Power of the Interlude: Week2 of lockdown, is the Interlude between Week1 and Week3
Practices for Surviving and Thriving: Why Interlude is a crucible for change and transformation.
Understanding the Power of the Interlude.
An Interlude is an intervening period of time; an interval. Starting today we are in Week2 of Lockdown, here in INDIA. Week2, is the interlude between Week1 and Week3. Lockdown itself is also an interlude, and in many ways similar to Week2, a brief passage of time, a transitory experience. On a longer time horizon, the whole Pandemic itself is an interlude in our lives, business and careers and hopefully will also be just a brief passage-of-time in our lives. I will highlight in this article, that all passage-of-times or interludes, whether Week2, lockdown or the entire Pandemic, exhibit a universally well documented phenomena called “Rites of Passage”, with 3 distinct phases.
Rites of Passage Explained
Similar to Week1 of lockdown, the Rites of Passage documents the 1st phase, as a Disassociation or Separation phase, where the Interlude separates us from everything we do, and everything we know/feel. Similar to Week2, the 2nd phase is a Transition phase, and Week3 is known as the Incorporation phase. The Rites of Passage is usually attributed to Van Genepp.
But I want to emphasize, that Gennep, looked at most ancient cultures, around the world, and then arrived at these 3 universal phases. In India, for the longest time, like more than 5000 years, passage itself is known as Passana, and the 3 distinct phases are even today in vogue, and known as Vipassana, Tapassana and Yama-Passana.
Ancient Indian phases defining the Interlude or Passage
Vipassana, the 1st phase, is known to most people, as a Buddhist meditation practice, and its pretty popular today because of Mr. Goenka, however its largely an Indian culture or practice, where in that particular period we immerse in the process of Separating, Disassociating or Unlearning. Vipassana practice in India predates the buddhist era, by several thousand years. In Week1 of lockdown in fact, all of us practiced Vipassana in our own ways, and learnt how to maintain separation or disassociation. The entire lockdown itself is an act of “social distancing” or disassociation, isn’t it? The 2nd phase a.k.a Tapassana, even today used extensively at most Indian checkpoints, like security at airports/metros or railway stations, is about checking/scrutinizing. The short form for Tapassana is Tapas, also known as intense Inner-scrutiny and extremely popular with Yogis and Mystics. Week2 hence is going to be about Inner Scrutiny, and it’s an intense period of introspection. The entire magic of the Rites of Passage, takes place in this 2nd phase, known as phase-of-Transition. The last phase or 3rd phase of Rites-of-Passage is called as Yama-Passana, where we make a commitment/pledge/sankalpa or tether/bind yourself for integrating or incorporating the new form/change of life in all our activities. As seen above this is documented by Van Gennep also as Incorporation. Week 3 of our lockdown also, will by nature be about making a pledge to maintain the new change. For brevity, better articulation and understanding, the entire process is documented in the image below.
Double Helix of the Dynamics of Inner and Outer Transformations in an Interlude or Betweenness
In many ways Week2 captures the entire symbolism of the betweenness of life/business/careers. Life happens between birth and death, Business happens between starting-up and shutting-down, and careers happen in-between being a young-novice and old-retiree. So, betweenness is really the essence of all aliveness. In short, Week2 also is essentially about aliveness. The whole 3 weeks of lockdown, can be represented by a Double Helix, like a DNA, which is the blueprint for life.
Further Exploration: Practices for Tapas in the interlude, the Crucible for Change and Transformation
All Interludes, whether it is Week2, whether it is the Lockdown, Pandemic or Life itself, which happens between birth and death, they all exhibit the distinct characteristics of Phase 2, the Tapas phase. Both Van Gennep (1960) and later Turner (1969) describe how, any transition in the life cycle of humans (such as birth, adulthood, marriage and death) require deliberate practices, so that individuals or groups can transition from one status to the other. Anthropologist Victor Turner (1969, 1977, 1987) referred to the Tapas phase also as the liminal phase. Liminality stems from the Latin word “limen” meaning threshold or doorway. A threshold, itself is a place of in-betweenness, of no longer belonging to the old and not yet of the new. Thresholds are spaces of ambiguity and uncertainty, of anxiety and hope. While we are suspended in the betweenness, this phase often creates a sense of vulnerability. In our last post, we saw how, ZERO, the iconic symbol of betweenness too, also exhibits similar characteristics of a threshold.
Tapas or Transition, during Unprecedented times and Blackswan Events
In ordinary circumstances the Tapas phase (transition phase) is a temporary experience, but during Blackswan events, or once-in-a-century crisis like the Covid-19, the Tapas phase, can alter our way-of-life completely. The threshold can turn into a corridor or crucible, where transformative energies get baked. Tapas, itself comes from the word Taap/Temperature for baking. Hence the interlude or Tapas phase, is indeed a crucible. As we unlearn, let-go and disassociate from our success practices of the past, if we are deliberate, we can allow or let-come, newer possibilities. Something very new can emerge, that can make us resilient with a renewed sense of creativity, vitality and possibility. The entire process of the dynamics of the inner-and-outer practices, and how they unfold, during the rites of passage are further articulated in the image below.
Deliberate Inner-and-Outer practices for Transformation in the Interlude.
Deliberate inner and outer practices, are the binding/tethering that facilitate transformation in any Interlude. Do you have deliberate practices for your Self transformation and Organizational Transformation? Have you heard of such practices? If you have not, you should know about Maker’s Practice. Maker’s practice is framework of practices, composed of eclectic sets of inner and outer practices. Maker’s Practice is also a community where fellows help each other. Don’t wait, be a fellow at Maker’s Practice. Leave a comment, write an email (manjunath at catalystor dot com) or call us.
