Vivation

Vivation is a form of meditation whose primary aim is the permanent and pleasurable resolution of suppressed negative emotions. The word "Vivation" comes from the Latin word vivé (to fully embrace life). Vivation integrates the core principles found in yoga, tantra, breathwork, and meditation into a unified process of healing and personal empowerment.

History

Vivation was created by Jim Leonard in 1979. It has roots in the Tantra, Kundalini and Kriya yoga traditions, as well as Vipassanā and modern breathwork. The teaching of Vivation places strong emphasis on facilitating the emotional autonomy and self-realization of its practitioners. According to their official website, over 100,000 people have learned the process, with hundreds of professionals teaching Vivation worldwide.

Description

Vivation is a feeling based process. The primary difference between Vivation and other types of meditation is its emphasis on maintaining awareness of the strongest feeling in the body on an ongoing basis. In this way, the bodily-felt experience itself guides and instructs the practitioner where to go next. In Vivation no distinction is made between emotions or sensations, as both are experienced kinesthetically. In Vivation, there is no requirement to quiet the mind. If the mind is overly active, the practitioner simply continues noticing what that feels like in the body. Because of its emphasis on feelings, there is no mental or cognitive component to Vivation. Vivation practitioners claim that by connecting directly to the physical feelings in the body, negative thoughts about those feelings are bypassed, resulting in a much more honest and pleasurable experience. From the perspective of Vivation, there is no such thing as negative feelings, only negative thoughts about those feelings. Feelings once experienced openly and honestly, are inherently positive and blissful. Practitioners claim that by relaxing the mind and body and paying attention to the feelings already present, any "make wrong" about those feelings is relaxed too. This results in a relaxation or "melting" of body armor (see Wilhelm Reich). When a feeling is integrated, the physiological energy keeping the emotion suppressed is now released, resulting in a feeling of bliss (see Sananda). According to Vivation everything integrates into ecstasy. Every integration is permanent and represents a step forward in the individuals freedom, autonomy and liberation.

The Five Elements

Vivation consists of five elements, or foundational skills necessary to achieve physical integration of suppressed negative emotions. These elements are: Circular Breathing, Complete Relaxation, Awareness in Detail, Integration Into Ecstasy, and Do Whatever You Do, Willingness is Enough. Each of these skills has its own requisite knowledge base, however all of them are brought together in a Vivation session to facilitate efficient integration of negative emotions in the most pleasurable and enjoyable way possible.

• The First Element of Vivation is circular breathing, which has three basic aspects. The first is that inhales and exhales are connected together, with no pauses in between. The second is the exhale is completely relaxed. By relaxed, this means the exhale comes out all on its own and not forced or controlled in any way. This differs from many other forms of pranayama which have a forced exhale component. Also, because the exhale is completely relaxed, there is no hyperventilation in Vivation. If hyperventilation does occur, it is because the exhale is being forced or inhibited in some way. Hyperventilation disappears as the exhale is relaxed again. In Vivation, breathing rhythms occur along a continuum through three quadrants: Slow and Full, Fast and Full, and Fast and Shallow. Slow and shallow breathing takes you out of your body, and so is not used in Vivation. Circular breathing is adjusted in real-time to resonate with the feelings in the body in the most gentle, loving and enjoyable way possible. In this way, it is the experience of the feelings in the body that instructs and leads each session.

• The Second Element of Vivation is relaxing the mind and body as much as possible. One doesn't do Vivation, so much as relaxes into the experience for what is already there. In Vivation, feelings integrate when one relaxes into accepting those feeling for what they already are. In Vivation, integration is a relaxation of effort.

• The Third Element of Vivation is awareness in detail of the strongest feeling in the body. Feelings are not analyzed or sought after, only experienced for what they are in that moment. Since each moment is unique, this is the only element that practitioners must remain conscious of, as all other elements become automatic and natural supports of Third Element awareness.

• The Fourth Element of Vivation is integration into ecstasy. The basic idea is being open and receptive to whatever positive feelings are already present. According to Vivation practitioners, feelings are only experienced negatively because of mental judgments made about them. By relaxing the mind and body in the presence of the feeling, the positive aspects of the feeling become more obvious and easier to accept. According to the fourth element, one doesn't intentionally integrate a feeling, one enjoys the feeling as much as possible until it integrates.

• The Fifth Element is doing whatever you do, willingness is enough. In Vivation, willingness refers to the willingness to feel a feeling as honestly and positively as possible. There is no prerequisite for having a positive experience, only a willingness to be open to the possibility of experiencing the feeling in a positive way. In Vivation, integration is a function of willingness, and therefore is the most important of the five elements.

References

Leonard, J. & Laut, P. (1991) Vivation: The Science of Enjoying All of Your Life. ISBN 0-9610132-4-9

Leonard, J. (1996) Vivation: The Skill of Happiness. ISBN 0-7388-4519-1

External links

• Vivation International Official website and certifying body of Vivation worldwide.
• Vivation Italy
• Vivation Japan
• Vivation Scandinavia
• Vivation Germany
• Vivation UK