MOVEment: Lineage-based Physical Practices for Realizing Liberation

Special Issue Art by Soyalmaa Davaakhuu

Guest Editor, Dr. Sheryl Petty writes, “I am excited about Ocha Dharma and Courage of Care’s partnership to co-host this special issue on physical and energetic practices as pathways to full liberation. Many may not be familiar with such practices as full liberatory paths and may be more familiar with seated and/or visionary practice, and potentially the relatively recent somatics field, strands of which have a focus on social systems and what might be considered more “relative” benefits.

We are interested in supporting wider awareness of a broader spectrum of practices of body, speech/energy, and heart-mind, that can be engaged both individually and collectively. The body as a domain/site of liberation is not often spoken of in this hemisphere (to our knowledge), and the realm of non-dual Tantra (and Tantric Buddhism in particular) are also systems with which many are not familiar.

We are using the word “liberation” as it is used in Buddhism and other wisdom traditions to refer to our ultimate, unadulterated, liberated state; free of contortion, impediment and constraint; engaged with and connected to, but not bound or defined by time, place or social conditions. This ultimate (vs.“relative”) freedom allows us to be utterly present and responsive to the moment and any arising condition or set of circumstances with vigor, potent capacity, enthusiasm, presence, full commitment, love, and engagement for the liberation of “everyone and everything, everywhere,” as one of my Buddhist teachers says.

The domain of the physical body and our energetic systems as pathways to full liberation may be unfamiliar to many, particularly in the context of some lineage traditions. While for others, engaging physical and energetic systems as domains of spiritual practice, healing, and liberation may be part and parcel to every day. These practices can be pathways and modes of “meditation” in themselves, and can also be engaged as accompaniments to sitting, speech/sound, as well as visionary approaches to spiritual practice.

We hope this special issue and the accompanying symposium introduce readers to a range of lineage-based approaches for engaging our physical, emotional, spiritual, and energetic well-being, untangling the knots in ourselves and in our social systems and communities, so that a fuller range of our capacity, gifts, joy, and benefit can be experienced by all.”