The choreography of life consciously danced.

The Movements
Gurdjieff: ' I want to be remembered as a teacher of dance.'

“All work begins with the control of attention, and in this connection much can be
learned from the Movements.”
(Mme. Ouspensky)

Movements at Northeon Forest

Movements and Breathing

(Gurdjieff - Quoted from ISOTM Chapter 18)

You must realize that there are three kinds of breathing. One is normal breathing. The
second is 'inflation.' The third is breathing assisted by movements. What does this
mean? It means that normal breathing goes on unconsciously, it is managed and
controlled by the moving center. 'Inflation' is artificial breathing. If for instance a man
says to himself that he will count ten inhaling and ten exhaling, or that he will inhale
through the right nostril and exhale through the left—this is done by the formatory
apparatus.
...
But as I have already said, there is a third way—breathing through movements. This
third way needs a great knowledge of the human machine and it is employed in
schools directed by very learned people. In comparison all other methods are
'homemade' and unreliable.

The fundamental idea of this method consists in the fact that certain movements and
postures can call forth any kind of breathing you like and it is also normal breathing,
not 'inflation.' The difficulty is in knowing what movements and what postures will
call forth certain kinds of breathing in what kind of people.

***

Here are some Movements that may modify your breathing:

 Shouting Dervish
Hoya Dervish
Trembling Dervish
5th Obligatory / Counting
Slow Second Obligatory
Alif Lam Mim
Lord Have Mercy Canon
The Octave
Seven Greek Letters
I Wish I Can I Am
Forming Twos

Regarding Movements As Preparation

For Life

How can the Movements be used in preparation for the choreography of

everyday life consciously danced?

There are several ways that the practice of the movements may assist us in our
everyday life by applying the principles and techniques to our daily work efforts.
While doing the movements we may experience a heightened sense of awareness, a
sharpened attention, an inner quiet, an harmonization of the three centers, an overall
increase in energy. These results of our efforts are the reconciliation's which feed our
being and, if not creatively used in further work efforts, will be squandered thru
mechanical habits such as wiseacring, gregariousness, inner considering, etc. In the
long term the movements aid in the development of the will, in the the growth of the
soul and in the recognition of the higher emotions. Some of the principles and
techniques are enduring, imagination, visualization, relaxation, breathing, sightless
gaze, sensing and others listed below. I hope that the following observations may
serve co-seekers as guidelines for the creative construction of daily work agendas.

First, the Movements are a training ground for the attention.

As we all know from past experience with movements, we can loose the sequence if
we let our attention wander to distracting stimuli such as thoughts, emotions,
impressions, sensations or anything that lies on the "it" side the separation of "I and
it". This process of discrimination starts with self-observation : separating "I" from
"it" releasing ridgid identification with sensory traits observed to be associated with
daily life. In life we can also loose the thread of the work and our daily activities. We
will be unable to maintain an intention, aim or effort without sustained attention.
Movements train us to keep our attention on the task at hand and also develop our
will. Control of attention enables us to shift some of our mechanical, hypnotized
attention and apply it instead to our inner work. With increased attention our work
efforts will be stronger and more continuous. Slowly, with practice, we acquire the
ability to hold more than one thing before a quiet mind. Doing a movement with
vocalizations and inner work exercises requires a division of attention. This divided
attention ability is invaluable in everyday life for with it we have gained the
possibility of simultaneously engaging in inner work while we live our daily life in an
expanded sense of awareness. Pondering requires holding a question before the mind
for a prolonged period as well as an impartial noticing and setting aside of intruding
thoughts and emotions.

Second, they are a medium for the cultivation of "doing".

Do the servants obey the master? Do the three centers harmonize and work in unison
to carry out the wish of the master? We are fully present to the task at hand when I
wish, I can, I am are working together towards an aim with an economy of movement
and an abundance of conscience. We aren't really working until we are doing nothing.
we assent to allow the total situation to elicit the appropriate harmonious pattern of
action. We see what is necessary and it is done. We are neither active nor passive. We
are relaxed and poised. Our lives can benefit from those moments when we are one
with the movement and we can no longer say whether we are doing the movement or
the movement is doing us; when there is no separation - no "I am doing this" or "this
is doing me."

Thirdly, they are a tool for harvesting the Reconciliations which feed the soul.

Balanced being requires that our resistances become energy which enables greater
affirmation. The soul is nourished out of the struggle and harmonization of the two
great forces of god - creation and return , involution and evolution , holy denying and
holy affirming. The process follows the law of three as expressed by Gurdjieff in his
Holy Equation :

Holy-Affirming,
Holy-Denying,
Holy-Reconciling,
Transubstantiate in me,
For my Being.

Holy Affirming - Intention to do a movement, sustaining that intention. Effort

involved in learning and later perfecting the positions. Enduring awkward postures

Holy Denying - Laziness, lethargy, pain, forgetfulness, emotions, thoughts,

distractions.

Holy Reconciling - Those moments when it all comes together and we are "doing" the
movement. Transubstantiation for being. Coatings on an inner being embryo. We must
enter this gate a thousand times.

Practical suggestions :

Take daily activities and ritualize some of the postures and motions as a sequence to
which may be added some inner exercise.
Use the manifestation of holy denying traits as triggers for the adoption of a
predetermined posture (internal or/and external).

Observe and study the effects of various postures on the quality of ones presence.

Try to discover if there are certain postures which assist the evocation of faith, love,
hope, compassion, conscience.

***