My Integral Life Practice
My Integral Life Practice has become a way of being, a non-negotiable part of the frame of my day. It supports me to be the best I can be every day and in so doing supports my very development and maturity as a human living in the world. For years I described this type of practice as “book ending” your day. Just as book ends are a structure to keep a pile of books from falling over, having a ritual way to start and finish each day keeps our day in flow allowing more clarity. And it keeps me from falling over. By incorporating an integral frame into this practice it ensures that you are covering at the least; the Mind, Body, Spirit and the Shadow element, and therefore giving yourself the very best possible frame to build a healthy whole of life. My Integral Life Practice has taken years to develop to a place that I feel it supports me. I have tried many different combination's and methods. It is about finding what really works for you, and at the same time making sure that you do not leave any component out. I liken it to the four wheels on a car. If you take one or more wheels off the car it is going to be very dysfunctional. In order for the car to drive smoothly, all four wheels need to be in place and the tyre pressure correct. Some of the elements of an Integral Life Practice will come easily to you. They will be a natural extension of who you are. Other elements will require discipline and commitment. Part of the reason they will challenge you is the very reason that they will be important to maintain. Its the way it is...we know what we need to do, but do we do it? Doing it is the whole point. Saying yes to the whole of us and no to the small tantrum throwing, demanding, ego driven part of us is the deal and the very test of being human. I am sharing my Integral Life Practice with you as a template for you to build your own. If you want more information, check out the book, Integral Life Practice: A 21st-Century Blueprint for Physical Health, Emotional Balance, Mental Clarity, and Spiritual Awakening Integral Life Practice for the Mind
*Reading, from many sources, including books, magazines, blogs, across an array of subjects, from leadership, management, economics, politics, new thought, IT, relationships, poetry. This is a daily activity *Listening to audio of people from many backgrounds and disciplines. This is a daily practice when I drive from place to place *Dialogical processes with people who challenging my current thinking. I do this as often as I am able, not as frequently as I would like. *Writing articles that require me to question, research, learn. *Staying current with pop culture, the youth, music, language, technology. This keeps me in the youth conversation as well as able to for see trends. Integral Life Practice for the Body
*Running four days a week for 1.5 plus hours a day. Included in this are sessions that stretch me in body, mind and spirit...track work on speed; tempo work on pace: hill repeats for strength and distance for improving endurance. Many runs are in the forest, connecting with nature. Sometimes I do events that last all day.
See this article.
My running is a very inner process for me. I have learned more about who I am through a discipline in running than I could have learned in most other arena’s. And I get to stay fit, plus I love it. *Squad swimming three days a week, minimum of 3.6k (2.23 miles) per session. I have been swimming regularly for about 14 years. I love it. Why! Well swimming is a very technical sport, and I love the exploration of mastery. By swimming in a squad I am always working on my stroke, and technique. I do all four strokes; back, breast, butterfly and free. I am never bored. Because of where I live I get to swim outdoors all year, and in a 50m pool. It is a full body work out, and there is something about water and being in water that is good for my soul. *Stretching-maintaining my flexibility is essential to my mental flexibility as well. This is a discipline I have to work at. *Eating a diet of alive and vital foods, based around fruits and vegetable, and whole grains. I am not a meat eater, have been this way for years. My personal philosophy is I can eat what I can kill, and since I can kill prawns and fish, I do occasionally eat them. *Getting lots of good quality sleep in a great bed. I am a big believer in the benefits of enough sleep. I like 8 hours, and will get 9 if I can. Anything under 7 and my energy goes down. Integral Life Practice for the Spirit
*My morning ritual consists of listening to classical music and being present to that, reading from a spiritual text and reflecting on that text, being in prayer, contemplation, journaling, making sure my heart is open and I am connected to source, experiencing love, expansion, deep gratitude, joy. *I daily connect with nature, either while running, swimming, or walking my dog, or caring for my herb garden. Many of my runs are in the forest or by the ocean. I love being fully present to the sun, the breeze, water on my body, grass under my bare feet, sand between my toes. *In the evening I read from the poetry of Hafiz. I have a gratitude journal to cultivate my attitude of gratitude, and I do practices that may include Course In Miracles, The Tao, prayer, reflection. Integral Life Practice for the Shadow
*I work with a variety of coaches and have done for years *I journal about the areas of my life that distress me, or upset me *I regularly seek feedback from the trusted friends in my life...people I know will tell me their truth in support of the best of me *I practice looking at myself and my contribution to everything in my world *I like and embrace the part of me that is less than, or my weaknesses *I constantly step into the observer role around myself- the witness *I use tools such as enneagram, archetypes and spiritual astrology to know my shadow and its many guises. Other Integral Life Practices
*Single Parent to my 19 year old daughter *Parent to a 13 year old dog *The work I do with amazing clients-they teach me so much all the time *The relationships I have and build with incredible and extraordinary people around the world To Return from Integral Life Practice to Personal Sustainability
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, by Ken Wilber et al.
