The photo above is captured from one of the video links on one of my websites: http://web.mac.com/hdieno – and it is called “Rod showing 4-person equipment; Hooking Howard up”.
This is the first of several installments on this blog – which I will continue to post over coming days and weeks.
For some weeks now, I have been getting intuitive impulses to write of the many different but related threads to my life and practice. Since these threads all seem to be pointing in roughly the same direction it feels like I can only make good sense of what is emerging by writing it out in this manner.
One of the recent changes in my life is that my former life partner and I have recently parted ways. Susan returned to a life in Vancouver, whilst I am creating my life anew here in Victoria. That change in personal circumstances has spurred to me to act on several long term goals.
The first of these is that I have returned to singing with the Gettin’ Higher Choir led by Denis Donnelly and Shivon Robinsong. The song repertoire, the musical sharing, the sense of community-based creativity all nourish me greatly. I am still part way through re-organising my personal space to play more music on my own, with others, and to compose and record more.
The Presence Project began meeting here at my practice space in Victoria for the first time in late January, 2010. This is an exciting and ongoing exploration into what can arise when a group of eight people come together to use BioFeedback technology to access a state of heart coherence. The hope and promise of this project is that by learning and later mastering one’s access to a state of heart coherence or Presence – and doing so whilst in the presence of others who are coming from a similar commitment to explore individually and together – that a new type of social activism can emerge. Social activism that arises from open-hearted contact with others in the same mutually-supportive state.
I know I am not alone in the conviction that we are on the cusp of even more sweeping changes than we have witnessed in recent years. Our financial systems, political structures, social infra-structure and lifestyle expectations are all evolving, but are presently doing so at a pace and scale that is nowhere near bold nor creative enough to meet the challenges before us now, and more so, in the near future.
In my own field of Osteopathy, for example, there are all too obvious examples of limited thinking and turf-protection, rather than the visionary forging ahead that so characterized the thinking and actions of Osteopathy’s Founders. In order not to lose sight of the incredible benefits inherent in the principles of this branch of the healing arts, we will need to co-operate, co-create and empathize, even with those who seem bent on destroying, or at least discrediting their “opponents” within the same field. In short, we will need to work together for a common goal.
This is just the beginning of my reporting, and there is much more to share. If you wish, please add your comment below.
Howard Dieno's Blog 
Hey Howard!! Great to see this. You might have to attend my next event in Vancouver . . . Here are some links. We are speaking the best we can to just that Head, Heart, Belly thing.
http://www.gaininggroundsummit.com/
http://www.gaininggroundsummit.com/program.htm#Day3
http://www.gaininggroundsummit.com/Healing_Cities.htm
Really hope to see you again soon,
Nicole
Hi Howard…
Great to see you blogging and I appreciate hearing all your news. As we talked about previously, I am very interested in the biofeedback project, so let me know more about it. I look forward to seeing the co-op grow and advance this year and I’ll be following your writings.
Keep in touch, corinne