Gurdjieff Movements Series with Heather Ruce
Gurdjieff Movements are Gurdjieff’s interpretations of sacred temple dances and rituals he had seen and studied during his travels to monasteries in Asia and Africa. Gurdjieff saw them as a means by which ancient Wisdom is preserved and passed down to future generations. Through their embodied symbolic language beyond our thinking mind, a deeper perception arises. Although there are different kinds of Gurdjieff Movements: ritual, prayers, dervish dances, mathematical patterns, etc., the objective of them all is that they are prayers. Gurdjieff saw them as medicine. Like Eastern martial arts, they are exact and precise, demanding precision, discipline and dedication.
Not only are the Movements themselves both prayer and medicine, they are a practical approach to put the inner Wisdom work of awakening, the development of conscious presence, and the harmonizing of the three centers (Intellectual/Mind, Emotional/Feeling, Body/Sensation) into practice. They are meant to challenge the intellectual center in such a way that you must include the emotional and movement centers in order to learn them. They have also been constructed consciously with a three-fold purpose, called the three lines of the work. The First Line of Work is work on oneself. The Second Line of Work is work with others. The Third Line of Work is work for Work’s sake which is sometimes called service or Work on behalf of all.
Movements can be a powerful practice to help us to continue to find our center and anchor within it, in the midst of whatever movements may be taking place. This online class will meet from 3:00-4:15pm Pacific Time for a total of six times on the following Tuesdays: November 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, December 2nd, & 9th. During our classes we will each take up a short aim, work together with a few Movements, and have some time for sharing observations.
Wisdom Work Partner: You are invited to have a Wisdom Work Partner if you are interested. This is entirely optional but can be very useful. A Wisdom Work Partner serves a very specific purpose as someone who you can check in with to share authentic observations around how the Movements we are focusing on in this class are intersecting with day to day life.
Event Details
When: Tuesdays, November 4, 11, 18, 25, December 2, & 9. From 6:00-7:15pm ET
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: The total suggested cost for all 6 times is $30-120, pick what works for you in that range.
Registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_mOc6m4lu_cgVQH8L6WLtF0N5xDy0AHQRW4r0ruyRmi7WQw/viewform