Happy New Year Everyone!

by  John Thompson

Happy New Year Everyone!

I woke up Jan 2nd feeling a bit of pressure to get some work done. Realising this was coming a bit from fear I managed to let it go and start to enjoy my day. When playing tennis later on I started to imagine ‘if this was the last time I ever played, how would I play?’ I started to imagine my own death and the general impermanence of things. 

I usually do a similar thing before leading a circle as a way to touch what matters most to me. 'If I was going to die soon and this was the last circle I would lead, what would I do?' While this can be intense, it invariably takes me to my heart. 

In this case it had me start to move with more energy and swing through shots with more commitment, freedom and enjoyment. I even shared my process with the guy I was playing with who to my surprise took it on and said we should be doing this all this time! 

While loving all the aliveness on the court I started to get the inspiration to share the spirit of this practice of contemplating death in service of life with you all. It also reminded me of the interview I did with Robert Augustus Mastersearlier in the year at our Embodied Connection Conference where I got so touched by Robert’s intimacy with his own death and how this guides his life. 

There can be quite some nuance to this kind of practice he speaks to in the first 15 mins. 

Here it is! 

Noticing all the leaves dying around me when I'm running in the forest has been another way in for this kind of contemplation.