At the most basic level an idea is a relationship between conscious and energy. Consciousness and energy have many forms so to understand ideas we can look at ideas and choose which aspect of an idea is its “consciousness” part and which part is the “energy.”
Consciousness tends to have the following quantities: mass, form, heaviness, pulls inwards, straight lines, focus, sensitivity/sensing, the ability to sense relationships, limits and limitation, choice, decision, decider, awareness
Energy is light, tends towards formlessness and expansion, curved lines, expression.
When these are looked at as aspects of an idea, they will probably rarely be completely energy or completely consciousness. They will have flavors of both but one will dominate and that dominate feature determines whether it is more consciousness or more energy.
When two people dance together we can label the person leading as the person playing the roll of consciousness because they look around to sense the limits within which they can move on the dance floor. They also sense their partner and where they are (relationship) and they choose at any moment in time the movement they will do next. Meanwhile the follower expresses them. She may have the more complicated footwork. But usually she is the center of attention, what draws the viewer’s eye. But really they are both consciousness and both energy, it’s just at in the context of the bigger idea, one is more conscious and one more energy. In the end they become the dance.
A rider and their motorcycle, the motorcycle can be energy because it is expression guided by the consciousness of the rider. Or together the are expression guided by the limits of the road they are on. Or the bike is consciousness (form) and the gas that fuels it is energy.
So really, consciousness and energy in all of these contexts depends on the way in which we view the idea. They are relative to each other. So how is that useful?
It is a way of looking at ideas that can help us understand them more. Looking at the rider and a bike, because the rider is consciousness, they become the one responsible for making the decisions. Nothing can be the bikes fault, not really, so it is all up to the rider. Dancing, the lead is responsible for making decisions, and choosing where to go, but here it is important to realize that the lady has to be conscious as well. She has to be consciousness enough to realize what the lead is telling her. A bike is limited, there is not choice for it to think by itself but she has that ability and so for two people to dance well together they both have to be consciousness and energy its just that one is a little bit more of one and less of the other.
We all know that now adays light is viewed as both a particle and a wave. In some situations it is a particle and in others it is better viewed as a wave. We could say that the wave aspect is the energy part while the particle aspect is the consciousness part. And that they are both aspects of the same thing. Before this model came about people argued about whether light is a particle or whether it is a wave. Now that we understand light better, that it is both, and that this model also applies to sub-atomic particles, the door has been opened to the world of silicon technology as we know it today. All those fancy cars with the cool lighting affects are possible because scientists realized that light acts as both a particle and a wave, they found a way of modeling light as both.
So why look at an idea as consciousness or energy, why try to understand ideas as having both, because it opens the door to more possibilities. Because the more we understand, the more we can see the more potential we can realize.
And failing that, it’s another way of seeing the world and enjoying it, especially when the two aspects come together.
We become light when we realize that two opposing views are actually different views of the same thing.
Showing posts with label Motorcycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motorcycling. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Ideas, Parts and Pieces
Parts and Pieces
1.1 After I left the army I went to university and while I was there my dad decided to buy a partially assembled motorcycle frame from a friend. The idea was that he and I, with some help from my uncle and various others were going to build a motorcycle, a custom Harley.
1.2 We thought we were getting a deal when we bought the partially assemble bike even though there was still a lot we didn’t have, an engine, transmission, controls and experience.
1.3 As the bike got built we found out that building a bike piece by piece is actually a very expensive proposition, more so than buying one ready assembled. Buying a bike partially assembled is even more expensive, especially as we undid a lot of the work the previous owner had already done, such as the paintwork. And because we had only part of an idea for the finished product there were quite a few learning experiences to be had. It was like me getting on my first bike and not realizing that steering a bike and stopping it were a special skill, a necessary skill.
1.4 We slowly bought the pieces we needed. Well actually, my dad slowly bought the things we needed while my uncle and I put the thing together. Some of the parts where brand new and some parts had probably seen the insides of several bikes. Several parts had to be modified to fit. But we got it together eventually and the day came when we tried to fire her up. We put fuel in the tank and pressed the start button. The starter motor turned but there was a noticeable lack of thunder. Though the starter motor was turning it wasn’t turning the engine and so the engine didn’t start. We wondered what was going wrong.
1.5 The problem was that the starter motor wasn’t turning the clutch.
1.6 There’s a little gear that slides out of the starter motor when the starter motor turns. It catches the teeth of a gear wheel on the outside of the clutch basket. When everything is working perfectly the starter gear is supposed to engage the teeth on the clutch basket, which then turns the motor and ideally starts it.
1.7 After scratching our heads my dad and I realized that whoever had the clutch basket before us had modified it so that the ring gear was in a different location. The starter gear popped out to a position where the clutch basket gear was supposed to be but wasn’t.
1.8 We took the clutch basket to a mechanic who re-welded the gear on to the clutch basket at the correct location. Excitedly we took it home and put the bike back together again.
1.9 Alas the bike still would not start.
1.10 Now the starter gear was engaging with the gear wheel on the clutch basket but while the starter was turning the clutch basket still wasn’t.
1.11 The starter motor was also second hand. We discovered that its magnets were switched so it was spinning the wrong way. We took it apart and reversed the magnets so that the starter spun the right way. Now when we tried to start the bike the engine turned over but the wires from the battery to the starter smoked. So we had to put thicker wires on the starter so it could get enough juice. After repeated test runs the bike again wouldn’t start. It took us a while to figure out that the bike had run out of gas.
1.12 I learned a lot working on that bike. I became conscious of the smaller ideas of a motorcycle and how those ideas relate. The starter gear comes out a set distance so it meshes with the clutch basket. The starter has to turn a certain way. I also learned that it’s fun figuring out how things work, but more so when I am not endangering my life.
1.13 Now that we know what it’s like to build a bike my dad and I agreed we could do much better if we ever do it again. We understood the pieces of a bike and how they go together so that now we can make another one if we choose. Now all I had to do is learn how to ride one.
1.1 After I left the army I went to university and while I was there my dad decided to buy a partially assembled motorcycle frame from a friend. The idea was that he and I, with some help from my uncle and various others were going to build a motorcycle, a custom Harley.
1.2 We thought we were getting a deal when we bought the partially assemble bike even though there was still a lot we didn’t have, an engine, transmission, controls and experience.
1.3 As the bike got built we found out that building a bike piece by piece is actually a very expensive proposition, more so than buying one ready assembled. Buying a bike partially assembled is even more expensive, especially as we undid a lot of the work the previous owner had already done, such as the paintwork. And because we had only part of an idea for the finished product there were quite a few learning experiences to be had. It was like me getting on my first bike and not realizing that steering a bike and stopping it were a special skill, a necessary skill.
1.4 We slowly bought the pieces we needed. Well actually, my dad slowly bought the things we needed while my uncle and I put the thing together. Some of the parts where brand new and some parts had probably seen the insides of several bikes. Several parts had to be modified to fit. But we got it together eventually and the day came when we tried to fire her up. We put fuel in the tank and pressed the start button. The starter motor turned but there was a noticeable lack of thunder. Though the starter motor was turning it wasn’t turning the engine and so the engine didn’t start. We wondered what was going wrong.
1.5 The problem was that the starter motor wasn’t turning the clutch.
1.6 There’s a little gear that slides out of the starter motor when the starter motor turns. It catches the teeth of a gear wheel on the outside of the clutch basket. When everything is working perfectly the starter gear is supposed to engage the teeth on the clutch basket, which then turns the motor and ideally starts it.
1.7 After scratching our heads my dad and I realized that whoever had the clutch basket before us had modified it so that the ring gear was in a different location. The starter gear popped out to a position where the clutch basket gear was supposed to be but wasn’t.
1.8 We took the clutch basket to a mechanic who re-welded the gear on to the clutch basket at the correct location. Excitedly we took it home and put the bike back together again.
1.9 Alas the bike still would not start.
1.10 Now the starter gear was engaging with the gear wheel on the clutch basket but while the starter was turning the clutch basket still wasn’t.
1.11 The starter motor was also second hand. We discovered that its magnets were switched so it was spinning the wrong way. We took it apart and reversed the magnets so that the starter spun the right way. Now when we tried to start the bike the engine turned over but the wires from the battery to the starter smoked. So we had to put thicker wires on the starter so it could get enough juice. After repeated test runs the bike again wouldn’t start. It took us a while to figure out that the bike had run out of gas.
1.12 I learned a lot working on that bike. I became conscious of the smaller ideas of a motorcycle and how those ideas relate. The starter gear comes out a set distance so it meshes with the clutch basket. The starter has to turn a certain way. I also learned that it’s fun figuring out how things work, but more so when I am not endangering my life.
1.13 Now that we know what it’s like to build a bike my dad and I agreed we could do much better if we ever do it again. We understood the pieces of a bike and how they go together so that now we can make another one if we choose. Now all I had to do is learn how to ride one.
Parts of an Idea-going up the gears
GOING UP THE GEARS
1.1 I’ve always loved motorcycles. Well maybe not always, but for a long time. One of my regrets was turning down the opportunity to buy my first bike. I was in the British Army at the time and I’d just finished basic training and was waiting to start my trade training. A fellow soldier had just completed his own trade training and was being sent to a different country so he wanted to sell his bike. It was perfect for learning on, only 100cc. Good condition too and cheap. The trouble was, that I’d never ridden before and I didn’t have a clue about taking lessons or getting licensed. Too difficult I thought, and so I passed it up, missing a fine opportunity to ride around in Europe.
1.2 Perhaps because of that missed opportunity I began to want to ride more and more, and perhaps because of that I also programmed myself to jump at the next opportunity to ride. That happened in Germany. I’d just been posted there and as soon as I arrived had been sent on an exercise in the south.
1.3 The guys who let me ride the bike didn’t know I’d never ridden before. Because I’d never ridden before the one thing I wanted to do was move up through the gears. I thought that would be the most difficult thing to do. I didn’t think about how to steer the bike and how to stop it. I assumed those things were easy and natural. Actually, I didn’t even assume, I just didn’t think about them. I also didn’t pay much attention to the idea of coming off the bike with both the bike and me in one piece. All I thought about was getting on the bike and taking it up through the gears. That was the challenge.
1.4 Riding a bike for the first time I got to second gear with a marvel of hand foot clutch lever gear shifting coordination. From second I went to third and then all the way to forth gear. Shifting gears wasn’t that hard after all! And it was exciting to be riding so fast.
1.5 The road I was riding went slightly uphill and gradually swept to the right. As I got to fourth gear the straight road began to run out. I tried turning the bike with my mind but the bike continued going straight while the road went right. There was a ditch beside the road and I went into it. My friends observed a cloud of dust. I quickly got up to wave and show that I was okay even though I wasn’t. The bike wasn’t in very good shape either. I was told later that I had bent the frame beyond repair.
1.6 A quick cover up ensued and several years after I left the army my dad sent me on a motorcycle course where I modified my idea of what I wanted to do on a bike.
1.7 I wanted to learn all of the smaller ideas that went into making the big idea of riding safe and fun to do. Ideas like how to steer and how to stop the bike while keeping it in one piece. I wanted to have fun riding and I wanted to keep on riding, a continuing action as opposed to one that ends abruptly.
1.1 I’ve always loved motorcycles. Well maybe not always, but for a long time. One of my regrets was turning down the opportunity to buy my first bike. I was in the British Army at the time and I’d just finished basic training and was waiting to start my trade training. A fellow soldier had just completed his own trade training and was being sent to a different country so he wanted to sell his bike. It was perfect for learning on, only 100cc. Good condition too and cheap. The trouble was, that I’d never ridden before and I didn’t have a clue about taking lessons or getting licensed. Too difficult I thought, and so I passed it up, missing a fine opportunity to ride around in Europe.
1.2 Perhaps because of that missed opportunity I began to want to ride more and more, and perhaps because of that I also programmed myself to jump at the next opportunity to ride. That happened in Germany. I’d just been posted there and as soon as I arrived had been sent on an exercise in the south.
1.3 The guys who let me ride the bike didn’t know I’d never ridden before. Because I’d never ridden before the one thing I wanted to do was move up through the gears. I thought that would be the most difficult thing to do. I didn’t think about how to steer the bike and how to stop it. I assumed those things were easy and natural. Actually, I didn’t even assume, I just didn’t think about them. I also didn’t pay much attention to the idea of coming off the bike with both the bike and me in one piece. All I thought about was getting on the bike and taking it up through the gears. That was the challenge.
1.4 Riding a bike for the first time I got to second gear with a marvel of hand foot clutch lever gear shifting coordination. From second I went to third and then all the way to forth gear. Shifting gears wasn’t that hard after all! And it was exciting to be riding so fast.
1.5 The road I was riding went slightly uphill and gradually swept to the right. As I got to fourth gear the straight road began to run out. I tried turning the bike with my mind but the bike continued going straight while the road went right. There was a ditch beside the road and I went into it. My friends observed a cloud of dust. I quickly got up to wave and show that I was okay even though I wasn’t. The bike wasn’t in very good shape either. I was told later that I had bent the frame beyond repair.
1.6 A quick cover up ensued and several years after I left the army my dad sent me on a motorcycle course where I modified my idea of what I wanted to do on a bike.
1.7 I wanted to learn all of the smaller ideas that went into making the big idea of riding safe and fun to do. Ideas like how to steer and how to stop the bike while keeping it in one piece. I wanted to have fun riding and I wanted to keep on riding, a continuing action as opposed to one that ends abruptly.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Becoming Bigger, Brighter, Light
BECOMING BIGGER, BRIGHTER, LIGHTER
1.1 A long time ago one of my dreams was to do a long road trip along the Pacific Coast on my motorbike. Having just quit my last engineering job I had the perfect opportunity to do a long ride from Calgary to San Francisco. I took three days to get there.
1.2 Riding through Oregon I encountered moments where it seemed like I hardly steered my bike at all. Instead I looked where I wanted to go and the bike went that way by itself. I’d see how the road turned and because I was looking my head would lead my body. My body would lead the bike and the next thing the bike and I would be leaning. It felt like I was simply thinking about where to go, and looking too, and the bike listened.
1.3 Looking where I wanted to go, the slight shift in position of my head was enough to shift the shared center of myself and the bike to the side so that it went where I wanted it to go, falling to the side. But in order for it to do that all the other connections within my body and between my body and the bike needed to be engaged. If my arms were too soft, too relaxed, then any movement of my head would not be transmitted through my arms to the handlebars of my bike, the movement would be lost. However, if my arms had just the right amount of tension then any changes in the position of my head, or even the position of my upper body with respect to my seat would be transmitted via my arms to the bike itself.
1.4 At a rest stop in Oregon along the I5, a man came up to me to tell me how much he enjoyed seeing someone in his element. He didn’t want to be like me, but he admired me for doing what I was doing and it moved him. He also said that as little as a few years ago if he’d have seen me riding the way I was he would have said “That’s guys going too fast!” Now he saw me and thought, “That guy’s doing what he loves!”
1.5 Looking to the horizon, expressing an idea or being pulled towards another we become bigger and brighter. And other people see our brightness.
1.1 A long time ago one of my dreams was to do a long road trip along the Pacific Coast on my motorbike. Having just quit my last engineering job I had the perfect opportunity to do a long ride from Calgary to San Francisco. I took three days to get there.
1.2 Riding through Oregon I encountered moments where it seemed like I hardly steered my bike at all. Instead I looked where I wanted to go and the bike went that way by itself. I’d see how the road turned and because I was looking my head would lead my body. My body would lead the bike and the next thing the bike and I would be leaning. It felt like I was simply thinking about where to go, and looking too, and the bike listened.
1.3 Looking where I wanted to go, the slight shift in position of my head was enough to shift the shared center of myself and the bike to the side so that it went where I wanted it to go, falling to the side. But in order for it to do that all the other connections within my body and between my body and the bike needed to be engaged. If my arms were too soft, too relaxed, then any movement of my head would not be transmitted through my arms to the handlebars of my bike, the movement would be lost. However, if my arms had just the right amount of tension then any changes in the position of my head, or even the position of my upper body with respect to my seat would be transmitted via my arms to the bike itself.
1.4 At a rest stop in Oregon along the I5, a man came up to me to tell me how much he enjoyed seeing someone in his element. He didn’t want to be like me, but he admired me for doing what I was doing and it moved him. He also said that as little as a few years ago if he’d have seen me riding the way I was he would have said “That’s guys going too fast!” Now he saw me and thought, “That guy’s doing what he loves!”
1.5 Looking to the horizon, expressing an idea or being pulled towards another we become bigger and brighter. And other people see our brightness.
Monday, June 16, 2008
What is "Looking to the Horizon?"
What is Looking to the Horizon? To answer that lets talk about what the horizon is. The horizon is the circle that marks the limits of what we can see of the earth. Standing in one spot and slowly turning around the horizon is all around us as far as we can see.
Where I am right now the horizon is pretty close. There’s a hill in front of me. To either side there are buildings and behind me is the coffee shop I am sitting at. But if I went to the countryside and found a hill to stand on then the horizon would be a lot further away. I’d be able to see a lot of the earth. But because of the curve of the earth I’d still be limited by what I can see.
Still in the countryside if we went for a walk the horizon would be changing, sometimes closer sometimes further away but always there in front of us (and behind us and around us). If we keep our eyes on the horizon we’ll see changes at the earliest opportunity, we’ll see hills as they come up, cities, townships. And we can use what we see to guide us. When we see spires and it’s a town that we want to head for then as soon as we see those spires we can adjust our course if we need to so that we get there sooner.
But we also notice what is between us and it. Maybe there are obstacles in the way. Maybe they only become apparent as we get closer. So as well as looking to the horizon to see what is coming up we also look within the horizon to see what our next steps might be. Ideally what we might do is look to the horizon to see where we want to go and at the same time see everything between ourselves and the horizon to see how to get there. And each moment as we continue to move forwards the horizon changes and so does the path towards it.
Picking a path towards where we want to go the questions we might ask ourself is which path will continue to give me the best view of the way ahead. Hills and high points give us the best perspective and even though they require some work to get up if in the end they give us the best view possible and show us obstacles which we might not be aware of until we got to them then perhaps the effort to get up those hills is not wasted. And then it can be easier coming back down them. And so part of looking to the horizon is seeing the possible paths we can take and choosing the best from among them.
And so Looking to the Horizon is also choosing the path we wish to take. And one of the ways we can make choices is asking ourselves which path will continue to give us the best view of the way ahead.
Looking to the horizon is continually looking ahead to see what choices we have and then choosing from among them and it is choosing in such a way that from wherever we go next our view of the horizon is as big as possible so that we always have lots to choose from.
Riding a motorcycle with the desire to go fast the definition of “horizon” is slightly different. Because we are on a predefined path when we look ahead what we are trying to see is where the road goes next. And so if the road dips and all we can see of the road is up to the point where it dips then that dip marks our horizon. If the road goes up a hill and we can’t see beyond the crest of the hill then the crest of the hill marks our horizon. If the road bends and we can’t see beyond the turn then furthest point we can see into the turn marks our horizon. If there is lots of traffic (other racers) on the road, then that traffic defines our path and our horizon is the furthest point ahead that we can see through the traffic.
How do we get a better view of the way ahead? By positioning ourselves as best as possible. If the road dips or goes up a hill then we can sit up taller so that we see what’s coming up at the earliest opportunity. If the road goes around a bend then we position ourselves to the outside of the bend as much as possible (given the chances of traffic coming the other way and enough room to move back to a position of safety) so that we can as far around the bend as possible. If there is lots of traffic, then we line ourselves up with the path that we want to take so we can see through the traffic. And even as the conditions change, whether it is the road or what is on the road, we adjust ourselves to handle those conditions, always looking for the position that gives us the best view of the way ahead (given the situation we are in).
The further we can see ahead the faster we can go if we choose. The further we can see ahead the earlier we can see change as it appears. The further we can see ahead the more choices we give ourselves. Looking to the horizon we continually look ahead to see what choices we can make, and we choose in such a way that we always have more choices along the road ahead.
And as much as looking to the horizon is being aware of what is ahead of us it is also being aware of what is around us and behind us. What is the way we have come (if we have to back track) what is coming up from behind us or beside us that might affect my path. Driving slowly, what is around us that might be beautiful to look at.
Looking to the horizon we connect to the earth. But if we are riding a motorbike really fast it is also being aware of our connection to the bike so that we can make that connection as good as possible. And it is also being aware of the connections within ourselves. How each part of our body is related to every other part, how our mind is relating to our body and to what we are doing.
Being aware of what is within ourselves we sense the choices that our body gives us and we choose in such a way that we always have the possibility to move. And likewise sensing the connection between ourselves and the bike and the bike and the earth. What are the choices we can make that give all of those relationships the most room to move while keeping the relationship intact.
And as much as looking to the horizon is being aware of what is around us it is also being aware of what is within us. And it is also being aware of what we are connected to.
Looking to the horizon our awareness radiates outwards from the center of our being so that we are aware of all that is within us and well what is outside of ourselves. And connecting it all is the path that we are trying to take.
Links Related to this Article
Riding a Motorbike and connecting to it
Sensing our body
Sensing our body’s center
Room to Move
Where I am right now the horizon is pretty close. There’s a hill in front of me. To either side there are buildings and behind me is the coffee shop I am sitting at. But if I went to the countryside and found a hill to stand on then the horizon would be a lot further away. I’d be able to see a lot of the earth. But because of the curve of the earth I’d still be limited by what I can see.
Still in the countryside if we went for a walk the horizon would be changing, sometimes closer sometimes further away but always there in front of us (and behind us and around us). If we keep our eyes on the horizon we’ll see changes at the earliest opportunity, we’ll see hills as they come up, cities, townships. And we can use what we see to guide us. When we see spires and it’s a town that we want to head for then as soon as we see those spires we can adjust our course if we need to so that we get there sooner.
But we also notice what is between us and it. Maybe there are obstacles in the way. Maybe they only become apparent as we get closer. So as well as looking to the horizon to see what is coming up we also look within the horizon to see what our next steps might be. Ideally what we might do is look to the horizon to see where we want to go and at the same time see everything between ourselves and the horizon to see how to get there. And each moment as we continue to move forwards the horizon changes and so does the path towards it.
Picking a path towards where we want to go the questions we might ask ourself is which path will continue to give me the best view of the way ahead. Hills and high points give us the best perspective and even though they require some work to get up if in the end they give us the best view possible and show us obstacles which we might not be aware of until we got to them then perhaps the effort to get up those hills is not wasted. And then it can be easier coming back down them. And so part of looking to the horizon is seeing the possible paths we can take and choosing the best from among them.
And so Looking to the Horizon is also choosing the path we wish to take. And one of the ways we can make choices is asking ourselves which path will continue to give us the best view of the way ahead.
Looking to the horizon is continually looking ahead to see what choices we have and then choosing from among them and it is choosing in such a way that from wherever we go next our view of the horizon is as big as possible so that we always have lots to choose from.
Riding a motorcycle with the desire to go fast the definition of “horizon” is slightly different. Because we are on a predefined path when we look ahead what we are trying to see is where the road goes next. And so if the road dips and all we can see of the road is up to the point where it dips then that dip marks our horizon. If the road goes up a hill and we can’t see beyond the crest of the hill then the crest of the hill marks our horizon. If the road bends and we can’t see beyond the turn then furthest point we can see into the turn marks our horizon. If there is lots of traffic (other racers) on the road, then that traffic defines our path and our horizon is the furthest point ahead that we can see through the traffic.
How do we get a better view of the way ahead? By positioning ourselves as best as possible. If the road dips or goes up a hill then we can sit up taller so that we see what’s coming up at the earliest opportunity. If the road goes around a bend then we position ourselves to the outside of the bend as much as possible (given the chances of traffic coming the other way and enough room to move back to a position of safety) so that we can as far around the bend as possible. If there is lots of traffic, then we line ourselves up with the path that we want to take so we can see through the traffic. And even as the conditions change, whether it is the road or what is on the road, we adjust ourselves to handle those conditions, always looking for the position that gives us the best view of the way ahead (given the situation we are in).
The further we can see ahead the faster we can go if we choose. The further we can see ahead the earlier we can see change as it appears. The further we can see ahead the more choices we give ourselves. Looking to the horizon we continually look ahead to see what choices we can make, and we choose in such a way that we always have more choices along the road ahead.
And as much as looking to the horizon is being aware of what is ahead of us it is also being aware of what is around us and behind us. What is the way we have come (if we have to back track) what is coming up from behind us or beside us that might affect my path. Driving slowly, what is around us that might be beautiful to look at.
Looking to the horizon we connect to the earth. But if we are riding a motorbike really fast it is also being aware of our connection to the bike so that we can make that connection as good as possible. And it is also being aware of the connections within ourselves. How each part of our body is related to every other part, how our mind is relating to our body and to what we are doing.
Being aware of what is within ourselves we sense the choices that our body gives us and we choose in such a way that we always have the possibility to move. And likewise sensing the connection between ourselves and the bike and the bike and the earth. What are the choices we can make that give all of those relationships the most room to move while keeping the relationship intact.
And as much as looking to the horizon is being aware of what is around us it is also being aware of what is within us. And it is also being aware of what we are connected to.
Looking to the horizon our awareness radiates outwards from the center of our being so that we are aware of all that is within us and well what is outside of ourselves. And connecting it all is the path that we are trying to take.
Links Related to this Article
Riding a Motorbike and connecting to it
Sensing our body
Sensing our body’s center
Room to Move
Starting Slowly
STARTING SLOWLY
1.1 When we got on our bikes each morning on the racetrack, the first thing we did, after the mechanics had checked and refueled our machines, was go for a slow tour of the track. Riding slowly we had the opportunity to get to know ourselves as well as the bike as well as the track. Warming up we slowly expanded our consciousness outwards to the horizon.
1.2 I used to start running the same way, starting of slowly. Giving my body a chance to warm up, to wake up. I’d start of jogging slower than some people walk but by doing so I gave my whole body a chance to wake up, bit by bit, so that each bit woke up to itself and to it its connection with its neighbors so that my body as a whole could work well together.
1.3 I learned to do the same thing when I was skating. Starting of slow, I’d take my time, gliding from skate to skate but not really pushing, just feeling my body, the action I was doing. Eventually I’d get a signal, some sort of okay from my body, then I’d start to sink my weight down and use it to push through each skate, like my whole body was working together so that skating was easy and fun.
1.4 When we change activities, for example from talking to riding motorbikes, or from studying to exercising, we are taking part in a new idea and going slowly to begin with is a chance for all of those parts to wake up to the change and for the parts of our body to stay connected during it.
1.5 Running my first half marathon, I started off at the back of the pack taking nearly the first half of the race to warm up, slowly increasing my speed. As I did so I started to overtake more and more people right till the very end of the race. I could have kept on going I felt so good.
1.6 Starting slowly our consciousness gradually radiates outwards from our center, feeling each part of ourselves, each part of ourselves awake to what we are doing. Each part of ourselves able to take part and working with every other part so that our whole body together works well together. Starting of slowly running or skating or doing yoga, that is when I can seemingly go on forever because I am smoothly opening to the way ahead by becoming conscious of all the parts of myself and all the connections between them.
1.7 Warming up, we slowly connect to everything we can, slowly and steadily pushing the boundaries of our consciousness outwards. Warming up we smoothly handle change waking up to all that is around us and all that is within us. And with our consciousness radiating outwards, one of the things we keep our minds on is the point of what we are trying to do.
1.8 On that motorcycling riders course I was on an instructor had commented that I wasn’t preparing early enough for each corner. If I began to prepare as soon as I saw a corner I could make the transition smooth, following a nice line from where I was to where I wanted to be so that I was ready for the corner when I got to it. Warming up is the same, a smooth and gradual change that gets us ready for what’s coming up.
1.9 Eventually we get to a point where we don’t need to warm up quite so much because we are aware of what we are doing all of the time.
1.1 When we got on our bikes each morning on the racetrack, the first thing we did, after the mechanics had checked and refueled our machines, was go for a slow tour of the track. Riding slowly we had the opportunity to get to know ourselves as well as the bike as well as the track. Warming up we slowly expanded our consciousness outwards to the horizon.
1.2 I used to start running the same way, starting of slowly. Giving my body a chance to warm up, to wake up. I’d start of jogging slower than some people walk but by doing so I gave my whole body a chance to wake up, bit by bit, so that each bit woke up to itself and to it its connection with its neighbors so that my body as a whole could work well together.
1.3 I learned to do the same thing when I was skating. Starting of slow, I’d take my time, gliding from skate to skate but not really pushing, just feeling my body, the action I was doing. Eventually I’d get a signal, some sort of okay from my body, then I’d start to sink my weight down and use it to push through each skate, like my whole body was working together so that skating was easy and fun.
1.4 When we change activities, for example from talking to riding motorbikes, or from studying to exercising, we are taking part in a new idea and going slowly to begin with is a chance for all of those parts to wake up to the change and for the parts of our body to stay connected during it.
1.5 Running my first half marathon, I started off at the back of the pack taking nearly the first half of the race to warm up, slowly increasing my speed. As I did so I started to overtake more and more people right till the very end of the race. I could have kept on going I felt so good.
1.6 Starting slowly our consciousness gradually radiates outwards from our center, feeling each part of ourselves, each part of ourselves awake to what we are doing. Each part of ourselves able to take part and working with every other part so that our whole body together works well together. Starting of slowly running or skating or doing yoga, that is when I can seemingly go on forever because I am smoothly opening to the way ahead by becoming conscious of all the parts of myself and all the connections between them.
1.7 Warming up, we slowly connect to everything we can, slowly and steadily pushing the boundaries of our consciousness outwards. Warming up we smoothly handle change waking up to all that is around us and all that is within us. And with our consciousness radiating outwards, one of the things we keep our minds on is the point of what we are trying to do.
1.8 On that motorcycling riders course I was on an instructor had commented that I wasn’t preparing early enough for each corner. If I began to prepare as soon as I saw a corner I could make the transition smooth, following a nice line from where I was to where I wanted to be so that I was ready for the corner when I got to it. Warming up is the same, a smooth and gradual change that gets us ready for what’s coming up.
1.9 Eventually we get to a point where we don’t need to warm up quite so much because we are aware of what we are doing all of the time.
Foundation for Change (stopping safely)
Foundation for Change
1.1 When I first took motorcycle riding lessons I used to do emergency stops perfectly. Speeding along, when my instructor flagged me to stop I’d quickly and smoothly squeeze the brakes and the bike would slow like a spaceship coming out of hyperspace with the rear wheel lifting, pausing and then lowering at the end of the stop. My instructor enthusiastically told me that I was using the full stopping potential of my bike. I was applying pressure to the brakes at just the right rate without skidding.
1.2 Perhaps I became overconfident in my abilities but as I practiced again and again, I lost my ability to stop properly. I felt tight and nervous and instead of stopping smoothly I lost control of the bike as I braked and nearly dropped it. No longer poised and controlled as I braked, the bike would wiggle and I would scramble to get my feet on the ground as the bike settled down.
1.3 I was no longer stopping effectively or smoothly, elegantly or efficiently and I didn’t know what I had been doing to make my stops so smooth before. So I didn’t know what I had to do to make them better again.
1.4 I realized that my stops had gone bad because I’d been looking at the instructor waiting for him or her to flag me to stop. He became my focus point and he was too close for me to stay balanced when I stopped. When my stops had been good I’d been looking beyond the instructor to the horizon, so that it gave me the leverage to stay in control. The instructor was still in my field of vision but I didn’t focus on him, instead I included him as part of my visual panorama. I noticed when he flagged me but I kept my eyes open so that I saw everything that I could. Then I was able to use the brakes to maximum effect, stopping smoothly and staying balanced.
1.5 It is as if by seeing more of the earth I gave myself a broader foundation. Connecting to the earth and keeping that connection till I stopped gave me leverage to stay upright, a broad base on which to balance. In addition, as I braked it was like I was giving the energy of riding a means of bleeding off smoothly, directing it onwards by looking to the horizon. And I kept looking ahead until the bike settled down on to both wheels and all the energy of riding had dissipated.
1.6 And here’s the thing, talking to a friend I realized that stopping is changing, it’s one of the biggest changes we can experience, that and starting. And likewise so is a corner “A Change.” It is during change that looking to the horizon can be the most helpful. In all those cases, when I looked to the horizon, I stayed upright, poised balanced and connected to the machine I was riding because looking ahead I saw change at the earliest opportunity.
1.7 When we ride the horizon is constantly changing but smoothly changing, and when we keep our eyes on it we can change smoothly too. Stopping is one of the most extreme cases of change, but if we do it while looking at the horizon we can make our stops smooth and controlled.
1.8 Stopping normally in traffic the first thing we did after we had stopped was to check our mirrors, sometimes when we stop the world around us keeps on going forwards.
1.1 When I first took motorcycle riding lessons I used to do emergency stops perfectly. Speeding along, when my instructor flagged me to stop I’d quickly and smoothly squeeze the brakes and the bike would slow like a spaceship coming out of hyperspace with the rear wheel lifting, pausing and then lowering at the end of the stop. My instructor enthusiastically told me that I was using the full stopping potential of my bike. I was applying pressure to the brakes at just the right rate without skidding.
1.2 Perhaps I became overconfident in my abilities but as I practiced again and again, I lost my ability to stop properly. I felt tight and nervous and instead of stopping smoothly I lost control of the bike as I braked and nearly dropped it. No longer poised and controlled as I braked, the bike would wiggle and I would scramble to get my feet on the ground as the bike settled down.
1.3 I was no longer stopping effectively or smoothly, elegantly or efficiently and I didn’t know what I had been doing to make my stops so smooth before. So I didn’t know what I had to do to make them better again.
1.4 I realized that my stops had gone bad because I’d been looking at the instructor waiting for him or her to flag me to stop. He became my focus point and he was too close for me to stay balanced when I stopped. When my stops had been good I’d been looking beyond the instructor to the horizon, so that it gave me the leverage to stay in control. The instructor was still in my field of vision but I didn’t focus on him, instead I included him as part of my visual panorama. I noticed when he flagged me but I kept my eyes open so that I saw everything that I could. Then I was able to use the brakes to maximum effect, stopping smoothly and staying balanced.
1.5 It is as if by seeing more of the earth I gave myself a broader foundation. Connecting to the earth and keeping that connection till I stopped gave me leverage to stay upright, a broad base on which to balance. In addition, as I braked it was like I was giving the energy of riding a means of bleeding off smoothly, directing it onwards by looking to the horizon. And I kept looking ahead until the bike settled down on to both wheels and all the energy of riding had dissipated.
1.6 And here’s the thing, talking to a friend I realized that stopping is changing, it’s one of the biggest changes we can experience, that and starting. And likewise so is a corner “A Change.” It is during change that looking to the horizon can be the most helpful. In all those cases, when I looked to the horizon, I stayed upright, poised balanced and connected to the machine I was riding because looking ahead I saw change at the earliest opportunity.
1.7 When we ride the horizon is constantly changing but smoothly changing, and when we keep our eyes on it we can change smoothly too. Stopping is one of the most extreme cases of change, but if we do it while looking at the horizon we can make our stops smooth and controlled.
1.8 Stopping normally in traffic the first thing we did after we had stopped was to check our mirrors, sometimes when we stop the world around us keeps on going forwards.
Positioning Ourselves for the Best View of the Way Ahead
BEST VIEW OF THE WAY AHEAD
1.1 Riding home one day I found myself stuck behind a slowly moving City bus. Traffic was heavy and I was feeling lazy but I moved to the right anyway and saw that the bus wasn’t going quite as fast as I thought relative to the traffic around it and there was plenty of room between it and the car it was catching up to, enough room for me to sneak my bike through with room to spare.
1.2 I realized that the better I positioned myself the easier it was for me to see the way ahead because I saw where everyone else was going and how fast they were taking to get there. Seeing where everyone else was going sometimes I saw paths before they appeared as if I was seeing a little way into the future and all I had to do to get that view was position myself for the best view of the way ahead.
1.3 Riding in the country, because of the trees it is hard to see what is around each corner. When I stayed close to the inside edge of a turn they blocked the view of the way ahead. Inspired by my experience with the bus I decided to change the way I rode. I positioned myself to the outside of a turn as I rode it and I found that I could see further ahead.
1.4 When I positioned myself wide (as opposed to going wide because I am looking to the outside of the corner) I felt safer because I could see so much further ahead. As a result I could go faster if I wanted to. The funny thing is, I used to limit myself before because of what I thought was good riding. I thought that I had to stay close to the inside lane. As a result I limited view of the way ahead and I felt very scared on twisty roads just because I couldn’t see that far ahead. Once I started to use the road, positioning myself for the best view of the way ahead, then riding became fun again. I could see where I wanted to go.
1.1 Riding home one day I found myself stuck behind a slowly moving City bus. Traffic was heavy and I was feeling lazy but I moved to the right anyway and saw that the bus wasn’t going quite as fast as I thought relative to the traffic around it and there was plenty of room between it and the car it was catching up to, enough room for me to sneak my bike through with room to spare.
1.2 I realized that the better I positioned myself the easier it was for me to see the way ahead because I saw where everyone else was going and how fast they were taking to get there. Seeing where everyone else was going sometimes I saw paths before they appeared as if I was seeing a little way into the future and all I had to do to get that view was position myself for the best view of the way ahead.
1.3 Riding in the country, because of the trees it is hard to see what is around each corner. When I stayed close to the inside edge of a turn they blocked the view of the way ahead. Inspired by my experience with the bus I decided to change the way I rode. I positioned myself to the outside of a turn as I rode it and I found that I could see further ahead.
1.4 When I positioned myself wide (as opposed to going wide because I am looking to the outside of the corner) I felt safer because I could see so much further ahead. As a result I could go faster if I wanted to. The funny thing is, I used to limit myself before because of what I thought was good riding. I thought that I had to stay close to the inside lane. As a result I limited view of the way ahead and I felt very scared on twisty roads just because I couldn’t see that far ahead. Once I started to use the road, positioning myself for the best view of the way ahead, then riding became fun again. I could see where I wanted to go.
Looking at Where We Want to Go (Seeing the Horizon and Everything Within It)
LOOKING AT WHERE WE WANT TO GO
1.1 When I was in the army I used to go cycling with a friend. We had a regular circuit that included a steep uphill as well as a bendy downhill and a pub at the end where we could sit and chat at the end of our ride.
1.2 One of our favorite parts of the ride was the steep downhill that turned sharply left at the very bottom. We always egged each other on to see if we could go down without using our brakes before the corner. It was a scary prospect because we never knew if a car would be coming the opposite way.
1.3 My friend and I both finished our training and got posted to new locations before I was able to figure out how to go around that particular corner without using my brakes to slow down first. I did do it once and thanked the gods there wasn’t anything coming the other way. I would liked to have ridden that corner comfortably and with skill rather than hope and a prayer.
1.4 Fifteen years later I went on a motorcycle course that focused on teaching motorcycle riders how to go faster on the part of a track or road that slows them down most, the corners. I was finally on my way to going around corners fast on two wheels.
1.5 On the course we got about five rides each day. We’d get a briefing before each ride, a preview of what we were going to practice on the track. Then we tried the lesson on the track at speed, applying what we learned. After each ride we were asked what we thought and what we had learned and we got to ask questions if we had any. Then we were given the theory and instructions for the next part of our ride. Each day had some sort of rhythm, rests so we could learn where we were going and also see where we’d been so that we could learn how to go faster.
1.6 We learned how using the brakes affects the pitch of the bike, throwing it forwards and compressing the front forks. On the other hand, accelerating tends to lift the front end. We could use the accelerator and the brakes to help balance the bike as well as adjust our speed.
1.7 Going around a corner, if we release the brakes too late then the front end of the bike is still dipped while going around the corner. So we learned how to time when to engage our brakes and when to release them.
1.8 We learned how shifting our weight to one side pushes the bike the other way so the bike has more clearance on the side we are leaning our body towards. This same action could be used while cornering, shifting our body into the corner so the bike moves out from it to create more clearance to the inside of the bike. That would give us that much more room to go faster or tighter around the bend. On the other hand, sitting up higher on the bike in a corner would push the bike down reducing clearance between it and the road.
1.9 We were learning a lot and by the time we were on the last ride of the first day I was pretty tired. I was looking forwards to a rest but I thought I had enough juice in me for some fun on the final few corners before the pits.
1.10 On the track I was riding there is one corner called the Corkscrew that has two turns, a sharp left turn followed immediately by a turn to the right. Rounding the first part of the corkscrew the road momentarily disappears from sight because it dips down. The usual tendency is to upright the bike at that point, but then when the road reappears you see that you have to keep on turning left otherwise you’ll run off the track. Then you have to lean right quickly after for the turn that follows.
1.11 Following the track into the first turn of the corkscrew I was already thinking about corners yet to come. My focus tightened to the road just ahead of me. Exiting the second left turn I leaned the bike to the right and kept looking a few feet ahead of me. The bike smoothly went to the right and continued going right until it was on its side sliding and I was on my backside swearing at myself as I skidded after my bike.
1.12 I was the thirteenth mishap of the day and the head mechanic was marginally upset. I think he threw a spanner. I wasn’t too happy either. Luckily the damage to myself was minimal.
1.13 Looking back I realized that I’d gone where I was looking. Thinking about corners I couldn’t even see I’d become fixated on a point on the road just ahead of the bike. I stayed looking at that one small stationary piece of road and that’s where I went.
1.14 I should have been looking ahead as far as I could see and dealing with what I could see, the horizon and the road leading up to it. Then, as the road changed I would have seen those changes and been ready for them and been able to handle them. As it was, the road changed and I didn’t change with it.
1.15 The next day I got on my bike I was scared. My mind was dominated by the notion of not crashing. Going around the bends I felt like I was being pulled to the outside of each corner. And because I was scared I kept looking at where I didn’t want to go, to the outside of each corner. And that’s where I went.
1.16 I decided to look at where I wanted to go.
1.17 In the next corner I followed the inside edge of the turn with my eyes. When I could see the track beginning to straighten then my eyes followed the line out of the turn. I looked for the furthest point ahead that I could see, each moment shifting my gaze and following the road’s horizon while staying aware of the road leading up to it.
1.18 There was a feeling, delicious, of falling into each corner, but then I’d smoothly roll the accelerator and come flying out. It’s similar to the feeling I had when skating, falling from skate to skate, easily, rhythmically, smoothly transitioning from one side to the other. Riding was fun again.
1.19 Looking back, initially my problem had been becoming fixated on one spot. This was particularly dangerous because I was in a corner when it happened. On a straightaway it wouldn’t have been such a big deal, I probably could have just kept on going straight. But because the road was bending and dipping and rising, I needed to look ahead to see the changes before I got to them. Because I wasn’t looking ahead, I didn’t see those changes and so I went down.
1.20 The next problem was looking to the outside of each corner. My mind wanted to follow the bend of the road to the inside but my eyes had been looking to the outside of the turn. I was pulling myself apart because part of me seemed to be going one way while part of me wanted to go another.
1.21 When I looked at where I wanted to go, and kept moving my gaze ahead of me, then my eyes and my mind and my body were unified and together we handled each bend as we got to it. Leading with my eyes the bike and my body followed.
1.22 And now I know part of the reason why I had so much trouble going down that road on my bicycle with my friend in England. After having accelerated down the hill, when I went around the corner I looked at the place I didn’t want to go, the outside of the bend, the opposite lane of traffic, and that is nearly where I went unless slowed down first. I didn’t realize that part of what I needed to do was look at where I wanted to go so that I could go there.
1.1 When I was in the army I used to go cycling with a friend. We had a regular circuit that included a steep uphill as well as a bendy downhill and a pub at the end where we could sit and chat at the end of our ride.
1.2 One of our favorite parts of the ride was the steep downhill that turned sharply left at the very bottom. We always egged each other on to see if we could go down without using our brakes before the corner. It was a scary prospect because we never knew if a car would be coming the opposite way.
1.3 My friend and I both finished our training and got posted to new locations before I was able to figure out how to go around that particular corner without using my brakes to slow down first. I did do it once and thanked the gods there wasn’t anything coming the other way. I would liked to have ridden that corner comfortably and with skill rather than hope and a prayer.
1.4 Fifteen years later I went on a motorcycle course that focused on teaching motorcycle riders how to go faster on the part of a track or road that slows them down most, the corners. I was finally on my way to going around corners fast on two wheels.
1.5 On the course we got about five rides each day. We’d get a briefing before each ride, a preview of what we were going to practice on the track. Then we tried the lesson on the track at speed, applying what we learned. After each ride we were asked what we thought and what we had learned and we got to ask questions if we had any. Then we were given the theory and instructions for the next part of our ride. Each day had some sort of rhythm, rests so we could learn where we were going and also see where we’d been so that we could learn how to go faster.
1.6 We learned how using the brakes affects the pitch of the bike, throwing it forwards and compressing the front forks. On the other hand, accelerating tends to lift the front end. We could use the accelerator and the brakes to help balance the bike as well as adjust our speed.
1.7 Going around a corner, if we release the brakes too late then the front end of the bike is still dipped while going around the corner. So we learned how to time when to engage our brakes and when to release them.
1.8 We learned how shifting our weight to one side pushes the bike the other way so the bike has more clearance on the side we are leaning our body towards. This same action could be used while cornering, shifting our body into the corner so the bike moves out from it to create more clearance to the inside of the bike. That would give us that much more room to go faster or tighter around the bend. On the other hand, sitting up higher on the bike in a corner would push the bike down reducing clearance between it and the road.
1.9 We were learning a lot and by the time we were on the last ride of the first day I was pretty tired. I was looking forwards to a rest but I thought I had enough juice in me for some fun on the final few corners before the pits.
1.10 On the track I was riding there is one corner called the Corkscrew that has two turns, a sharp left turn followed immediately by a turn to the right. Rounding the first part of the corkscrew the road momentarily disappears from sight because it dips down. The usual tendency is to upright the bike at that point, but then when the road reappears you see that you have to keep on turning left otherwise you’ll run off the track. Then you have to lean right quickly after for the turn that follows.
1.11 Following the track into the first turn of the corkscrew I was already thinking about corners yet to come. My focus tightened to the road just ahead of me. Exiting the second left turn I leaned the bike to the right and kept looking a few feet ahead of me. The bike smoothly went to the right and continued going right until it was on its side sliding and I was on my backside swearing at myself as I skidded after my bike.
1.12 I was the thirteenth mishap of the day and the head mechanic was marginally upset. I think he threw a spanner. I wasn’t too happy either. Luckily the damage to myself was minimal.
1.13 Looking back I realized that I’d gone where I was looking. Thinking about corners I couldn’t even see I’d become fixated on a point on the road just ahead of the bike. I stayed looking at that one small stationary piece of road and that’s where I went.
1.14 I should have been looking ahead as far as I could see and dealing with what I could see, the horizon and the road leading up to it. Then, as the road changed I would have seen those changes and been ready for them and been able to handle them. As it was, the road changed and I didn’t change with it.
1.15 The next day I got on my bike I was scared. My mind was dominated by the notion of not crashing. Going around the bends I felt like I was being pulled to the outside of each corner. And because I was scared I kept looking at where I didn’t want to go, to the outside of each corner. And that’s where I went.
1.16 I decided to look at where I wanted to go.
1.17 In the next corner I followed the inside edge of the turn with my eyes. When I could see the track beginning to straighten then my eyes followed the line out of the turn. I looked for the furthest point ahead that I could see, each moment shifting my gaze and following the road’s horizon while staying aware of the road leading up to it.
1.18 There was a feeling, delicious, of falling into each corner, but then I’d smoothly roll the accelerator and come flying out. It’s similar to the feeling I had when skating, falling from skate to skate, easily, rhythmically, smoothly transitioning from one side to the other. Riding was fun again.
1.19 Looking back, initially my problem had been becoming fixated on one spot. This was particularly dangerous because I was in a corner when it happened. On a straightaway it wouldn’t have been such a big deal, I probably could have just kept on going straight. But because the road was bending and dipping and rising, I needed to look ahead to see the changes before I got to them. Because I wasn’t looking ahead, I didn’t see those changes and so I went down.
1.20 The next problem was looking to the outside of each corner. My mind wanted to follow the bend of the road to the inside but my eyes had been looking to the outside of the turn. I was pulling myself apart because part of me seemed to be going one way while part of me wanted to go another.
1.21 When I looked at where I wanted to go, and kept moving my gaze ahead of me, then my eyes and my mind and my body were unified and together we handled each bend as we got to it. Leading with my eyes the bike and my body followed.
1.22 And now I know part of the reason why I had so much trouble going down that road on my bicycle with my friend in England. After having accelerated down the hill, when I went around the corner I looked at the place I didn’t want to go, the outside of the bend, the opposite lane of traffic, and that is nearly where I went unless slowed down first. I didn’t realize that part of what I needed to do was look at where I wanted to go so that I could go there.
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