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Thursday, August 09, 2007
Practicing Harmony
Each class inside is unique. Each class opens a new portal into experiencing the cosmic flow (God’s grace / movement of the Holy Spirit / energetic communion). Today was no exception.
I was absent last week, visiting my mother in Seattle, and the men had practiced together. On my way in I found P. Who was one of the original men who founded our class in 1998 and has recently returned to Old Folsom prison. Walking in together he caught up with his perspective on current state of affairs as the prison system relates to my class.
A new man to class today has been a teacher of Tai Chi Chuan and was eager to learn the meditative style Tai Chi Chih that we practice. Whether it was his energy or another level of input, I taught differently today. The rhythm was new, my words prompting the moves were different. Long ago I gave up the need to have a class plan. Circumstances are always shifting under our feet so flexibility is required to stay balanced.
I trust what arrives in my mind to say is dropped there my the QiField, as long as I don’t get in the way with MY plans. Sometimes I do. I was inspired at one point as I was coaching them into synchronizing their movements, to observe as to how easy that was here in class to do, where there was no overlay of race, gender, gang or other such story. Might they notice how in the flow of the Qi we can’t really find those kinds of separations. I seconded guess the impulse and thought it wiser to leave it unstated.
Later after class I entered into a marvelous conversation with F. where we shared about the impacts of the class on each of us. He starting the conversation off with the BIG question: How has coming inside here over the past 9 years changed me? Within the wandering and very validating conversation, he spoke about how during practice he had felt a very strong sense of gratitude come in for this unique opportunity to move in a peaceful and purposeful way with all these other men. Checking with him as to when this feeling had come, we realized it was right at the same time I was ready to speak on the same gift. Saying it out loud, he coached me, will help raise the whole groups consciousness. Perhaps next time.
We talked about how we each effect each other and how seldom we get to hear of how our lives impact each others. I was grateful to hear some of how class had be a huge gift in his life and prison experience. The time came in the conversation to ask him how he was impacting those around him. A twinkle came over him and he shared about his walk across the yard coming to class. He lives just a few cells from another classmate and the two of them (one Black and one Hispanic) naturally and spontaneously walked to class together enjoying each other’s company. Others noticed and watched. Part way across the yard, what began as two friends walking, became a conscious demonstration of the harmony possible between races.
Practicing harmony, on the way to practicing harmony.
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