The witness within...and beyond...

In the imagination of our lives let’s imagine for a moment our life is the tree … An invitation for you. The first bird view : This first bird is the bird who is very immersed in daily life , creating with care its nest for its babies , creating a family, running flying from branch to branch collecting twigs .. Immersed in this life , life continues as that , Busy . Full of movement .There s often goals expectations attached to this bird view. Clients who come to me for therapy ; are often entangled in this first bird view approach of the world / their sense of self . Here the wound of “not enough ness” play strongly and the perpetuation of activity to “fill”this void is relentless. Often ( if not always) the result is more suffering, to a greater or lesser degree . On a branch up and above there s a second bird ; quietly witnessing the movement and business of the first bird. He s not par - taking in the actual story of the first bird , decisions etc yet is quietly there - present at all times. This witness bird , is non judgemental - unconditional even. What a lot of mindfulness folk talk and cultivate . It takes a turn for the first bird to notice this second bird is unaffected by the comings and goings of their life. In a way , this bird, offers a nest FOR that first bird view / story to unfold in its embrace. Clients who move along this bird view angle, find a new level of grounding through dis identification of the beliefs/ expectations/ stories / trauma that might be making their life intense and full of suffering. In this space it’s often experienced that suffering might come and go- the sense of merging with the story comes and goes ( or so it appears ) from this angle. There is also the third “bird “ view story. A third place that holds the witnessing of BOTH first and second bird ; YET itself is NOT a bird. It has no physical manifestation yet it’s found everywhere .it s the place FROM which all manifestation sprouts . It is inextricably and so intimately linked with the two other positions yet it’s local less and form less. It’s a place devoid of all expectations or beliefs or conditions- it’s the natural state or liberated state. It’s when the non- dual angle is invited and moves through me in my “work” with people . Therapy takes a different angle then; as attention s emergent from this place. and in many ways we could say it is not “conventional therapy” as the deep recognition that there s nothing to be healed is present It’s often described as transcendental for clients / supervisees yet so very intimate visceral and immediate. People report they are able to return to the immensity of this experience once glimpsed touched and seen , in its totality. Once stillness recognises stillness, it cannot be unseen.

Once we abide in this is-ness as this then life becomes /invites more Grace; rather Grace is being revealed in the most mundane and ordinary of activities.