Venture Fourth Weekly Work
Week Ten Oct 11

Characteristics in order of work with them thus far and the next few weeks:

Humility – July 26

Honor/ respect/ - Aug. 2

Mudita - Aug. 9

Responsibility –Aug 15

Intensive

Patience – Aug. 30

Compassion - Sept. 6 & 13

Gratitude – Sept 20

Faith- Sept 27

Integrity - Oct 4, & integration of all thus far.

Order – Oct. 11

Equanimity – Oct 18

Simplicity- Oct 25

Enthusiasm ( and Right Effort/ energy & effort) -Nov. 1

Moderation -Nov. 8 (out of order in book)

Nov 15 - Integration of all thus far.

Last week we reviewed all the chakras. I want you to begin to work more deeply now with one chakra / week. Get to know that chakra and how it feels when it is open and energy moving freely, how it feels when it seems blocked. What issues connect to that chakra? Begin this week with the base chakra, red color, C tone. Use Carla's words and my info as a basis, but investigate it for yourself.

For example, this night, body pain awakened me at 2AM (I have osteo-arthritis in my shoulders which often makes sleep difficult) and then mind began worrying over the many things I need to do before I leave town again on Friday: about my boat, which the work party left it on the ground at the lake last week while I was out of town, and is in real danger of being destroyed if I don't get out there to get it up on the boat rack where it belongs (a job I cannot do myself as it is too heavy); about the several unpacked suitcases and the moving van bringing me furniture and belongings from my mother's condo this week and where it will all go; about the list of needed to-dos for my mother; about my hot tub which is overheating; about the transcripts piling up unreviewed, the newsletter articles due, and my desire to write this VF #10. ...Mindfulness may watch worry but that doesn't necessarily stop it. I came in to my meditation room and sat, toning with each chakra, until it was clear that the solar plexus was closed. I could feel the tension there and see the yellow of it as muddied. It did not respond to the E note I sang to it. The heart center was also somewhat closed.

Carla says of this solar plexus chakra:

"The yellow-ray chakra is the seat of personal power.

Round and star-like in its shape, with many facets of shining gold when the energy center is well developed, it lies at the solar plexus. Why do we get ulcers if our work environment is too stressful or if our marriage is falling apart? This is due to the toxic effects on the physical body of energy which is badly and chronically blocked in the yellow-ray chakra.

It is the yellow ray which we use to deal with interactions between ourselves and groups. Marriage and family are at home in yellow ray, as is the work environment and all groups with which we deal, whether they are governmental, spiritual or of any other nature.

It is very easy to become blocked in this energy center! And when we experience blockage, it acts more like what psychologists call the ego than any other energy center, resulting in our attempts to manipulate others and dominate groups of which we are a part. The desire to possess or the desire to be possessed; the fear of being possessed or the fear of possession are all sure to close down the energy flowing through the pipe at the solar plexus level.

This blocked energy of yellow ray is at the heart of war. When we as a nation-state choose to impose our will on another nation-state, we are expressing the blockage of this enormously potent energy of the expression of our personal power.

So what did I do? First I meditated for a while, inviting a place of more serenity and ease. That which is aware of tension is not tense. Rest there and watch tension. After ½ hour, I lay down with crystals on the chakras and began to chant with each one, not just the solar plexus but each in turn. I touched on solar plexus and heart in turn, but did not try to force them in any way, just sang to them.

When the other chakras felt open, I came back briefly to the solar plexus but it was still closed. I decided to work first with the heart, which was more open than the solar plexus, and sing the F tone to it. As I chanted, and used my hands to invite energy into the heart, I felt it opening more with a wave of sadness, not so much personal sadness but the heaviness of the human condition, sadness watching my mother and her situation, seeing how we really can't control anything and how hard we try to do so. There was a profound sense of surrender finally, and ease, as the heart opened.

Now I could bring attention to the solar plexus. I invited the heart energy down and the base and sacral chakra energy up. I shifted to toning in sequence, C, D, E, F using the syllables, Om, Ahh, Hung, Om... and again...

Deep insight came about old habits of control, and how I held that energy in the belly. Carla speaks about war above. I saw the war I was creating and how it was just old habit and that I did not need to do that any more. I spent some time then with the seven-Branch Prayer. Releasing. Gradually the whole thing opened and I was left feeling a great sense of peace and spaciousness, releasing the "I have to do this..." stories. Yes, it all has to get done; it will. No self to it, just smiling at each as it comes, and taking care of it. Then I ended with a short vipassana sitting, just enjoying the peace and spaciousness and joy. So in this way I was able to attend to and release some old karma, and as I do the work with spaciousness and ease that balances the old karma.

I want to make it clear to all of you that, yes, I do have much ease and joy in my life, much freedom; But old habits still arise. Just like you, I need to work consciously with them. But it is all workable! These tools are such a blessing. Freedom is possible.

Through the coming weeks I want you to work with each chakra in this way, in turn, beginning this week with the base. Sometimes there will be issues, sometimes not. If it feels open, just enjoy that openness. See what supports such openness. If it feels closed at times, see what invites it to reopen. As you work with it, what kinds of insights come. Take those back to the vipassana practice.

The quality of the week is Order. How do order and balance relate? How does order/ disorder relate to the base chakra?

So in summary for this week:

1. Order as the quality of the week and read about it in Everyday Holiness

2. Begin work with the base chakra. Read Carla's information about this chakra. As you work with it, work also with your crystal and its energy, and ask your various guides for help. Remember you are not fixing anything; you are inviting opening and the wholeness that is already there. Feel how powerful this red ray can be.

3. If you have not yet read Putting on the Mind of Christ parts 1 and 2, through page 114, please begin to read it now. This will be important for the intensive.

4 I have meetings with all of you though Monday to Wednesday this week (or last Friday) and look forward to speaking to each of you.

5. Keep your journals and send them to me. A few of you have stopped doing this. I want to reassure you that while I am not emailing back, I do read everything. It will be helpful for our meetings, but the writing process is more importantly for you. Many of you have commented about the power of writing daily.