Greetings community,
Hope all is well. For those of you in Lane County, I hope you are enjoying the beautiful day that has befallen us. Our theme for the month, once again, is the snake. In addition to what has already been said, I think it important to note that as the snake moves, twisting and bending to accomodate its environment, it appears to use little initiative or energy. (If you have ever watched a snake slither through a field, you know exactly what I'm talking about.) Rather, it seems to lay at ease and let itself be propelled and directed by the demands of its environment. As we sense the circumstances around us shifting, likewise, it may benefit us to relax and ride with the changes rather than expending our energy in order to move forward.
In other news, a variety of new projects are sprouting. It seems that the movement piece of Unleash the Beast is taking a break, allowing for more introspective and contemplative aspects to take center stage. Likewise, after a run of Unleash the Beast at the LILA peer support club, I have concluded that this space may not be a good match. In leaving the space, I would like to thank everyone at LILA for their efforts and wish them the best of the best in the future.
Ben
Friday, September 10, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Snake Still Slithers
Greetings community,
In the update two weeks ago, I shared how I would like to make this blog more interactive. Rather than featuring a different animal each week, I expressed my plan to feature one animal each month. As part of this plan, I would write a paragraph or two on the featured animal in the first update of the month and then invite readers to share their own thoughts and stories in the following weeks. As I have not yet recieved any submissions from readers on the theme of the snake, I have decided to continue the snake theme through September.
The snake is a flexible creature that feels at home in diverse environments. It has no form, enabling it to twist and contort itself as needed. As we enter September and round the corner of summer, this flexibility becomes advantagous. Forces out of our control (namely the weather) are churning, pushing us this way and that. Caught in the midst of change, we are presented with two options: we can hold on to stability as we know it or we can allow ourselves to float along with the changes. With little voice in the face of the great sky, it seems only sensible that we lay down our tools for control and surrender to the forces that be.
"Great, another bit about the weather," you might be saying to yourself. So think about the weather as a metaphor for all the forces in your life beyond your control. I look forward to hearing your stories about how YOU negotiate with those forces!
Ben
In the update two weeks ago, I shared how I would like to make this blog more interactive. Rather than featuring a different animal each week, I expressed my plan to feature one animal each month. As part of this plan, I would write a paragraph or two on the featured animal in the first update of the month and then invite readers to share their own thoughts and stories in the following weeks. As I have not yet recieved any submissions from readers on the theme of the snake, I have decided to continue the snake theme through September.
The snake is a flexible creature that feels at home in diverse environments. It has no form, enabling it to twist and contort itself as needed. As we enter September and round the corner of summer, this flexibility becomes advantagous. Forces out of our control (namely the weather) are churning, pushing us this way and that. Caught in the midst of change, we are presented with two options: we can hold on to stability as we know it or we can allow ourselves to float along with the changes. With little voice in the face of the great sky, it seems only sensible that we lay down our tools for control and surrender to the forces that be.
"Great, another bit about the weather," you might be saying to yourself. So think about the weather as a metaphor for all the forces in your life beyond your control. I look forward to hearing your stories about how YOU negotiate with those forces!
Ben
Friday, August 20, 2010
Its up to you!
Greetings,
Here we are, back at the beginning of the cycle -- the snake. But before I elaborate on the attributes of the snake, I'd like to take a minute to discuss the future of this blog. I would like to make it more of an interactive opportunity, a place where readers can share their own thoughts and concerns regarding the place of the beast in their lives. These thoughts may take the form of personal stories or objective philosophies.
To do so, I think it wise to feature one beast each month. I will write a blog on the first Friday of each month and invite readers to share their input. On the following Fridays, I will consider all of the responses recieved, discern common themes, then write a follow-up to the initial post. Of course, if I recieve no responses, then I will have no material to consider. ITS UP TO YOU!
OK, now back to the snake...what comes to me this week is the snake's amazing flexibility. In essence, by bending its body just so, it can be present in two or more places at once.
For the sake of this discussion, please understand "presence" to mean influence on a specific environment. To be present in two places at once, then, is to have influence on two places at once. This influence, like Machiavelli wrote in his epic guide to power, can be administered through love or through fear. I hope by now you can all deduce that I'm not in the business of fear, so it is to love that we turn. In general, the people whom we love have given us something, whether that something be tangible or otherwise. To gather love, then, we must give -- give our time, give our attention, give our compassion, give our intentions, give our strength, etc. In doing so, we can ensure that a piece of us as individuals will become enmeshed with the target(s) of our love.
Please share your thoughts on the above by responding to this blog or by e-mailing launchmentor@gmail.com.
In Unleash the Beast news, I had the pleasure this past week of bringing the workshop to groups of young children. Needless to say, they loved it! What was most surprising to me was the level of self-control they demonstrated. In the middle of a rambunctious, sugar-fueled, activity-filled day, they were able to respond to my instructions without hesitation. Awesome!
In the after-math of these workshops, the idea of leading workshops at birthday parties was presented. Honestly, I was uncertain about this idea at first. It seemed to me to place the emphasis of the workshop on entertainment rather than self-development; but then I realized, or rather re-realized, that entertainment can be a great facilitator of self-development. So if you or anyone you know is looking for a fun and positive activity for a birthday party, please know that I am available.
Ben
Here we are, back at the beginning of the cycle -- the snake. But before I elaborate on the attributes of the snake, I'd like to take a minute to discuss the future of this blog. I would like to make it more of an interactive opportunity, a place where readers can share their own thoughts and concerns regarding the place of the beast in their lives. These thoughts may take the form of personal stories or objective philosophies.
To do so, I think it wise to feature one beast each month. I will write a blog on the first Friday of each month and invite readers to share their input. On the following Fridays, I will consider all of the responses recieved, discern common themes, then write a follow-up to the initial post. Of course, if I recieve no responses, then I will have no material to consider. ITS UP TO YOU!
OK, now back to the snake...what comes to me this week is the snake's amazing flexibility. In essence, by bending its body just so, it can be present in two or more places at once.
For the sake of this discussion, please understand "presence" to mean influence on a specific environment. To be present in two places at once, then, is to have influence on two places at once. This influence, like Machiavelli wrote in his epic guide to power, can be administered through love or through fear. I hope by now you can all deduce that I'm not in the business of fear, so it is to love that we turn. In general, the people whom we love have given us something, whether that something be tangible or otherwise. To gather love, then, we must give -- give our time, give our attention, give our compassion, give our intentions, give our strength, etc. In doing so, we can ensure that a piece of us as individuals will become enmeshed with the target(s) of our love.
Please share your thoughts on the above by responding to this blog or by e-mailing launchmentor@gmail.com.
In Unleash the Beast news, I had the pleasure this past week of bringing the workshop to groups of young children. Needless to say, they loved it! What was most surprising to me was the level of self-control they demonstrated. In the middle of a rambunctious, sugar-fueled, activity-filled day, they were able to respond to my instructions without hesitation. Awesome!
In the after-math of these workshops, the idea of leading workshops at birthday parties was presented. Honestly, I was uncertain about this idea at first. It seemed to me to place the emphasis of the workshop on entertainment rather than self-development; but then I realized, or rather re-realized, that entertainment can be a great facilitator of self-development. So if you or anyone you know is looking for a fun and positive activity for a birthday party, please know that I am available.
Ben
Friday, August 6, 2010
Flying High, Hello and Goodbye
Greetings Community,
This week we look to the Crane for guidance. Soaring through the air in full glory with little effort, the crane represents those feelings we experience once forward momentum has been initiated. With this momentum comes increased confidence, courage, and flashes of ecstasy.
As we soar away from the past and into the future, however, we are also often seized by a great longing to bring pieces of our past, the good pieces, along with us. Even though we have mighty aspirations and a great future to look forward to, we still find it difficult to say goodbye to what we had, whether it be people, posessions, or vocations.
During these times, when we're conflicted, torn between our attachment to what we have and our desire for what we could have, it serves us best to stay in the present. Rather than looking forward or behind, we can simply experience the moment. Just as a crane feels its wings slicing through the air as it soars proudly through the sky, we can turn our thoughts away from the advantages and disadvantages of the decisions we have made and focus our awareness on the feelings and caused by the momentum we are riding.
In Unleash the Beast news, I am happy to announce that myself accompanied by my lovely daughter Avi will be in the Whiteaker block party parade on Saturday. Following the parade, there may be workshops, or pieces of workshops, being offered on the lawn behind the Eugene hostel and/or on other patches of grass along 3rd street. But for those of you that just can't wait to unleash, please join me today at 2 at the LILA peer support club.
Ben
This week we look to the Crane for guidance. Soaring through the air in full glory with little effort, the crane represents those feelings we experience once forward momentum has been initiated. With this momentum comes increased confidence, courage, and flashes of ecstasy.
As we soar away from the past and into the future, however, we are also often seized by a great longing to bring pieces of our past, the good pieces, along with us. Even though we have mighty aspirations and a great future to look forward to, we still find it difficult to say goodbye to what we had, whether it be people, posessions, or vocations.
During these times, when we're conflicted, torn between our attachment to what we have and our desire for what we could have, it serves us best to stay in the present. Rather than looking forward or behind, we can simply experience the moment. Just as a crane feels its wings slicing through the air as it soars proudly through the sky, we can turn our thoughts away from the advantages and disadvantages of the decisions we have made and focus our awareness on the feelings and caused by the momentum we are riding.
In Unleash the Beast news, I am happy to announce that myself accompanied by my lovely daughter Avi will be in the Whiteaker block party parade on Saturday. Following the parade, there may be workshops, or pieces of workshops, being offered on the lawn behind the Eugene hostel and/or on other patches of grass along 3rd street. But for those of you that just can't wait to unleash, please join me today at 2 at the LILA peer support club.
Ben
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monkey See, Monkey Do
Greetings and Salutations,
How are all you beautiful people. Its been a few weeks since I've posted an update so I'd like to first take a minute to reconnect. In order to do so, I ask you to take your fingers off your keyboard for a second, close your eyes, and sink into your body. Pay attention to how your body feels this precise moment in space and time. This sensation, or collection of sensations, is the origin of all things great and small.
In the last update we discussed the tiger's tendency to watch closely those things deemed most important. This week we move on to the archetype of the monkey. The monkey is a playful creature that tends to favor movement and commotion over stillness and serenity. But just how does the monkey know where to swing and how to behave? Much of the monkey's inspiration comes from immitation, or watching and following those around it, a process shared between the sub-conscious and conscious faculties. As a result, it is able to process information and plan its route without the influence of emotions, desires, etc. Instead, it thinks without thinking, moves without thinking about moving. (That said, I must admit that I have learned elsewhere that monkeys do indeed show great attachment to their emotions. This attachment is what prevents them from working together toward a common goal.)
As humans, relatives of the monkey, we gather much of our knowledge from immitation as well. For that matter, immitation is the first means of learning available to us. As babies, nearly everything we learn to do is learned by watching others. As we grow older and become subject to formal education and the like, we tend to place less value on learning through immitation and more value on learning through comprehension. But why? Why should we turn away from such a powerful tool for development? The good news is that its not too late. Simply by surrounding yourself by examples of what you would like to learn and how you would like to develop, you can ensure that those lessons will reach you in some way, shape, or form. All you have to do is remain open. And aware.
In Unleash the Beast news, much has happened since the last update. I taught workshops at several festivals and was more than pleased with the way they were recieved. More so, some new elements were introduced into the workshop. What are they? Well...you'll just have to experience them for yourself. But I will tell you that one of them involves a drum. Coming up in the next few weeks, the beast will be unleashed at block parties, street fairs, kids camps, and KindTree Autisum Camp. All this in addition to the regular Friday gig at the LILA peer support club. So come one and come all.
-Ben
How are all you beautiful people. Its been a few weeks since I've posted an update so I'd like to first take a minute to reconnect. In order to do so, I ask you to take your fingers off your keyboard for a second, close your eyes, and sink into your body. Pay attention to how your body feels this precise moment in space and time. This sensation, or collection of sensations, is the origin of all things great and small.
In the last update we discussed the tiger's tendency to watch closely those things deemed most important. This week we move on to the archetype of the monkey. The monkey is a playful creature that tends to favor movement and commotion over stillness and serenity. But just how does the monkey know where to swing and how to behave? Much of the monkey's inspiration comes from immitation, or watching and following those around it, a process shared between the sub-conscious and conscious faculties. As a result, it is able to process information and plan its route without the influence of emotions, desires, etc. Instead, it thinks without thinking, moves without thinking about moving. (That said, I must admit that I have learned elsewhere that monkeys do indeed show great attachment to their emotions. This attachment is what prevents them from working together toward a common goal.)
As humans, relatives of the monkey, we gather much of our knowledge from immitation as well. For that matter, immitation is the first means of learning available to us. As babies, nearly everything we learn to do is learned by watching others. As we grow older and become subject to formal education and the like, we tend to place less value on learning through immitation and more value on learning through comprehension. But why? Why should we turn away from such a powerful tool for development? The good news is that its not too late. Simply by surrounding yourself by examples of what you would like to learn and how you would like to develop, you can ensure that those lessons will reach you in some way, shape, or form. All you have to do is remain open. And aware.
In Unleash the Beast news, much has happened since the last update. I taught workshops at several festivals and was more than pleased with the way they were recieved. More so, some new elements were introduced into the workshop. What are they? Well...you'll just have to experience them for yourself. But I will tell you that one of them involves a drum. Coming up in the next few weeks, the beast will be unleashed at block parties, street fairs, kids camps, and KindTree Autisum Camp. All this in addition to the regular Friday gig at the LILA peer support club. So come one and come all.
-Ben
Friday, July 2, 2010
That Which Matters Most
Greetings community,
This week we learn from the tiger to be clear and dedicated to what matters most. Likewise, the tiger teaches us to protect at all costs those things that are deemed most important.
One need only spend an hour or two around a mother tiger to know that its probabally best not to approach her cubs. As a result, her cubs are able to grow up in a relatively secure environment, which allows them to become strong mature tigers. Similarly, if we protect that which is most dear to us, whether they be people or projects, we can be assured that we've done everything in our power to help them become strong and succesful. We can also be assured that we have performed to the best of our ability. And with this assurance comes great increase in confidence, strength, and ability.
In Unleash the Beast news, potential seems to be popping up around every corner. Several new projects are in the works, more of which I will share with you later. Earlier today I led another session at the LILA peer support club. Thank you everyone involved; we had a fantastic time. In the closing part of the session, we talked a bit about the future of Unleash the Beast and agreed that more calming, meditation, and reflection exercises would be appreciated. While I have a good idea of just how to manifest these additions, I invite you all to share with me any thoughts you have on the matter.
In the coming weeks, I will be taking Unleash the Beast on the road. First stop, Oregon Country Fair. Second stop, Mystic Garden Party. If you happen to be there, please drop by and say hello. That being said, I will not be able to post another update until the last Friday in July. This day, the 30, will also be my next appearance at the LILA club.
Ben
This week we learn from the tiger to be clear and dedicated to what matters most. Likewise, the tiger teaches us to protect at all costs those things that are deemed most important.
One need only spend an hour or two around a mother tiger to know that its probabally best not to approach her cubs. As a result, her cubs are able to grow up in a relatively secure environment, which allows them to become strong mature tigers. Similarly, if we protect that which is most dear to us, whether they be people or projects, we can be assured that we've done everything in our power to help them become strong and succesful. We can also be assured that we have performed to the best of our ability. And with this assurance comes great increase in confidence, strength, and ability.
In Unleash the Beast news, potential seems to be popping up around every corner. Several new projects are in the works, more of which I will share with you later. Earlier today I led another session at the LILA peer support club. Thank you everyone involved; we had a fantastic time. In the closing part of the session, we talked a bit about the future of Unleash the Beast and agreed that more calming, meditation, and reflection exercises would be appreciated. While I have a good idea of just how to manifest these additions, I invite you all to share with me any thoughts you have on the matter.
In the coming weeks, I will be taking Unleash the Beast on the road. First stop, Oregon Country Fair. Second stop, Mystic Garden Party. If you happen to be there, please drop by and say hello. That being said, I will not be able to post another update until the last Friday in July. This day, the 30, will also be my next appearance at the LILA club.
Ben
Friday, June 25, 2010
One with the Land
Greetings community,
This week we look to the snake for a lesson. So lets think about what the snake symbolizes...what the snake has symbolized through the ages and accross cultures. With but a body, no extremities, the snake represents the early stages in the evolution of our race. It represents a closeness with the land, a state of togetherness in which the snake and the land it slithers on can be said to be one and the same. For us as humans, this means that all the resources we need to survive are already a part of us, in our immediate surroundings. If a challenge we confront requires resources beyond what we are able to attain, often this is because that challenge has been built into something much more than it need be. In channeling the energy of the snake, we can approach the challenge from the ground level, upon which we ourselves are stationed and therefore experience great stability, and better distinguish the superfulous from the necessary.
This week we look to the snake for a lesson. So lets think about what the snake symbolizes...what the snake has symbolized through the ages and accross cultures. With but a body, no extremities, the snake represents the early stages in the evolution of our race. It represents a closeness with the land, a state of togetherness in which the snake and the land it slithers on can be said to be one and the same. For us as humans, this means that all the resources we need to survive are already a part of us, in our immediate surroundings. If a challenge we confront requires resources beyond what we are able to attain, often this is because that challenge has been built into something much more than it need be. In channeling the energy of the snake, we can approach the challenge from the ground level, upon which we ourselves are stationed and therefore experience great stability, and better distinguish the superfulous from the necessary.
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