Affirmations

Christine Rickerby met George Leonard when she heard his Aikido class through the ceiling of an art studio she was using. What followed was an opening to an enriching ITP practice and an opportunity to spend time with George at the end of his life.

Unlike a maze, there are no dead-ends in a labyrinth. There are, however, twists and turns that cause us to pivot. In that way a labyrinth is a metaphor for life.

The last step of GRACE at the beginning of the Kata is ENERGIZE. ITPI member Jill Robinson describes it as “a calm, yet alert sense of aliveness.” This energy sets up a readiness for the movements of the Kata. It can also nourish the activities in the rest of the day.

Generosity with self is no small feat. We can be more dedicated to giving to others and overlook the importance of tending to our own needs. Generosity with self is essential to transform, especially through our ITP practice. In this essay, Pam Kramer describes her take on the topic.

ITPI is the epitome of generosity within community, starting with the work and inspiration of Michael Murphy and George Leonard. The fruit of their generosity has blossomed throughout the world.

Michael Choy explains how his “excessive volunteering” is deeply connected to honoring his father. In an effort to become more balanced, vital, and healthy, he poses some questions for all of us.

Affirmations are one of the most potent practices that ITP offers. They can be a powerful vehicle for transformation. Affirming generosity can come in many forms and offer many enriching benefits.

Our feelings of generosity toward others can be enhanced by cultivating Evolutionary Love. One way to develop evolutionary love is by sending blessings. Here is some helpful guidance.

Josh Brahinsky is a Psychological Anthropologist, working over the past few years in Anthropology at Stanford University, Psychology at UC Berkeley, and now in Transcultural Psychiatry at McGill University. He joined a team of researchers to examine ITP and its effect on its practitioners. This project took him beyond academia.

Messages from the heart can show up in everyday places. Thanks to her ITP practice, Charlotte Hatch took notice of her heart's messages.

Each ITP newsletter spotlights a member of the ITP community so that they can share some insight into their practice and the role ITP plays in their life. This newsletter, with its theme of ITP Worldview, shines a light on Judith Closson. Judith is a longtime ITP member, in-person at Mill Valley and via Zoom from Washington state. Judith has participated in many programs over the years, including Ki of Cooperation. She eloquently expresses how ITP strengthens her connections to the world around her.

Under the right circumstances, you could achieve what you perceive is impossible. The ego is a tricky thing. It has the potential to warp your perception and confine you to a reality that negates the good and enhances the bad. Everyone wants change, but it must start from within. Listen to the interview with Dr. Lorne Brown and Christina Grote.

Thanks to the synchronicities that surfaced between Lydia Dugan and Joe Hirsch, the ITP Houston community got off the ground in 1996. As Joe describes, "The best part of being in the Houston ITP community is celebrating the personal growth of each member and enjoying the support, camaraderie, and richness of new ideas and practices from our group members and other ITP communities." Yeho!

Each ITP newsletter spotlights a member of the ITP community so that they can share some insight into their practice and the role ITP plays in their life. This newsletter, with its theme of “Community and Leadership,” shines a light on Pam Kramer. Pam is the president of ITP International, an ITP Mastery teacher, is on the faculty of Esalen Institute, and presents workshops at venues in the US and abroad. She is engaged in training ITP teachers, helping to form ITP groups and bringing integral principles and practices to the workplace. Pam was the honoree of the “For the Love of ITP” event on May 2.

Hello! I’m Sally Isaacs, writing to you from Oradell, New Jersey. I’m stepping in to collaborate with the ITP team to produce the ITPI quarterly newsletters. I’m the reason that the theme of this Winter Newsletter is “ITP Essentials.” I have been a member of ITP for many years. But I’ve stayed on the periphery. I practice the Kata alone. I write, revise, and lean into my affirmations.

Learn more about Annie Ellicott and the experience and insight she's gained as a practitioner. “Recognizing, honoring and skillfully navigating homeostasis has been incredibly helpful to my long-term progress as a singer, songwriter, improviser and voice actor. Being comfortable in the role of the fool has given me access to new career paths and incredible adventures.”

Learn more about Sally Isaacs and the experience and insight she's gained as a practitioner. She shares; "I am inspired by the concept of transformation. Through words and practice, I believe we can change how we feel and the course our life takes each day."

In this audio recording, Cassandra Vieten, from The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), shares her deep knowledge of the scientific study of spirituality and transformative practices and the exciting results of IONS’ study of ITP.

In this spirited presentation, ITP co-founder George Leonard describes the reasons why we humans are wired to resist change and how we can negotiate with resistance in order to grow and transform.

Get a deeper sense of the core practices that form the foundation of ITP in this 24-minute audio excerpt from the book, The Life We Are Given, read by co-authors and founders George Leonard and Michael Murphy.

Learn more about Michelle Fontaine and the experience and insight she's gained as a long-time practitioner and member of ITP San Rafael. "As a licensed psychotherapist I can say with certainty that my day-to-day work with clients has been improved by my experiences with ITP in major ways."

ITP practitioner Charlotte Hatch participated in the first experimental ITP class in 1992. She shares what it was like to be a part of a pioneering program and how this experience has carried over in her current, daily practice.

ITP Kansas group leader Cherri Harper has consistently focused on preventing osteoporosis, but when tests showed a sudden loss in bone density, she created an affirmation, “I care for others AND I care for myself.” Since then, she has increased her bone density twice in recent years. Here is her story.

The beginning of the year is a natural marker to reflect on transformative progress and challenges. Inspired by the January 2022 GLEE call program led by ITPI president Pam Kramer and ITP San Rafael group leader Donita Decker, this practice guides you in setting and aligning with your vision for the year ahead by celebrating your growth and learning from challenges.

As part of their ongoing study of ITP, Stanford University researchers, Michael Lifshitz, Josh Brahinsky and TM Luhrmann, explore the practice of affirmations and their discovery of how practitioners embrace the tension between both honoring the present state while, at the same, envisioning positive, lasting change.