Can we connect to each other from a place which is deeper than our identity – our heritage, our genetics, our religion, our language, and our nationality ?
Does such a place exist in us ?
A place so essential and deeply human, a place so close to our core that it can resonate and unite us inspite of the differences, inspite of the fear, inspite of our individual and collective wounds ?
And if such a place exists – how can it be reached ?
These have been some of the questions which have driven me during the past 30 years. Because if we can reach and touch ourselves and each other from this place – then there is a real chance to heal and to make peace.
I am an Israeli. I am Jewish, and I live in Israel.
I am 62 and during the last 40 years I have been on a spiritual personal development path. 22 years ago I began teaching, and for the past 12 years I have been working with teachers, educators and care – givers in all the different sectors of the diverse Israeli society.
I have worked with hundreds of teams – managers, public servants, teachers, social workers, commanders and officers in the military.
My endeavor has been to be able to reach and make a difference to people – Arabs, Jews, Christians, Druze…
So what is my answer to the question I posed ?
My conclusion is : Yes !
Definitely we can connect on a deep human level.
We can, when we come from this place in ourselves.
How ?
The level we can connect to stems from the core understanding of our joint purpose and possibility. It stems from a humility knowing that we are all on a journey towards the unknown, all temporary beings, and that therefore we must look in ourselves and in others, for that which is less temporary in us.
This of course leads to the realm of energy and spirit.
Now – what does that mean ?
Well, each of us is a ball of energy, not only flesh and blood…and the more I train myself to feel and be fully present in the moment, the more I can reach and touch others in the depths of themselves…By being aware and attuned to the Moment, and aligned in myself to my Higher purpose, I can connect and evoke in others that very same place in themselves. By allowing myself to be vulnerable and authentic in my humanity, I allow and invite others to join me there, in a place which is beyond the differences and the scars and fears…
A place which can host and contain pain, and opposition… It is, however, in my consent and agreement to meet my fears and my pain in an honest and open way, and to be willing to share these places – it is here that intimacy and healing can take place.
Therefore, as a facilitator my goal is to create and be able to hold
a safe place.
Now – what does it mean – to be present in the moment ?
Well, I will try to answer this in a simple way –
It means to be aware and present in my body, aware of my breathing, my stomach, my legs...It means to be aware and in touch with my Emotional world and to be a witness of my Mental activity and landscape – right now, as I write these words…And then gradually a heightened awareness also of the more subtle energy fields around me and others can develop. It means to be fully participating in the here and now, and at the same time, to be witnessing this participation…
And it also means, then, to be the one who is not limited and bound by this temporary body and incarnation. To be more and more aligned, in touch with and identified with the spirit. To create, and then to expand this Presence in oneself, more and more.
And it also means to be willing to share my feelings in the moment,
in a vulnerable and truthful way.
And to make this a little more concrete – as a facilitator :
By being aware and responding to body language, and by working with movement, voice and simple communication exercises, and then by exercising visualization and mindfulness…there are many many ways in which we can enlarge and intensify our "BEING IN THE MOMENT".
But of course the most important "tool" is our own level of Presence, coherence and commitment. By remaining focused on the energetic level of what is going on in a group or in an individual, rather than on the words spoken, we as facilitators can create an ecology that allows people to feel safe and seen and accepted. And to be able to do this, of course, demands of us to go through our own journey of development…
So, it might seem a bit complicated or confusing, but this is an entry point.
The Beauty of it all is in the doing, in the process itself.
I see a real possibility to Heal our individual and our collective wounds.
A lot of my work during the last 9 years has been with Arab Israeli teachers and therapists. And also with religious Jewish teachers. It is this work which, inspite of the difficulties and the differences, shows me again and again how important and meaningful and potent this kind of work actually is.
We can meet each other in a place which is deeper and more powerful than our differences and our fears. We can meet each other and heal the past, still present in ourselves and in our society.