Description of Challenge
Silencing the little voice in the head To really listen
Solution
Pinakarri is the Martu Mandjilidjara Aboriginal word for Deeper Listening. In our western culture we seem to have lost the skill of empathically listening to each other. We have developed a way of mainly listening to a little voice in the head which keeps making win-lose judgments and interprets everything we hear through itself.
This little voice is also very distracting and makes us forget faster: When concentrating on conceptual theory, for instance, we are able to concentrate for approximately 20 minutes, before the little voice starts talking very loudly, making it difficult for us to truly listen to the information presented. The practice of Pinakarri gently silences this little voice, enabling us to really listen.
A little guide to Pinakarri:
Calm yourself and connect with your body: Feel where your body connects with the chair or cushion you are sitting on
Feel the weight of your body: Notice your weight and how the earth supports it. This gravity is the oldest force in the universe. If this was a person supporting you would call it unconditional love. Become aware of the unconditional love of the Earth for you, the support it gives you.
Breathe deeply – in and out: Hear the difference in tone and feel the difference in temperature between the in-breath and the out-breath. This difference in temperature comes from the sun. Who are you? You are the dance of the material cycles of the Earth with the energy of the sun.
Can you hear the drumbeat of your heart? This has been with you since before you were born and will be with you until the moment of your death.
Find the point where the tension or energy in your body is strongest. Breathe into that spot, consciously relax and breathe out the tension.
You have now silenced the little voice in your head.
In Dragon Dreaming every participant has the possibility of calling for a Pinakarri at any given time. They will ring a bell or use a gong or some other sort of signal which has been agreed upon, and at the signal everyone will stop what they are saying or doing, and remain silent for app. 30 seconds or so. It is up to the individual how deeply they will relax, but it is important that everyone remains silent for a moment.
Extracted from Dragon Dreaming E-book, created by John Croft and Contributors.
