The Ki of Cooperation

We usually look at our world with an agenda. We look at something. We look for something. What if we didn’t perceive the world through “hard eyes”? ITP Mastery Teacher Charlotte Hatch and ITP practitioners demonstrate experiencing the world through “soft eyes.”

Dr. Matthew Cobb started his professional ministry in The Episcopal Church (TEC) where he has served as campus minister, community organizer, healthcare chaplain, development officer, parish priest, indigenous missioner, leadership developer and spiritual director. ITP and the Ki of Cooperation play an important role in his personal and professional lives.

To achieve cooperation with another, it can help to look at the situation from the other person’s point of view. Leonard Energy Training offers an exercise to help us achieve this. ITP Mastery Teacher Charlotte Hatch teaches the exercise “Getting Off the Line,” reminding us to listen to the other person while taking care of ourselves.

Gaining insights during a facilitated exercise is great, but do they really make a difference in everyday life? In my experience, absolutely! The key is sticking with the practice and actively working on those insights. At first, it might feel like progress is slow, but then one day, you suddenly realize how far you've come. Here’s a personal example that illustrates this journey.

A community of practice is more than just a gathering of like-minded individuals. It’s a dynamic, living entity where people come together with a shared commitment to learning, growing and supporting one another. In this space, we build deep connections, share invaluable resources and develop a rich, shared practice through sustained interaction and mutual respect.

With cooperation in the world, the Ki of Cooperation infinitely expands its reach into the world around us. The “world” can be as big or as small as you like. Take for example this famous quote by William Blake: “To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.” The world is readily available and limited only by our perception of it.

What makes cooperation in a community different from cooperating with just one other person? The answer lies in the complexity. As the number of participants grows, so do the intricacies and challenges of maintaining effective cooperation.

Cooperation with another person can be challenging during a brief encounter or throughout a lifetime. And, in the spirit of our practice, these encounters can prove to be transformative. ITPI Mastery Teacher Charlotte Hatch shares her personal insights gained through the lens of her Aikido studies and ITP.

The Ki of Cooperation is vital in many situations. It is easy to understand the importance of cooperating with a partner, in a community and at a global level. But consider cooperation with yourself. This internal harmony is the foundation upon which all other forms of cooperation are built. But what exactly does "cooperation within" mean, and why is it so vital?

The Holomovement is a sociological and spiritual consciousness movement emerging around the world. While our senses take in the universe in separate segments, the Holomovement perceives the entire universe as instantaneously interconnected by unbounded flow. In an interview with two leaders of the Holomovement, ITPI Board member Emanuel Kuntzelman and Mariko Pitts, we focus on the importance of cooperation in the world today and how the Ki of Cooperation practice plays an important role in the growth of the movement.

The Ki of Cooperation Conversation series was created to provide a space for people to explore different aspects of cooperation and address issues that could create disharmony. Our goal is to foster creative conversations around difficult and complex topics, allowing participants to feel good about themselves even when faced with opposing viewpoints. By putting cooperation front and center, we aim to invite collaboration over competition and move away from a win-lose mindset.

Learn how ITP practices benefit daily life for ITPI board member Rudy Collins. He points out that transformation does not always come as a quantum change. “I have come to realize that transformation, for me, tends to occur from sustained and consistent practice of sometimes small acts.”

Learn more about Rachel Hamilton and the ways that a "bad boyfriend" experience opened her life to an ITP practice that enhances her life. Read what generosity means to her. “Generosity is the impulse to share what I have with others. I particularly love to share my spaces and my energy to create sweet gatherings. Vitamin C(onnection) is something we all need, and I love being the person to create the space for us to be with one another and be alive with one another, whether it be to share joy or to process grief.”

Learn more about Matthew Steinbach and how ITP has brought new insights to his daily life and his role as a coach to student-athletes. “I firmly believe we are on the edge of cultural transition towards integral transformative practice. My work with the younger generations leaves me full of promise and optimism.”

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.

Thanks to technology, the Ki of Cooperation is a community group with members from all over of the world. The space may be virtual, but the community is real. Ann writes, "We believe in a community of practice. Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern and learn how to do better as they interact regularly. In our case, the common concern is to cultivate harmony through skillful cooperation across boundaries."