Barry – question about timeline

Chris, according to those that study this (based on Meyers-Briggs testing- a takeoff from Jung’s work as I learned) most people have either the past behind them and the future in front OR both in front of them when asked to rise out of themselves and see time as a river below.

The generality as to revealed behaviors was those with the timeline front to back tended to be more open ended in their approach to planning life. Life came at them and they had no list just a momentum into.

On the other hand those with both in front tended to be those of us who make lists even on vacations- who plan for what size casket they will end up in. My father wrote his own eulogy and planned his death as he planned his life. I am sure all was in front in his minds eye. (he is smiling)

I think it is really personal. I fell into a category that was not on the charts which both pleased and made me shake my head with my familiarity at this difference from the norm.

What I noticed was a tendency to experience my new present with the past rising up and the future cowering by my side in its shadow. By shifting this inner architecture like a mental Gumby I suddenly could breathe and see ahead of me.

But it isn’t about locking into one way that works for us as much as using it to meet the situation at hand. For example today I played with bringing both in front of me before I needed to focus on doing business out of the house. Getting places. Talking to people. And somehow the internal image freed up some energy.

Once home I reconstructed the timeline to front and back and fell into a cushion of not knowing what was next or caring as much.

My only suggestion is not to initially place them but see where you unconsciously lean to as default when you allow the sense of it to rise in you. See where your eyes go when you remember your childhood. Then see where they go when you think of your life next year. Then see how different placements affect you.

Just to give this a name it comes out of neuro linguistic work and is under the rubric metaprogramming- which just means how we filter this raw universe of ours. Barry

In various places in Mantak Chia’s works he suggests facing the north for both Tai Chi practice and meditation since this is where the energy originates, and he makes this as a general statement.

I have found that facing the direction which is in alignment with the time of day it is to be the most functional position in which to work, generally speaking, for both movement and sitting practice.

Facing/centering with the direction of the moment seems to have the feeling of welcoming the energies of that direction in and exchanging with it according to its basic nature. For instance, facing west around sunset and doing clearing practices and then sitting feels better to my body’s sense of rightness and more efficient as a whole.

This coincides with the concept of staying in alignment in general with the daily, monthly and yearly cyclical rhythm by separately addressing each direction/energy phase in space.

“…the highest level of “meta-programming” would find an assemblage point that allows one to simultaneously perceive the spectrum/continuum of past/present/future and thus grant the freedom to shapeshift freely..”

Does this mean to you the same as being in the central channel running Yuan chi and allowing self-recreation to happen?

Alexander

I think its dangerous to generalize about directions, people are at different levels and doing many different practices that might benefit/be indifferent to directional energies. So unless there is a specific intention, I suggest following what feels right to you.
m