Being with Being

In this exploration, we'll be using what's called the external harmonies in Tai Chi—the way that there's this natural correspondence between shoulders and hips, elbows and knees, wrists and ankles, hands and feet, and even all the way to our fingers and our toes. We'll especially allow ourselves more to feel our lower body and the presence of our lower bodies, first of all, because we have a lower body full of presence—it is presence.

And also as we feel more the presence of our lower body, it can provide this feeling of the ballast of presence. For example, when we get more caught up in our head and our emotions get more reactive, usually there's more of this tendency to have a kind of rising energy and to feel like our identity, our presence, is more concentrated around our head. By feeling our lower body, even all the way to our very toes, that can be a way that we feel, sometimes it's called more like Chi down—and can even feel a more distributed sense of our identity that helps us be the ballast in the stormy seas of our own inner experience and living this crazy thing called life.

I'll guide you through discovering the fingers of the feet—that's exactly what they are, we call them toes, but they're really the fingers of the feet. In the Taoist tradition and philosophy, there's that sense of humble, right? And even that sense of how water always goes to the lowest of the low places. And the toes and the soles of our feet are the lowest to the low place in our body. Through this practice, you might find how feeling those toes can give us more access to a sense of presence in the entire lower body—and can offer another way of working with a busy mind, heightened emotions, even having trouble falling asleep. If you ever have a hard time falling asleep, you can practice counting toes instead of counting sheep.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Learning the external harmonies—correspondence between upper and lower body
• Discovering the fingers of the feet and how to feel them
• Understanding the Taoist philosophy of humility and water seeking low places
• Finding the ballast of presence in the lower body for emotional regulation
• Experiencing how there's more to our experience than just what we tend to focus on

The Body as Nature's Flow Series:

In these hour-long sessions, we explore the three qualities of presence—mutual flow, free flow, and whole flow—through direct, felt experience in the body. Each session begins with 30 minutes touching in on these foundational qualities, then goes on an adventure exploring different ways to feel into presence through our immediate, physical experience. Drawing from physicist and Tai Chi Master Wonchull Park's teachings on nowflow, these in-depth practices help us recognize how we too are part of nature's flow.

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com

In this hour-long exploration, we'll discover how to deeply relax physically by feeling into the first quality of nature's flow: contactful, mutual connection. I'll guide you through accessing these qualities of presence really tangibly and evidently in your experience, then we'll go on the adventure of how we can especially use this contactful, mutual connection as a way to deeply feel into that neutrality of nature, that inner connection and lack of separation.

We'll be laying down into support. Tangibly. Contactfully. Becoming a connoisseur of that felt experience, its nuances. You might find how this mutual flow is not a "this first and then that"—in each place of contact, it's one event of interaction happening both directions simultaneously. Inseparably. You and the ground participating in one inseparable event of mutual flow. Not two, one.

Through this practice, you might discover how finding these qualities of nature that we can feel in our inner nature resources us, where they can feel deeply restful, yes, and connecting in a way that supports us at so many levels. If you have difficulty at all with sleeping, this can be a wonderful one to apply for sleeping—when we send the signal to our arms and legs, shoulders and hips that they don't have to do anything, it can help our overall experience find either deep rest or sleep.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Learning to lay down into support tangibly and contactfully
• Discovering how support from the ground is literally a force coming up into your body
• Experiencing how mutual flow is one inseparable event, not two separate things
• Finding pockets of tension and inviting them to participate in this laying down
• Understanding how this practice can support deep rest and sleep

The Body as Nature's Flow Series:

In these hour-long sessions, we explore the three qualities of presence—mutual flow, free flow, and whole flow—through direct, felt experience in the body. Each session begins with 30 minutes touching in on these foundational qualities, then goes on an adventure exploring different ways to feel into presence through our immediate, physical experience. Drawing from physicist and Tai Chi Master Wonchull Park's teachings on nowflow, these in-depth practices help us recognize how we too are part of nature's flow.

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com

In this exploration, we'll discover how to work with subtle emotional pains that may feel tied to past events and "smeared out" in time. Getting trauma-informed support for these emotions is incredibly important. Ultimately, though, each one of us is “the one” who interfaces with our own inner experiences. I personally find it helpful to do this with as much spaciousness as possible—spaciousness that can be held in the utter integrity of this whole moment. The “when” where healing happens.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Recognizing how emotions can “come out of nowhere”
• Opening up more space that can hold emotional experiences
• Feeling the integrity of this whole moment
• Discovering what can and can’t affect us now

Dissolving Pain in Nature’s Flow Series:
What can transform our relationship with pain and suffering? Perhaps most simply: recognizing our nature as part of Nature's flow. Resisting pain and hurt can make it persist, but what if we could experience these unpleasant messages in our body as sharing the same qualities as all of Nature's flow—as finely free and fully in the flow of this moment. In the first half of each session, we connect to these foundational qualities through guided practice. Then we'll go on an adventure into the underlying experience of pain of all kinds—from physical booboos to heartaches to blahs and fatigue. Over 15 years ago, Dr. Les Fehmi's book "Dissolving Pain in Open Focus" saved me and opened up a world of possibilities I'd never imagined. Over the last 10 years, it has been the teachings of Master Wonchull Park on the 3 qualities of nowflow that helped this make sense to me—giving me a simple way to embrace as ever-present what can sometimes seem magical. It's with a full heart that I share what has been so meaningful to me in this hour of self-discovery, knowing that these resources we might find in books can become real when we discover them for ourselves. I look forward to our discoveries together.

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com

In this exploration, we'll discover how emotional hurt and physical pain share similar patterns of bracing and disconnection. I'll guide you through gentle qigong movements to soften the heart area and explore how tenderness itself can be experienced as the refinement and sensitivity of nature’s flow itself, rather than shutting down. Through this practice, you might find how tenderness is our resilience. It allows emotional hurt to flow as part of the free flow that’s always given—as nature's grace.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Understanding the parallels between physical and emotional bracing
• Learning qigong movements to soften and open the heart area
• Discovering how tenderness is part of the fullness of nature’s flow
• Finding resilience within sensitivity rather than through hardening

Dissolving Pain in Nature’s Flow Series:
What can transform our relationship with pain and suffering? Perhaps most simply: recognizing our nature as part of Nature's flow. Resisting pain and hurt can make it persist, but what if we could experience these unpleasant messages in our body as sharing the same qualities as all of Nature's flow—as finely free and fully in the flow of this moment. In the first half of each session, we connect to these foundational qualities through guided practice. Then we'll go on an adventure into the underlying experience of pain of all kinds—from physical booboos to heartaches to blahs and fatigue. Over 15 years ago, Dr. Les Fehmi's book "Dissolving Pain in Open Focus" saved me and opened up a world of possibilities I'd never imagined. Over the last 10 years, it has been the teachings of Master Wonchull Park on the 3 qualities of nowflow that helped this make sense to me—giving me a simple way to embrace as ever-present what can sometimes seem magical. It's with a full heart that I share what has been so meaningful to me in this hour of self-discovery, knowing that these resources we might find in books can become real when we discover them for ourselves. I look forward to our discoveries together.

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com

In this integration exploration, you’ll practice how to guide yourself through dissolving pain using all the approaches we've learned. I'll review the toolkit of perspectives and techniques—feeling space, shifting to immersive awareness, and working with the wholeness of the moment—that you can mix and match based on what you need to be with yourself in many circumstances of pain. Through this practice, you might find your own creative ways to meet yourself where you are and work with whatever arises.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Learning to self-guide through dissolving pain practices
• Understanding the grace of Nature’s flow that comes before any particular technique
• Reviewing the repertoire of approaches to difficult sensations
• Finding the flexibility to modify practice based on your current state

Dissolving Pain in Nature’s Flow Series:
What can transform our relationship with pain and suffering? Perhaps most simply: recognizing our nature as part of Nature's flow. Resisting pain and hurt can make it persist, but what if we could experience these unpleasant messages in our body as sharing the same qualities as all of Nature's flow—as finely free and fully in the flow of this moment. In the first half of each session, we connect to these foundational qualities through guided practice. Then we'll go on an adventure into the underlying experience of pain of all kinds—from physical booboos to heartaches to blahs and fatigue. Over 15 years ago, Dr. Les Fehmi's book "Dissolving Pain in Open Focus" saved me and opened up a world of possibilities I'd never imagined. Over the last 10 years, it has been the teachings of Master Wonchull Park on the 3 qualities of nowflow that helped this make sense to me—giving me a simple way to embrace as ever-present what can sometimes seem magical. It's with a full heart that I share what has been so meaningful to me in this hour of self-discovery, knowing that these resources we might find in books can become real when we discover them for ourselves. I look forward to our discoveries together.

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com

In this exploration, we'll discover how to work with the "blahs"—those all-over, nebulous feelings of fatigue, malaise, or systemic unwellness that can be harder to locate than specific pain. I'll guide you through a gentler approach that starts with the space and sounds around your body before gradually including the whole-body sensations. Through this practice, you might discover how even through pervasive discomfort, there is underlying comfort that can be found.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Learning to work with whole-body, diffuse sensations
• Discovering how to modify practice when you don't want to feel inside your body
• Understanding how to approach the "blahs" with extra gentleness
• Finding how outer awareness can gradually include inner sensations

Dissolving Pain in Nature’s Flow Series:
What can transform our relationship with pain and suffering? Perhaps most simply: recognizing our nature as part of Nature's flow. Resisting pain and hurt can make it persist, but what if we could experience these unpleasant messages in our body as sharing the same qualities as all of Nature's flow—as finely free and fully in the flow of this moment. In the first half of each session, we connect to these foundational qualities through guided practice. Then we'll go on an adventure into the underlying experience of pain of all kinds—from physical booboos to heartaches to blahs and fatigue. Over 15 years ago, Dr. Les Fehmi's book "Dissolving Pain in Open Focus" saved me and opened up a world of possibilities I'd never imagined. Over the last 10 years, it has been the teachings of Master Wonchull Park on the 3 qualities of nowflow that helped this make sense to me—giving me a simple way to embrace as ever-present what can sometimes seem magical. It's with a full heart that I share what has been so meaningful to me in this hour of self-discovery, knowing that these resources we might find in books can become real when we discover them for ourselves. I look forward to our discoveries together.

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com

In this exploration, we'll discover how our stories about pain in time can amplify suffering far beyond the present moment sensation. I'll guide you through experiencing how past, present, and future pain stories are all held within the wholeness of this eternal now. Through this practice, you might find how pain itself can feel lighter when we discover our time-based stories can be held differently.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Understanding how pain gets "smeared out" in time and amplified
• Discovering the wholeness and integrity of the eternal now
• Learning to experience stories as held within present moment awareness
• Finding lightness and relief from the burden of time-based pain narratives

Dissolving Pain in Nature’s Flow Series:
What can transform our relationship with pain and suffering? Perhaps most simply: recognizing our nature as part of Nature's flow. Resisting pain and hurt can make it persist, but what if we could experience these unpleasant messages in our body as sharing the same qualities as all of Nature's flow—as finely free and fully in the flow of this moment. In the first half of each session, we connect to these foundational qualities through guided practice. Then we'll go on an adventure into the underlying experience of pain of all kinds—from physical booboos to heartaches to blahs and fatigue. Over 15 years ago, Dr. Les Fehmi's book "Dissolving Pain in Open Focus" saved me and opened up a world of possibilities I'd never imagined. Over the last 10 years, it has been the teachings of Master Wonchull Park on the 3 qualities of nowflow that helped this make sense to me—giving me a simple way to embrace as ever-present what can sometimes seem magical. It's with a full heart that I share what has been so meaningful to me in this hour of self-discovery, knowing that these resources we might find in books can become real when we discover them for ourselves. I look forward to our discoveries together.

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com

In this exploration, we'll discover how to shift from experiencing pain as a separate object to immersing ourselves directly in the experience. I'll guide you through relocating your sense of identity from your head to your heart, hands, and even into the center of pain itself. Through this practice, you might find how dissolving the separation between observer and observed allows pain to reveal itself as the flow of nature experiencing itself.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Learning to shift your sense of identity and observing center
• Discovering the flexibility of where you place your "headquarters"
• Experiencing pain from the inside rather than as a separate object
• Finding how immersion can dissolve the grip of difficult sensations
• Embracing the gentleness and many options of being with ourselves

Dissolving Pain in Nature’s Flow Series:
What can transform our relationship with pain and suffering? Perhaps most simply: recognizing our nature as part of Nature's flow. Resisting pain and hurt can make it persist, but what if we could experience these unpleasant messages in our body as sharing the same qualities as all of Nature's flow—as finely free and fully in the flow of this moment. In the first half of each session, we connect to these foundational qualities through guided practice. Then we'll go on an adventure into the underlying experience of pain of all kinds—from physical booboos to heartaches to blahs and fatigue. Over 15 years ago, Dr. Les Fehmi's book "Dissolving Pain in Open Focus" saved me and opened up a world of possibilities I'd never imagined. Over the last 10 years, it has been the teachings of Master Wonchull Park on the 3 qualities of nowflow that helped this make sense to me—giving me a simple way to embrace as ever-present what can sometimes seem magical. It's with a full heart that I share what has been so meaningful to me in this hour of self-discovery, knowing that these resources we might find in books can become real when we discover them for ourselves. I look forward to our discoveries together.

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com

In this exploration, we'll discover how to shift from the narrow spotlight of attention that can only focus "upon" or "away from" pain to a more inclusive mode of perception. I'll guide you through understanding how feeling space between things helps us access an effortless, simultaneous awareness that can hold pain within a broader context. Through this practice, you might discover your birthright of open, inclusive awareness that was likely our default mode millions of years ago.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Understanding the limitations of narrow, focused attention with pain
• Learning to shift into open awareness through feeling space between things
• Experiencing how space helps us feel our fingers more vibrantly than concepts
• Discovering that open awareness is more natural and less effortful

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com

In this exploration, we'll discover how pain that seems stuck might actually be finer flows within flows—ever finer, like a fractal flowing in space. I'll guide you through feeling how however fixed pain might appear, there's no bracing or stuckness at the level of nature's flow. Through this practice, you might find something beyond pleasure or pain—a kind of vibrant togetherness, alive comfort that's subtle, delicate, and flowing.

Some possible takeaways from today's practice:

• Discovering that pain has no ultimate fixedness in nature's flow
• Learning to perceive the flowing quality within seemingly solid sensations
• Experiencing something beyond pleasure or pain—a vibrant togetherness
• Finding the alive comfort that flows within all experience

Dissolving Pain in Nature’s Flow Series:
What can transform our relationship with pain and suffering? Perhaps most simply: recognizing our nature as part of Nature's flow. Resisting pain and hurt can make it persist, but what if we could experience these unpleasant messages in our body as sharing the same qualities as all of Nature's flow—as finely free and fully in the flow of this moment. In the first half of each session, we connect to these foundational qualities through guided practice. Then we'll go on an adventure into the underlying experience of pain of all kinds—from physical booboos to heartaches to blahs and fatigue. Over 15 years ago, Dr. Les Fehmi's book "Dissolving Pain in Open Focus" saved me and opened up a world of possibilities I'd never imagined. Over the last 10 years, it has been the teachings of Master Wonchull Park on the 3 qualities of nowflow that helped this make sense to me—giving me a simple way to embrace as ever-present what can sometimes seem magical. It's with a full heart that I share what has been so meaningful to me in this hour of self-discovery, knowing that these resources we might find in books can become real when we discover them for ourselves. I look forward to our discoveries together.

Thank you for Being with Being.

beingwithbeing.org
mackenziehawkins.substack.com