Why Collective Presencing?
“The systemic is not to be seen by one person.” – Daniel auf der Mauer
What becomes possible when we are all fully present in this moment – not distracted or caught by any pattern in thought or emotions – and can sense and think creatively while engaging with some wicked questions that try to deal with one of our many global questions? What really is possible then?
Not falling back in conceptual thinking: we should do such and such… not assuming the others will do what is needed: it would be good if… but all of us become first movers, even in the simple act of articulating some deep felt sense of what is going on or could be possible. Or taking up some responsibility with some others and making something out-of-the-box happen, something that never existed before?
Most people drawn to this practice are steeped in one or more religious / spiritual / embodied / psychological traditions, sometimes with more than 20 or 30 years of experience in yoga practice or Quaker meetings or Authentic Relating or… others just entering the worlds of embodiment, personal growth or spiritual practice. That’s maybe the most intriguing thing: we are all coming from very different streams of practice and we don’t have the need to name the ocean that we’re flowing toward. That kind of linearity doesn’t hold our attention. What is crucial though is that we witness, value and respect each contribution and we keep our senses wide open for what the weaving of it all reveals.
It’s pretty amazing that we can respect the integrity of each wisdom stream – be it Christian, Feldenkreis, Jewish, shamanic, Circling, druid, Integral, yoga, circle practice, improv … We notice the deeper, shared layer of connecting deeply, through the body practices, to the more imminent. The different streams don’t get in the way of coming to collective clarity and wisdom. It is actually that deeper quality (of being in an embodied practice) that draws most of us in. It seems to allow for more essential wisdom. A next iteration of collective wisdom that might be of good use in communities, teams, groups and organisations; to establish a conversational style that will bring wisdom and wholeness regardless of what topic we look deeper into.
We are not spelling out the doom and gloom that we notice is going on in this world, instead we are asking ourselves how can we be more like elders or stewards together – of all of life on this planet – and hold and refuel the needed wisdom? Where in our society can we come together to do this, not tied to any preconceived frame or theory? What are the pure essentials for a conversation to lead to these outcomes?
When we stay present together – to the rawness of life now – we can enter the fullness of a shared silence; then we become a we that is available to life and living.