All living systems from single cell to complex systems (animals, humans, and maybe even Gaia herself) share some very basic forms of consciousness or awareness. These are most easily seen in single cell systems. The first of these is the innate capacity of the system to withdraw from what is harmful to it and to reach for or go toward what it needs. The further capacity or further capacities of all living systems, according to contemporary biology, is that living systems maintain their own functioning and boundaries; that is, they maintain who or what they are.

Another way to think of this is that the environment and experiences don’t impinge on living systems, forcing change, or act as the cause of change. Even conditionings by outside forces don’t control all thoughts and actions of living systems. Instead there are innate capacities of living systems to connect and respond in ways that support their own development. What this suggests is that if we can learn to be in touch with these capacities within our own system; that is, to see the kind of awareness or consciousness we share with all living systems, we will be more likely to live in harmony with those systems rather than dominating them. We will recognize and trust the potentials of emergent knowing.

Programs I offer are invitations in multiple settings for developing these capacities and their potential for good results from a life of contentment or even for saving us from extinction. As individuals and as communities we develop awareness for making appropriate decisions moment to moment that are in harmony with all of living systems and the universal living system with which we are apart. We open to knowing beyond our analytical mind and usual ways of knowing.