Core Quality: Witnessing

Is witnessing just watching? According to Dictionary.com this is how they define witnessing:

verb (used with object)

1.
to see, hear, or know by personal presence and perception: to witness an accident.

2.
to be present at (an occurrence) as a formal witness, spectator, bystander, etc.: She witnessed our wedding.

3.
to bear witness to; testify to; give or afford evidence of.

4.
to attest by one's signature: He witnessed her will.

verb (used without object)

5.
to bear witness; testify; give or afford evidence.

As a Core Quality it is more than just this definition. It is watching what is happening all around you all the time. Watching without becoming involved either physically or emotionally. Once we become involved in any way we become a part of what is going on around us. There are times when our interference is not needed nor appreciated. Being able to just see what is happening is enough.

There are part of our subconscious that now exactly hot to witness without any judgments or emotional ties to what we are witnessing. It is from these parts of ourselves that we can learn how to be a witness without changing the scene that we are witnessing.

Core Quality: Compassion

In this post I will go over the core quality compassion. What does compassion mean? Who are we to have compassion for?

From Dictionay.com:

a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

This is a place to start. For it to be a core quality compassion should be shown not only to those who are suffering yet also to ourselves. Not just in times of sadness, also any time that we interact with anyone for any reason. We can feel compassion towards everyone without having to interact as well. We especially need to remember to have compassion for ourselves.

It is compassion towards ourselves that we have the hardest time doing. Yet this is exactly what we need to do. When we are able to show compassion to ourselves we are better able to show compassion to others. There are parts of us that know exactly how to be compassionate. It is with Integral Deep Listening that we can connect with that part of ourselves and hear what we need to know on being compassionate.

Core Quality:Confidence

The first of the core qualities I am going to discuss is confidence. Just what is confidence? Dictionary.com defines it as:

1. full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing: We have every confidence in their ability to succeed.
2. belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities; self-confidence;self-reliance; assurance: His lack of confidence defeated him.

While this is a good place to start it doesn't quit measure up to being a core quality. I would add being fearless as part of that definition. Truly knowing yourself and your abilities, and being able and willing to push beyond the boundaries.

There are parts of our subconscious that are full of confidence. That part of us knows that we can handle any life issue that comes our way. That part is more than willing to share their strength in confidence if we would allow it. As we grow more confident in ourselves, we see the world and our life issues in different light.

When I was first diagnosed with cancer I was afraid, in disbelief, and in denial. Tapping into the parts of me that are confident I was able to overcome the fear and make the decisions necessary for my treatment. The more I allowed myself to feel confident in my decisions the better I felt about what was going on with my treatment.  

What is Dream Yoga/IDL?

The previous three posts are examples of Dream Yoga/IDL interviews. There is a lot we can learn from our subconscious mind when we learn how it communicates with us. When we learn to listen to the small, quiet voice of our subconscious we then act in our own best interest and the best interest of those around us.

Our conscious and subconscious mind is like an ice burg. The part that is above the water is like the conscious mind, it's only ten percent of the whole. It's the ten percent that we think of as being in charge; it's the part that makes active decisions on what to do. The other ninety percent that is our subconscious, it's the part that regulates our bodies functions, walking, eating, everything that we do without thinking about it. Our subconscious also is where different aspects of ourselves are. These different aspects of ourselves see the life issues and other problems that we face every day differently than our conscious mind does.

Through the interview process we talk to a different aspect of ourselves that has insight on the life issue, problem, or physical symptom that we are experiencing. When we listen to what we have to say we gain strength, and are able to resolve issues that we thought we impossible. Our minds and bodies are wonderful at keeping us healthy both physically and mentally as long as we listen to them. Dream Yoga/IDL is a very interactive way to explore and listen to our own inner knowledge.

Palm Tree of Despair

I found the interview with the cancer I had very interesting, and freeing. Even though the concerns I had were in a way concerns of the cancer, they were seen from a different perspective. Giving me the freedom to be me.

1) What are three fundamental life issues that you are dealing with now in your life?

1)  Growing a business

2)  Being able to meet my own expectations I have set for myself

3)  Paying for my portion of the bills

2) The cancer or disease I have or had is…. 

A) Cervical Cancer

3) What feelings come up when you think about the cancer or disease?

A) Disappointment

4) If that feeling or feelings had a color, what color would it be?

A) Grey

5)  Imagine that color filling the space in front of you so that it has depth, height, width, and aliveness.  

Now watch that color swirl, congeal, and condense into a shape. Don’t make it take a shape, just watch it and say the first thing that you see or that comes to your mind: An animal? Object? Plant? What? 

A) Palm tree

Now remember how as a child you liked to pretend you were a teacher or a doctor?  It’s easy and fun for you to imagine that you are the _____ and answer some questions I ask, saying the first thing that comes to your mind.  If you wait too long to answer, that’s not the character answering - that’s YOU trying to figure out the right thing to say!

6) (Character,) would you please tell me what you look like and what you are doing?

A) I am tall and slender with a few palm fronds on the top, I’m swaying in the breeze

7) (Character,) What do you like most about yourself? What are your strengths?

A) I am tall and I move to the breeze

8) (Character,) What do you dislike most about yourself? Do you have weaknesses?  What are they?

A) That I am tall and very thin and I could be easily blown over if the wind was strong enough

9) (Character), you are in this person’s life experience, correct?  They created you, right?_____  (Character), what aspect of this person do you represent or most closely personify?

A)  Yes, yes, despair

10) (Character,) if you could be anywhere you wanted to be and take any form you desired, would you change?  If so, how?

A) no

(Continue, answering as the transformed object, if it chose to change.)

11) (Character), how would you score yourself 0-10, in confidence, compassion, wisdom, acceptance, peace of mind, and witnessing?  Why?

Confidence: 4, because I can be blown over

Compassion: 5, I know what it’s like to be swayed easily, yet it’s too easy to forget about taking care of my own needs

Wisdom: 10, I know what I know and I practice what I’ve learned through life

Acceptance: 7, there are parts of my self that I’m not proud of

Inner Peace: 3, There are times when I am very sad about where I’m at in life and what it is that I am doing

Witnessing: 2, I get involved with life to easily, I can’t seem to keep my nose out of other peoples business, and I’m not really helping at all

12) (Character,) if you scored tens in all six of these qualities, would you be different?  If so, how?

A) Yes, I would be stronger, and would be able to use my height as way of watching the world go by.

13) (Character How would ______’s life be different if  he/she naturally scored like you do in all six of these qualities all the time?

A) she wouldn’t be so worried about what goes on around her and what others think about what she says or does, those that approve will stick around, those that don’t like it will drop away, and she will be better for letting them drop away

14) (Character If you could live ______’s life for him/her, how would you live it differently?

A) I would be bolder and stronger, and fearless

15) (Character,) If you could live  ______’s waking life for him/her today, would you handle  ______'s three life issues differently?  If so, how?

A) They wouldn’t be issues because she wouldn’t be worrying about these things, she would know that life will support her

16) (Character,) What three life issues would you focus on if you were in charge of  ______'s life?

1) Writing for fun as well as for business, I wouldn’t worry about it but I would be mindful of them

2) Networking more because that is how she will meet the people that can help her the most

3)  Finding more places to run workshops and seminars

17) (Character,) In what life situations would it be most beneficial for ____ to imagine that  ______ is you and act as you would? 

A) When she gets fearful about what others think, and that writing is like giving birth, it can be painful yet it is beautiful  

18) (Character,) do you do drama?  If not, why not?

A) No, it’s not worth the trouble because it always blows up in your face

19) (Character,) What is your secret for staying out of drama?

A)  By taking a step back and looking at the person or situation from more than one side or angle, when you have a better perspective of a problem the answer becomes clearer even if that answer is to just stand back and do nothing

20) (Character,) Why do you think that you are in ______’s life? 

A) To remind her to stand tall for her ideas and convictions

21) (Character,) How is  ______ most likely to ignore what you are saying to them?

A) By thinking of herself as being small and unimportant, everyone is important and what they say and do is important

22) (Character,) What would you recommend that they do about that?

A) Take a deep breath, say I am Important and I do matter

23) (Dreamer,) What have you heard yourself say?

A) That I am important, that I do matter, and that what I say or do will get rid of the chaff and keep the wheat. I will keep the people that understand me and want my help

24) (Dreamer,) If this experience were a wake-up call from your soul, what do you think it would be saying to you?

A)  Quit sniveling, be strong and tall, and stand your ground

A White Dove to take worries and illness away

Using Integral Deep Listening techniques a disease or physical symptom can be interviewed to find out what that symptom has to say for itself. In this interview a basal cell carcinoma (skin cancer) went from a pink jelly bean to a white dove. The dove had a few things to say about healing the skin cancer.

Interviewing a Physical Symptom

What are three fundamental life issues that you are dealing with now in your life?

A) Health, making time for what I need to do, advertising my business

Choose any physical symptom.  How does it make you feel?

A) Cancer on chin, frustrated

If that feeling had a color, what color would it be?

A) Pink

 Imagine that color filling the space in front of you so that it has depth, height, width, and aliveness.  

Now watch that color swirl, congeal, and condense into a shape. Don’t make it take a shape, just watch it and say the first thing that you see or that comes to your mind: An animal? Object? Plant? What? 

A) Jelly bean

Now remember how as a child you liked to pretend you were a teacher or a doctor?  It’s easy and fun for you to imagine that you are the _____ and answer some questions I ask, saying the first thing that comes to your mind.  If you wait too long to answer, that’s not the character answering - that’s YOU trying to figure out the right thing to say!

Would you please tell me what you look like and what you are doing?

A) I’m a pink jelly bean, I’m small and just hanging out

What do you like most about yourself in this experience? What are your strengths?

A) That I’m small, that I’m always around

What do you dislike most about yourself? Do you have weaknesses?  What are they?

A) That I cause harm, that I don’t go away easily

 (Character), you are in this person’s dream or life experience, correct?  They created you, right?

A) Yes, yes

(Character), what aspect of this person do you represent or most closely personify?

A) Her grief

(Character,) if you could be anywhere you wanted to be and take any form you desired, would you change?  If so, how?

A) Yes, I would become a white dove

(Character), how would you score yourself 0-10, in

Confidence, A) 8, sometimes I can’t fly in the wind

Compassion, A) 7, sometimes I care more about myself than others

Wisdom, A) 3, I am still young, I’ve learned a lot and haven’t had the experiences in life to make them my own

 Acceptance, A) 7, I don’t always accept my short comings or that of the others (what do you mean by others?) people and illnesses

Peace of mind, A) 3, I think too much about what is going on around me

And witnessing?  (And why?)A) 4, I get caught up in what is going on around me

(Character,) if you scored tens in all six of these qualities, would you be different?  If so, how?

A) Yes, I would be able to fly away and take any illness with me, I wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore

How would this person’s life be different if he/she naturally scored high in all six of these qualities all the time?

A) She wouldn’t worry about anything, she wouldn’t have any serious illnesses, she would be happier, and she would do all that she truly wanted to do

If you could live this person’s waking life for him/her, how would you live it differently?

A) I would live without fear

If you could live this person’s waking life for him/her today, would you handle his/her three life issues differently?  If so, how?

A)yes, these life issues aren’t the ones she needs to think about, she will get what she needs including time to do what she wants to do

What three life issues would you focus on if you were in charge of his/her life?

A) letting her fears fly free, and letting them go where they will because they won’t return

In what life situations would it be most beneficial for this person to imagine that they are you and act as you would? 

A) Whenever she feels tied down with worry

Why do you think that you are in this person’s life experience (or dream)? 

A) Because she is worrying that her cancer isn’t healing even though she is doing what will heal the cancer sore

How is this person most likely to ignore what you are saying to them?

A) By forgetting that she has wings

(What can she do to remember to be like you?) To hang a bird in her room, carry a feather around with her

(Dreamer,) what have you heard yourself say?

A) That I need to stop worrying about healing, that I’m doing the right things to get better

(Dreamer,) if this experience were a wake-up call from your soul, what do you think it would be saying to you?

A) To keep doing what I’ve been doing

Integral Deep Listening Interview

What follows is an interview in Integral Deep Listening. It shows how our subconscious mind is sending messages to us, this is a great way to find out what it is trying to tell us. Not only can dreams be interviewed, also physical symptoms, and life issues themselves.

Interviewing a Dream

What are three fundamental life issues that you are dealing with now in your life?

1) Rejection

2) Graduation

3) Business

Tell me a dream you remember.  It can be an old one, a repetitive dream, a nightmare, or one that you sure you understand. 

A) My husband and I are shopping in Mexico. In a shop I find a wooden butterfly, it has iridescent, shiny colors. Unfortunately we can’t afford to buy it. A few years later we are at a gas station that is run by the son of the woman who had made the butterfly. The son has a beautiful blue, sparkly blanket that his mother had made. We go outside next to the gas station to take a picture of the blanket, the son, and me. His mother made the blanket for him to give to me if I ever found him; the son didn’t want to give it to me though. His father told him that is what his mother wanted. He gave the blanket to me.

Why do you think that you had this dream?

A) Not to wait to have the beautiful things in life.

If it were playing at a theater, what name would be on the marquee? 

A) Butterfly Dreams

These are the characters in the dream…

A) My husband, me, the wooden butterfly, the son, his father, the mother, the blanket, the gas station, camera

If one character had something especially important to tell you, which would it be?

A) The wooden butterfly

Now remember how as a child you liked to pretend you were a teacher or a doctor?  It’s easy and fun for you to imagine that you are the _____ and answer some questions I ask, saying the first thing that comes to your mind.  If you wait too long to answer, that’s not the character answering - that’s YOU trying to figure out the right thing to say!

 (Now proceed to interview the character using the steps of the Interviewing process, starting with the question, 

“Would you please tell me what you look like and what you are doing?

A) I am made of wooden slats that are beautifully painted with iridescent and shiny paints in a large variety of colors. Because I’m made of slats I can move quite easily.

What do you like most about yourself in this experience? What are your strengths?

A) That I can move easily and that I am very colorful. That I can move when I need to.

What do you dislike most about yourself? Do you have weaknesses?  What are they?

A) That she didn’t pick me up when she had the chance. No weaknesses.

(Character), what aspect of this person do you represent or most closely personify?

A) Her inner beauty and outer strength.

(Character), you are in this person’s dream or life experience, correct?  They created you, right?

A) Yes, yes

 (Character,) if you could be anywhere you wanted to be and take any form you desired, would you change?  If so, how?

A) no

(Continue, answering as the transformed object, if it chose to change.)

(Character), how would you score yourself 0-10, in

 Confidence, A) 10

Compassion, A) 10

Wisdom, A) 10

Acceptance, A) 10

 Peace of mind, A) 10

and witnessing? A) 10 

(And why?)

(Character,) if you scored tens in all six of these qualities, would you be different?  If so, how?

A) I have already scored 10 in all of them because I have been a part of hr from the beginning.

How would this person’s life be different if he/she naturally scored high in all six of these qualities all the time?

A) She would have more confidence in every part of her life. She would see her own beauty shining out for all to see.

If you could live this person’s waking life for him/her, how would you live it differently?

A) I wouldn’t be afraid to do anything/ I would be out there where everyone could see me.

If you could live this person’s waking life for him/her today, would you handle his/her three life issues differently?  If so, how?

A) Those would not be issues for me. Everyone who meets me would be able to see that I only want to be of service to them when they are ready for my help.

What three life issues would you focus on if you were in charge of his/her life?

A) Putting into practice what she has learned, becoming wiser because of it.

In what life situations would it be most beneficial for this person to imagine that they are you and act as you would? 

A) Whenever she is talking to people, whether in person, on the phone, or on the internet.

Why do you think that you are in this person’s life experience (or dream)? 

A) She has forgotten how beautiful she truly is.

How is this person most likely to ignore what you are saying to them?

A) Because she doesn’t see her own inner beauty

(Dreamer,) what have you heard yourself say?

A) That I am beautiful, that those who meet me will know that I want to be of service and will ask when they are ready, and to quit sweating the small stuff.

(Dreamer,) if this experience were a wake-up call from your soul, what do you think it would be saying to you?

A) To quite worrying about what life will bring me