Foundational Processes are the fundamental experiences upon which all future growth is built.  They are basic to our physical health, our emotional well-being, our capacity to relate to others, our ability to engage effectively with the real world, and our capacity to know and express ourselves.

1

Natural Nutrition

Natural Nutrition Processes provide natural, whole foods – containing all the building blocks for physical and mental development, without the toxic residue.

Modalities: Natural, whole foods; nutritional supplements; family dinner table.

{¬† Younger children: “When Annie was in the incubator, Mary Kate pumped breast milk, so the baby would receive immunity-building colostrum, and would not have to drink formula.”

{¬† Older children: “Our teenagers eat natural, home-cooked dinners, made from scratch.”

{¬† Adults: “Where possible, we try to eat local, seasonal, whole, organic foods --while avoiding the temptation to eat junk food, convenience foods, or heavily-processed foods”

2

Natural Medicine

Natural Medicine Processes are treatment practices that mobilize the body’s natural capacity to regulate and heal itself.¬† These Processes prevent illness and restore physical health.¬† They produce the vigor, clarity, responsiveness, and harmony that support all other Processes.

Modalities: Homeopathic remedies, herbs, preventive medicine.

{¬† Younger children: “When Annie was born 12 weeks premature, we gave her chamomile, rescue remedy, and other herbs and homeopathics, to reduce colic, build her resistance, and put her in balance.”

{¬† Older children: “If a child gets a headache, we might test him for toxins and give him enzymes to metabolize the contaminants.”

{¬† Adults: “According to some studies, Hormone Replacement Therapy can cause breast cancer.¬† Mary Kate and the older girls prefer to use natural estrogen and other non-medical supplements to stabilize their female hormones.”

3

Nurturing & Bonding

Nurturing and Bonding Processes are activities that satisfy our needs for basic emotional sustenance and intimate connection with loved ones.  They promote stability, security, and self-confidence.  They support the capacity for warm, open, intimate, and caring relationships later in life.

Modalities: Breast-feeding, baby slings, cuddling, kiddie backpacks, Watsu massage.

{¬† Younger children: “We always keep our babies physically close – using baby slings, kiddie backpacks, and frequent on-demand holding.”

{¬† Older children: “We take our kids with us everywhere – to shopping, restaurants, plays, concerts, weekend outings, and vacations.¬† They rarely behave badly, because they always feel welcome and accepted.”

{¬† Adults: “Sean is able to succeed in the struggle of a competitive business world, because he always feels cherished and supported when he gets home.”

4

Relationships & Marriage

Relationships are associations between relative equals Рranging from friends, teammates, and co-workers to long-term or lifelong partners.  Relationships provide a reciprocal growth mechanism Рwhere each person receives guidance and support from the other.  Marriage is an agreement to remain in Relationship permanently.

Modalities:  Dating, going steady, singles groups, speed dating, matching-making sites, loveable pets.

{¬† Younger children: “As soon as Dean was old enough to be away from Mom, we enrolled him in nursery school – so he could learn to make friends.”

{¬† Older children: “When they hit the dating scene, our boys soon learned that the hottest girls don’t necessarily make the best partners.”

{¬† Adults: “These days, with Facebook and internet dating sites, it’s a lot easier to find a good match.”

5

Sexuality & Sensuality

Sexuality is an intimate physical Relationship, where each party experiences intense arousal and release.  Sensuality is the pervasive experience of bodily pleasure in a moderate state of arousal.  Both Sexuality and Sensuality provide an intense and all-consuming experience of physical aliveness, bodily pleasure, and intimate connectedness.

Modalities:. Hugs, massage, sensual caressing, extended foreplay, erotic literature, Tantra.

{¬† Younger children: “Our kids were always hugged and touched a lot, so they grew up feeling physically attractive.”

{¬† Older children: “Our older kids like to feel sexy.¬† However, they don’t act out their sexual impulses unless there is a deep, mutual attachment and commitment.”

{¬† Adults: “Sean and Mary Kate keep their physical passion alive with quiet walks, romantic outings, and sensual spiritual practices.”

6

Family Dynamics

Family Dynamics Processes are experiences that promote connection, appreciation, and mutual support among family members.  They provide a sanctuary of love and comfort, a pattern for future social relationships, and a set of role models for caring and intimate behavior. 

Modalities: Family dinner table, family celebrations, group process, intentional communities.

{¬† Younger children: “Every child helps out with the baby – holding, rocking, feeding, changing.”

{¬† Older children: “Even our teenagers like to spend time with the family – because they know it will be fun, heart-warming, and respectful of their need for a separate identity.”

{¬† Adults: “Our kids carry their understanding and appreciation of the family into group situations of adult life.¬†¬† They seek school groups, social situations, workgroups, and communities where people function like one big family.”

 

Physical-world Processes are encounters with material reality.  These experiences enable us to connect our inner mental processes with the external world of our perceptions and actions.  They allow us to perceive the world more accurately, to engage with it more effectively, and to appreciate its intricacy, multiplicity, and beauty.

7

Sensory Experience

Sensory Processes are activities that engage our five senses in experiences with the physical and mental world.  They give us a strong appreciation of, orientation to, and connection with external reality Рalong with the capacity to trust our own responses and perceptions.

Modalities: Mobiles, sandbox, fingerpainting, Montessori materials, aromatherapy.

{¬† Younger children: “Baby’s first sensory experiences are not bars and latches – but festive mobiles, comfy quilts, tinkling music boxes, purring kitties, savory smells, and warm, adoring eyes.”

{¬† Older children: “We teach abstract subjects like math using tangible manipulatives like Cuisinere Rods and Montessori materials.”

{¬† Adults: “Our home is always a feast of sensory experiences – interesting pictures and wall-hangings; rich, savory smells; and lively ethnic music.”

8

Physical Activity

Physical Activity Processes are activities that engage the whole body in vigorous, natural movement.  They enable us to experience ourselves as present and real -- and engender a sense of groundedness, self-confidence, and empowerment.

Modalities: crawling, walking, team sports, aerobics.

{¬† Younger children: “Our kids share strenuous physical activity with us even before they can walk – jogging with us in the stroller, biking in the kiddie seat, hiking in the baby backpack.¬† From the earliest years, physical activity means fun and adventure.”

{¬† Older children: “Although our kids are not great athletes, they play lots of physical sports – basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis -- just for the fun of it.”

{¬† Adults: “As adults, we like both strenuous and gentle activity.¬† It keeps us fit, opens our breathing, improves our moods, and engages us with other people.”

 

9

Life Experience

Life Experience Processes are experiences that engage us with the challenging situations and activities of everyday life. Includes real-world exploration, trial-and-error, hard knocks, ‘benign neglect.’¬† Such experiences enable us to try things out, to learn by experience, to profit from our successes and mistakes.¬† They engender groundedness, connection, confidence, and empowerment.¬†

Modalities: Exploring cupboards, grocery shopping with Mom, Outward Bound, backpacking.

{¬† Younger children: ““Except where necessary for safety, we avoid anything confining (like cribs, playpens, or highchair), so Annie can roam and explore at will.”

{¬† Older children: “When life challenges come up, we let Sal handle them himself – fixing his own car, applying for a job, baking cookies for Mother’s Day.”

{¬† Adults: “We consciously involve ourselves in unfamiliar situations, so we don’t get in a rut.¬† We like travel to exotic locations, hiking off the trail, and meeting people outside our social circle.”

10

Natural Environment

Natural Environment Processes are experiences that allow us to observe, study, imitate, appreciate, and make use of the world of nature.  They allow us to experience and resonate with the rhythms, order, and harmony of all natural processes -- and to feel comfortable and confident in the natural part of ourselves.

Modalities: Pets, aquarium, garden, camping, bird-watching.

{¬† Younger children: “Our kids delight in baby animals – like kittens, puppies, bunnies, and newborn swallows nesting in the eaves.”

{¬† Older children: “On weekends, our family likes to hike the Bear Valley trail – up to the sunny meadow, and then through the alder-shaded canyon to the rocky beach.”

{¬† Adults: “In our little backyard garden, we enjoy the sunshine, the fresh air, the feel of rich soil, the invigoration of growing things, and the pleasure of eating ripe tomatoes with fresh basil.”

 

 

Socio-cultural Processes engage us with groups of people Рranging from couples, families, teams, and workgroups, to communities, Ethnic Groups, nations, Generations, even  whole societies and Cultures.  They enable us to relate better to others, to function more effectively in society, and to appreciate our place in the larger pattern of culture.

11

Skills

Skills Processes are activities that teach us how to make something, or to do something.  They promote a sense of competence, confidence, and effectiveness. 

Modalities: Walking, reading, riding a bike, driving a car, learning a musical instrument.

{¬† Younger children: “When Jane and Lizzie first learned to ride their little pink bikes, they weaved down windy path at Black Buttes Mountain Resort.”

{¬† Older children: “To become a famous rock musician, Sal learns to play the guitar, compose songs, wire a sound system, produce a music video, cut DVDs, and schedule gigs at local clubs.”

{¬† Adults: “Even though it wasn’t easy, Mary Kate has learned to correspond by email and search Google.¬† To keep his upper body fit, Sean is learning to kayak down the Russian River.”

12

Habits & Programming

Habits & Programming Processes are activities that transform transient actions or skills into standardized, routine patterns of behavior.  Includes: Repetition, routines, practice, conditioned response, internalization, and self-regulation.  They make mundane tasks more efficient, free the attention for more interesting and important concerns, and engender satisfaction in the ordinary activities of life. 

Modalities: Personal hygiene, pet care, study habits, household maintenance.

{¬† Younger children: “At the beginning of the day, even our littlest kids know to brush their teeth, take a shower, and put on clean clothes that match (sometimes!).”

{¬† Older children: “After school, our kids know to get a snack, and then concentrate on homework – so their evening time will be free to share dinner conversation with the family.”

{¬† Adults: “We’ve learned to recycle waste products that previously just went to the trash.”

13

Responsibility

Responsibility Processes are reciprocal activities -- where we are accountable for the performance of duties or tasks, in exchange for certain privileges or benefits.  They allow us to achieve full membership in a group by contributing to its maintenance and development.  Responsibility gives us a sense of security, of belonging, of importance and significance. 

Modalities: Home chores, yard jobs, waitressing, Little League coaching, managing.

{¬† Younger children: “As soon as they’re old enough, each child takes on regular chores around the house – taking out trash, washing dishes, doing laundry.”

{¬† Older children: “As soon as they can qualify, our kids get regular jobs – child care, yard work, serving tables.”

{¬† Adults: “Both Sean and Mary Kate are responsible for maintaining the household and bringing in money.”

14

Enterprise & Leadership

Enterprise Processes are self-originated activities that provide goods or services in exchange for compensation – i.e. operating one’s own business.¬† Leadership Processes prepare us to guide an enterprise or participate significantly in its operation (through management or marketing).¬† Enterprise Processes allow us to choose our own work, to regulate our own time and effort, and to take charge of our own future.¬† They create a sense of independence, security, self-sufficiency, and empowerment.¬†

Modalities: Paper route, competitive sports, sales training, family business.

{¬† Younger children: “Annie and Sal earn their own money for snacks and movies by setting up a lemonade stand or selling their fresh-grown vegetables around the neighborhood.”

{¬† Older children: “Dean and Lizzie earn enough for travel or college by organizing their own businesses – like gardening, child care, catering, or window washing.”

{¬† Adults: “Sean quit the prestigious brokerage firm, and started his own financial business.¬† With his own company, he realized he could make twice the money, have twice the freedom, and provide twice the service.”

15

Ethics & Service

Ethics are the principles we derive from a system of values.   Service represents the efforts we make on behalf of others, as a result of our Ethics.  Ethics & Service Processes emphasize unconditional giving and sharing.  They allow us to express love, appreciation, and generosity without expectation of benefit Рand to give back to society for all the blessings we ourselves have received. They create a feeling of satisfaction, self-worth, and significance.

Modalities: Sharing toys, service projects, volunteer work, community service.

{¬† Younger children: “Each Christmas, our kids must go through their toys, and donate half of them to children less fortunate than themselves.”

{¬† Older children: “In a dusty Mexican village over Spring break, Sal organizes games with the local kids and accompanies their singing with his guitar.”

{¬† Adults: “When friends in our community are sick or injured, have lost a job or a loved one, Mary Kate comforts them with a big pot of soup and a basket of fresh breads.”

16

Acculturation

Acculturation Processes are experiences that initiate us into the practices and traditions of our own culture Рor expose us to diverse traditions from other ethnic and cultural groups.  Acculturation Processes encourage flexibility, multiple-perspective thinking, and emotional generosity.

Modalities: Playgroups, sports teams, summer camp, foreign travel.

{¬† Younger children: “When traveling, we like to visit local ethnic churches – Mexican, black, Hawaiian --because their faith is so natural and spontaneous.”

{¬† Older children: “After high school graduation, Dean toured Europe on a shoe-string -– using money he’d earned himself during the school year.”

{¬† Adults: “When our youngest was only one year old, we exchanged homes with a family in France – living in their home, making friends with their neighbors, and driving their camper van to remote corners of the country.”

17

Archetype & Myth

Archetype & Myth Processes are myths, legends, or creative works that illustrate and enact foundational and archetypal features of a culture Рincluding heroic characters and core values.  They allow us to identify with that culture, to emulate those heroes, and to take pride in their virtues and achievements.

Modalities: American colonial history, Bible stories, classic epics, Asian and American Indian myths, geneology, modern social movements.

{¬† Younger children: “From their earliest years, the children love to hear stories about Odysseus, Moses, and Robin Hood.”

{¬† Older children: “After the boys read Howard Pyle’s King Arthur, they don shields and helmets for jousts and swordfights in the woods.”

{¬† Adults: “We try to elevate the humdrum routine of daily life with a sense of purpose and destiny.¬† We create a family legend, where we ourselves are heroes.”

 

 

Formal Investigation Processes engage our thinking and reasoning powers.  They engage our mental powers to understand, affect, and utilize both tangible and abstract reality.  They allow us to rise above the world, to view it from a more comprehensive perspective, to live in harmony with it, and to make use of it for our own needs.  They create a sense of stability, congruity, cohesiveness, and empowerment.

18

Structure & Order

Structure & Order Processes are activities that promote a sense of order, and develop the capacity to structure increasingly-complex wholes.  They enable us to coordinate, interpret, and make sense out of the multiplicity and diversity around us.  They engender a sense of stability, of tangible relationship, of empowerment.

Modalities: Building blocks, Lego, puzzles, Sim City, family building project, clean-up time.

{¬† Younger children: “Sal builds his blocks into higher and more complex structures – pushing the limit until they all come tumbling down.”

{¬† Older children: “Our teenagers are building a barnyard enclosure for our chickens and ducks, using scrap lumber and recycled wire fencing.”

{¬† Adults: “Dean is apprenticing with a contractor, where he’s learning to build a house from scratch – carpentry, plumbing, electrical, the whole works.”

19

Explanations

Explanation Processes are activities that point out, discuss, clarify, give reasons for, or place in context any phenomenon we may encounter.  Explanations range the full spectrum from casual curiosity to focused inquiry, but lack the formal rigor of Logic (#21) or Science (#23).  These activities instill a sense of curiosity, a spirit of inquiry, and a conviction that the world makes sense.

Modalities: Casual curiosity, critical thinking, current events, philosophy.

{¬† Younger children: “Whenever little Annie asks where stars come from, and why cats stay up at night, we support her curiosity, and try to answer in a way she’ll find interesting.”

{¬† Older children: “When we watch the Discovery Channel, we find out why the dinosaurs died out and how the Mayan Code was deciphered.”

{¬† Adults: “The ADAPT Model explains why we act in certain ways at different Stages of life.¬† It keeps us progressing along the Growth Continuum.”

20

Technologies

Technology Processes are activities that explain, examine, demonstrate, operate, or discuss the implications of, any practical device or mechanism.  They promote a sense of competence and empowerment, an expanded perspective, a mobilization of creative energy, and an optimism that one can function beyond perceived limits.

Modalities:  Cell phone, home appliances, telescope, printing press, automobile.

{¬† Younger children: “One of baby’s favorite toys is the Busy Box – with lots of buttons, levers, and gears – all making interesting sounds and visual effects.”

{¬† Older children: “When teenage Sal cleaned an infected hard drive by re-installing Windows, he felt proud, empowered, and relieved.”

{¬† Adults: “If we want to keep pace with modern times, we’ve got to learn a whole new set of technologies – like cell phones, and Ipods, and the internet.”

21

Logic & Reasoning

Logic & Reasoning Processes are the explicit skills of developing formally-reasoned explanations and arguments.  These skills produce a profound sense of confidence, competence, and empowerment by enabling us to create unified wholes from apparently disparate information.

Modalities: Common sense, critical thinking, formal logic, debate.

{¬† Younger children: “If you go to bed early tonight, we’ll be able to take off earlier tomorrow morning for a fun day at the beach.”

{¬† Older children: “How do we know global warming is created by human emissions – not just sunspots, or natural cycles of heating and cooling?”

{¬† Adults: “What part of this Iraq speech is a valid argument for going to war – and what part is a rationalization to justify a horrendous blunder?”

22

Planning & Orchestrating

Planning & Orchestrating Processes are the skills of anticipating, planning, and orchestrating the various components of some future event.  They enable us to visualize and actualize any of several alternative futures Рthereby imparting a sense of perspective, a freedom from fatalism, and a confidence to act.

Modalities: Birthday party, school dance, drama production, project coordination, Day-timer.

{¬† Younger children: “Before we took Lizzie to her first school, we showed her the classroom, introduced her to her teacher, explained what to expect, and promised when we would pick her up.”

{¬† Older children: “Sal has to plan out all his chores and homework, so he’ll be free on the weekend for band practice and a sleep-over.”

{¬† Adults: “Before we travel to the Northeast, we’ll plan how to hit all the sights – historic battlefields, Cape Cod plays, Penobscot Bay islands – without exhausting ourselves, and still staying within budget.”

23

Science & Proof

Scientific Processes are activities that enable us to formulate and systematically test explanations for real-world phenomena.  Proofs are the means whereby we demonstrate that something is true.  Includes: Systematic observation, corroboration, scientific method, and weight of evidence.  They promote a profound conviction that the world makes sense, that we can grasp and influence it, and that we can progress and evolve beyond perceived limits.

Modalities: Process-oriented science curriculum, critical thinking.  All physical, biological, and social sciences.

{¬† Younger children: “Anne is learning botany by watching bean sprouts grow under different conditions – sun and shade, wet and dry, sand or clay.”

{¬† Older children: “Tomales Bay is just a split in the fault line that’s turning Point Reyes into an island.¬† That’s plate tectonics in real life.”

{¬† Adults: “According to Discover Magazine, sudden shock can send us into suspended animation -- where we can survive for days without detectable heartbeat or brainwave.¬† Does that mean we’ll be able to defer our lives until science solves the problem of aging?”

 

Self-expression Processes are activities that express our inner reality in an outward form.  They enable us to understand and appreciate ourselves, to manifest our special gifts in tangible form, and to convey our inner qualities to others.

24

Language & Communication

Language & Communication Processes are the activities that enable us to formulate, articulate, and convey inchoate thoughts and feelings through language and other forms of communication. They create a sense of identity, clarity, and order – along with the ability to connect mentally and emotionally with others.

Modalities: Nursery rhymes, phonetic reading, vocabulary through roots, public speaking, writing, foreign language, word play.

{¬† Younger children: “Baby loves nursery rhymes like Jack Sprat and Pumpkin Eater – but hand-motion rhymes like Patty Cake and Eensy Spider especially delight her.”

{¬† Older children: “Dean’s Kerouac paper is much improved.¬† After the third draft, it’s clear, tight, and impactful.”

{¬† Adults: “By tracking words back to their Greek and Latin roots, we discover what words really mean, and how they’re related.”

25

Recorded Experiences

Recorded Experience Processes are activities that capture highlights and representative vignettes of quintessential life moments in permanent form.  They enable us to retain and re-live the high points of our lives, and to integrate fragmented strands of memory -- thereby reviving, illuminating, and perpetuating those experiences and perspectives that make life precious.

Modalities: Scrapbooks, photography, collage, videography, sound recording.

{¬† Younger children: “Annie’s favorite story is Baby’s First Book – with snapshots and hand-written stories from her earliest months, a tiny footprint, and a lock of her hair.”

{¬† Older children: “Sal’s best family vacation video takes place in the Marble Mountains and is set to the pulsing beat of Credence Clearwater.¬† It pits Sal against Sean in a battle to determine who is truly the Big Dog.”

{¬† Adults: “For Jane’s wedding, Sean is composing childhood photos of Jane and her boyfriend into a huge collage.¬† It traces their individual life journeys from infancy to adulthood, until their paths finally meet and they fall in love.”

26

Humor & Fun

Humor and Fun Processes are entertaining activities that help keep life in perspective.  Humor activities point up absurdity and incongruity of life situations in an amusing way.  Fun is doing things just for pleasure, with no concern for their purpose or significance.  Humor and fun lighten our load, reveal our foibles, reduce false pride, enable us to accept pleasure, and teach us not to take life too seriously.

Modalities: Funny faces, joke books, comedy movies, inside jokes, theme parks.

{¬† Younger children: “As soon as Lizzie was old enough to recognize faces, Sean would bend over and look at Lizzie from between his legs.¬† For Lizzie, it was hilarious to see Sean’s face with the mouth above the eyes, as if talking out of his forehead.”

{¬† Older children: “In Sleeper, Woody Allen’s robot gets stoned on the Orb, and begins mashing the party guests.¬† That’s probably our family’s favorite scene.”

{¬† Adults: “The cry of ‘Marquis of Queensbury Rules’ signals an all-out brawl in the swimming pool – splashing and dunking with no-holds-barred, and anarchy and rule-breaking wherever possible.”

27

Stories & Literature

Story Processes are story- or literature-based illustrations of instructive life situations.  Along with their literary value, they provide powerful role models, illuminating perspectives, effective strategies, and inspiring themes that we can emulate in our own lives. 

Modalities: Bedtime stories, folk tales, family stories, reenactments.  Great plays, novels, poetry.

{¬† Younger children: “After rubbing her fingertips on the sandpaper chin of the picture of Daddy, Lizzie feels the stubbly chin of her real Daddy.¬† That’s her favorite part of Pat the Bunny.”

{¬† Older children: “Will Anne (of Green Gables) swallow her prickly pride, and surrender to her love for Gilbert?¬† It takes the whole series to find out!”

{¬† Adults: “When the Georgia missionary family arrives in Africa, they’re clueless on how to survive.¬† Mary Kate’s book club plunges into the Poisonwood Bible.”

28

Expressive Arts

Expressive Arts Processes are activities that express our inner world of thought, emotions, and fantasy through tangible, observable media.  They help us to connect with our inner nature, to reclaim alienated parts of ourselves (our shadow side), to convey our inner self to others, and to communicate perceptions, insights, and convictions that are beyond words.

Modalities: Finger-painting, rock band, drama production, Romantic poetry, vision painting, ensemble singing, psycho-drama.

{¬† Younger children: “Sal and Annie make quite a mess with their crayons, finger paints, and modeling clay – but they always have a great time, and usually remember to straighten up afterwards.”

{¬† Older children: “Dean’s garage band reverberates up and down the block with love songs he’s composed for guitar and keyboard.¬† At night, they tone it down, so the neighbors can get some sleep.”

{¬† Adults: “When Mary Kate directs the school play, she coaxes and cajoles a great interpretation out of each young performer.¬† Her work of art is the transformation that takes place in children themselves.”

 

 

Conscious Development Processes are techniques, practices, and programs designed specifically to promote personal growth, resolve psychological problems, and facilitate spiritual enlightenment.  They enable us to work on our own development with conscious intention and purpose.  Such Processes are particularly helpful for deep-seated problems not easily resolved (and elevated states of consciousness not easily achieved) through the other, non-intentional Processes described elsewhere in this table.

29

Body Therapies

Body Therapy Processes use sophisticated body techniques to promote physical, psychological, and spiritual transformation. They mobilize and align bodily energy patterns, dissolve physical blocks, release repressed trauma, and promote balance and wholeness.  They improve grounding, perceived body image, and boundaries.  They restore aliveness by opening all areas to oxygen and blood flow. They alleviate of physical discomfort, disentangle us from old attitudes and behavior patterns, and help us recover emotional responsiveness and spontaneity.

Modalities: Chiropractic, acupuncture, Reichian therapy, massage.

{¬† Younger children: “After Sal’s difficult birth, cranial-sacral work loosened the plates of his skull, restored cranial flow, and allowed him to relax.”

{¬† Older children: “Dean knows his body well enough to ask for an adjustment when he needs it.¬† Afterwards, his neck is no longer stiff – but he also feels mentally invigorated and more optimistic.”

{¬† Adults: “When Mary Kate gets clogged, she uses acupuncture to drain toxins, clear her head, and help her think straight again.”

30

Introspection & Self-awareness

Introspection & Self-awareness Processes are inner-directed explorations of our thoughts, imaginings, emotions, and physical feelings.  They connect us with our inner world Рalthough not necessarily to express it (#24 & 28) or to change from it (#31). They promote, self-reflection, self-knowledge, and self-appreciation -- a conscious familiarity with our inner landscape.

Modalities: Diaries, journaling, blogs, dreams, psychoanalysis.

{¬† Younger children: “When the kids at school made fun of Annie’s braces, she shares her feelings with Mary Kate.¬† Mary Kate gives her sympathy and comfort, and explains why some kids act mean.”

{¬† Older children: “Every night, Dean pours his feelings and experiences from the day into his big, leather-bound journal.¬† He emerges from his room purged and content.”

{¬† Adults: “Lizzie shares her tumultuous dreams of battles and panicky flight with Mary Kate – who understands, because she herself has lived through such dreams, and come out whole.”

31

Psychotherapies

Psychotherapy Processes are sophisticated mind-oriented techniques that are designed to resolve mental difficulties, promote psychological well-being, and develop one’s inner potential.¬† They can increase self-awareness, dissolve blocks, promote the developmental flow, and provide satisfaction and fulfillment.

Modalities: Gestalt therapy, Jungian work, transactional analysis, group process, growth retreat internship. 

{¬† Younger children: “Our little ones feel good about who they are and what they do, so they have little to repress.¬† Hopefully, they will have few neuroses that need resolving later in life.”

{¬† Older children: “When Dean spent a month in Esalen’s internship program, they marveled how mature and insightful he was for a mere teenager.”

{¬† Adults: “Eric Berne’s Transactional Analysis helps explain why fathers and their teenage daughters play the explosive ‘game’ of Uproar.”

32

Psycho-biologic Techniques

Psychobiologic Processes are techniques and programs that use Natural Medicine Processes (#1) to achieve psychological (as well as physiological) balance and well-being.  They address inherited and acquired body chemistry conditions that are at the root of many problems that might appear psychological.  Contrasts to the symptom-suppressing, psycho-active drug therapies of mainstream medicine (tranquilizers, Ritalin, etc.).

Modalities: Homeopathic psychology, vibrational medicine, epigenetics.

{¬† Younger children: “For preemies like Annie and Lizzie, a constitutional like pulsatilla can help support and restore the trust, faith, and confidence that are part of a non-traumatic birth.

{¬† Older children: “Once Dean was treated for the ancestral, chemical exposure passed down through his DNA, his lungs cleared, his torpor vanished, and his thinking became sharp.”

{¬† Adults: “When Mary Kate is feeling stressed, she takes a Bach Flower remedy like Wild Rose or Sweet Chestnut.¬† She moves toward a condition of serenity by anticipating the result.”

33

Spiritual Practices

Spiritual Processes are techniques and programs that use structured spiritual practices to achieve higher States of consciousness, and/or a connection with the Divine.  They provide a regular, systematic method for grounding oneself in enduring values, rising above daily concerns, experiencing profound contentment, and connecting with universal forces.

Modalities:  Family worship, prayer, Zen meditation, Tibetan chants, yoga, study of sacred scripture.

{¬† Younger children: “Healthy little children know intuitively there is a God, because the Divine Presence has embraced them since the moment of their conception.”

{¬† Older children: “Teenagers should be encouraged to examine and question their faith – so it becomes their own, not some dogma enforced by adults.”

{¬† Adults: “We all need to believe in something (or some One) bigger than ourselves.”

 

 

Comprehensive Processes combine and integrate many diverse growth Processes into a single immersion experience. They enable us to focus attention on our growth simultaneously from many related perspectives.¬† Comprehensive Processes create a profound sense of connectedness, a comprehensive viewpoint encompassing the full range of life’s possibilities, and an attitude that no dream is impossible.

34

Holistic Environments

Holistic Environments are comprehensive activities or situations that offer the experience of numerous diverse-but-related Processes.¬† They provide opportunities for undistracted immersion in these Processes over an extended period of time.¬† Holistic Environments produce an appreciation of life’s abundance, a recognition of life’s enormous possibilities, and a glimpse of the potential unity of all human experience.¬†

Modalities: Summer camps, Scouts, drama productions, liberal arts colleges, growth retreats.

{¬† Younger children: “When Annie attends Ranch Camp, she’s immersed in a whole world of horseback riding, campfire singing, warm friendships, and deep soul-searching.”

{¬† Older children: “At Lizzie’s idyllic liberal arts college, she lives in a self-contained paradise – a world that combines challenging academics, exhilarating sports, innovative drama, intense friendships, and inspiring ideals.”

{¬† Adults: “At her month-long Esalen retreat, Lizzie is experiencing everything from group process, to yoga, to African dance – all the while earning her keep by harvesting veggies from the lush, organic garden.”

35

Integral Programs

Integral Processes are comprehensive programs that integrate – often with the assistance of a skilled Coordinator -- a wide array of Processes, Dimensions, Participants, and Guidance into a unified program of personal development.¬† Whereas Holistic (#34) is a kind of smorgasbord, Integral is a unified meal -- containing all the essential nutrients, prepared by a skilled chef, and served by an attentive staff.¬† Integral offers an immersion experience where all the Processes and Dimensions are experienced as part of one ongoing flow of development.¬† Integral Processes produce a profound sense of unity and order, a deep authenticity and groundedness, and a comprehensive appreciation of life’s meaning and purpose.¬†

Modalities: Integral psychology, Integral Counseling, Spiral Dynamics, integral backpacking, healthy family life.

{¬† Younger children: “From the moment of conception, most children are immersed in the original integral program – the family.”

{¬† Older children: “When every activity of a backpacking experience is subsumed under the single objective of human growth, the experience is transformed from Holistic to Integral.”

{¬† Adults: “In the medieval period, the Church provided a comprehensive program for our personal salvation.¬† Is Integral University a modern version of the medieval Church?”