𝐓𝐀𝐗𝐈 𝐃𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

 

Annually, Halloween seems to come around year in and year out. On the lead up to that festivity your friend David D. Wronski takes to the highways and byways of Gotham in one of his fleet of taxis. Picking up whomsoever and whatsoever hails for his services.

Be prepared for a daily posting. Be astonished, dumbfounded, amused, bemused, befuddled, enlightened, disabused, and generally entertained.

Enjoy the ride!

This page will be updated daily as news and views materialize.

𝐓𝐚𝐱𝐢 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐧𝐞! 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓. 

𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫-𝐓𝐚𝐱𝐢. "𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩."

Some buggy you got there. You can't hear it coming, and you wish you've never seen it.

Here's a look at previous such ...

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2021

2022

2023

2024

  

𝐙𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐚 ...

Some selected take away instructions:

"The forms and techniques are important because they free attention from having to decide what to do next. But their purpose is to create space for presence, not to become objects of attention themselves."

"By providing a structure for movement and attention, the forms freed her from having to constantly decide what to do next, creating space for awareness to rest in immediate experience."

"But the structure must be held lightly as a container rather than as the content itself."

"When someone is authentically present, it creates permission for others to be present as well."

Listen to the selected segment of the story at time stamp 2:24:42

The suggestion to pick one regular activity and practice bringing complete attention to it offers a practical entry point for developing present moment awareness. 

Rather than trying to be mindful of everything all at once, focusing on a single repeated activity allows you to notice the difference between distracted participation and full engagement. 

The story ...

In a village at the foot of the mountains, there lived a tea master named Silto who was known for her exceptional skill. In the traditional ceremony, students traveled from distant cities to learn from her, drawn by descriptions of the profound peace that seemed to emanate from her simple tea preparation. 

Her movements were fluid and graceful, each gesture deliberate yet natural, creating an atmosphere where time seemed to slow down and ordinary concerns fell away. 

But Silto had not always possessed this presence and skill. Years earlier, when she first began studying the way of tea, she had approached it as she approached most things in her busy life, as something to accomplish efficiently so she could move on to the next item on her list. She had memorized the proper sequences of movements, learned the traditional forms, and acquired the necessary utensils and knowledge. Yet, something essential was missing from her practice. Her teacher, an elderly woman named Yukio, had tried various ways to help Silto understand what she was overlooking. But Silto was impatient with subtleties that didn't produce immediate measurable results. She wanted to master the ceremony quickly so she could begin teaching others and establish herself as skilled in this respected art. 

One afternoon after Silto had completed what she considered a technically perfect tea preparation, Yukio made an unexpected observation. Your tea is correctly made. she said quietly. But you were not here while you made it. Silto felt puzzled and slightly defensive. I followed every step precisely. My attention never wavered from the proper forms. Your attention was on performing the forms correctly. But where were you? I was right here preparing tea. Yukio said nothing more that day, but she suggested that for the next week, Silto should prepare tea only for herself. Not for practice, not to demonstrate her growing skill, not with any goal other than simply making and drinking tea when she was genuinely thirsty. This suggestion felt almost insulting to Silto. She had been working hard to develop expertise and now her teacher was asking her to step backward into informal practice. But she respected Yuko enough to follow the guidance despite her frustration. 

The first few days of this informal tea preparation felt awkward and pointless. Without the structure of formal practice or the motivation of impressing her teacher, Silto found herself rushing through the process just to have tea to drink. She boiled water quickly, used whatever cup was convenient, and paid minimal attention to the details she had been working so hard to perfect. But gradually, something began to shift. Without the pressure of performance or the anxiety of being evaluated, Silto started to notice aspects of tea preparation that had been invisible to her during formal study. 

The sound of water beginning to heat, progressing from silence to subtle whispers to rolling boil. The way steam rose from the cup and how its warmth felt against her face as she brought it to her lips. the actual taste of the tea, which she realized she had often barely noticed while concentrating on proper technique. One morning, as she prepared her simple cup of tea before beginning other daily activities, Silto found herself moving more slowly than usual. Not because she was trying to be mindful or demonstrate presence, but because something about the morning light, the quietness of the house, the simple pleasure of warm tea on a cool day made hurrying feel inappropriate. As she poured water over the tea leaves, she noticed that her breathing had naturally slowed and deepened. Her usual mental planning for the day ahead had quieted. There was just the immediate sensory experience of warmth, fragrance, the gentle sound of pouring water. For the first time since beginning her studies, she was completely present with the activity of making tea rather than thinking about making tea or performing tea preparation. When she lifted the cup to her lips and tasted the result of this naturally mindful preparation, the difference was startling. The tea seemed more flavorful, more complex. But beyond that, the entire experience had a quality of richness and satisfaction that her technically superior formal preparations had never achieved. That afternoon, when she met with Yuko for her regular lesson, Silto shared what had happened during her morning tea. Teacher, I think I understand now what you meant about not being present. This morning, I wasn't trying to make good tea or practice correctly. I was simply making tea because I wanted tea and everything felt different. Tell me more about this difference. When I focus on performing the steps correctly, part of my attention is always evaluating how I'm doing, whether my movements are precise, whether I'm remembering everything properly. But this morning, there was no evaluation. Just the immediacy of water, tea, warmth, taste. Yukio smiled. And how did this tea taste compared to your most technically perfect preparations? Zero. Five. Much better. Not because my technique was superior, but because I was actually experiencing the tea instead of thinking about the process of making it. 

Now you begin to understand the way of tea. The forms and techniques are important because they free attention from having to decide what to do next. But their purpose is to create space for presence, not to become objects of attention themselves. Over the following months, as Silto continued integrating this understanding into her formal practice, her entire relationship with the tea ceremony transformed. Instead of performing sequences of movements that she had memorized, she began participating in each gesture as it arose. Instead of demonstrating her knowledge of proper forms, she used those forms as a framework within which genuine presence could unfold. The difference was immediately apparent to anyone who sat with her for tea. The atmosphere that had been somewhat tense and performance oriented became spacious and peaceful. Students stopped feeling like they were watching a demonstration and started feeling like they were participating in a shared meditation. The tea ceremony is not about tea Silto would later explain to her own students. It is about using the simple act of preparing and sharing tea as an opportunity to practice complete presence. When you are fully here while making tea, the tea becomes a vehicle for awareness itself. Years later, when Silto had become a respected teacher, she would often share the lesson that Yuko had given her about the difference between performing presence and actually being present. Many students work very hard to appear mindful, she would explain. They move slowly and deliberately, attend carefully to details, follow all the prescribed forms with great precision. But this is not mindfulness. This is thinking about mindfulness while doing other things. True presence in any activity emerges when you stop trying to be present and start actually participating in what you're doing. It's the difference between watching yourself make tea and simply making tea. One is performance even if the audience is only yourself.

The other is participation. The way of tea became for Silto a daily practice that extended far beyond formal ceremony. She brought the same quality of natural presence to cooking, cleaning, conversation, and solitude. Each activity became an opportunity to return to immediate experience rather than living always one step removed in thoughts about that experience. This story reveals how presence is actually quite different from the concentrated effort that people often mistake for mindfulness. 

Silto's discovery that her tea improved when she stopped trying to make it perfectly points to the difference between forced attention and natural awareness. When she was focused on correct performance, part of her attention was always split. Some awareness was on the immediate task while another part monitored and evaluated her performance. This division created a subtle tension that prevented full engagement with the experience itself. The informal tea preparation allowed her to discover what happens when attention is not divided between doing and evaluating doing. When the goal shifted from demonstrating competence to simply enjoying tea, her natural awareness could settle completely into immediate sensory experience. This illustrates something profound about how presence operates. It is not something you create through effort but something you allow by reducing interference. When the mind stops dividing experience into performer and performance, subject and object, awareness naturally becomes absorbed in whatever is happening.

The tea ceremony's forms and traditions served an important function once Silto understood their purpose. They weren't ends in themselves, but scaffolding that could support natural presence. By providing a structure for movement and attention, the forms freed her from having to constantly decide what to do next, creating space for awareness to rest in immediate experience. This points to something valuable about how contemplative practices work. Whether it's tea ceremony, walking meditation, or simple daily activities, external structure can support inner stillness. But the structure must be held lightly as a container rather than as the content itself. Silto's teacher understood that presence cannot be taught directly because it's not something you add to experience. It's what's already here when you stop adding mental commentary, evaluation, and projection. The week of informal practice wasn't a step backward, but a way of discovering what had been missing from all the correct technique.

The transformation in atmosphere when Silto began teaching from genuine presence rather than demonstrated knowledge illustrates how awareness affects not just individual experience but the quality of relationship and environment. When someone is authentically present, it creates permission for others to be present as well. Her insight about the difference between performing presence and being present applies far beyond tea ceremony. In meditation, people often work hard to appear mindful to themselves, carefully 
monitoring their posture, breath, and mental states. But this self-conscious mindfulness can actually prevent the natural absorption that emerges when attention settles into direct experience. The same principle appears in conversations where listening with effort to seem like a good listener is different from simply being interested in what someone is saying. It appears in work where trying to be mindful while performing tasks creates a different quality of engagement than becoming absorbed in the tasks themselves. Silto learned that presence is more like falling asleep than like lifting weights. You create the right conditions and then allow something natural to occur rather than forcing it to happen. When she stopped trying to make perfect tea and simply made tea with care and attention, presence emerged on its own. Both stories in this artifact point to the same essential teaching. Presence is not an achievement but a return. Not something exotic that requires special conditions, but the natural result of meeting whatever is happening with complete attention. The monk sweeping the path and the woman preparing tea both discovered that ordinary activities become extraordinary when met with wholehearted participation. Not because the activities themselves change, but because undivided attention reveals qualities of richness, peace, and connection that scattered awareness overlooks. This understanding transforms daily life from a series of tasks to be completed into opportunities for moments of genuine presence without needing to withdraw from the world or create special meditation schedules. Awareness can be cultivated through bringing full attention to whatever is already happening. The breath is perhaps the most immediate teacher of this principle. Each inhale and exhale happens only once. This breath will never occur again in exactly this way. When attention settles naturally into breathing without trying to control or improve it, the simplest act becomes a doorway to profound stillness.

The present moment is not a place to arrive but the only place you ever actually are. Past and future exist only in thought even when those thoughts are useful for planning or learning. But life itself unfolds only now in the immediate flow of sensation, breath, awareness. Notice how even reading these words is happening now. The understanding that arises from them emerges in present awareness. There is nowhere else to go to find what these teachings point toward. No future moment when presence will be easier or more complete than it can be right here. When presence becomes natural rather than effortful, daily life transforms without changing. The same activities continue, but they're met with increasing intimacy rather than distance. Work becomes more satisfying when engaged with full attention. Relationships deepen when presence is offered rather than just physical proximity. Even difficulty becomes more manageable when met directly rather than through the lens of resistance and mental commentary.

The pathway is already beneath your feet. The tea is already in your hands. The moment you've been seeking is always this one. Not because this moment is always pleasant, but because it's always real. And in that reality, stepped into fully lies the peace that thought can only think about, but presence can actually touch. The present moment asks nothing of you except presence itself. And presence asks nothing except willingness to be where you actually are instead of where you think you should be or wish you were. This willingness is sufficient. This moment is complete. This awareness is home. As we continue on our journey together, we arrive at something that touches every person who has ever tried to make something happen. The attachment to results. The way we pour our hearts into work, relationships, or dreams and then feel disappointed when things don't turn out as we hoped.

𝐘𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡!

 

𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧 "𝐓𝐚𝐝" 𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢

 

That there is Cousin "Tad". One Thaddeus Romanescu Poloniakis Wronski. A pure and perfect example of what you get when you mix the blood line. In his case, a potent cocktail of rare and finely distilled Polish spirit ["Wronski", duh] rather haphazardly splashed with some Italian, Romanian, and Greek wines and bitters, and what-not. The latter mix-ins coming from his Mother's side. Dad, he was all Wronski. Well, obviously, the surname tells you that! Silly!

It's still not settled on whether and which and in what proportion the category of elements in his genetic makeup explains his ways. The general conclusion is that the non-Wronski side has a definite Mediterranean flavor. It's probably that slightly northern playful Romanian influence that moves him to mix things up a bit more than you'd expect a reasonable man would do in his journey through life. "A bit?" A lot!

Witness in the photo image. Just one from a shoe box full of them; and, every one of them in there quite different from the each of other. If there are such things, he was an "eclecticon" and a "ubitquitron".

What to say, given the vast nature of his doings and comings and goings. 

As far as the photo ... well, sort of explains itself. "Tad"
 liked things BIG. Pussycats, cigars, fish, libations, tushes. He also had a penchant for splashing on the English Leather cologne. Quite liberally. [This writer must confess to having the same predilection for that scent, so maybe that's from the Wronski side of it. BTW that stuff smelled swell to me in my college days. Now, OMG ... so overpowering. Whew! One thing about Wronski's, they may go astray — "Wrong-Way-Wronski" is a nickname in the family — but they get back on track ... eventually.]

Okay, ladies, we know what you are curious about. Admit it! That thin towel tied around "Tad"'s trim waist. Are we wondering if he's BIG also in a certain other category? In fact and to get to the point, the answer is yes. Yes, he has a rather large collection of such printed towels. What silk pajamas were to Hugh Hefner, the printed towel in to Thaddeus. But "Tad" only wore his at home. For going out, a armoire full of chenille robes complete the ensemble. I know it sounds silly, but with him it worked.

Oh, you weren't thinking about the size of the towel? In the interest of decorum all that needs be said is that he had a strict policy, towel-wise. Big enough to just begin to cover the knee. Enough said. Now, dream on. If you're still not satisfied, let's leave it at "more than a 'Tad' ".

CLICK to read about some other Wronski's ...

𝐂.𝐆. 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 ... 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭

Christ saw that his whole life, devoted to the truth according to his best conviction, had been a terrible illusion. He had lived it to the full absolutely sincerely, he had made his honest experiment, but it was nevertheless a compensation.

On the Cross his mission deserted him. But because he had lived so fully and devotedly he won through to the Resurrection body.

We all must do just what Christ did. We must make our experiment. We must make mistakes. We must live out our own vision of life. And there will be error.

If you avoid error you do not live; in a sense even it may be said that every life is a mistake, for no one has found the truth.

When we live like this we know Christ as a brother, and God indeed becomes man. This sounds like a terrible blasphemy, but not so. For then only can we understand Christ as he would want to be understood, as a fellow man; then only does God become man in ourselves.

- CARL JUNG

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 ... "𝐎𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧" [𝐌𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧]

Go slow. Go slow. With every good there comes a corresponding evil, and with every evil a corresponding good. Don't run too fast into one unless you are prepared to encounter the other.

I am not concerned about the world. I am concerned about the people with whom I live. The other world is all in the newspapers. My family and my neighbors are my life — the only life that I can experience.

What lies beyond is newspaper mythology. It is not of vast importance that I make a career or achieve great things for myself. What is important and meaningful to my life is that I shall live as fully as possible to fulfil the Divine will within me.

- CARL JUNG

𝐄𝐫𝐨𝐬 ... 𝐂.𝐆. 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠

The ensuing split between sexuality and the anima is, by the way, frequently found in men, and often manifests itself as a neglect of Eros, which is the essence of the anima.

Men are rarely split off from sexuality, because it is too evident for them, but what they lack is Eros, the relational function.

Men often think they can replace the relational function with reason. They are proud that they don’t let themselves be controlled by affect, because this would be womanly, tantamount to weak. No Eros, for God’s sake!

This lack is what women most complain of in marriage, and is what so disappoints them. For what they seek in a man is the Eros, the capacity to relate.

- CARL JUNG

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬?

Indeed, what is it with Dentists? Every one of them seems to have this thing about office decorations.

My long time Dentist had the simplest of offices. A converted small bungalow home in Clifton, New Jersey. Even him. Padded seat metal arm chairs lining the walls. Neutral gray carpet and paint. Non-descript curtains. A big square low table with lots of popular magazines; People was well represented. A shelf with other magazines, an assortment of more specific interest topics: Golf, Motor Trend, Sports ... like that.

And, the biggest board of baby pictures in the World!

He had been practicing for a long time by the time I became his patient. He saw many families. In the inner offices at the reception desk just a few small cutesy statues related to teeth. With his professional calling cards in a carrier with some dental slogan or other. In his work space pictures of prominent figures who where his patients. And, if you're wondering, no my photo didn't make the cut. Like I said, simple. [What am I, chopped Liver?]

It gets better ...

Or the Dental Specialist who was into Baseball. Baseball posters everywhere. Serious fan. 

Or the other specialist who had this kinetic sculpture clock moving on the wall facing you opposite the dental chair. Very aesthetic.

Then ... there's this Dentist in nearby Clifton, New Jersey. Famous — some say, "infamous" — for having a wild, crazy presentation of mannequins in his front yard. The whole panoply of human imagination; skeletons of all kinds, scare crows, semi-nude bathing beauties. Search that and see all the articles and images online. There's nobody in the surrounding area who doesn't know about that spectacle.

The show goes on all year, changing setups and themes with the seasons. He goes all out for Halloween, and lots of people show up to be part of it ...

So, yesterday, I visit my own Dentist. The previous last visit was around the July 4th time. The office then was decorated with an assortment of Red-White-and Blue theme stuff ... pillows and decorative objects placed here and there. "Have a Happy 4th of July!"

But, yesterday — we're in the fall season. What do we have? Pumpkins! I'm talking a crazy, wild assortment of pumpkin-theme what-the-what. Even a small pumpkin foot rug in the water closet. Here a Pumpkin, there a Pumpkin, everwhere you look ... a Pumpkin. I'm gonna suggest they have a contest for their patients ... "How many Pumpkins in Our Patch." A toothbrush for every entry. An electric tooth brush for the best answer, but submitted creatively. [Judges' decision final.]

I semi-jokingly brought this up with the Dentist. "Hey, what's with you Dentists and always with the office decorations?" Dentists know what I'm talking about. We then had a side conversation about the guy in Clifton who  is the apotheosis of such doings; the guy mentioned before who does the outrageous treatment all over his sprawling front yard. On Halloween night there, it's a traffic jam. Mega. 

Whenever this situation comes up in conversation, we always cover the point on how he got into some legal issues with the neighbors. It seems to have been sorted out. He's still going strong. 

We closed the conversation with my Dentist admitting to the "DDD" [Dental Decorating Dementia], but somewhat proudly stating that hers [yes, my Dentist is female.] is "tasteful". 

At the reception desk I captured the essence of the Fall "Pumpkin" treatment. 

"Tasteful" is the word for it. 

Oh, there's more. But different. Yesterday was a most beautiful, clear sunny day. The procedure room faced the backyards of the surrounding neighborhood. My Dentist pointed out to me in skeptical wonderment at how in one back yard there was a raised deck, no railing; and, at its edge, an above-ground swimming pool at the edge. Like you could either fall off the deck, or accidentally fall into the pool. [What are they thinking?] Topping it all off was a large figure of a cartoonish Giraffe. I didn't see it from my chair; and I forgot to check it out when I got up. I guess you could say I didn't want to stick my neck out. [Get it? Neck ... Giraffe.]

I speculated that maybe the folks who live there are Circus people. That would explain it, don't you think?

Dentists! Huh?

 

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐨 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

If we do not accept the existence of archetypes, then we have no way of explaining the superhuman surges of energy that magnetize us toward someone or something — or repel us.

The word does not matter. What matters is our recognition of the power of these energy fields in our unconscious; they can dictate our destruction (if our ego is weak) or they can be our greatest gift in life.

If we cannot tell the difference between human and super-human (or subhuman) energy, we identify with gods and goddesses, devils and enchantresses, and eventually walk into self-destruction.

We project images onto these energy fields.

The god for one generation is Elvis, for another, Michael Jackson.The goddess may be the Virgin Mary, eclipsed by Lilith, eclipsed by Julia Roberts.

[Let's consider the Taylor Swift phenomenon.]

The task of the media promoters is to find the right image for whatever energy field is floating up from the unconscious mass at that moment.

[BINGO!]

Stars pass by like meteors and are gone.

— Marion Woodman (Dancing in the Flames)

𝐂.𝐆. 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 ...

 

"We cannot receive the Holy Spirit unless we have accepted our own individual life as Christ accepted his."

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 ... 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟖

Gravity and Aging…Word “Up”!

My personal and professional approach to health is based on to be sure to include the factor of balance. Nothing new, huh? Specifically, in my area of professional expertise, the balance of Human beings in respect to the demands of the force of Gravity. Nota Bene: not the ability to keep one's balance. But the balance in the arrangement of the parts of the body itself. That kind of balance. How things fit/relate. Architectural. Relate, that is, not just to the body as a whole, but the whole body in respect to the demands of Gravity. You know, that prime ecological fact. 

As far as methods go, there's a proven approach. It's called Dr. Ida P. Rolf Method Structural Integration. It offers individualized assistance to transform the arrangement of the body to an easy, graceful, effortlessly upright, balanced stance in relation to the simple vertical standard of Gravity. That's Physics. That's also the Anatomical design of the Human body: central vertical, symmetrical, level. Same standard for all structures on Earth. In design and building it called "Plumb & Square". Not a stiff static, like in a brick and mortar building. In Humans such balance is core. Everything moves around that centered balance with maximum range of motion and efficiency. Graceful, of course. 

I’m also for approaches which stand for everybody using the innate natural resources at hand to empower and enrich our lives. As Henny Youngman might say…"Take Gravity, please." 

There's also Reiki — "Universal Life Energy" is something readily available. Ultimate medicine.

There's also the vast domain of the as yet fully explored and untapped wisdom of earth medicines. Plant based, naturally available supports for healing and health.

But, we're talking "Gravity" right now.

The originator of that definitive and peerless Structural Integration method, Dr. Ida P. Rolf, saw chronic symptoms such as pain and stress, fatigue, poor self-image, early aging as “…signals pointing to a single problem so prominent in their own structure, as well as others, that it has been ignored. They are at war with Gravity.” 

She developed a system offering individualized assistance to individuals to live effortlessly upright, stress free, and supported by the energy field of the Earth itself. Her big idea: "Gravity is the tool. Gravity is the therapist."

"When the body gets working appropriately, the force of Gravity flows through and the body spontaneously heals itself." Dr. Rolf spoke those words in the context of getting people from a condition of imbalance to one of balanced alignment with the demands of Gravity. "Healing" in its totality is much more than correcting what's not right; it's about becoming a whole Human being. Growth. "Individuation", as C.G. Jung would put it. But, weeds grow. The kind of growth envisioned here is guided by a universal standard: Gravity. To live true to yourself. True to the Earth. In alignment with the flow of Creation. Go with the flow, Man!

So, just what is Rolf's "appropriate"? Again, same as for all structures on Earth. At the center of even the most eccentric looking architectural structures there's always the central vertical around which are symmetries and levels. Short lesson: the stresses need to be balanced.

If you need further convincing of this point, consider the Pyramids ...

Now look! Body balance with Gravity is not the all in all; the end all and be all. Okay? But it is part of the all. A large part in fact. A part that is almost not recognized for its implications for daily living. Sure, those money bags guys know all about Gravity to get their phallic substitute rockets off. We're talking here about basic, every day stuff. Not to factor it in is to like miss the forest for the trees. Gravity is not a suggestion; it's the law. Ignorance is not an excuse; there's a price to pay for not paying it attention. And, a pot of gold for cooperating with its imperatives. It's a choice. 

Did you know that you have a choice? Now you do. 

Imagine that. Talk about deep ecology! The force of Gravity itself is a vast untapped, universally available and ever-ready natural resource for Human health and wellness. Let's also mention top performance, and full creative expressiveness. At whatever the heck you set your mind on. You be you! Just why not go with a trusty guide? Okay, we all know from Gravity. As a concept. As a percept, an actively engaged conscious relationship, not so much. We pay a price. Living in default of our natural given potential for structural integration in our bodies as such, and with our bodies in relationship to the Earth.

An old friend of mine recently (finally!) got it about Gravity and said, “It’s amazing that with all the interest in ecology and natural living nobody’s talking about Gravity.” (Much less doing anything with it, I would add.) We certainly wouldn’t buy that house if the foundation was off, and the walls were cracking. Or drive down the street with our front end out of alignment. Play winning tennis with the strings not evenly tensioned. At Pisa I’ll let you take my picture next to their tower; but, no way am I going up there. But when it comes to our own physical architecture — how our bodies stack up in respect to the basic architectural dictates of Gravity — we don’t much look at our own stance in Gravity, how our own bodies stack up. If at all. We just take how it is as how it is. Never mind that it got that way, and that it can get got another way. But, such change takes doing. The body is not only elastic, it's plastic too. It can change. Rather easily don't you know.

The whole thing about how your condition is not fixed is simply observable. As children we grow bigger and stronger as we mature. How the parts of our bodies come to actually work as a unit, that's learned. We are shaped by our experience(s). Mostly self taught. We arrive at adulthood with a unique random testament to our development writ embedded into the very flesh. Not all bad. Lot of good. Yet, there are those accidents and traumas. Bad habits. Inadequate instruction. Modeling after significant others who themselves may not have been living into their own potential for healthy balance in the makeup of their bodies. 

My friend suggested that I write a piece on “Gravity and aging”. So here we are. Thanks, buddy.

There is a problem with talking about Gravity as such. Gravity is the most prominent physical force the body has to deal with. It is also so constant and ubiquitous and ever present in our life that it’s easily not noticed. Like do fish notice the water?

Perhaps we’re reminded of its being there when we drop something or take a spill ourselves. Mainly it doesn’t register. It’s as if you asked a fish, “how’s the water?” “What water?” Imagine if Human beings were adapted to Gravity to the same degree as the fish are to the sea. If dolphins can leap into the air, what can you imagine Humans could leap into? Art Bell listeners, stay tuned.

So what about Gravity and aging, you ask? Simply this … doesn’t it make just plain common sense that if you are not spending energy keeping yourself up, keeping yourself together, that you have more of it for living? Whatever the heck you are about to go about doing. You got to be in it to win it though. And when your body is in balance along the lines of Gravity you will discover its inner secret: It uplifts you. It is supportive, nourishing. It energizes. You feel great. You live well. And you last longer too. 

We're all too familiar with Gravity as a downward force — "centripetal". The upward side is called "centrifugal". They are concomitant. Yin and Yang. Apple pie with a slice of Cheese, or a nice scoop of Ice Cream; your choice.

Mankind may not as of yet have explored that side of things Gravity-wise to its practical advantage(s). Prove me wrong. 

This is as old as the hills, but as an idea it's new. As something to put into practice ... also new. 

In my own field I am known as "Gravity Ace". Not out of knowing all there is to know or being an exquisite example of such balance. No. But for my enthusiasm for the prospect as a very, very good idea; and my own dedication to living into that potential myself. 

Dr. Rolf admonished us to do this: "Consign your body to Gravity". In other words let Mother Nature's innate force be a guide in your life. Imagine, being effortlessly supported by the force of Gravity itself. Take a pause and consider that. It means not having to hold yourself together. There's some courage needed there; letting go of old patterns. New territory. But, since we're talking in alignment with Gravity, we can go confidently, and fearlessly into that territory. Kapische?

So, what's to do? 

Now that you’re all convinced that you should have more Gravity in your life, now what to do? (While I offer clients individualized assistance to balance the makeup of their bodies along the simple lines of Gravity, my aim in writing this is to get you going on that Path. And, to give some pointers that will get you started. Should you want a helping hand, there are qualified practitioners in my field and in so many others that you can call on.) 

Anything you do for your health is a good thing. Dr. Ida P. Rolf Method Structural Integration is the only thing out there that single mindedly works toward such balance aligned with Gravity. There are various schools which use names such as Rolfing, Hellerwork, Anatomy Trains Structural Integration [ATSI], Soma, and others. 

Caution on selecting a practitioner. The so-called marketplace for balancing the body with the Gravitational field of the Earth is virtually non-existent. Most people look for this work out of seeking to remedy a physical problem, and sometimes as a last resort. Others in sports and the performing arts easily grok the advantage(s) of bodily balance. Many practitioners under the name of Structural Integration also offer therapeutic "fix it" work. All good. Just not Structural Integration as Dr. Rolf intended, not as any of the accredited school teach it. Alas, marketplace conditions; gotta put food on the table. People come in looking for to get fixed. It's a built in challenge to serve others while at the same time working to what amounts to a paradigm shift in our very notions of health and normalcy. The challenge as professionals is to work in an environment where most are looking for a therapeutic result when at the same time the work is designed to correct a more basic "fix"; that is, being ecologically at odds with the prevailing influence of Gravity. 

BTW, Chiropractic is based on a similar fundamental premise; theirs built on the idea that proper spinal relationships support healthy functioning. Structural Integration goes a step further, introducing the whole Human being's relationship to the Earth, mitigated by you know what? ... the force of Gravity. 

So, if you're interested in finding someone expert in delivering support on the potential to see yourself transformed to a higher order of workable balance vis-a-vis Gravity, get clear that the professional you will work with is geared in that direction. Like your sore shoulder will feel better with a little local manipulation. For a while anyway. It'll have a chance to fully resolve itself out of having the tensions of the entire whole body in equipoise. Verbum sat sap. 

This is not just about the body. It's about the whole Human being. Becoming a whole Human being. As Ida Rolf would put it, we can't get our hands on hearts and minds; we can get our hands on bodies. Very practical she is.

My take on how to understand a lot of the typical decrepitude of old age is that as the years progress the unconscious patterns of imbalance built into our bodies over years of experience — imbalances = unresolved issues, incomplete experience, bad habits, lack of learning — become more obvious. We find ourselves living with the weight of the past. Metaphorically, being pulled down to the grave. "Grave" ... "Gravity", get it. 

Yes, there is a downward pull to Gravity. Who doesn't know that. Even as kids stacking blocks we grok how things have to go to stay upright. Same for the body. Imbalances in the arrangement of the Human body require energy to counteract the downward pull of Gravity. What to do?

The good news is that there's another side to Gravity! It's upward — "centrifugal" — equal and opposite reaction to that familiar downward pull. To convey the experience in words is a challenge. Like, how does it feel to slip into the crystal blue waters off a white sand beach on a sun drenched day in the balmy, soft breeze on a Caribbean island? Or, you name you're spot; or, your experience. How about a bed of Rose petals in a sun dappled grove near a meandering river? 

But, when there are imbalances, you can sometimes feel like a mountain of gold being pulled up a steep hill in a rickety Donkey cart. 

In balance, it's strong, graceful, easy, capable, enjoyable. Looks good too. [Note that when you want to go for plastic surgery to fix the surface of things.] That there, all those desirable attributes. that's your birthright. Even with whatever how you call them "genetic" and "karmic" conditions, in balance with the ineluctable, constant and ever-present action of Gravity gets you through efficiently and creatively. Kapische?

The thing is, when we're young and full of life we take things for granted. The force of Gravity is not in direct conscious view. Like the air we breathe. It's just there. No need to pay attention. This aging business has to do with the accumulation of debt we incur for not having paid attention to the constant signals Gravity is giving.

What are those signals? Very plain, and direct. What you are feeling right now. That's it. That feeling state, those various feelings are your dance with Gravity. We just don't pay any attention mostly. And, when we do notice, not usually connecting with the fact that very often it's a message from Gravity. Whether you're with it, or not. The culture at large offers pills. For profit. Ain't no profit in Gravity. As I said, it takes doing. That's the investment you make. Whether on your own, or with a helping hand. Your choice. Just ... do it!

So, let's pay attention. You know how in sports the primary point is to keep your eye on the ball? It's the same with Gravity. Just to pay attention.

How? There's really no "how". There is something to do however.

My Rx: This may seem a little strange to you at first; but you gotta try it. Too simple. Maybe even too simple. Look. Just like when you drive your car you pay attention to the road (unless you’re one of those with a cell phone glued to your ear) ... so from now on — are you ready — feel your feet. 

That’s right, feel your feet.

Your feet are the foundation of your body, literally. By always feeling your feet you will start creating the habit of paying attention to your body. We're not saying to put all your attention on your feet, but just to include that sensory factor in your conscious presence. Such mindfulness will become an ingrained habit. It will grow to the point where you will become conscious of the felt sense of your whole body and the feelings that are moving through it. That’s when you will also be able to be aware of the signals your body gives when it is out of balance in Gravity, or any other way. Then you can make the necessary adjustments yourself. Comfortable, relaxed is the hallmark of living in balance. 

It’s in you. 

Go there.

PS Cultivating a somatic felt sense of the body isn't something that is commonly understood, much less practiced. The term is "embodiment". For some it may come as a sea change. It is the opposite of being fixated in mental pictures and stories. Absorbed in the phantasmagoria of the sensory world experience. The felt body sense is immediate. It is happening. It behooves you to notice. It's real. It's now. It's here. 

Hear?

 

𝐂.𝐆. 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 ...

I am not a theologian; I am a doctor, a psychologist. But as a doctor, I have had experience with thousands of persons from all parts of the world—those who came to tell me the stories of their lives, their hopes, their fears, their achievements, their failures. I have studied carefully their psychology, which is, and which must be, my guide.

Out of my experience with those thousands of patients, I have become convinced that the psychological problem of today is a spiritual problem, a religious problem, Man today hungers and thirsts for a safe relationship to the psychic forces within himself.

His consciousness, recoiling from the difficulties of the modern world, lacks a relationship to safe spiritual conditions.This makes him neurotic, ill, frightened.

Science has told him that there is no God, and that matter is all there is. This has deprived humanity of its blossom, its feeling of well-being and of safety in a safe world.

- CARL JUNG

𝐖𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐢'𝐬 𝐖𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 ...

Wronski's Wramblings Home Page

So, here's the deal. I wramble. I like to ... wramble. Hope you like it too. If not, go ahead, you wramble on. Just know for the interested among you, my wrambling is about going into various topics and such; and ... allowing the telling of it to take side roads as they appear and seem worthwhile to look into. Maybe some rabbit holes. But, trust me, I'll always get you down the road. If not, give me a comment to get me back on track.

Now ... dig in!

DISCLAIMER: There is nothing that can be said which can ever come close to the inestimable value of silence. 

Yet, here I am with lots of words. Well ... call me pisher.