A major force in the development of the Human Potential Movement, John Heider left his body peacefully on May 26, 2010.  The ripple effect of his writing, teaching, and facilitation is potent and far-reaching. The following statement of John's sums up his teaching most succinctly:

I WILL

LIVE MY TRUTH

OPENLY AND HONESTLY

IN THE LIGHT OF MY

GROWING CONSCIOUSNESS

RESPONSIBLE FOR THE

CONSEQUENCES

OF MY CHOICES

AND ACTING ON BEHALF

OF ALL CREATION.

Although not one for boxing himself, or others, in with narrow labels, John considered himself a Taoist at heart.* His published books, 'The Tao of Leadership' and 'The Tao of Daily Living' speak to what mattered most to him.  They are simply written, and quite profound.  He lived his life as he taught, shining his own light of consciousness on the truth of the moment. 

John modeled pure presence as a teacher and facilitator.  His question was always "what truly matters to you?" " Let's shine the light there", without intention of changing 'what IS'.  He simply knew 'bringing presence to', embracing, 'surrendering to the truth of the moment' would organically lead to healing, whatever form that healing took."  John 'zen walked' to his death the way he lived.... one foot in front of the other.  He spent time communing with the birds and trees outside his window.  Following his process, he withdrew from the more shallow layers of life to dwell in that 'oneness with all.'

John's students say, among other things, that he taught us......

♦How to 'live in process', and trust it.

♦That finding a balance of 'Being' and 'Doing', Silence and 'Noise', is essential.

♦To simplify, and to realize that in many ways, less truly is more.  What we own, owns us.

♦That although inducing catharsis may feel good for a bit afterwards, it often creates more 'wily' defense mechanisms that can lead to being less open down the road.  Organic catharsis is ripe and healing.

♦"It's worth a nickel if I say it, a dime if YOU do (meaning insights we discover about ourselves from within are almost always more potent than when pointed out to us by others.)

♦"Try once, try twice, then yield." Similar to above, as facilitator, family member, friend, and other roles, it is very rarely helpful to keep pushing what is not being seen or accepted.  Yield.

♦It takes compatibility in 3 or more chakras for relationships to have a chance at success ("Only 2?  Not enough glue!")

♦Relationships are like gardens. If we don't tend to them regularly, they will grow up in weeds and thistles. The same is true of our relationship with our own path.

♦And, as one student said of John, he was "grounded to the earth like a tree, and expressed as a tree expresses......out, and to the heavens."

His presence is greatly missed.  His teaching lives on.

                         Dorothy N Thomas