W O N D E R

Take a slow breath.
Evoke the sense of wonder.
Touch the ring with curiousity.

Let it guide you.
Open your senses.
Be wonder. Embody wonder.
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Meet the next moment from this expanded stance.
What changes ?
What emerges ?

Use the ring to get in touch with life's infinite possibilities and emergent pathways right here in this moment.
Move your fingers gently on the ring, feel how the edges interconnect and how the surfaces are receptive in all directions. Sense how it unfolds, includes and sees a bigger picture.
Keep exploring its form as a metaphor for wonder itself. And as you establish your interpretation of wonder apply that back to the ring.

This simple practice is alchemical, as you will see. Wonder acts as a lens, opening the playing field of possibilities, revealing the extraordinary in the ordinary. It creates space for grace and let's us re-enchant our world.

Wonder, as an embodied stance, is the gateway to the Unknown and the Mystery of Life. It is a time-tested pathway to enrich the meaning and purpose of existence, often leading to awe, gratitude and reverence. It is inherently interconnected and seeks wholeness.

When wonder arises, it is often due to outer circumstances. We want to reverse engineer it, make it your super power that you can turn on any time. Try for yourself. Give it a week and see the progress.

Wonder is the antidote to certainty, fragmentation, reductionism, cynicism and dogmatism and other less helpful human traits.

" He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead ”

Albert Einstein

There are many ways to cultivate wonder. Make it fun. Find your own tricks and hacks. Challenge yourself, try when life is a bit grey and when people are too predictable.

Evoke. Bring the sense of wonder into your awareness. Take a deep breath and recall a moment when wonder filled your heart—perhaps a breathtaking view, an unexpected insight, or a childlike curiosity.
Set the intention to invite wonder into your day.
Hold the ring, placing your finger on its surface. Trace the spiral clockwise and imagine wonder radiating from within, opening your perception to life’s endless marvels.
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Embody. Feel the presence of wonder in your body. Sense its lightness, openness, or excitement. Notice how it shifts your breath, posture, and expression.
Engage in the present moment: look at something familiar with fresh eyes, or pause to fully experience the details of your surroundings. Alternatively, rehearse how wonder can guide you in a future moment, sparking curiosity and appreciation in your actions.
Let your finger trace another spin on the ring, as if sending ripples of wonder outward, shaping your interactions and the world around you.
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Evolve. Notice how wonder changes your perspective. What new details, connections, or feelings emerge? Observe the shifts in your environment and within yourself, appreciating how wonder deepens your engagement with life.

Complete a final spin around the ring, returning full circle. Feel how wonder has integrated into your being, expanding your capacity to see and feel life’s infinite possibilities.

Try out different version of
I wonder if . . .
I wonder why / how / what . . .
Find more questions. Don't rush towards finite answers.
TRY THIS: Next time a conversation gets a little boring and predictable, pull out your stack of questions that opens to wonder.

In Zen "beginners mind" is an advanced achievement. Allan Watts encouraged people to see life as a play or dance to be experienced, not a problem to solve.
Imagine yourself as a child, really, buttowte eyes of a child you know, maybe even go down on all four, and then explore this perspective. See the world as is for the first time. If you feel stupid doing it, explore your comfort zone.

Nature is one of our best teacher of wonder and awe, but sometimes we have to deliberately open ourselves to it. Dont' postpone. If your closets "nature" is a plant or a vegetable then use those. Let yourself marvel over how this living organism is unique and how long it took evolution to design it to this level of perfection.

" Philosophy begins in wonder "

Socrates

This first version is a bit crude. We are editing and refining

1. Philosophical Traditions
• Socratic Philosophy: Socrates famously declared, “I know that I know nothing.” This openness to not-knowing lies at the heart of the Socratic method, where questioning is a path to deeper understanding.
• Phenomenology: Philosophers like Edmund Husserl emphasized the need to approach experiences with a bracketing or suspension of judgment, echoing the beginner’s mind.
• Romanticism: Thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau celebrated wonder as essential to engaging with life and nature, where curiosity opens us to beauty and mystery.

2. Spiritual Traditions
• Zen Buddhism: As you mentioned, shoshin (beginner’s mind) is a core practice in Zen. It emphasizes an attitude of openness, eagerness, and a lack of preconceptions.
• Christian Mysticism: Meister Eckhart spoke of detachment and being empty to experience the divine. St. Francis of Assisi embodied a sense of awe and wonder for all creation.
• Islamic Sufism: The state of ta’ammul (contemplation) encourages practitioners to marvel at the divine presence in all things, aligning with an open, wondering mind.
• Advaita Vedanta: The practice of neti-neti (not this, not that) invites exploration beyond certainty, embracing the mystery of what cannot be known or described.
• Daoism: Laozi’s Tao Te Ching repeatedly points to the value of embracing the unknown and the undefined: “The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.”

3. Psychological and Scientific Perspectives
• Child Psychology: Developmental psychology (e.g., Jean Piaget) highlights the natural wonder of children as they learn about the world, a state adults can consciously return to.
• Flow States: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow often involves deep engagement and curiosity, where certainty falls away.
• Mindfulness and Presence: Practices like mindfulness meditation teach non-judgmental awareness, closely aligned with wonder.
• Quantum Physics: Scientists like Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman spoke of the awe inherent in scientific discovery, often fueled by humility and curiosity.

4. Artistic and Creative Expressions
• Poetry and Literature: Writers like Rainer Maria Rilke encouraged living in the questions rather than rushing for answers: “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves.”
• Surrealism: Artists like Salvador Dalí and movements like surrealism invited viewers into a state of wonder and curiosity about the unexpected.
• Music and Dance: Improvisation in jazz or contemporary dance encourages openness to the moment, embodying the spirit of wonder.

5. Mundane Practices of Wonder
• Nature Walks: The simple act of walking in nature, paying attention to the small details—leaves, sounds, patterns—can evoke a sense of wonder.
• Gratitude Practice: Gratitude often leads to awe, helping cultivate an open and appreciative state of mind.
• Storytelling and Questions: Practices like journaling or asking open-ended questions nurture curiosity.

Inspirational Quotes
• “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” – Socrates
• “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust
• “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.” – William Blake
• “Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.” – Neil Armstrong
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w o n d e r