Why not take ten minutes to watch a master at work. This is Ciezlak. At first you will see him speaking with our lady friend from the Grotowski interview. Please acknowledge whatever thoughts or responses you have to the settings and the aesthetic of the situation, clothing, etc- and then move beyond that for the sake of grasping the essence of the work he is sharing with us. To penetrate into a true experience of plastique work, one needs to be able to deeply engage with the exercises from the spine outward, without self judgment or assessment. Here is a good place to start in terms of freeing yourself form fear and judgment- see how the student work with RC in this film.. When I see Cieslak, I remember my experience being on his running crew for Ash Wednesday at ETW in 1989 during my freshman year of college. I wish there was a way for me to share with you the intensity of being close to him and being spoken to by him, as his virtuosity in training permeated every aspect of his presence. One felt obligated to be incredibly present when in the room with him, because the air itself seemed more precious and crucial than before he came into it.
I think that the ability to fully engage with the self and the realities generated by the self when we are not cut in two (body split from mind) is one of the key teachings that can be gleaned from this kind of training. This is the aspect of it that can continue throughout a personal practice if one is willing to enter into a space of unknowing and courage to experience the actions with all possible fleshly elements and the emotions/imagination at the same time.
Why not take ten minutes to watch a master at work. This is Ciezlak. At first you will see him speaking with our lady friend from the Grotowski interview. Please acknowledge whatever thoughts or responses you have to the settings and the aesthetic of the situation, clothing, etc- and then move beyond that for the sake of grasping the essence of the work he is sharing with us. To penetrate into a true experience of plastique work, one needs to be able to deeply engage with the exercises from the spine outward, without self judgment or assessment. Here is a good place to start in terms of freeing yourself form fear and judgment- see how the student work with RC in this film.. When I see Cieslak, I remember my experience being on his running crew for Ash Wednesday at ETW in 1989 during my freshman year of college. I wish there was a way for me to share with you the intensity of being close to him and being spoken to by him, as his virtuosity in training permeated every aspect of his presence. One felt obligated to be incredibly present when in the room with him, because the air itself seemed more precious and crucial than before he came into it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the ability to fully engage with the self and the realities generated by the self when we are not cut in two (body split from mind) is one of the key teachings that can be gleaned from this kind of training. This is the aspect of it that can continue throughout a personal practice if one is willing to enter into a space of unknowing and courage to experience the actions with all possible fleshly elements and the emotions/imagination at the same time.