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Integral Transformative Practice
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Integral Transformative Practice - ITP An Introduction Michael Murphy and George Leonard have researched and explored this path for more than forty years. In their 1995 book, “The Life We Are Given; A Long-Term Program for Realizing the Potential of Body, Mind, Heart and Soul,” they outline a plan, based on research, that many of us in our busy Western lives can personalize to help us explore our own course, sometimes on our own, sometimes with a group. The program, Integral Transformative Practice (ITP), includes self-designed affirmations, an easily accessible exercise plan – the Kata, regular meditation, nutrition, and emotional self-awareness - group check-in. It is a commitment to ongoing practice. Those practicing the ITP over time, report that the combination of Eastern and Western disciplines, with individual and group exploration, have made their efforts very rewarding, dynamic, and exciting. “For years, the two of us had wanted to try out our ideas about the realization of extraordinary human abilities, to see if people with busy lives could change themselves for the better through long term practice. We had long held a vision of human evolution and the transformation of human societies. Separately and together, we had worked for most of our adult lives inspired by the belief that all of us possess a vast untapped potential to learn, to love, to feel deeply, to create, and that there are few tragedies so pervasive, so difficult to justify, as to waste that potential.” Note the ITP website below. So, in keeping with this spirit, Mike Murphy, the founder of the Esalen Institute and author of “The Future of the Body” and George Leonard, former editor of Look Magazine, and author of “Mastery” have developed this program in an effort to make these tools more accessible for Western society in the year 2005. There are currently over 100 independent ITP groups meeting around the world. ITP groups have been meeting for ten years in the San Francisco Bay area. Though the results of this work are still early, the data is very revealing. George Leonard told me recently that he expects a definitive research publication to publish an article on the impact of this practice over time within the next few months. These studies are ongoing at Stanford University and Sonoma State University in California. Our presentation is a brief introduction to the ITP program. However it is our hope that it might be a springboard for interested and committed fellow explorers to come together in mutual support on some kind of regular basis for the purpose of developing additional local ITP support groups, as has been done in the Bay Area. One or two of the Bay Area groups have volunteered to share their experiences in starting regular meetings and what they have found to be most useful. They generally meet once per week, combining some exercises and meditation sessions with guest speakers and new content discussions on personal growth etc. The sessions on “checking-in” and emotional support have been found to be individually helpful, as well as leading to deeper group connections. Locally, we have one group, which has been meeting twice monthly since September, and we are presenting this Open Session to offer local explorers an opportunity to learn more about ITP. In addition to Terri O’Fallon speaking on affirmations, one part of an ITP, we will provide a brief outline of the practice, as discussed in the book, as well as a taste of the DVD, “The Tao of Practice,” which demonstrates the Kata and some related exercises. There will be a brief meditation session followed by some discussion and questions and answers. RSVP. 206-232-6300
LMJ-safe@comcast.net http://www.itp-life.com/what.html
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