Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More

Mirror Work

Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

July 28, 1999

This essay, Mirror Work, is the companion piece to Being Invisible Being.

I've developed the Mirror Work process to be deployed in graduate seminars in South Africa where the inception of Werner Erhard's work is accelerating but there isn't yet a full time staff or center, and neither is there a support structure in place for delivering graduate seminars.

The first graduate seminars in South Africa* are being locally created for new graduates by senior graduates. My intention is for Mirror Work to be deployed in two of them: LEEP Leadership Expansion and Empowerment Program seminar series and PEAKS Peak Performance Seminar series. Both of these seminars series are blazing the trail for the Landmark Education graduate seminars embodied in the Landmark Education Curriculum for Living which will eventually be delivered in South Africa.

I am indebted to Morgan Behr who inspired this conversation.

Face YourSelf In The Mirror

1) Starting

face yourself in the mirror
where are you tense?
look at each tension: what are you holding there?
where are you relaxed?
look at each relaxation: what are you free of there?

2) Physical

face yourself in the mirror
notice your body exactly as it is
stand with your left side to the mirror
notice your body exactly as it is
stand with your right side to the mirror
notice your body exactly as it is
be OK with your body exactly the way it is
what about your body are you not OK with?
what about your body are you OK with?
who created this standard?
who keeps this standard in place?

3) Intensifying

face yourself in the mirror
look at the you that you disdain
what is it you disdain? who put it there?
look at the you that you love
what is it you love? who put it there?

4) Spatial

face yourself in the mirror
look at yourself with your eyes
what do you see?
gaze at yourself from the back of your head
what do you see?
close your eyes
look at yourself with your eyes
what do you see?
keep your eyes closed
gaze at yourself from the back of your head
what do you see?
open your eyes
try looking at yourself from other body sites eg can you look at yourself from your mouth? from your chest?
optional: switch off all lights, create total darkness, repeat all the above

5) Acknowledging

face yourself in the mirror
say to yourself "I Love You"
say it as an acknowledgement not as an ego trip
have yourself say back to you "I Love You"
get it as an acknowledgement not as an ego trip
how is acknowledging yourself hard for you?
how is acknowledging yourself easy for you?
how is being acknowledged by yourself hard for you?
how is being acknowledged by yourself easy for you?
who created these standards?
who keeps these standards in place?

6) Completing

face yourself in the mirror
stand comfortably flatfooted
sit in your hips like a chair
breathe in and out, full lungs of air
expand your chest
stand up to your full height
stretch your arms out on each side
what would you have to give up to always stay open like this?

In 2008 South Africa has a full time staff and center. Most of the Landmark Education graduate seminars series embodied in the Landmark Education Curriculum for Living are ongoingly delivered. The Landmark Forum, the Landmark Advanced Course, and the ILP Introduction Leaders Program are regularly offered.

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