Mike's Work

Getting in Touch

Is the generic title for Mike’s series of advanced courses.

There is no aspect of the human being, Spirit, Mind or Body. that does not reveal itself in the body.

To touch someone is to use the verb in the active sense. To be in touch suggests something more passive, a receiving or, at best, joint practice. Joint practice is what these courses are all about.

The courses are designed to improve our abilities to hear the story told by the Spirit, Mind, Body through palpation of the body.

We shall touch the body with such a deep and present sense of awareness that its story is told and heard as far as its original intention. This allows a return to that original intention and an appropriate modification, in the present, of habits formed out of past experience.

The Buddha said that enlightenment is in the body.

The mystic poet Rumi quoted God as saying of the prophet Mohammed, “He is an ear.”

Basis of Teaching

What I am trying to present is a teaching style somewhat different to most others but, I hope, entirely complementary to them.
The whole package, that is to say, the Blessing of Insecurity foundation, the three-part, Embodiment of Spirit and the annual continuing Refresher course, are presented as an apprenticeship, where the Master is the Spirit itself and we are all exploring its revelation. I am merely a facilitator. The programme culminates in the three-part The Bliss of Being Ordinary in which distinguished visiting teachers share the facilitation of the realization from their particular disciplines, of the experience that clarity and wisdom are ordinary: it is the way we live most of the time that is pathological.
We are talking about joint practice with each other and very specifically, are talking about joint practice with the patient/client.
The main thrust of the work is to encourage a stillness and space in the practitioner in which the patient trusts herself to be heard. In this being heard lies the healing. Intelligence knows, the intellect can only ever know partially.
The basic model for these courses is the revelation in the body of Bodhidarma.  In no way is any other model denied or devalued. In fact, much will be gained from reference to other ancient traditions and to modern science.

Students

The following are very welcome:-

  • All graduates of the Karuna Institute.
  • All graduates of colleges affiliated to the Craniosacral Therapy Association of the U.K. or of the U.S. .Members of the European Association of Craniosacral Therapists.
  • Registered Osteopaths, Physiotherapists, Acupuncturists and Psychotherapists (with some experience of body-work).
  • Others showing commitment to the work, by individual negotiation

Students will normally be expected to first undertake the foundation Blessing of Insecurity course before going on to The Embodiment of Spirit. Exceptions to this will be negotiated individually and depend on the nature of their experience elsewhere.

The Refresher course is only for students who have completed The Embodiment of Spirit. This course will change and be ongoing for those who wish to continue the exploration.

The Bliss of Being Ordinary.  Completion of the Embodiment of Spirit  is an essential prerequisite.

Courses

The Blessing of Insecurity is a five day introduction to working at a very deep level. It stands on its own or can form the foundation for exploring even further by undertaking the three-part Embodiment of Spirit course.

The Embodiment of Spirit consists of three modules of five days each, spread over a period of approximately nine months.

The Bliss of Being Ordinary in three parts, on an annual basis. Distinguished visiting teachers share the facilitation of the realization from their particular disciplines, of the experience that clarity and wisdom are ordinary: it is the way we live most of the time that is pathological.

Refresher courses are offered annually, only to those who have completed the three parts of The Embodiment of Spirit.

 

All these courses are held in comfortable and beautiful venues. The courses and their locations are described in greater detail in the following pages.

The purpose of all of them is to give ourselves permission to work at levels beyond that which the mere intellect can encompass and get in touch with Intelligence which underlies dis-ease.

It is not our intention to get rid of ego but it is possible to work ungoverned by its attachments.