Summer Work

The summer break is an important time to see what we can carry (and receive) without the support of group meetings, Movements classes, and work days to give shocks and energy to our process of evolution. The key thing in this time is to watching ourselves impartially-- our manifestations, inner work efforts, relations with others-- without any judgement or analysis. See, and prevent energy being burned up in self-concern.

The suggestion for work over the summer is threefold.

First is to work deeply and daily with the Bread exercise as a morning sitting. This exercise contains many elements each of which is important in our work -- relaxation, collected state, active elements, inner alchemy, and opening to help. The results accrue and become a basis and source of help over time. I recommend stopping periodically during the day for the 5 breaths.

Second is to continue with starting the day by previewing events and identifying a time when you will make a strong effort of self-remembering and to struggle with automatic manifestations. This can be during a task that we will carry out alone, or an event in the company or in cooperation with others. We make an intention for inner work and strive to carry it out.

With regard to this effort, it becomes clear that our attention can either be on self-concern and self-importance, or on the inner work. This will inevitably reveal the patterns that arise to carry us away from the inner task we set for ourselves. When a pattern becomes clear-- for instance checking my phone, snacking, speaking opinions and criticizing, arguing-- that may become our task of a feature with which to struggle. In the moment of seeing it we may make an intention, a decision, to struggle with it.

As we progress, more and more life becomes the teacher that shows us our aim and our work. Opening to this a dynamism may enliven the process so that we are no longer simply trying to do exercises or follow principles suggested by others, but may begin to follow the unique path of evolution that is our own life.

The third suggestion for the summer is to begin a reading of Gurdjieff's first series of books, An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man, or, Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson. This book contains a vast knowledge in a form that requires a being-effort in the reading.

Wishing you a good summer,