Can you find time to let more meaning and Understanding into your life? Dialogue Practice can be a way to meaning and understanding and beyond.
This blog deals with a kind of dialogue practice which many have begun to find interesting. It has been called Dialogue For Peace, Magic Table Dialogue, Dialogue for Peace and Understanding, Learning to Think Together, etc. I tend to call it The Dialogue or Dialogue Practice. It is an effective practice for reaching deeper understanding.
So far, the practice has been face to face and calls for a private space large enough to accommodate participants. Groups have been open to almost anyone interested in the practice, but are limited in number. That number seems to be less than 40.
Group practice takes time. The practice may best be done for a couple of hours once a week. This is best done forever, but few of us have that much time. Groups may work very well with as few as, say, 17 participants. With fewer the practice came become less effective. Still, with love and and be following some rules even a couple can benefit.
This post is introductory. This blog is explanatory and instructive. When you want more than this introduction, there is this growing blog available to you right here.
The look of the practice may begin with perhaps 30 individuals sitting in chairs forming a circle facing the center an one another. If you continue looking you may see that the seem to take turns talking for a short time. When you listen you may hear that participants seem to have a topic in mind. For now, that's the group.
A first step an individual might take is to decide how she intends to show up at dialogue practice. The next step would be to actually show up. And then, to arrange to attend a complete practice meeting each week for a couple of weeks. And then, arrange to attend a complete practice meeting each week for the next couple of months.
As she continues her weekly practice meetings, she could observe her practice companions becoming more effective listeners and more cogent speakers. She could see her companions speaking up I a way to be more easily heard. See could also see that those companions were well listened to as they spoke. She might see her friend in the group express an opinion or describe an experience with fine honesty. As she continues she will see fellow dialoguers developing and using new dialogue skills and attitudes before she becomes aware of her own development.
I have heard of independent groups practicing this kind of dialogue for a variety of reasons, including the belief that it maintains, strengthens, and creates culture!
I have spoken of the benefits of this practice in other posts on this blogs and am likely to post more. When you are interested, it can pay to check out all of the post on this blog.
There are groups actively practicing dialogue of this kind. There might be one near you. Ask around. If you find one you might try observe some practices. If you know a couple of others who share your interest in the dialogue you can consider forming a practice group of your own. Please feel free to report your experience here by clicking on "comments" just below this blog.
With this dialogue practice you may find yourself on an interesting path or a grand road. It is a way you can follow without a boss or master. You will need little leading nor is a teacher or guru necessary. There are useful guidelines, rules, skills, and attitudes you will benefit by learning. And, it does take practice.
Some simple doings have proven helpful. For example, it seems best to form a circle with chairs facing toward the center. In that circle one often begins to see the participants begin to look less and less to a designated authority. They avoid building a hierarchy. In such a circle they getting to know one another in a way perhaps new to them.
Participants begin to want the words spoken there to be honest and even to see those words as gifts. They find that their words are listened to attentively and are sometimes truly accepted as gifts. Participants share words and begin to find more meaning in that which is said.
The benefits of the dialogue are gained through practice. Most of the practice is easy to understand and to do. An example is the practice of respect and courtesy for self and others.
Let me emphasize that dialogue practice groups are usually open, but are seldom public. Open, means that nearly anyone can participate so long as chairs are available. Seldom public, means that there are usually no observers; when practice begins doors are closed.
So a dialogue practice group is not a public forum. a public forum can be a wonderful communication container. We can benefit from having and using such forums, but our practice groups are not such forums.
A dialogue practice groups has ways, means, and aims different from those of a public forum. Our ways are of a different order, our means is our ongoing practice, our aims include: bringing more meaning and understanding into our lives, achieving a better understanding of the assumptions and opinions of others, and even getting a better understanding of the power of thinking together. Participants are not interested in bringing others to their point of view. They are more interested in understanding the points of view of others.
This introduction seems abundant rather then comprehensive. I hope it has helped you see that I believe that practice of the dialogue help us to enhanced meaning and understanding of our world, each other, and of ourselves; the practice can help us to more agreeable peace; and that it can help us learn to think together productively well.
Take a look at the posts on this blog and contribute if you like.
More intro to the Dialogue Practice
In
our dialogue practice there is no agenda in the ordinary sense. Our
purpose, in large part, is the practice. The practice is the honest and
just sharing of meaning and development of coherence. We practice
certain methods and skills for thinking together.
Our
present purpose is to practice skills and learn rules of effective
dialogue. We hope that others will come to see how this mere practice
builds and supports our culture even as we listen and speak.
This
Dialogue For Peace, this Magic Table Dialogue, this dialogue is mostly
leaderless. We can practice it and share its benefits without leaders.
To
begin your dialogue you will need to talk with others about the
dialogue. You will begin, probably, by talking it over, discussing why
you are doing it, what it means, and how you want to do it.
rcs
Bye for now,
RCS
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