The words of Zuzana Saladiakova (Slovakia) describing HCM November 2010:
I did not know what to expect from the HCM workshop at the beginning.
For me it was very powerfull and different experience from the workshops and conferences that I attended before.
I received a lot of usefull information and ideas that were hard to process at the beginning, but after all I tried to sit down and think about how to use it to my enhancement in having conversations with people.
It really helped me to focus more on what people say and made me more patient when I talk to people and especially to those that are the same talkative as me.
I have started to realize different things in some situations, mistakes that I have been doing while having the conversations and step by step I am trying to implement the practices that I learned during the HCM.
I am really greateful for the experience!
Join us in one of our next retreats and live it by yourself!
See all our upcoming events here.
The words of Roman Bednarik (Slovakia) describing HCM November 2010:
My experience at the Beautiful Individuals workshop is something what I will never regret that I have done in my life.
I have learned how to improve my communication skills, how to actively participate in conversations and how to really listen.
There were a lot of “AHA” moments… there were a lot of new distinctions that I am planning to implement, one by one…
Thanks Beautiful Individuals…
I am happy :)
Join us in one of our next retreats and live it by yourself!
See all our upcoming events here.
Here you have some pictures of what our New Year’s Eve Retreat was!
Soon we will be opening spaces to live the process online for those who want to set clear statements of what you want your 2011 to become!
Stay tuned in our Facebook page for more details!
TO RECEIVE THE NEW YEAR IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY!
A year ago you may have written some resolutions of what you wanted 2010 to be for you, and today, looking at them you may feel that you have failed in some of them; in some cases, in most of them!
In our experience, the way in which we set those resolutions influences in an enormous way the success you will be having in making them a reality.
One year ago we established Beautiful Individuals. Today is a very recognized brand among people in several countries around the world and we have moved into the Spanish speaking world with the creation of Personas Maravillosas.
This year we want to share with YOU the secret of our process of setting up our year resolutions in a way that you also count successes and not failures by the end of 2011. And your first step is to join us in a 3 days retreat during the New Year´s Eve.
Are you up to the challenge ahead? We are!
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More than just enacting our resolutions for 2011, we will be reconnecting with the purpose of our life, making it explicit for the new year.
What will we be doing?
- Exploring who we have become
- Accepting ourselves (our lights and shadows)
- Learning to live from peace
- Uncovering what truly matter to us
- Unfolding the power of ‘letting go’
- Unfolding the power of ‘letting come’
- Setting principles of living for 2011
And, of course,having a great NYE celebration!
A unique opportunity to celebrate life in the passage to the new year!
When? From 31st December 2010 to 2nd January 2011
Where? Lisbon – Portugal
How much? 120 €
What’s included?
* Dinner of NYE (31st December)
* Breakfast, lunch and dinner on the 1st January.
* Breakfast on the 2nd January
* Accommodation for the 31st December and the 1st of January.
If a group of 5 people register together will only pay 4 places! Organize a group and take advantage of experiencing the retreat with your friends!
Only 8 places available!
Join us in this 3 days retreat to prepare yourself for a whole new year of achievements, peace and harmony!
Reservations at info@BEAUTIFULindividuals.com
Practices ~ Contemplation
Are you looking to enhance your capacity to notice details, listen actively without distorting the message, and curious about the possibility of living in wonder?
If your answer is yes, this is definitely a practice for you!
About Contemplation
Through concentration we become focused. Through meditation we expand our consciousness into the universe and enter into its consciousness. But in contemplation we grow into the universe itself, and its consciousness becomes our very own.
In contemplation we are at once in our deepest concentration and our highest meditation. The truth that we have seen and felt in meditation, we grow into and become totally one with in contemplation. Contemplation means our conscious oneness with the world around us.
In contemplation we become one with the world and see the whole universe inside us. At that time when we look at our own existence, we do not see a human being. We see something like a dynamo of light, peace and beauty.
Essentially, contemplation is learning to look at something actively, dynamically, alertly, but without words.
The Contemplation Practice
All you need to perform this exercise is a fresh flower and a silent place. Natural surroundings are best but a quiet room will also do nicely.
- Choose an object to study, we suggest you to start with a flower.
- Hold this flower at a comfortable visual distance from you.
- Explore the flower , try to completely immerse yourself from your head to your toes with this one activity.
- Open your heart to the flower.
- Notice its colors and texture, its beauty. Savor its fragrance and think only about this wonderful miracle in front of you.
- Stop any inner conversation you may start, focus in contemplating the flower, this is a silent exercise. Silent in the inside ‘words’.
- Let the flower come into you and share itself with you.
When practicing this contemplation exercise, try to stay with the same object (in this case, the same type of flower) for several weeks. It tends to make the exercises go better.
Allow yourself to spend three minutes a day with this object for the first two weeks, then each week thereafter, try to increase the time.
As you continue with contemplation, remember that the main goal is to hold the senses, inner voices and imagination in check and to keep the mind concentrated upon the flower.
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Which books can I read on the topic?
Some good books we can recommend you in the topic are (click on the tittles to find their complete description in Amazon):
- Into the Silent Land: The Practice of Contemplation
- Zen Flowers: Contemplation Through Creativity
- New Seeds of Contemplation (Shambhala classics library)
- The Human Condition: Contemplation and Transformation
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Final Remarks
The exercise may look simple, however bare in mind that contemplation is a very difficult form of meditation.
We have found ourselves having a very difficult time switching from the analytical mode of thinking that we are so used to into the contemplative mode. We have also found ourselves being continuously plagued with distractions. Through practice, we have learned the patience to not get frustrated when a distraction entered. We just accepted that it was there and went back to contemplating.
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We exercise this practice in all of our retreats as part of our work with the Domain of the Will.
Check out our upcoming events and join us in our pledge of making this world a more beautiful place, starting with ourselves.
See more of our practices here.
