So, simply posting these ideas will guide me in clarifying what way to go.
These ideas are connected with the VITAL FORCE workshop I will be presenting in a few days and ultimately they go way further than that as you can practice these techniques with friends, partner, people you meet.
You can practice many of these techniques alone, with another person or within a group.
There is a huge untapped potential in the way we relate to each other.
Usually we use words.
I want to start moving into using another way of relating which is energy exchange oriented.
Right now, I use BREATHING + MOVEMENT + SOUND
You can add eye gazing, meditating together, massaging the body, challenging each other like through martial art techniques.
Conversation is still there of course, but we already use conversation a lot and there is way more to explore.
When I use energy techniques, forms are not fixed. They evolve, change according to the feeling of the moment.
It's not a fixed workout.
It is more like an exploration.
This adds freedom to these energy exchanges.
What I notice as well is that if you practice energy techniques with somebody, it might be really useful if one person leads.
That way, there are no power or leading struggles in the practice.
An approach that like is the speed energy exchange approach.
You have two lines of people, you practice a technique with the person in front of you for 2 min.
You shift to the right and practice another technique with the next person in line for 2 min and go on like that.
That way you can experiment many energy practices with dozens of different energy partners in a short energy training session.
I want to move fast between practices.
The goal is energy building.
Theories or chatter doesn't help.
What helps is experience!
So, I think that the ideal set is 5 min intro or even no intro at all, whatever time you have for the practice and then a debriefing 5 min just for feed back and explore what works best and for who.
What are the possible concepts to mention in the intro?
- This is an energy building session
- The goal is to raise your energy level and clear you energy channels so that more life force flows through your being.
- Simply follow what I do
- Forms are not fixed so feel free to let them evolve in whatever way you feel.
- As with any form of training, you will stretch a bit your comfort zone, for instance if you feel a bit of resistance, break through it and keep going.
So let's check that again:
- Energy building
- Activate your energy channels
- Experience
- Cycles
- Flow
- Free
- Challenge
- Play the game
If I had to summarize this to even a simple concept I would say:
ACTIVATE - FREE - PLAY
What I mean by experience is that when you attend a workshop or class on any topic, very a big fraction of the class is dedicated to explanations and talk.
It's very common to have a 2 hours lecture an then a 2 hours practice period for instance.
Or if you go to a yoga class, the teacher might be giving lots of instructions about the poses.
I have the strong feeling that this VITAL FORCE idea is way more about flow and experience and absolutely minimal verbal chat.
I even have the feeling that a session could be totally word free.
For instance if you want people to get in two lines facing each other, you can do that with words or arrange them guiding them with your hands.
So, lots of body exchange, little words.
Another core idea is the feeling of flow.
A CYCLE which is a repetitive movement can evolve in its own way.
It doesn't have to be fixed.
The way you position your hands, legs, arms or any part of the body can evolve while you practice the cycle!
The way you breathe can evolve. You can change rhythm or change speed.
The breathing can evolve into sound.
The movements can evolve into stillness.
These are FREE forms!
Nothing is fixed or permanent.
I do notice though that some key forms or cycles seem to evolve and that it could be that in the future a few key central forms or cycles represent the core of the practice.
It could as well evolve towards a way open structure which is closer to dance improvisation.
A name that comes up for these cycles or energy poses is SHAKTASANAS or SHAKTISANAS.
These would be ASANAS but with a cyclic repetition to them.
They could be called as well simply CYCLES or ENERGY POSES.