INTEGRATIVE
CONVERSATION
Never start talking right away.
Using words to take control of the moment,
we only stimulate the wounds of control that keep us
and our world entrenched in the egoic story,
ever poised on the edge of madness.
Begin every conversation by giving the moment away.
But first learn the sign for 'pause' (*see below).
The sign for 'pause' helps us make strong boundaries
and offers protection.
The world's relationship with words
is wounded, so how can we not speak a wounded world?
Using wounded language to understand the wound,
how can even our understanding sidestep
and not compound the trouble?
The common language, the common arena
of conversation is asking for healing.
By inviting words into a new arena
where woundedness does not exist,
we leave the story of wounds behind
and learn our real soul.
Using silent hand gestures with assigned meanings,
we will notice the vital, unworded inner stirring
that precedes words and precedes wounds.
With the gestures we will make the vital stirring
visible and interractive.
To infuse words and their conversation
with the natural quality of living things,
we will connect our word with our body in a new way.
Speak I love you in ten thousand ways without using
the words, and the words will speak themselves
without using the voice.
*Fold your hands together in front of you
with the two little fingers pointing upwards
to form a steeple. This sign means 'pause'.
In the early days of television, when a commercial
would come on, a voice would often say,
"We interrupt this program to bring you a message
from the sponsor." May the interruption this sign inspires
be gracious, rich and fruitful.* I teach a new relationship
with words.* I ask to present my study to individuals
and prearranged groups.
Michael Bridge
822 Jewell Avenue
Sebastopol, CA. 95472
[email protected]
(707) 824-0833
see: http//www.co-intelligence.org/P-gestures.html