Convergence Newsletter July 2012
The Convergence Winter Mini-gathering is Fri 17th - Sun 19th August.
This weekend will be an opportunity to catch up with friends, talk, share
and generally hang out together. Please feel free to arrive when you
choose and leave when it suits you. Bring food to share as we will have
meals together. Bring musical instruments, entertainment, warm clothes
and sleeping gear with you. There may be a circle to discuss the
upcoming event with the subject - ‘Shift Happens’ on the Saturday evening.
The sauna is certain to be fired up during the weekend.
There will be a youth group on the Amberley side so we only have the
Leigh Lodge end of the site.
If you are planning to arrive early (before 5) on Friday please contact
Michael/Michelle on
027 465 9582
Note that Max has 2 workshops on the Sunday but why not attend those
and the weekend?
By popular request I’ve written some notes on this year’s theme.
River
P2 Art of Breathing, 9th – 12th August, Nelson
P2 Max Maxwell, Ukulele course 19th August, Chch.
P2 Max Maxwell, Sing for Joy, 19th August, Chch.
P3 Tui Community, Golden Bay, needs new people.
P3 ‘Shift Happens’ – some thoughts by River
Remember you can keep up to date and join in stimulating(?) conversations on
our Facebook Group – Convergence . This is also a great place to advertise any
events, workshops, accommodation, etc.
Just contact me, or any other Convergee to be added to the group.
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Convergence Pot Luck Dinners
A nice way of meeting up and getting to know fellow Convergees is to
have regular opportunities to get together in your area. It is up to you to
create these. If you wish to host a pot luck dinner then please e-mail your
invitation to info@convergence.net.nz and it will be e-mailed to those in your
area. Please allow 2 weeks notice of these get-togethers. It does not have
to be at your place. In Christchurch a picnic in the park was one of the gettogethers.
If a Convergence Pot Luck Dinner is offered then the e-mail goes out to
those who live in the local vicinity. The invitation is also posted on the
Convergence Facebook page.
From Jill Baxter
ART OF BREATHING COURSE
in Nelson!
th
9 - 12th AUGUST
2 evenings and weekend
Let go of stress, calm the mind, heal the body
Energize the whole system in minutes.
Learn powerful breathing & relaxation techniques
that benefit us for the rest of our lives.
Special offer: 2 for one deal ($250)
9th- 12th AUGUST
Thur, Fri 6.30-8.45pm; Sat,Sun 10am-2.30pm
Teacher: the lovely Anita Coghill
Enquiries: Maureen McKain 546 4670
Email: nelson@artofliving.org.nz
Call free 0508ARTOFLIVING (0508 2786 354)
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From the one and only Max Maxwell
I’ll be visiting Christchurch again next month and doing two short workshops,
organized for me by The Muse.
They are:
A Ukulele Intermediate Level workshop
Sunday, 19 August, 10am – 12:30am, Cost $25
Forfar Courts, 95 Forfar St
In this workshop we will develop strums for different rhythms eg Latin American,
learn how to read tab notation, try some fingerpicking and explore ways to create
exciting arrangements.
Minimum requirements: You should be familiar with the basic set of chords (keys
of C and G and a few other chords) and basic strumming techniques.
Prebooking is recommended. You can book online here:
http://www.themuse.org.nz/comingup/
A SingForJoy workshop
Sunday, 19 August, 1:15pm – 4:15pm, Cost $25
Forfar Courts, 95 Forfar St
This will be my usual mix of vocal games, rhythm and learning songs in harmony,
and generally raising joy though singing together. All are welcome!
On the 17th and 18th I’ll be workshopping in Timaru doing
a ukulele intermediate workshop on Friday evening and a SingForJoy workshop
on Saturday. If you know of someone down there who may be interested please
pass this on. Full details at www.singforjoy.org.nz
******************
From Natasha Gall
Openings at Tui Commmunity......
Tui Community is currently seeking members to join us on our 125 acre slice of
paradise in Golden Bay. We are seeking families with children between the ages
of 2-11years old. And a caretaker for our spiritual centre Tui TMala - this would be
for a single or couple, no kids.
Tui community was established in 1984 on the edge of the Abel Tasman National
Park in Wainui Bay. Currently there are approximately 30 adults and 9 children
living at Tui. We share a community house, events centre, orchard, community
gardens, and Tui T Mala our spiritual centre. We also have shared meals at least
twice a week at the community house, and all contribute to the running of the
community financially and through our energy input system.
There are a variety of accommodation options at Tui, as well as 3 small
businesses. Schooling for current Tui children varies from home-schooling
Steiner, home-schooling un-schooling and attending the local school (a school
bus leaves daily from Tui)
There is also a caretaker role available for our spiritual centre Tui TMala. This
would be for a single or couple, no kids. The caretaker of Tui TMala lives in the
building and cares for its general upkeep. A very minimal rent is also paid. This is
a communal space other than the caretaker’s bedroom.
For more info see our website: www.tuitrust.org.nz
If you would like to come and get to know us, you can arrange your introductory
stay at Tui with Tyson, our visitor coordinator, by emailing: tuiwoofing@gmail.com
We look forward to hearing from you!
******************
SHIFT HAPPENS
Some Thoughts by River
I have to confess that last year’s theme – ‘Convergence, Living it’ – did not inspire
me to find anything to write about it, but this year I have so many thoughts on the new
subject that I will have no problem. Where to begin? Google of course.
Well – I rapidly found Google apparently has it’s limitations (try it, you will soon see
what I mean!) so next tried Wikipedia which brought up many sources, amongst them one
from one of my favourite books – a quote from “A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle, pp 116,
117. Here it is:"The extent of the ego's inability to recognize itself and see what it is doing is
staggering and unbelievable. It will do exactly what it condemns others for and not see
it.” ---------“To become free of the ego is not really a big job but a very small one. All you need
to do is be aware of your thoughts and emotions – as they happen. This is not really a
'doing' but an alert 'seeing'. In that sense, it is true that there is nothing you can do to
become free of the ego. When that shift happens, which is the shift from thinking to
awareness, an intelligence far greater than the ego's cleverness begins to operate in your
life. Emotions and even thoughts become depersonalized through awareness. Their
impersonal nature is recognized. There is no longer a self in them. They are just human
emotions, human thoughts. Your entire personal history, which is ultimately no more than
a story, a bundle of thoughts and emotions, becomes of secondary importance and no
longer occupies the forefront of your consciousness. It no longer forms the basis for your
sense of identity. You are the light of Presence, the awareness that is prior to and deeper
than any thoughts and emotions."
Tolle describes what ‘shift happens’ means, very succinctly. Perhaps I can give some
examples from my own life experiences?
When I am awake then more than 99% of the time I am in a space of ‘thinking’.
Everything I do and say is ruled by my thoughts, which constantly swirl around finding a
way to deal with each moment as it comes along. Occasionally I somehow ‘click’ out of
that reasoned way of Being and shift into a different reality where thoughts no longer rule
my actions. I’m sure every person will be able to find moments in their life when this has
happened?
Perhaps in a life threatening moment;
Perhaps when sexual tension is very high;
Perhaps when sitting in nature;
Perhaps when dancing, or meditating, or singing;
Perhaps when on drugs of one sort or another;
And so on.
Tolle suggests that my 99% of the time when I am thinking, is ruled by my ego, the
other is not. So how can I let go of the ego so that I spend more time not ruled by it? Well,
I have found it is actually very easy and also very hard! All I have to do is let go of
everything and surrender to that moment and – click – I’m there! But it took quite a few
years of hard work to get to that ability.
I have also found that, surprisingly I do not want to dwell in that ego-less state (which
I know very well) any more than I do already. I will try to explain.
I have been on my conscious spiritual journey now for some 20 years or so. I have
tried all the usual stepping stones – meditation, vegetarianism, abstinence, yoga, various
‘religions’, various therapies, seeking a new way etc – but keep coming back to the fact
that I really enjoy my ‘normal’ existence here on planet Earth, in New Zealand, in Golden
Bay, on our mountain above Pohara. I enjoy the benefits of our western society such as
driving a car, watching TV, eating meat, drinking alcohol, using my woodworking
machines etc., etc. so why deny them or wish them to have less time in my life?
In other words I need to find a place of balance which works for me.
I have a confession to make – I have a BIG ego. Over the years I used to fight that
ego and tried to destroy it, believing that to be necessary for my future happiness. How
wrong I was. All I had to do was accept my ego as a valid, essential part of Who I Am.
This I succeeded in doing some 15 years ago when a dear woman friend said to me that
my large ego was part of the River she and others loved and why didn’t I love it too? The
penny dropped and shift happened! Now I recognize it as just a part of me, indeed an
essential part of me which enables me to be ME. It is my ‘life force’, without which life
might be quite boring. And the funny thing is that my ego is nowhere near as ‘in your
face’ as it used to be – transcending the ego is a wonderful thing for all parties involved.
So I choose to spend 99% of my time in partnership with my ego and thoughts,
enjoying ‘normal’ life and every now and then I shift into a different reality, into the Now,
and magic happens.
It may interest you to know that I find Convergence the best venue I have ever
discovered for me to shift into the Now. Of course this has everything to do with my own
particular way of Being. My shadows, stuff, shit, whatever, are usually triggered by
controlling authority figures which virtually don’t exist at Convergence. Thus it is a very
safe place for me and I find that, after a day or two, all my worries and fears drop away
and I can just let go of my brain and let each moment unfold into whatever that moment
is. I will often find myself walking in a certain direction and for no reason whatsoever I
will turn and find myself going somewhere else and life may never be the same again. I
surrender to the flow and trust that it knows where it is going, because I certainly don’t.
So all I have to do is arrive at Convergence, help set up and then just let go and shift
happens!
Reality becomes just what IS, instead of what my mind wants it to be.
I will leave you with the following quote from “Illusions” by Richard Bach – the
book that kick-started me on my conscious spiritual journey. A fine example of shift
happening and also a fine example of how not to let the ego take advantage of the results
of that shift - the humility that many self-proclaimed gurus seem to forget.
"Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river. The
current of the river swept silently over them all - young and old, rich and poor, good and
evil, the current going it's own way, knowing only it's own crystal self.
Each creature, in it's own way clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river
bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current what each had learned
from birth. But one creature said at last, "I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it
with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go and let it take
me where it will. Clinging I shall die of boredom."
The other creatures laughed and said "Fool! let go, and that current you worship
will throw you tumbled and smashed across the rocks, and you will die quicker than
boredom!"
But the one heeded them not, and taking a breath did let go, and at once was tumbled
and smashed by the current across the rocks.
Yet in time, as the creature refused to cling again, the current lifted him free from the
bottom, and he was bruised and hurt no more. And the creatures downstream, to whom he
was a stranger, cried, "See a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies! See the
Messiah, come to save us all!"
And the one carried in the current said, "I am no more Messiah than you. The river
delights to lift us free, if only we dare let go. Our true work is this voyage, this
adventure."
But they cried the more, "Saviour!" all the while clinging to the rocks, and when
they looked again he was gone, and they were left alone making legends of a Saviour"