Posts tagged “Peter Ralston”

In July 2017 I started frequent, deliberate contemplation of the source assumptions underlying particular behaviours or reactions. Completing my personal review of 2017, these bottom line contemplations stood out as having a more significant impact than any of the other personal data collection, reflection and revision of activities, tactics and priorities throughout the year.

The intention of my bottom line contemplations has been to get to the ‘bottom line’ of what drives or enables behaviours, such as being distracted, getting angry with a person, or even ‘positive’ behaviours such as journalling or expression appreciation for others. Personal bottom line contemplations included: being inconsistent, thinking too much, being casual, disengaging in social interactions, not practicing when no-one is looking, feeling tired, sleeping in, contemplating, journalling, falling in love, and wanting to control my experience.

Contemplating the source assumptions of those experiences, or beliefs that underly behaviour stands in contrast to thinking, planning, habit-changing, resolution-making, goal-setting or purpose-defining. While all those activities are useful, they are all in the context of underlying assumptions that allow them to even exist, and that in some way serves our survival and self-identity.

The image above tried to communicate this: while my aspirations (to climb mountains) may be motivational, the aspirations themselves and the desire to caret or achieve them must be acknowledged is not really ‘existing’ (objectively) but are created, fictional, personal and are only meaningful to my self-identity and survival because of the existential assumptions underlying them and frame within which I hold them. It’s like unless I believe I am something like an object, a professional, an innovator, a learner, a good person, and that it’s possible and desirable to improve that ‘something’ or ‘someone’ , then the aspirations aren’t meaningful and wouldn’t matter. On a more superficial level, two examples:

Making New Year ‘re-solutions’ seems to require a problem (hence solution) and a future in which conditions or self can be better (hence a plan) and assumption that personal will can trump circumstances and make better choices (hence the commitment),
Deciding not to sleep in past one’s alarm requires that waking up on time is important, meaningful, and that ‘sleeping in’ is something more than just a relative and personal judgement.

While there are many other examples and explanations, I think the significance is it can be far more productive to go deeper into contemplating the source assumptions, than making new resolutions based on the same patterns of mind, body, culture and context. Further, what could be even more productive than focusing on individual assumptions, is to spent the same time and energy doing inquiry and contemplations into “bottom lines” of behaviours and reactions across whole organisations, cultures and even humanity.

An interesting and fun equivalent, if you want a physical experience of this, is taught in Cheng Hsin Body Being practice, described in the book Zen Body Being and other courses. Summarised as ‘hand up – you down’. That is, any movement or reaching up should be associated with a feeling of ‘draining’ feeling-attention down into the ground. The effect of the physical principle in my experience, and the psychological equivalent, is that the higher you want to reach, the deeper you must dive.

So, in reviewing 2017 and making my (or you, for yours) plans for improvement and evolution in 2018, then these two things are worth considering:

What’s the bottom line? What’s the underlying origin or source or existential assumption that leads to that reaction or is the motivating driver? If not, then consider tackling it, and seek to uncovering the underlying driver.
Am I conscious of it? Do I really know, am I still wondering, have I really grasped what’s going on here, and I aware of it in the present moment? If so, then reaction of behaviour itself may become obsolete or at least something you choose to do rather than being unconsciously subject to.
Can I go deeper and wider in my contemplation? Rather than being frantic in activity, am I making time to be mindful of what’s happening, what I am doing and why, and extending that inquiry with others? Contemplation can dramatically increase one’s consciousness, learning capacity and ability to discover and apply insights to the next iteration, immediately, and perhaps collaboratively.

Practically, for me, these bottom-line contemplations often took the form of a sitting contemplation and writing practice in the mornings, guided by specific instructions shared in books and courses (see links at end or article). Often, though, the same topics were tackled in diads with a partner, in a workshop or retreat context, or in correspondence with mentors, and almost all the time held as background questions through days or weeks. While the approach is different to contemplation of enlightenment questions about the existential nature of existence, similar principles are helpful (and described in the books and courses). Also essential, and worth mentioning here, is the decision to take personal responsibility for one’s behaviour, becoming more conscious of the drivers beneath them, and to do so in the present moment.

If you are interested in tackling such things recommend checking out these sources for how to contemplate, and specifically tackle bottom-line assumptions with the approach recommended by Peter Ralston.

And, a note here if this “bottom line” stuff sounds familiar. There are other methodologies I would say are similar, such as “Ladder of Inference”, or some of those presented “Immunity to Change”, and various psychological or psychometric approaches to uncovering our underlying motivations. But I’ve focused here the method and approach shared by Peter Ralston as it is, in my experience, more powerful. There’s something about the clarity about what contemplation is, how it is done, explicit context of increasing consciousness, sense of openness and possibility, that leads to insights beyond logic, and (it seems) beyond the mind generated by the foundational assumptions.

Book of Not Knowing http://chenghsin.com/book-of-not-knowing.html

Pursuing Consciousness http://chenghsin.com/book-pursuing-consciousness.html

Transcending Self eCourse – bottom line contemplations are also covered in specific lessons in subsequent eCourses such as Principles of Effective Interaction, and Power of Contemplation

Categories:Learning

Tagged: Cheng Hsin, Consciousness, Contemplation, Peter Ralston

Confidence and coherence cultivated through commitment

Posted on 2014/07/17

More than once I’ve reflected that perhaps the only thing I’ve ever done ‘wrong’ (or that has lead to undesirable consequences) has been to not embody and consistently practice that which I ‘know’ (in heart and mind) to be right, true, and appropriate. This blog is both an artifact of and reflection on how regular practices enable good things.

At various times in life I’ve thought it was really important to regularly practice activities like moving my body, meditate, express gratitude, eating raw food, measure and reduce my carbon footprint or religiously completing my “GTD weekly review”. The motivations were varied, but there was a common sense that doing, being and relating in particular ways both reflect and reinforce a sense of coherence, integrity and trustworthiness.

And….sometimes that regular practice doesn’t happen or becomes overwhelmed by a sense of duty, obligation and guilt. In my case it seems the main way I undermine this sense of coherence, the possibility of integrity and the quality of trust is to try do DO too many things! That is, putting myself in a position of over-commitment that compromises my ability to be “present with” and “enabled by”. Instead of being, relating and doing coherently I end up doing too many things….and none of them really “as” the principle or qualities intended.

And, I am learning…slowly.

Here’s an example of how it works, how it doesn’t work, and one thing I’m committed to for the next 100 days.

I haven’t had much of a physical routine for a while, probably since stopping cycling so intensely about a year ago. The time spent in Texas immersed in Cheng Hsin was a fantastic foundation of physical awareness and I’ve made significant efforts to continue Cheng Hsin in Geraldton. But without the regularity, goals, partners to play with and provide feedback, I found myself drifting a bit, doing a cross-fit set and Tai Chi a few times a week. That’s not enough to make any progress, and its subservient to my mood which can mean I don’t do it exactly when I need it the most.

My body-being was being pummelled by the knockout combo of feeling physically inactive and also feeling guilty for not doing what I had committed myself to doing. A read of Josh Waitzkin’s ‘The Art of Learning’ fired me up again, as did my preparatory contemplations prior to a coaching conversation with Michael Keller. Prior and during the conversation with Michael it became obvious that I really wanted to, needed to, do something regular and meaningful physically that was enabling of coherence in my being, thinking and action.

The insight while talking to Michael was that it’s so easy for me to over-commit and self-defeat the most simple of regular practices. Here’s an example:

I want to develop my responsiveness, flexibility, skill, strength and presence,
Practicing Cheng Hsin would do this, but there are only a couple of people once a week who want to do this,
I should find and regularly practice other things that are similar to the form or embody the principles of Cheng Hins,
Regular training in another martial art, cross-fit at home, Yoga stretches in the evening, Tai Chi at lunchtimes and surfing on the weekends should do it….

And suddenly I’m trying to do way too many things, none of which achieve the purpose or embody the principles I was seeking to embody in the first place! And, should I fail to do any one of them, I feel a sense of guilt, failure and lose motivation to get back into the routine.

Madness!

So, I decided to do just one thing, not five.

Which one?

It was going to be a lot of martial arts…but visiting almost every school and teacher in Geraldton suggested that none were quite going to give me that daily, regular practice. But then, inspired by a diverse set of influences, I’ve committed to 100 days of training for kitesurfing.

Inspiration for the commitment and the routine has come from memories of Karl-Henrik Robert’s regular exercise regime (remarkable in the context of his life-demands at the time), the persistence and intelligence of Josh Waitzkin, the consciousness and skill of Peter Ralson and Brendan Lea, my sister’s dedication to her rowing training over the years, conversations with Fiann Paul before he rowed out of Geraldton, a bunch of very tricky and fit local kitesurfing friends, my own memories of how committed I was to cycling and how strong and fast I got through regular training, and even somewhat commercial influences like Freeletics.

I love kitesurfing, it’s 3-dimensional and complex, in nature, Geraldton is one of the best spots in the world for it, it requires a diverse set of skills, and I’m going to be able to train some aspect everyday without any dependency on other people or particular weather conditions. The criteria I set for my daily exercise was that it involved conscious practice and development of more than one aspect of body-being designed to contribute to being a better kitesurfer. So I developed a little routine with some option to vary the components depending on circumstances.

The default daily routine is a structured combination of at least 3 of the following to total at least 30 minutes:

5-minute Dynamic stretching sequence,
10-minute cardio warm-up e.g. rowing, skipping or cycling,
16-minute four-round crossfit routine (thanks to Steve Cotter and Kiteboarding CrossFit)
12-move mini Cheng Hsin Tai Chi set,
20-minute Yoga sequence (thanks to Frida Lezius),

And less-structured surfing, swimming, skateboarding or kitesurfing (season starts in October) are all bonuses. What doesn’t meet the criteria are things like…lying on the ground thinking about exercising, doing cross-fit without the warm-up etc.

There’s many things that really makes this work for me, and enable me to ‘work’ better in the world. The most foundational is the commitment to do it everyday, at least for 100 days. There’s no reason I can’t do this. There’s no place I can’t do it.

And I have done it. Everyday for a week so far. And there’s a certain trust and confidence that comes from this clarity, commitment, dependability that is enabling of all sorts of other things in life.

Now, without getting too far ahead of myself, I’ve got room for one more integrating practice to commit to…something about contemplation, meditation, blogging, drawing and sharing. An integrating psycho-social-spiritual activity. I’ll post more when I discover and decide on it.

Categories:Learning

Tagged: Body, Cheng Hsin, Geraldton, Kitesurfing, Peter Ralston, Tai Chi

Reflections on Consicousness, Being and Relating

Posted on 2014/05/05

This post summarises some of my general reflections after the 4-week “Spring Retreat” with Peter Ralston in Texas, USA.

Look out for future posts on specific principles, distinctions and experience of the work, for example: ‘Grounded’, ‘Honesty’, ‘Not Knowing’, ‘Effortless’ and further reflections on learning about learning (and learners).

The first thing to express in summary is gratitude for Peter and his assistant Brendan’s gift of time and instruction over the month. Receiving the gift of someone’s life’s work and contribution is always a special. When it’s someone as enlightened, obsessive and skilful as Peter, I feel it becomes harder and less adequate to express in words: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” (quote attributed to John F Kennedy).

While I consider that I’ve invested quite a bit of time, money and attention in personal, professional and spiritual development over my life, the “Experiencing the Nature of Being” (ENB) week was unlike anything else I’ve done. Not just in the content or approach, but it seemed Peter was coming from a fundamentally different place and working with us differently than those teachers or traditions that come from some sense of knowing, lineage or dogma. More than any other thing I’ve done it seems like this has had a significant impact on my being, relationships and how I ‘do’ things.

Through Peter’s instructions and guidance I became aware of things that had gone unquestioned, ways in which I avoid responsibility, how forcefully and continuously my “operating principle” (e.g. to be perceived as smart, knowledgable) unconsciously drives my behaviour, how little I know about ‘knowing’ and truth, how I create boxes and boundaries and realities, and how persistently I ‘do’ and act out of some idea and history of ‘Andrew’ and how that insistent projecting, being and relating can create a sense of ‘boredom’ with self, life and others.

Peter provide literally dozens of different ways to re-frame, re-experience and question self, reality and assumptions. These included contemplating ‘Who Am I” in diads, guided meditations to identify all the ‘things’ that I identify as self, games and conversations that revealed the limits of my awareness, knowing, responsibility and honesty, and storytelling and lectures that massively expanded my sense of possibility. A whole week or month could have been spent on any one of those contemplations or questions. There were many that had immediate and lasting impact (e.g. the distinction-making nature of consciousness, and the constant co-arising/creation of reality), some questions that I continue to hold now (e.g. Who Am I) and practices that have relevance and application in many areas of my life (e.g. diads).

Back in Geraldton, Australia and work, life, relationships I and others are noticing subtle or obvious differences in how I am ‘being’ differently. This includes being am more conscious of the distinctions and assumptions I’m making, if/how I am being anything less than honest, and seeking ways to achieve my ‘purpose’ (in particular contexts) now, not ‘later’. It’s a way of being and relating that I don’t want to ‘leave’ or let go of, and feels like it has really shifted my sense of self, how I experience, and how I relate.

The body-being and martial weeks were really appreciated too. They gave me more time to contemplate, integrate, and observe patterns and relationships. Without that additional time I don’t think I would have gained such a grounding in the ENB work. Without the ENB work I would have been even less ‘open’ to the martial work.

Being able to spend such a lot of time on effortless power, including the personal feedback and adjustments were really valuable. I felt and understood many things that just wouldn’t have happened in any other time or context e.g. all the ways I can not ‘hear’ what is being said, how limited my possibilities were about how to play games, how much intellect can obstruct actual experience, feeling and learning. The actual martial stuff is also useful – I got enough to be able to train and teach with others in this wonderful form of non-linear, creative, relaxed being and interacting. And martial practice gives me the opportunity to compete and fight in an honest, experimental and fun way, rather than creating or participating in ‘fights’ in the context of professional and personal relationships!

Another significant aspect of the month was what I learned about learning, teaching, myself and others as a learner. That’s an ongoing area of inquiry, observation and learning…and already the way I facilitate and teach in the workshops and programs I run has been improved through the lessons learned from you and in the workshop environment.

It all feels like just a beginning. Perhaps it will stay that way. Perhaps I will stay this way!

Categories:Learning

Tagged: Body, Cheng Hsin, Consciousness, Contemplation, Gratitude, Learning, Meditation, Peter Ralston, Tai Chi

Cheng Hsin Fall Retreat in Texas — Week 3 of 4

Posted on 2014/04/21

Here’s a quick update from Lone Star state (Texas, USA) with an update on my time here on the Cheng Hsin Spring Retreat.

Below is a brief, sketch outline of what’s happening here, and for me. I intend on sharing more detail in future posts, after the retreat.

The most basic summary is that it has been great and well worth it!

I’m very lucky and grateful for the support of my family, friends, colleagues and employers over the years and now for this sort of exploration and learning. While this work comes across as ‘martial’ I’m really here for the principles, consciousness work and way of ‘being’ whether that be on a board, in a boardroom or in a brawl. Becoming more conscious, more embodied, more present, sensitive, grounded and open are foundational for how I ‘am’, how I relate and whether what I’m doing is an appropriate contribution in any moment, in any context.

So, we just finished the 3rd week of 4, contemplating and training inside a breezy dojo on a ‘ranch’ 50 miles from San Antonio. We train, cook and sleep inside an uninsulated 40*80ft wooden building, surrounded by birds singing in the low cypress forest on rocky alkaline soil, exposed to temperatures ranging from 0 to 35 degrees celsius. The nearest town is Bandera, the ‘Cowboy Capital of Texas’, and there have been a couple of excursions to do washing or have a beer on a Saturday night. Texas is just like you’d imagine, big cars, big hats, big boots, big freeways etc. The days here are long, but not extreme (8:30 to 8:30 with breaks) however there is a LOT of content to learn and I’m pretty sure everyone has been in well over their heads.

Each week focused on a different aspect of the Cheng Hsin work lead by Peter Ralston and his assistant Brendan. Participants like me can choose to do any combination of the weeks. This retreat had lower numbers than normal, starting with 8 for the first week and now only 3 of us for the final week, a guy from LA and another from Germany.

Peter himself is quite remarkable. A truly enlightened being, embodying everything he teaches. He’s incredibly energetic, engaging, direct as a guide through consciousness, and by all accounts (and from witnessing him still move incredibly fast, being unhittable and being able to effortlessly propel people across the room) one of the most incredible martial artists living. He’s a great storyteller and the stories about some pretty wild adventures of exploration and discovery. Almost by definition he’s obsessive, hermit-like and hilarious.

Week 1 was ‘Experiencing the Nature of Being, a process of dismantling our perceptions and assumptions about self and reality through a range of different meditations, contemplations, dialogues and discussions. While it was very challenging, I really committed to this work. More than any other retreat or experience, this week expanded my consciousness of self, patterns in awareness and behaviour and an appreciation for the possibilities that come from ‘not knowing’. I’m curious as to whether / how this will show up in my interactions with y’all (Texan phrase) in future.

Week 2 was about Zen Body Being and martial arts work. Through a combination of visualisations, games and basic techniques Peter and Brendan showed us how it’s possible to move faster, more effortlessly and with greater sensitivity. While this was mostly trained in a martial context, the applications to any movement activity e.g. surfing are there to be explored too. We learned more than twenty different martial techniques as well as rolling, falling, Tai Chi set and more.

Week 3 has been more about Effective Interaction, with the same combination of contemplations, games and techniques. As with the previous weeks, the work is really about experiencing the principles (relaxing, unification, etc.) than any particular form. It’s a remarkably intelligent approach to interacting with no assumption or idea left unchallenged. I am, at the end of three weeks, still terrible at al of it…but at least there’s a foundation there and I’m genuinely ‘doing it’.

Week 4 is going to be a mixed bag and I’m going to focus on training as hard as I can, while also documenting as much as I can about what I’ve learned, and getting prepared to be back in the ‘real world’.

Psychologically and mentally these weeks have been challenging, but all that is supported by it being a very simple, cloistered, uninterrupted existence. I’ve been grateful that I can sleep a bit more than usual (it’s easy to get 8 hours in here) so I can show up, trying not to be ‘myself’ (i.e. not clinging to old habits of mind and body) and keep up with what’s being taught. A couple of other people have left early for various reasons, and it has crossed my mind! I’ve also noticed in myself and others when we are or aren’t really listening, following and allowing ourselves to be transformed. At times this openness has lead to lots of laughing as fresh realisations explode my conceptions and assumptions.

So, I’m basically in a very happy place and space…and very grateful to be so.

Categories:Learning

Tagged: Body, Cheng Hsin, Contemplation, Inquiry, Learning, Peter Ralston, Tai Chi

reflexious

communicating learning

Posts tagged “Peter Ralston”

Cheng Hsin resources list

Posted on 2018/02/17

Feel deeper to reach higher: an approach to uncovering assumptions and motivations

Posted on 2018/01/04

Confidence and coherence cultivated through commitment

Posted on 2014/07/17

Reflections on Consicousness, Being and Relating

Posted on 2014/05/05

Cheng Hsin Fall Retreat in Texas — Week 3 of 4

Posted on 2014/04/21