
I stayed up until 6:45am doing my 5 Elements art project. At least it's done, out of the way, and I don't have to worry about it all week. My choices seemed to be: spend 7 hours last night busting it out in order to obtain something decent, or work twice that long over the course of the weekend and next week in order to turn in something lame.
See, in order to have it printed, shipped, and delivered on time, I had to have it to the printer this morning. Eastern Time. So it got mailed out this afternoon. And it should arrive here on Wednesday.
Since mail is only delivered here three times a week, it wouldn't have worked to have it shipped Monday.
So I did a nice 24x24 poster, digitally... the alternative was to cobble together something handmade, at a place where I have zero studio space, precious few art supplies, haven't been feeling enough creative abundance to create seriously in a physical way, and the closest art store is at least an hour away.
I think I made the best choice, but who knows. Anyway, here's what I came up with:
Notice the colors in the center. They symbolize the "control cycle", for example Water controls Fire (it extinguishes it), Earth controls Water (think riverbanks), etc, so the color for Water overlays a bit of Fire's space, the color for Earth overlays ab it of Water's space, etc.
The thing I realized after finishing is that the shape in the center, the pentagon, is the Discordian symbol for control. So I was really pleased with that bit of unconscious symbolizing.
You can download a PDF version if you'd like to print a copy for yourself. Just don't sell it or try to turn it in like you did it ;-)
So after sleeping and finally waking, it was on to lunch and then Reiki!
Soyka decided to offer Reiki I this quarter, and when she first announced it I wondered if I shouldn't take it. I believe one can get benefits out of multiple attunements, and at first I wasn't really sure about mine. Of course, the next day or so I had that heart chakra experience, and that really bolstered my confidence in my abilities. All the same, I definitely wanted to receive the in person instruction (my first attunement was done via distance).
I was really glad I went all around. It was great to be in Soyka's presence and energy outside of a science class. I got some good leads on reiki books. I took notes on some details about how the class was run. And two big things happened.
The first had to deal with my attunement issue. I got to try Soyka's pendulum after she explained how to use it, but I was not successful with it. Of course, it's hers and doesn't work so well for others, and I need the least obstacles possible ;-) She used it and determined that my attunement was fully functional and I didn't need another one.
I stayed while she attuned the others; it was beautiful to watch. By the end of class, I had worked through the stuff and realized that it wasn't that I "need another level one attunement", which implies that I'm not at the right spot, but just my impatience. What I am really desiring is my level two attunement, and while coming from a place of want & lack transformed that into "oK, another level one attunement is better than nothing."
Nothing like desperate, unproductive stabs of action into the dark to waste one's time, right?
There's a lot mixed up in here of being comfortable with where I'm at, allowing time for the process, and trusting that when the student is ready, the circumstances align and opportunity presents itself.
Soyka is planning to offer Reiki II next quarter, but I'm going to talk to her. Perhaps she would be willing to do it one on one before then, and maybe I could then help with the class.
The other great thing that happened was I got to work with runes for the first time. I've seen runes before, but always managed to avoid them. I'm not sure why, something about them always seemed so spartan and inelegant about them, especially compared to tarot cards.
But, they called to me today, so I drew three and looked them up in the book... it was really nice. I was so impressed I continued to work with them during class breaks, and had a much better time with them than I ever have with tarot, at least working on my own.
We finally got pizza this week. They didn't do it on Wednesday, because open house students came today and they wanted to be able to serve them pizza. They also made cookies, lots of cookies, four different types. Bribin' the prospectives with baked goods, eh? ;-)
THEN it started to rain. I was so displeased. I ran back to the lower dorms in my t-shirt. Blah.
It's weird, I don't really feel like I've entirely gotten back yet. This kind of feels like the first day. What happened to that whole week? It went by like an eye blink. I'm glad I stayed this weekend, otherwise I'd be leaving feeling like I had just barely arrived.
Posted by Josh A. at October 8, 2004 11:51 PM
Comments
Josh you are welcome with an open invite to Tupper Lake anytime. You are welcome to come and massage everyone at the triathlon 2005 as well with all your friends. your great at what you do and are learning to do. Hope to see you in June.
Posted by: MICHELE at October 15, 2004 08:51 PM