Elements of readiness

Meeting our own experience takes readiness.

Since I am mostly using Natural Rest and the Living Inquiries these days, I’ll focus on readiness for more wholeheartedly using these approaches as I write this post. I assume much of what I write applies to readiness for other approaches.

What are some elements of this readiness?

Push

We may have reached “rock bottom” in one area of life. We may realize that what we have done in the past doesn’t work anymore, and perhaps never really worked.

Draw

We trust it works from trusting the facilitator, testimonials, the tradition, or something else.

We trust it works from our own experience. We may have gone deep in one trauma or issue, found resolution, and trust it because we know from own experience that it works. (This is why it’s often so important to continue looking at one trauma or issue until it resolves, especially in the beginning.)

We have an intuition that it works. (Perhaps even a calling.)

Skills

We are guided by someone who has the skills to guide us through it.

We have the skills to guide ourselves through it.

Blocks

We identify and face our fears of meeting our experience, and explore these fears through inquiry. These may be fears of meeting certain images, words, and sensations. Fears of what it means for my life if I find clarity on my old hangups. Fear of not doing it right. Fear it won’t work.

We identify and explore stories and identities that prevent us from doing wholehearted inquiry. These may be stories saying that our rational understanding is enough or that we can do it later. Deficient selves telling us we are not good enough, incapable, broken beyond repair, or it’s hopeless. Or inflated selves telling us we don’t need it.

I am sure there is more to it. Sometimes, it’s just not the right place, person, or time of our life. Something else is calling us mores strongly. And that’s absolutely fine. These things are not for everyone or at any time in their lives. There are many other ways to live a life. There are many other approaches to exploring our life and experience.

These tools are tools, helpful for some people in some situations and for some purposes.

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Initial notes…..

• elements of readiness
  • push
    • having reached rock bottom in one area of life, realizing that what I have done in the past doesn’t work anymore
  • draw
    • trust that it works
    • knowing that it works, from own experience (having gone deep with one set of velcro so see what happens when it falls away)
  • skills
    • knowing how to do it
  • blocks
    • facing fears about doing inquiry
    • fear of looking/feeling
    • fear of what it means for my life
    • fear of not doing it right (won’t work, will make it worse, will be judged)

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Elements of readiness

• recognizing that inquiry works, from experience
• trust in the process, from experience and/or testimonials
• wishing resolution, try anything
• enough taste that it works, from experience, recognizing that turning towards is a relief, works, when know how to do it
• knowing that looking/feeling/turning towards is the easiest (even if it may seem scary at first)
• examining the fears, taking a close look at it
• trust, desperation, examination of fears – three important elements ***
• support, guidance, safe container/situation
• support from bodywork
• support from stable attention, diet, water, breath, guidance
• trust, knowing from experience, desperation, inquiry into fears ****

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• trust + experience (having gone deep with one issue/velcro, seen through it, that it’s possible, what’s on the other side, and that it can seem scary at first to meet/face/explore it)
• facing the fears, inquire into them – fears of looking/feeling/facing/exploring + what it means for my life, fear of doing it wrong (won’t work, being judged)
• draw – trust, desperation, willingness to try anything
• repulsion – fear, discomfort,

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• recognizing that inquiry works, from experience
• trust in the process, from experience and/or testimonials
• wishing resolution, try anything
• enough taste that it works, from experience, recognizing that turning towards is a relief, works, when know how to do it
• knowing that looking/feeling/turning towards is the easiest (even if it may seem scary at first)
• examining the fears, taking a close look at it
• trust, desperation, examination of fears – three important elements ***
• support, guidance, safe container/situation
• support from bodywork
• support from stable attention, diet, water, breath, guidance
• trust, knowing from experience, desperation, inquiry into fears ****

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see through time, doing it in the future
– look for threats in looking/feeling/resting
– look at inflated identities, used to protect, find safety in
–

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