As mentioned earlier it is quite a lot to be introduced to the Nine Principles all in one go, one after the other like this. It is worth working with just one or two to start with, and to notice how they appear in all aspects of life including the inner and outer world. We can then gradually start to notice how other principles operate. For example, when we start to pay attention to boundaries, we will naturally start to notice things acting as gates and guardians. When we notice circles of hierarchy and the way different sub systems interact, we naturally start to notice the inescapable bonds between parts of a system and the way that energy exchange is (or is not) working.
So overall it seems better to build an organic understanding and experience, rather than to try to work through all nine as a linear list.
Using the principles to change how we deal with situations:
Once we start to get a feeling for the principles and see how they operate everywhere, this adds clarity and insight to all sorts of complex and challenging situations. We see potentials for different sorts of interventions and responses based on certain principles that are not clear or operating well.
As mentioned, a strong emphasis of this work is on focusing on the idea of centre. Ideas that emerge from that include such as integrity, authenticity and clarity of purpose. We need to develop trust that qualities at the centre do naturally radiate out and express themselves in the world. This becomes another area of exploration – expressing our own central values and inspirations more courageously.
In Centre Edge workshops and trainings once we have become acquainted with a few principles, we can apply them to real, practical scenarios and situations. We start to experience for ourselves how new possibilities and insights come to light with this approach.
Deepening our view of who we actually are:
Finally, it is always good to remember that the nine principles originate from the study and practice of present moment awareness. As we gradually get more acquainted with them, we start to see and experience in subtle detail how the very same patterns and relationships are indeed going on within our minds in each moment. The nine principles work to maintain our current sense of identity. They also offer gateways into quite different ways of perceiving oneself, others and the world. In other words our current identity relies on Centre Edge principles, but the same principles also underlie quite radical or profound shifts in identity. For example as our personal boundaries expand, or our story of who or what is at the centre shifts.
So the nine principles, which we can begin exploring with every day objects and situations, like oak trees, office design and team meetings, gradually extend into profound questions of human identity, potential and freedom. Eventually these different levels are not perhaps as separate as we start out believing. The world we believe we live in and interact with is to quite a large extent a reflection of the ‘self’ we believe ourselves to be. With a deepening awareness of one’s own self and consciousness, the capacity to act skilfully, with precision and compassion in every day situations will hopefully increase. Deeply understanding the principles of Centre Edge will help us express more confidently our natural capacities such as kindness and wisdom in the world.
