Exercising Body, Heart, Mind and Spirit in

Self, Culture and Nature 

By Bruce Bibee & Gary Steele

 

How do we sort through all of these seemingly different approaches—or do they have something in common?

 

Embracing This Precious Human Birth

 

Each of us has received the unparalleled gift of a precious human birth at a time in human history that is itself unparalleled. The globe has shrunk and our knowledge has expanded to degrees no other humans have ever experienced. This presents us with mind-boggling options for living. What do we do with these options, and are we any more alive than those who have lived before us?

 

You have perhaps heard the axiom, “You can take life as it comes, or grab life by the horns.” Most often, the encouragement is to do the latter. But are these the only two options?

 

How about a third option? One of conscious, intentional living, which is about releasing rather than grabbing, yet embraces the possibilities of growth that lead to a full and free life? Here is such an option.

 

Integral Life Practice (ILP)

 

There are more avenues for the exploration of human development than ever before. For example, we have physical approaches and practices (body); psychodynamic schools and theories (heart); cognitive developmental grids (mind); and spiritual practices and traditions (spirit). And this is to suggest just a few common categories! So, how does one sort through all of these seemingly different approaches, or do they have something in common?

 

Theorist Ken Wilber (www.kenwilber.org) has postulated that all events in the manifest world have three basic common perspectives: I, We, and Its – or Self, Culture and Nature. Therefore, all the categories above—body, heart, mind and spirit—manifest themselves in these three ways, from these three perspectives: The interior dimensions of the first-person self; the exterior dimensions of the self’s second-person “we” relationships with others; and the third-person interior and exterior dimensions of the self’s environment.

 

ILP is an intentional approach that explores how practices of body, mind, heart and spirit can be concurrently exercised in each perspective to increase over-all growth and development.

 

Michael Murphy and George Leonard, early leaders in the Human Potential Movement, have been experimenting with and studying the possibilities of simultaneously exercising body, heart, mind and spirit and have been documenting the results. Along with Wilber, they have developed their own approach called Integral Transformative Practice (www.itp.org).

 

What It Looks Like

 

Both ILP and ITP apply the idea of “cross training” to human development. Cross training in sports is the common practice of using the training regime of one sport to enhance performance in another. Thus, a skier or runner will also train with weights to increase strength, ultimately improving his or her running or skiing performance.

 

What Wilber, Leonard and Murphy have discovered is that the same dynamic works in human development. People who have undertaken ILP develop a plan of practices to simultaneously exercise in the physical, psychodynamic, cognitive and spiritual dimensions. This can look like someone who has developed a practice of meditation also concurrently practicing weight training or aerobics; joining a book or discussion group; and attending a 12-Step group, therapy, learning a mindfulness practice or intentionally being more fully present to people they love. Research has shown that this “cross training” results in greater change in all areas than if just one area is exercised alone.

 

What to Do

 

There are some helpful things to do to gently explore this idea further. The first is, of course, to learn more about it. The websites mentioned parenthetically above are recommended, as well as George Leonard’s book The Life We Are Given. Another engaging, helpful website is www.integralnaked.org .

 

Next, assess how much of this you may be doing already. Look at your current activities and see how many fall into the body, heart, mind, spirit categories, and which areas are missing. Then assess which of these you would consider “practices” (i.e. yoga, Qigong, martial arts, counseling, jogging, hiking, prayer, etc.) that might become a practice through intentionality and focus, and which areas are not represented by your current activities at all. After assessing how much time you have to give to this, develop a balanced plan that incorporates a practice from each area in a week’s time.

 

This is an approach that can be utilized by both seasoned practitioners and brand new beginners. It can be learned and followed through self-study and practice. Additionally, support groups have been formed around the country of individuals who find value in the shared experience.

 

 

Authors Bruce Bibee and Gary Steele are local teachers and practitioners who facilitate an area ILP support group. They can be reached at: integralalaska@ak.net