67

Home ∞ Breathing Session ∞ Stories ∞ Health Cures ∞ Testimonials ∞ Journal ∞ Articles ∞ Book ∞ Articles 2

68. Ingestion & Digestion 2/17/05

In Mr. Gurdjieff’s discussions on our three brained being he speaks of the intake of foods we eat, digest and then energize with. Mr. G gave these in order of importance.

The Three Foods
1. Air
2. Impressions
3. Food

Mr. Gurdjieff, when asked “what is time” answered “Breath is time”*. Interesting answer don’t you think? I am personally a breathing freak or perhaps advocate, that believes, getting as much air as one can get for, at least short periods of time, to expand the internal spaces of our precious form will satisfy both our expansive structural needs and our breathing appetite. Once this breathing experience is digested, things start to take care of themselves. I mean, by taking care of themselves, our physical becomes more nature directed, seeking out the ascending energies that surround us.

We ingest and digest the ingredients in the air and feed our being. Once self directed, we tend to manage the body, quite well, in time and space with the breath we consume. We become more sensitive to the atmosphere around us. We can feel the good in everything as well as discordant noises or vibrations.

As the rhythm of our breathing feeds us we are then ready for the next food, that of impressions.

“What a sight, what a fright, what a delight.” – Hafiz—Sufi mystic

Impressions that we take in and digest are the cultural nuggets we digest through the five senses. Seems like any indigestion results from the confused manifestations of most sentient beings. This is another process of ingestion requiring awareness of how our feelings are being moved around by the deluge of erroneous information and ideas.

We innocently buy into half baked ideas, and thoughts masquerading as folksy truths. And the inevitable digestive problems start, best to have a good throw up once in awhile, for exercising the muscles involved in getting rid of indigestible materials. Fortunately, we can respond in these natural ways to an assortment of impression that via for our attention.

A way of releasing accumulated tensions, which seem to store in the muscles of the stomach wall (abdominals), while lying down and breathing is to use light finger pressure on this area.

Lying down, place both your hands upon your lower stomach. Breath gently into the lower stomach so there is some expansion of your belly and feel the area that is upsetting you or feels congested. Do this for five minutes.

Then with one of your fingers find a spot that feels like it has pain or tension in it, once found direct breath internally, to this point so there is expansion of that area, then feel a relaxation of this point on the out breath. Keep doing this until you feel some change. Finding another spot, this process can be repeated. As you work with this position and feel comfortable with the procedure you can work with placing some gentle finger pressure on different points throughout the lower body while breathing in and out. (From FULL BREATHING SESSION)

No matter what feelings or sensations come into view, I am comforted knowing this is something I best work with myself or I may get some medical and surgical impressions that only hinder health. Some times I feel as though we are under siege from impressions that are designed to create fear and draw money out of us for suggested solutions to problems we don’t really have.

Kind of a neat trick, telling you ‘we know what is good and bad for you’ and we will provide you with protection from such pain. We will saturate the video screens with products, totally hard to digest and not from Mother Nature, because we are so concerned about everyone’s health. Ranting will not change this, awareness of the three foods we feed on will, as well as a dash of love.

Good impressions on the other hand are of art and a deep love for all things living. Good impressions cause more breath to come rushing in and fill us with a joy and excitement for the ever-present experience of openness that is present in the space.

With the ingestion of nourishing impressions we grow and hopefully flourish. We work on the enfoldment of life with happy feelings. Our personal centers, which thrive on good meals prepared with love, can sing joyful songs. We become involved in the eternal expansion and contraction that is time, without diffusing the innocence we brought to the table.

3. Food
Finally the food we eat nourishes us and works in harmony with other centers active in our systems. Again it seems that we are also under siege by the various industries that manage food production and distribution. On a spectrum from non-food, that could qualify as particle board, to food that feeds and nourishes the systems of our body, it is advisable that we also take this into our hands and become mindful of what we are feeding the body. This is not a critical or fearful issue when trusting our body system enough to have an occasional indulgence of coke and some roasted marshmallows with a few barbecued hot dogs. Then there is always the State Fairs where the Italian sausages and onion subs are offered. Generally the body will rid itself shortly of indigestibles. At the same time if there was any thing usable in these items it will get used.

Our physical system is a marvel of proficiency when respected and given a good diet of Breath and Impressions which uplift. The artful application of balance, evenness and variety, when shaping and sculpting our human art form as we ingest and digest the many foods provided, puts ingestion and digestion in our hands.

For a news letter that observes what is going on in the area of Foods I would suggest ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION news letter.

So there we have the three foods that we can transform into energy. Gurdjieff has said of us humans that we are Transformers of energy, which is an earthly task just as the trees, birds and bees transform what’s given. Doing this in a conscious manner was an encouragement of his teachings.

“Would that you could live on the fragrance of the earth, and like an air plant be sustained by the light.” ~~ Kahlil Gibran

Posted by harmon at February 17, 2005

Comments

Harmon,

Thanks for a fine article and a great picture of the deer.

Posted by: solstice on February 18, 2005

Ah, yes, Harmony,
In days gone by I studied this subject and use it with the actors here at PBT many times. We can live longest without the ingestion of food, steak, veggies, etc. Not nearly as long without the food of impressions ie: If am sick and get a love letter from an old flame that can make me recover on the spot. Or if I see a great play that impression can lift me to a higher and happier level of discovery. And, of course, without the proper amount of air in the lungs.........we die the fastest. We should definitely be aware of this reality and act accordingly.
Thanks for reminding us.
And a love song to you from all of us actors here at PBT.
Dr. Geronimo
Artistic Director
Priscilla Beach Theatre
Plymouth, Massachusetts

Posted by: Geronimo Sands on February 18, 2005

You are Welcome Solstice.
~~~~~

Dr.G Great to hear from you. give all the children my love.

Posted by: Harmon on February 18, 2005 08:59 PM

"We are all food for the moon." -- Gurdjieff

Posted by: Jordan Gruber on February 20, 2005

Jordan, I remember this comment and I believe he used this reference to denote what happens to someone who doesn’t work to transform oneself. I could be wrong, but I think the idea was that as we develop we form our soul being. Which is an ascending principle and if we don’t we become what he called “moon food”

Perhaps some one with a fuller knowledge of Gurdjieff could enlighten us on this idea. Any way, thanks for consuming the article and digesting it. H

Posted by: Harmon on February 20, 2005