But the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be.
Alan Watts
A wonderful aspiration! It is one I'm always aiming towards, and as I'm getting older realizing how difficult it can be to recognise the truth. What feels absolutely true for me right now may change by tomorrow. Is faith the ability to act according our current 'truth' and trust that ultimately this will keep us on our correct path ? For me this is the only way to keep going.

The biggest deterrent to scientific progress is a refusal of some people, including scientists, to believe that things that seem amazing can really happen." George Trimble
I think that the biggest block to believing is our unquestioned conditioning which can close our minds and bodies. Looking back over my years of tai chi training it is clear to me that the practice has relaxed and opened my body and mind. I look back and am amazed at how my beliefs have changed. I was so sure of everything, that there was very little space for new and amazing things to happen. The soft stretching movements of tai chi have magical aspects to them that somehow transform the mundane daily routine into journeys of self discovery. As we discover our true nature we become amazed at how vast and wonderful our world is, way beyond our former beliefs.

In a dancer, there is a reverence for such forgotten things as the miracle of the small beautiful bones and their delicate strength.
Martha Graham

Nothing that I can do will change the structure of the universe. But maybe, by raising my voice I can help the greatest of all causes - goodwill among men and peace on earth. Albert Einstein

Relaxation is something I'm always working on in my practice and in daily life. We are advised to become soft like water in our tai chi practice and this makes great sense to me .
Water is totally relaxed, it accepts everything we add to it, relaxes into the shape of any container and is completely tuned into it's environment to mention just a few of it's attributes. To become more water like is my goal for 2011. By this I mean not resisting any experience but instead allowing myself to melt completely into it. I have found that hearing Les Fehmi's open focus question in my head "Can you imagine feeling the sense of presence of your whole body and all the feelings and emotions in your body simultaneously ?" really helps to bring me right in to my body in a very open and accepting way and allows me to notice any tension that is present. Just noticing the tension in a relaxed way is often all that is needed in order to dissolve it.

Here is Ward off Left. Thanks to Michael

Ward Off Left from Heartworker on Vimeo.

What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning.
Werner Heisenberg

Through the practice of deep looking and deep listening , we become free, able to see the beauty and values in our own and others . . .
Thich Nhat Hanh

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.
Martin Buber

I'm beginning the new year with another of Katie's listening exercises. All these exercises help me to be more present to my internal and external worlds. They are not that easy to practice because (for me anyway ) they make me aware of my own arrogance, my beliefs that I know what is right for you etc.

Exercise Three :

An Experiment in True Listening

Spend a day listening to people. Just let their words in without superimposing your own thoughts. You can try out the idea that when people talk they, they're finding their way toward what they really mean, and the best way to help them is to just listen. Allow yourself to take in what they say without wondering what their point is. Trust that when they stop talking you'll understand. When you want to finish a sentence for them - out loud or in your own mind- stop yourself.
Your understanding of another person is limited by what you think you already know. So when you just listen, the person you meet won't match your preconception. The exciting thing is that you usually meet someone much wiser and kinder than you expected.
When you listen literally , you may feel disoriented at first. The identity you usually work so hard at upholding falls away.
In literal listening , someone you didn't know you were meets someone you didn't know you knew.