|
POLITICS IS A LIFE AND DEATH MATTER SO
DON'T BE AFRAID TO GET EMOTIONAL.
.
Get together with a friend who, like you, cares about what happens to people, to all form of life, and to Planet Earth.
Agree to focus attention on your feelings as well as on your thoughts, ideas, and memories...and
let the thoughts and emotions unroll.
|
|
EXCERPT FROM LET’S PRACTICE LOVING POLITICS
What You Can Do Now Without Taking the Time to Read This Pamphlet (Read the Pamphlet IF You Have Time.)
1. Get together with one or more friends, acquaintances, or strangers who want to explore their thoughts and feelings about politics, the political process, war, peace, wealth, poverty, economic and military terrorism, social problems and issues, and the upcoming election.
2. Divide the time among you so each person has equal time.
3. Agree not to interrupt one another other than to ask, “What are you thinking?”
4. Agree that it’s fine to be emotional and to cry, laugh, or rage. (Eventually, you will realize that it is a rational thing to do.)
5. During your Time, deliberately look for distressing/painful political thoughts and memories and talk and think about them.
Substitute saying “X” or “R” for what you cannot comfortably say aloud. Believe it: you can practice LOVING POLITICS while maintaining your privacy. “X” is useful for all thoughts and emotions but anger. If you feel angry, use “R.” You can sustain that sound, as a growl.
6. If you feel like crying, cry and repeat silently or aloud the thought that brings tears. If you feel like laughing, laugh, and repeat silently or aloud the thought that brings laughter. If you feel angry, think silently or say the angry thought while deliberately sounding angry (at least in your imagination); then, you might roar with rage or cry. If you do, that’s good. Anger is a painful feeling.
7. Try to prolong your experiencing of emotion by re-thinking (and perhaps saying aloud) the evocative thought or by re-visualizing the evocative image. Most people stop allowing emotion far too soon. Doing so is akin to dropping the barbells before you lift them even one inch from resting position. LOVING POLITICS is an emotional-cognitive exercise; keep lifting! You’ll feel the burn of Reality (your real thoughts, your real feelings, beliefs, attitudes, desires, and intentions). We must feel Reality. Too many of us hide out in our highly promoted and commercialized American fantasy world.
8. After feeling or being emotional, notice the thoughts that arise. Report them. Allow further emotion until none seems available.
IF you wish to explore your personal reality with respect to this presidential campaign, allow emotion as you contemplate these questions: “How much do I want ____ to be our president? (Feel it.) Why? “ (First thoughts.) Repeat sequence. Repeat sequence...until no thoughts, feelings, and emotion arise.
|
|
You Can Practice LOVING POLITICS right now and
YouTube it.
|
|
LOVING POLITICS practice is something that we do in small groups but you can experience what it's like even when you're alone.
♥ Prepare your webcam for operation.
♥ Get in a comfortable, seated position.
♥ Use an automatic timer or clock so you can set aside 10 minutes for this experience.
For this you are going to think the word "politics" and then report the thoughts, memories, and feelings that come up. If you suddenly feel emotional, practice allowing that emotion to surface. You will use three simple and basic skills. They are nothing unique to LOVING POLITICS. Remember, it is your mind that is unique, not the practice, itself.
1. Focus your attention on your body for a minute by wiggling and stretching. Notice how your body feels as you do this. You're going to try to be aware of any sensations that come up while you are talking and thinking. If you have any physical sensations, try to recall what you were thinking when you had them and report those thoughts.
2. Be ready to voice the first thoughts that come to your mind each time you think the word, "politics," and all other times, also. How do you do this? Say aloud or think,"Politics" and allow your mind to wander to what you've read, heard, seen, thought about lately.....
3. When you think or say "Politics" Use your voice. Deliberately say the word "politics" in different tones of voice, intensity, volume. If you have an impulse suddenly to speak loudly or softly, quickly or slowly, in a monotone or with (genuine) emotion, act on that impulse. (You will be counteracting tendencies to "hold it all in."
|
Eventually, you will find a link to a YouTube demonstration right here....
|
|