Love & Shadow in the Occupy Movement - Michael Stone

This video is a taste of the upcoming feature documentary, Occupy Love. We have just launched our IndieGoGo crowd funding campaign to raise completion funds for the film. Visit http://www.indiegogo.com/Occupy-Love?a=315019&i=addr PLEASE SHARE WIDELY! HELP SUPPORT THE FILM This is a community funded film. Help us rush this film to the theatres and onto the streets. We know we have something amazing on our hands, that can be of great service in this time of enormous transformation, this time of enormous crisis. Thank you for your support. Love is the movement!
Shot on Nov 6, 2011 at Occupy Vancouver

"We are cultivating intimacy, that's arising out of difference. This the spark that I would call Love. And it's what's carrying us, and what's warming us up. And it's the reason why we're going to win."

Michael Stone is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, Buddhist teacher, author and activist, committed to the integration of traditional teachings with contemporary psychological and philosophical understanding.

http://occupylove.org
http://www.centreofgravity.org
http://occupyvancouver.com

Watch his entire speech here
http://vimeo.com/31735800

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Well, I think the Occupy movement has everything to do with finding ways to take all the
parts of our society that have been compartmentalized and integrating them back in to
our awareness.

So at an ecological level, this is recognizing that an economy that is predatory and
growth based is not just causing trouble at an economic level, it's also causing trouble
at an ecological level. So we have to include ecology, which is the shadow of our
capitalistic economy, as part of the dialogue around what this movement is trying to
re-imagine.

At a social level there are parts of our society that we have compartmentalized. And so
one of the things that is happening in parks like this and squares all over the world, is
that when various people come together, then they show each paradigm that we adhere
to's shadow. So if I have a certain ideology and someone else has a certain ideology, we
have to learn how to communicate.

So I think the Occupy movement is the springing back into consciousness of the things
that we've discarded. And we need them. The 1% need us, you know. And the fish
need us and the forests need us and the parts of our community that we haven't been
communicating with, need us. And all this is coming to the surface now and that's what
so exciting and that's also why it's hard to get a handle on exactly what this is.

This is just the beginning of a movement of inclusion. There's always a natural
resistance to stillness and a natural resistance to new patterns of imagination, primarily
because there is a human resistance to change. We like getting in a groove and staying
in that groove and so naturally as this resistance grows in momentum, there are going to
be people who actively repress it because it is threatening.

Social change doesn't happen just through persuasion. It doesn't happen through small
sound bites. And it also doesn't happen through Twitter. IT HAPPENS BY REALLY
PUTTING OUR BODIES HERE, FACE TO FACE WITH OTHERS AND MAKING
CHANGE BY LISTENING AND DREAMING TOGETHER. Love is not just a feeling; it's
what emerges when we give each other our face, when we give each other our attention,
when we give each other the space to really listen to a diversity of viewpoints.

I think so often we talk about difference as something we have to tolerate but what's
happening in the Occupy movement through the human microphone, the general
assembly, committees, feeding people, the development here of a gift economy ...
is that in the process we're cultivating intimacy that is arising out of difference and that
intimacy is this spark, that I would call LOVE. AND IT'S WHATS CARRYING US AND
IT'S WHATS WARMING US UP AND IT'S THE REASON WHY WE ARE GOING TO
WIN.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• love
• shadow
• michael stone
• occupy love
• occupy wall st
• occupy together
• occupy vancouver
• yoga
• buddhism
• activism

[faithandherghosts]

You do not have to go to a big Occupy site to bring about change...just walk around and talk to people you might not "normally" talk to - for whatever reason, share stories, look into one another's eyes. Shake hands, smile, exchange hugs with strangers after brief conversations. LOVE.

[Weezii668]

Very nice and welcoming for those that are still wondering about Occupy movements. Patience and time will win over those that don't yet realise they ARE included in the 99%. Keep sharing all information you get, by whatever means appropriate to you. People are still scared of Occupying because they will have to face hard truths that the system they believed in for so long has been a lie. It will be like losing their identity for a while. Love will prevail.

[onlythewise1]

usa now is every boyd out for them seleves we go into recession and we start doing right away what got us in it . wow so many dumb asses . the worst people are college educated pukes and bad news run by bad jews.

[hapispirit]

love this video. thank you. one love. smiles.

[ljclark2177]

Incredible! Most magnificent description of occupy movement I have heard.

[QueenKaidrea]

I love you ALL, my beautiful Brothers and Sisters - we are ONE <3 :) Remember: We are unstoppable, another world is possible. And here now.

[breachborn]

HEY! This is a wonderful video. This is filled with description and reasonableness and hope. Great directives providing a strong structure for

all the work going on right NOW.

Bravo. Thank You for your efforts and energy and thoughts.

Very Very Cool. ( :

Refreshing. AAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh­hhhh.

[Euclides287]

/watch?v=i1U1B_iS94E

[MrUnschooling]

Wow. Thanks you for sharing this film with the world. I spent 9 days at Occupy Vancouver and I couldn't agree more. I haven't seen that sense of community ever - in my entire short life.

[abmz1970]

who cares what other people think but changed it must be done for the good of this planet and our people we all are one peace to  all

[winsettruffner]

@runebagel:

Well done I see you don't buy into the "love everyone" bs either. But good try pretending. Probably makes you feel better inside at least.

[runebagel]

@winsettruffner fuck you man, seriously get your head out of your ass.