We are faced with a profound mystery: the miracle of ourselves here and now, on this earth. Whatever scientific or religious beliefs we may have about this mystery, about how and why we have come to be, most of us are "asleep" to its unfathomable immediacy, its "now-ness." We move through our lives in a state of waking sleep, a state of psychological, cultural, and spiritual hypnosis.
Exploring ideas and methods from G. I. Gurdjieff, Advaita Vedanta, and Taoism—and from his own continuing search for what is real—Dennis Lewis will lead participants on an exploration of the inner and outer work necessary to awaken in the midst of "ordinary life" and live in the extraordinary light of consciousness.
In this weekend workshop, you will work with various somatic exercises, postures, and movements, as well as with "natural breathing," meditation, and dialogue, in order to strengthen your inner attention and presence. Through self-observation and self-sensing you will learn how to identify and release unnecessary tensions in your body and psyche. You will also learn how to begin to free yourself from your identification with what Gurdjieff calls "false personality."
As you work in this way, going beneath your usual self-image and experiencing deeper levels of yourself, you will begin to awaken to the miracle of your existence and to welcome the various aspects of yourself, including your inner confusion and contradictions, into an ever-expanding sense of wholeness and consciousness.
Read Awakening to the Miracle of Ordinary Life, an article written by Dennis Lewis.
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Dennis Lewis is a teacher of natural breathing, qigong, tai chi, and meditation. He was for many years a student and "group leader" in the Gurdjieff work through the Gurdjieff Foundation of California. He has been certified by Taoist master Mantak Chia to teach various qigong and Taoist meditation practices. He was given permission to teach Liangong in 18 Movements by qigong master Dr. Wong Shan Long. And he has been certified by Taoist master Bruce Kumar Frantzis to teach "Opening the Energy Gates of the Body" and the "Wu Style Tai Chi Short Form." Lewis is co-editor with Jacob Needleman of two books: Sacred Tradition & Present Need and On the Way to Self Knowledge. Lewis is the author of the acclaimed book The Tao of Natural Breathing and the audio program from Sounds True Breathing as a Metaphor for Living. He is currently at work on a new book entitled Awakening to the Miracle of Ordinary Life.
Location: Body Therapy Center, Palo Alto, California. Call 1-650-328-9400 for more information or to reserve your place, or click on the link above.
Cost: $200.
Hotels: Call Body Therapy Center for hotel and transportation information.