Unit 3 Exercise - Crime of the Century

I did not feel that I could trust the voice behind the Crime of the Century exercise; perhaps it was the title of the exercise me that was a damper . . . But as I began the exercise, the voice of the young man seemed superficial and I found the imagery a bit contrived. I felt this from the beginning and as he suggested the first few colors, I found myself changing them, and thinking the leading of the imagery unnecessarily complicated. After a while, my body simply rebelled against his leading . . .

As I listed to the rest of the meditation (eyes closed), I reflected on a body exercise I learned while taking a course in Ontological Coaching many years ago. This is a centering/grounding exercise that involves standing, and finding your "center". The way you learn find your center is to by stand with your feet apart, about shoulder-width; face-to-face with a partner who pushes on you lightly; until you discover your center. When centered, one experiences a sense of wellness, confidence; quiet strength. When you practice centering frequently, you can also learn to walk in a centered manner. The experience of being able to walk in a centered manner can help transform not only your posture, but the way that you feel about yourself and the world around you. I learned to find my center in a workshop led by Julio Olalla, founder of the Newfield Network: Here is a link to his website: http://www.newfieldnetwork.com/New/AboutNewfield/FounderJulioOlalla/index.cfm


Another experience in being grounded and centered (and one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever had) was a moving meditation in a Sufi workshop led by the co-founder of the Threshold Society (a Sufi group devoted to the teachings of a 13th Century mystic poet Rumi), Kabir Helmiski (he also is one of the best known translator of Rumi’s poetry). This was a moving meditation we did in the outdoors; there were about 20 of us; under Kabir’s guided imagery as he played an ancient Persian stringed instrument. We moved in unison, nearly as if in dance. Through his spoken imagery I experienced my uniqueness in the Universe; my unity with those present; the world; the Universe. It was an awe-inspiring experience. Here is a link to Kabir Helminski’s books: http://www.sufism.org/books/helm.html.