SENTIENT TIMES April/May 2003

The School of Interbeing

By John Darling

In this chaotic, disconnected modern world—funny how many statements start out with those words—we have to look for stability, not in changing society or anything in the external world, but rather by going back into the self.

What’s that—the self? Aren’t we too much self-obsessed now? Hanneli Francis laughs. She and D’vorah Swarzman are setting up a school in the outback near Williams, Oregon to answer just that question. It’s called the School of Interbeing and, starting this summer, they’re offering retreats where you can get your arms around the real self—not the one addicted to all the headlong materialism, consumerism and technology-driven obsessions we live in.

Using the basic tools of meditation, yoga, mindfulness, vision questing, emotional self-responsibility, nutrition, herbs and some theater and dance Francis and Swarzman, former resident teachers at Breitenbush growth center, will help people get back into the “real self” and to discover how it can “navigate the experience of life on a daily basis.”

It may sound simple, but it’s among the hardest things you’ll ever do: learning to love yourself and your life as it is, here in the present.

“It’s not about communication with others,” said Francis. “It’s about dealing with your pain and overwhelm and learning practical, immediate techniques for daily life. We do not feel fulfilled by our lives or know what we really want to do. The creative spark is largely dead because of TV and video games. We lack imagination.”

How to overcome this? Yoga and meditation are the bedrock of coming back into our minds—our souls. In mindfulness, Francis says, we become aware of ourselves and every little thought and action, moment-to-moment.

“There is our ego that does all these things—thoughts and actions—and there is another part of us, a part of the higher consciousness that observes, that is part of the Self, and that’s not fully participating in all the busy-ness. Even when I’m in the biggest crying fit, it doesn’t freak out and I become aware of it if I put my attention there.”

The mindfulness teachings are inspired by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who also created the word Interbeing, meaning creating social change and healing in our personal and global consciousness, and recognizing our personal consciousness, plays a huge role in the larger web of life.

“It’s like a flower—it may seem to exist apart from everything, but it’s made of water, sunshine, seed, earth, air and is shaped into what it is by what it’s part of,” said Francis. “We’re the same and as we start to realize that, we relax, we belong, we become part of the great and good mystery.”

“It means to be present in the moment, aware of everything, each word that we speak and how we listen,” said Swarzman, an Ashland bodyworker. “The goal is for more and more of us to be moving from the heart, listening more intently, commun-icating with more love, support and kindness. The world is an extreme dis-traction from these things with war, disconnection, toxins and consumption—and there is more and more desire for connection, to come home to ourselves and find, know, empower and love ourselves.”

The School if Interbeing starts this August with a one-week retreat, expanding next year into a four week syllabus. The Self in Relation covers communication, relationships with those we love, skills to maintain real connections in our lives, conflict, sex, resolving differences, deep listening, respect and interactive theater. The Self in Relation to Nature covers natural building, wilderness survival, organic gardening, permaculture, sustain-able energy and medicine wheel teachings. Integration and Activism is about en-visioning a positive future, working for long term social change and sustainable society in harmony with the rhythms of life and the planet.

The school intentionally located itself deep in nature, about halfway between LA/San Francisco and Portland/Seattle so as to be accessible, said Francis. Open to all adults and corporate clients seeking to get employees anchored in meaningful values and stress-coping techniques, the school will also offer a special welcome to teens who will be just starting out in the search for direction, inner confidence and “solidity.”

Hanneli Francis, a certified Anusara Yoga teacher and Nuat Thai yoga therapist, may be reached at interbeing@wildpeace.com, or PO Box 540, Williams, OR, 97544, (541) 472-4044.

John Darling is an Ashland writer, counselor, rebirther, hypnotherapist and seminar leader in the areas of loving relationships, prosperity, self hypnosis, men’s work and deep emotional group work.

Setting Up A Home Meditation/Yoga Practice

• Accept it’s not easy to focus and discipline yourself, so you may have to use strategy and games to outfox your ego (and family members) who may feel it takes away from them.

• The ego is trying to “keep from being annihilated” by this or any spiritual path, so just tell your ego you’re only going to do it for 10 minutes. This will break the habit of avoiding. Once you get going, of course, you’ll do it for longer than 10 minutes and the ego will be fine with it.

• Have a home practice buddy to support you and check in with you at least once a week to discuss stra-tegies, share successes and offer support. Or have them come over and do it with you.

• Have a place in the house which your practice will fill with the “charge” of increasing spiritual growth, aware-ness and inner peace. House not big enough for such a place? Make one anyway.

• Get loving agreement from your family to leave you alone behind closed door when you’re doing your practice, as in, “Mommy will be a lot nicer if I get this time.” Consider rewards for family members.

• Gradually teach the ego that medi-tation and yoga are good for it. The ego hates conflict. It likes to rule a peaceful kingdom. Teach it that its inner world will be more peaceful and it will have less karma to deal with.

SENTIENT TIMES
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