Every day we have to do thousands of small things—like taking food out of the fridge, or turning on a tap, or wiping a spill from the floor. Rarely are we conscious in such moments. Rather we are mechanical. The “real” life begins later—when the food is warm, when the water is running, when the floor is clean again. We constantly miss this very moment, because the focus is a few seconds in the future. Even when we are eating, we can feel this same urge to move forward in time, because “real” life begins after the meal is over.
This group is about bringing the quality of awareness into all the actions we think “don’t count.” It is also about awareness at work—performing the expected duties in a creative way and interacting with colleagues to everyone’s mutual satisfaction. Slowly, with some preparation, we start to do repetitive acts in a new way each time. The compulsion to “get things done faster” gradually disappears so that we can really rest in ourselves while being fully commited to a project.
For five mornings we will participate in the life of Miasto Commune, then bring our experiences back to the grouproom for review. In this way, the teaching takes root in real-life situations; whenever the level of satisfaction goes too low, we can always find a better option, because of our new trust that there is one.