To: The Tango Mailing List
Date: Fri, 07 Aug 1998 10:19:50

Ontario Workshop: July 30th - August 1st

hello shining beings, I am Juan Jose Yera.
This is part 1 of 2, DAY ONE:

Here I am, on my way home and I intend to describe as best I can the events and mood of the recent Ontario seminar. Don't judge me becouse of my spelling I can gurantee you I'm as dumb as I seem, But, I'm a lucky guy hurray oh boy." Perhaps you too will be convinced that you are indeed a "Shining Being". The last 10 days have been a marvelous time for me. I have always said that the company of the most indulgent of warriors (I don't mean you) is preferable to that of an average man who is not aware of intent or in possesion of a desire to be Free. Time with people that have no idea that it is possible to see energy as it flows in the  universe pales when you are with warrior aware of intent. I spent a week sequestered, more or less, doing the  things that we have all read about in the books, as best as I could.  Thanx to A for coming up with the Idea. Your presence spurred me on to continue the grueling week.

Our intent was saturation before the intensive. To arrive there in a state of silence. To push ourselves with as much deliberate and  sustained effort as the asshole's that we are could stand. The whole thing in the end took a  surprising twist when many of the passes and exercises were aimed at being with a partner. We spent days of silence trying to change our routines. We did simple things  like switching our watches from one hand to another at random intervals.  I stopped eating meat for a day or two. Cut out cheese(which I love), started a 6 hour a day sleep/vigil cycle. Waking up several times and doing passes and or recap  or both. Our conversations were about the warriors world seldom talking about our selves. We did things as odd as looking for the perfect tonal and passes in the street,  trying to chose the ones that we could do with out calling attention to our selves. Like Scraping mud off the feet when entering buildings. Running man in the pool.

Silvio Manuel's passes were especially easy to perform with out attracting attention. One time, when we were especially careless, someone asked if we were dancers. I responded that "No we were just doing dance steps which we considered magical." The  question of inaccessibility came up but upon further reflection I quote the bible here. " I f you have a lighted candle do you place it under a bushel basket or do you  hold it up so it can light the world? I think the more people (mass) are involved in this new intent the better. I fancied a brave new world where going to work was secondary to performing the magical passes. Imagine this world with practitioners at  every turn. We did not see ourselves all week cause we covered all the mirrors in the joint as soon  as we got there. I'm still having trouble recognizing my self

These events caused an exquisite silence in me. As a result I have realized exactly where I am in dreaming. I have acquired a facility to  maintain a scene where as before they would vanish before I could see what they truly were. I  discovered that If I describe the passes in my head as I do them, I'm  not thinking about the car or the bastard that cut me off. My internal dialogue. if one can call it that,  can temporarily dethrone that foreign installation. In one vision, as strange as it may sound, I saw a scene that resembled the last supper, By Da vinchi. But instead of Jesus and the disciples I saw a dark panorma of what seemed to be tar  black Michelin men, all leaning, pyramid like as if at a Roman banquet, as if feasting. Only now do I start to understand the significance of that scene which was quite grotesque.  So I thank the spirit for pointing that out to me.

The 30th finally arrived and we made our way to Ontario. The weather was bright and sunny for the tree days of this most magical of events.  Again participants from all over the globe converged on the convention center. Filling out the forms, the badges, which were a shiny sky blue with tie die like yarn of several colors, the whole bit and of course one can not neglect the tensegrity greeters that seem to have wider and wider smiles every time I see them! Security was rather lax and at one point during the workshop no one checked my badge on the way in. The hall was as big as any other we have had. The overhead was a mass of girders, ducts and pipes all painted black like a night sky With large circular white vents spread throughout. The floors were of polished cement. The walls resembled  the rubber walls in a psyc ward. There was only one center stage with four of the now familiar projection screens.

There clearly was a prevailing excitement in the air. The atmosphere was charged with the intent of all of those "shining beings", as the practitioners were referred to on several occasions by the instructors and staff. What did  I believe was the underlying mood? I would say lightness and freedom. An emphasis on doing what our own bodies told us to do. Several times  this theme was repeated. "Don't worry about weather the circles go forward or back, your body will know.  Let it do what feels right. Take responsibility for this solitary  flight". It seems the departure of the Nagual has ignited the spirit of navigation, of revitalization. As  if they had been wearing a corset, and all of a sudden discovered the  "freedom Bra" As a child experiencing the joy of discovering their ability to go from a crawl to  stumbling to a full and joyous power gait as they dart around avoiding  the protective gestures of the fearful and heavy parent, afraid the child will fall. The shrills of  those warriors were heard through out the 3 days with a level of energy  unprecedented in this practitioners experience. Not since westwood have I seen that level of "after hours" movement and practice.

I openly want to thank the spirit for the signs and joy that I had in  looking into the eyes in greeting and embracing old friends and seeing the obvious changes in the practitioners which I have had the honor to observe these past years. There was a spirit of affection and awe that permeated the place, no  kidding. I also want to thank all the practitioners I interacted with. You have given me more than  you can imagine. "I love you man"

The work shop began as usual, with grant telling us the schedule had changed. Several times the staff set up podiums and chairs only to turn a round moments later and remove them. The sound system had problems on and off with an erie  echo that forced you to be quiet and concentrate more on the sound of their voices.

The first movements were a warm up that were repeated many times through out. They were performed both, while standing, while sitting  and laying on the mats. they consisted of a selection of tensegrity movements from most of the series in the vast repertoire of magical passes. They were all performed very slowly in a spirit of stretching before the passes. 1. The back and forth motion of the arms touching the opposite arm at the shoulder 2. bringing energy to the V  spot from the shoulder blades. 3. kneading energy with a push of the shoulder blades. 4.  pushing clasped energy with the elbow and fore arm. 5. slow arm  swings, one at a time and both at the same time. Like figure 8 (Not the speedy, jerky motions done before). 6. The monkey breadth and curling left arm up to arm pit while dropping the right down to the thigh. 7. The neck exercise to the  front, left, right with slow deliberate movements and breathing. 8. Offering the breadth. 9. Stirring up  energy for the adrenals. There may be a couple more but if we wait till I recap it all we'll be here f-o-r-e-v-e-r :o(would'nt that be nice)

If anyone remembers something other than what I have down pleas feel to  pipe in. Go ahead hurt my self importance. My recap proceeds too slow for me to wait till I can remember it all. So being brought up Catholic, I do feel guilty. "I TOOK NOTES" (except most passes) I hope I will be forgiven someday

Miles opened up after the warm up talking about the basic tenets of  warriorship. Describing the assemblage point and that it forms veritable new worlds. They are the key points that produce new worlds.  The Shamans of ancient Mexico discovered the magical passes that  redeploy our energy to the vital centers from it's encrustation on the inner wall of the luminous cocoon(ball). They increase vital energy and well being that result in true change in our beings. The purpose of the seminars are to facilitate to the group of practitioners the benefit of mass. The instructors have found that the more practitioners, the easier for our  kinesthetic memories to remember due to the large number of people intending this change. He went on to affirm that the passes should fit the individual. As you practice the movements they should remain dynamic(How Fluid are you?)  adjust them to your comfort, take into account how you can adapt them to your self personally. We did the release passes. Adjust and practice what you  remember and feel comfort with.

We then did the release passes and video long form. After we had a short lecture by Nuri Alexander. She recounted How don Juan would  deliver the back blow to Castaneda. She assured us that we have received that blow by the  practice of tensegrity. By the way, in a previous work shop Florinda  was asked if the tensegrity instructors saw energy as it flowed in the  universe, and the answer was yes. She went on to talk about time and that it was not a vague concept but a clear  arrangement of energy. Living beings walk down one furrow at a time.  However, we have the ability to turn around and see time as it comes towards us instead of  just remembering what has happened, we can actually see what is coming towards us. Not only that, but the repetition of our habits keep us in the same furrows of the wheel of time. In order to change furrows we must change our being by performing the Magical Passes. She then gave a brief look forward to the passes we would be doing. The  videos, new passes, not doings, the wheel of time the new west wood passes and the passes of affection. The integration of the recap into  the passes. This will bring about a true behavioral change that will enable us to jump to other groves in the  wheel of time. She spoke of crossing from one phylum to the other. With passes like the lobster strike, teasing the web and the winged creature.

The shamans of ancient Mexico saw as an energetic fact that the  universe is constantly honing awareness. The universe is divided into  sections 1. Inanimate energy has low awareness 2. Animated, this section is the universe attempting to become aware of it self. We are bubbles touring awareness and then returning to infinity. The art of shamans is that, as they become aware, the universe becomes aware. We as human beings carry the potential of the  universe trying to become aware of it self. As practitioners we can -become- the universe aware of itself, this makes the self go away. Crossing Phylum is not a far fetched Idea. The human embryo (Mine: The fetus is embryonically undetermined Male/Female) as it develops  resembles a primitive fish, then a reptile, a bird and finally a mammal.

Shamans try to see energy as it flows in the universe. The act of  intending is taught from our youth except we intend only the world we see. We can see the repetitive patterns in our lives when we recapitulate. We need to construct new avenues of behavior, a new base on the wheel of time.  Practicing the magical passes like Being from the ground, Being from the air and from the sea helps  you cross the phylum and perhaps get a glimpse from a different angle.  I believe that we then did the creature from the ground and the same day did the recap and dreaming  from west wood. They were done with a partner so that you would not focus on the self. The first part was face to face with each doing half of the following movements. I.E. both strike with right hand at top middle and bottom to  form the trunk, then both strike with right hand at mid point to slap the energy body and so on. These were the passes done together before sitting down and doing a mass recap.

1. Forging the trunk
2. Slapping the energy body
3. Spreading the energy body
4.  Establishing the core of the EB
5. Forging the heals of the EB.
6. The recap wings
7. The window of recap, were staggered and then together 3 sets each.
8. Five deep breaths, fore heads touch - three breaths
9. Drawing energy from the feet foreheads  touch three breaths. Then(stand at 90 deg to each other) stager the start time
10. Three fingers on the  ground
11. Knuckles on toes.
12. Drawing energy from the floor
13 .Moving energy in a ripple without bending to the floor

Then we sat  and recapped right away. When we stood up (put on shoes) we did he arm swing then in the same side to side  fashion count at least five times to the left to the right 1. Forcing the assemblage point down - switch to drawing energy from the adrenals - in same swinging motion continue with hurling the AP from the waist - then from the shoulder like a disk  then from the shoulder(back of head) - then like a ball above the head. Contiue this cycle 2 or 3  times to comfort.

I can't quite place where Brandon did his lecture but he seems to have really come into his a own with a brilliant and funny presentation that told his story about his attempts at recapitulation. The humor was accentuated more because the story sounded so much like what most of us go through. Here is my  best rendition. He was trying to give us a new approach to Recapitulation. He defined  it as a systematic scrutiny of ones life in order to understand and change our behavior. Shamans believe that once you understand, it is impossible to go back to what we once were. Shamans opt to fly off and give to infinity that enhanced awareness and live impeccable lives linked to intent, not the  social order. Enhancing our awareness liberates the assemblage point from its fixed position. The recap puts  social order in a less overwhelming place. It takes you from, compulsive habits to a world of conscious decision. He contiued - start by making a list of everyone(  easier said than done) then he proceeded to tell his story. He  figured he would be very successful and that in a few weeks he would finish his list. He decided he would recap a bit at lunch and a bit after work. He himself being a catholic  was used to monastic life and would be finished in 2 years. After a while he realized that his plan was not working. So he decided to really get serious.

He quite everything, got a 4 hour a day job at Seven/Eleven. That way  he would get a cheap apartment, have enough money to eat and have all that time to recapitulate! He decided to recapitulate 10 hours a day. He would start  from the most recent to the very first person he ever met. He started  making his list and getting ready. Just as it says in the book, he started getting all the things together that were needed. Make a box, find a cave, get his natural  fiber cushion all the props he needed in order to really start his recap. He started to realize that it would  take longer to prepare than he had anticipated.

Besides he did not  really want to rehash all the garbage of his life. He decided to visualize all the details. What color was the carpet, the walls, what were people wearing, the man had a  watch, what make was it, what time was it... He found he could not  remember all that detail and realized that he was a total failure. He described his method of breathing in your feelings right to left then exhale left to right or the other way is just as  well. Between the preparation and the recap it was so taxing that he was exhausted and hungry. So he seemed to go on a food binge. Since he worked at 7/11 there was lots of food. Since he started to get fat he had to start walking which meant less time for his recap. He figured he could recap while he walked so he demonstrated the Power breath he  developed for walking.

It was truly ridiculous and funny to see him perform these movements on the stage. In the end the recap continued to decrease, his weight continued  to increase and the manager at his work thought of him as a fat bat looking person. His social life also decreased. He could not fathom that he had to put  every one he met on a daily basis on his list so he avoided people. So in the end he was broke, friendless, and hungry. Carol told him to be creative, "try some thing new, something that would not make him so fat! He was in shock. He thought, the books are very clear,  how, what, when -eventhough, he admitted, some said the opposite of the other. But HOW can I be creative. She told him you have to intend the  change. Carol told him to do passes before and after his recap.

It must be approached with detachment, lightness and sobriety. Recapping together brings detachment. But be fluid enough to do either,  don't let it be another obsession. The recapitulation forces the assemblage point to move. Pick one thing and try to remember as much detail as you can, capture the mood of the interaction. Inhale - exhale seal the memory with a sweep with out a breath. Awareness lies in the act of breathing, in that way you can  deliver it to infinity. at some point around here we did some westwood passes a bit different than before. we also did Intent, basically the same with the exception that in the long form when you turn around to crack the two circles of energy instead of coming back to the left you continue to the right and make a full circle. We learned the creature from the ground.

DAY TWO (part 2 of 2):

Next to speak was Reni Murez. She introduced the Masculinity and the  Womb series. She started with adding some information about the recap.  Some questions had been asked about recapping people they encountered  in there lives now. The answer being yes, staring with a fresh new page allows you to become free of passing judgments. The masculine series was so named because it tends to cultivate a quality to strike into the unknown. They make you ready to start the recap. They give you the initiative and drive. An "energetic" male is someone who has the energetic force to venture into another furrow of the wheel of time.

The magical passes stir up energy to go into the vital centers. The masculinity passes have two sections one series are short contained  movements of tendon energy the other less contained. Four female  instructors will lead the series. The Womb, gives women an anatomical  advantage with the liberation of the Womb from simply a reproductive organ to a sense organ it liberates the Womb and turns it into a second Brian, (so much for thinking with your Dick!) The Womb is capable of apprehending sensory data and interpreting it. They awaken the Womb as  an organ of perception.

Shamans perception happens at the assemblage point. Women on the other hand can perceive with the Womb. It awakens women up from socialization. Men have a predilection for explanation.  However the passes for the Womb can provide a launch to extraordinary  perception. Energy is the all pervasive impetus behind everything. She continued explaining that intent separates man from others and that the  passes intend a greater range of perception. They recommend that both be practiced lightly. All beings that are going to die have a choice of living in self reflection or to have a romance with life.

We then did masculinity, they have added several leg movements between the natural breaks in the passes. 1. Just after the striking energy  with a spike of energy you go to the alert position with hands at the ready and you do two rapid sets (3 count) of shuffling with the feet - left right left - right left right- repeat then continue. The second set of movements happens after the short contained movements associated with the right side. You perform the scooping with foot pass from Silvio Manuel's and Juan Tuma's passes. left left right right and  repeat. I call it the Fred Astare. Next time is after the next short  contained movements associated with the right side. They are stepping  over a barrier of energy (Intent) step in left - step in right - then step out left - step out right, then repeat. The last set of leg movements happen at the end of the first set of major movements for the  right side first hoisting energy upward from (heat) then stirring up  personal history by making it flexible (kick in the but) westwood. - up  left, up right, - kick left, kick right.

Saturday afternoon Miles introduced the not doings. It was quite difficult for me to understand him between the echo and a thick Spanish accent. - uhhh well go figure-. here is what I got. Man has a capacity to change the direction of the flow of energy. The running man prepares  us to run. Makes us alert to action and fleet of foot. This energy is stirred at the feet. It wakes up the adrenals. There is an opening to infinity at the feet. The dark sea of awareness. Gaining access to this prepares us for fluidity and change. The only fringe of awareness that man still possesses is at the feet. That dark sea is just below or  above the ankle bone. It is like a river of energy at our feet. To agitate that river is to stimulate the growth of awareness. The Shamans  of ancient Mexico saw that if they moved their feet in a certain way  that fringe of awareness would grow. This in effect shakes or vibrates the stream and it is performed with muscular and tendon energy. Be aware of this an intend to grab or snatch energy from that dark sea. Do  these only every two or three days. If you perform them sitting it is  possible to promote more alertness. These passes were lead by Brandon.

Brandon introduced the wheel of time. We would do first the individual passes then learn a long form. He stated that these passes must be done perfectly. Juan Matus said that upon executing these passes practitioners must intend to turn into a circle. Every muscle must be  involved. with the wheel of time those shamans were capable of  manipulating the intent of time and space. For average men time and space is an abstraction they see time as a cognitive system of non-spatial continuum in an irreversible continuum, in a 3 dimensional field. However, time, like a thought intervenes in every aspect. To the Shamans of ancient Mexico Time was intent. Man is a minute part of  the universe but under certain circumstances could redeem some of that intent.

Space is infinity. It is all the endeavors of living creatures. It is  where action takes place. Man is accountable for a large % of space.  These concepts are workable units. This concept was assembled from their ability to see energy. They described something of infinite  length and width. Living things are compelled to gaze into one furrow  of the wheel of time. They are arranged in a circular fashion.  Warriors who focus their attention on the wheel of time could gaze into any furrow in any direction. There are certain energetic facts. We are in a position to force a change in the flow of energy. Execution  requires concentration. It requires patience and guidance. The  instructors will continue to teach the wheel of time slowly and  deliberately. Once practitioners tap into this source infinity comes to the practitioner. It initiates the possibility for behavioral change.  It aids in the recap and awareness. We will be able to expand and  contract space and time. They intend that we practice the movements to perfection. Practice them sparingly so that we do not turn morbid. learn to listen to your body. Take it easy. We must take responsibility for ourselves don't over do it and don't complain.

At this juncture I personally would like to reiterate the importance  that I have found in the term "I don't explain I don't complain" This concept in my estimation is tied directly to the Nagual's request that we cease judgment, of ourselves and of others. What is the point just  surrender to the spirit. That's the way it is. We have to stop trying to fix the other person and concentrate on stalking ourselves. With that said we have now arrived at supper on the second day. Everything  has been taught by now except the creature from the Air, which was taught after the supper break and the passes for the blank check of  affection which were taught on the third day after lunch.

After supper on the 2nd day the whole place was buzzing with rumors. The Nagual woman was supposed to show up tonight. They took great pains to make sure the sound system worked and put every body in the front of the stage. (They gave the impression that if you saw the back side of  Carol Tiggs you would not see anything:) The back doors swung open and in she came. A standing ovation followed  as she walked to the stage. She was dressed all in a long white dress.  As if she was a medium in a Santeria sect. She used the phrase good  evening shining Beings. She introduced herself "I am Carol Tiggs I was the only one energetically available for this evening" Her fluctuation  between joy and the verge of tears was overwhelming.

She continued: We  are all linked by abstract affection. She joked with Brandon and drew  parallels to her struggle to recap and how she was also a "Fat Bat".  These three days would be days of contradiction. She gave us a tip for  our daily recapitulation. She said at the end of the day write  everything down take only about ten minutes and then file it, don't look at it. Come back to it some other day. You will be surprised to see the patterns. Some where in the middle of her talk she gasped and  asked out loud "Oh am I gone!" Then she apologized and said that everything was so quiet that she thought she had left the world. She  said that to cross the phylum we must suspend judgment. We are a mere bubble of awareness touring infinity.

As she looked out into the crowd she said "I see something awesome.  The shining heart of the lineage. A unified body of beings with discipline and purpose on the abstract path." ( As I write this the same feeling of awe and sadness overtakes me to the point of tears not of realization but true useless hope and affection for this Nagual woman  and the body of practitioners around me.) "You are not ready yet" she  said it is not in the realm of warriors to insist when something is not possible. Do the passes and recap. There is no way to catch up to don  Juan and the Nagual.

They are running and we are running behind them. It is now impossible to stay like we were. Awareness. When sorcerers  leave they leave stuffed with awareness. Just do the work. Passes and  recap and intend to change. There are no winners or losers here just  action. In order to move the assemblage point you must acquire  fluidity. Our lives are but a moment as artists, don't doubt that life  is extraordinary. She then went on to talk about the flying form. She stated that tonight the instructors shared a link with infinity. Cross to a different phylum and merge as a male and female winged beings. No excuses, If you feel like you are a looser then what is the point in clinging to anything? Use that energy for awareness. Discipline is the art of awe. Open up to the wonders around you

Marco and one of the Alexander Vanalstines taught the creature from the air. they tricked us and said this would be the only time it was taught..

The THIRD DAY was a review all morning.

After lunch Nuri Murez addressed us again as shining beings. She joked with us about how we would not let the instructors from the sea creature leave. She said  that stiff shoulders was a good measure of our tensegrity  accomplishment. Use the stretching exercises to stretch your selves.  You embody the lineage’s of the shamans of ancient Mexico. Hold up that  intent when you go home. We have all been trained to be losers. So why not retrain to hold up that intent of a warrior. The passes for  affection promote abstract affection. This link to affection is anchored in Infinity. The ultimate challenge of a human beings is to love another human being unconditionally. Normally we want to be loved but not love back. She gave an example of a husband and wife. She, a  dedicated person that cooks, irons, does everything for him and then the  husband turns around and screams out the window "is there anyone out  there that loves me."

The recap shows that all our dramas are cardboard dramas. Don Juan said forget about your self and fear nothing. Abstract affection takes all our courage. If you don't have it, give it anyway. In writing your daily notes don't write she, they, white about your self and your  reactions. She recounted a story that The Nagual woman had told her.  The old Nagual used to look at her and ask what's wrong. She would  respond "nothing" he would insist and she would complain "Nobody is doing things my way" Don't get hooked in things like "she is slow" "she  wants to be in control" As an aside comment, as I sit and write this I realize that she is describing ME. See the reflection of our own repetition in others. Let go of the patterns and become a witness to infinity.

She passed a message on from The Nagual woman that she was thrilled to see babies in the he crowd. If we want to help them, make them in this image of awareness to intent. It is a good thing to bring them and thus give fluidity to their assemblage points. Then she introduced the friendship pass and add that this was a new direction.  With this pass we can turn the wheel of time. The workshop finished on a high level of energy and people did not depart right away instead, continued to practice the friendship passes. Thank you all again. And  I voice out loud my intent to change.

Yours, Juan Jose Yera