From Chaos to Harmony

An Introduction to the Syntropy Sequence

Last weekend I taught a workshop, “Syntropy Sequence“ in which I shared a framework for embodied adaptation to chaotic circumstances in our lives. This framework is elastic, it can be infinitely adapted to a wide range of experiences, and I encourage you to test it, to try it out, and to let me know what happens. I’ve been teaching this for years, and I hear back periodically from people who have employed this in experiences as varied as a car accident, a business conference, a travel snafu, and major, life shattering loss.

I’m sharing it here because in teaching it last week, I was reminded just how very valuable this is, and I want it to reach as many people as possible. If you gain value from this or any of my work and are inspired to support as a paid subscriber, I deeply appreciate the support.

This piece is an introduction to the framework that calls you in to reflect on what the specific words I use mean to you. The next essay in this series will go deeper into each component of the sequence from a multidimensional perspective.

Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash

Knowing how to flow through chaos can bring forward the principles of the self-organizing universe through us, and can help us metabolize grief and settle through times of confusion, the times when we need to be in conscious co-creation the most.

This framework we will be learning is one that is very close to my heart, as it emerged through me in the midst of great loss and change. It is a pattern I first came to observe in the summer of 2018, as I played the role of death-doula for my father, and then again two weeks later as I again played the role of death-doula for another one of my elders, a close friend and teacher. Death creates a significant field of chaos, so this was a very fertile, tender learning ground for me. Throughout that year, the lessons I learned from death and chaos tested me, and each time this framework became clearer and clearer. I found myself able to navigate many chaotic, challenging circumstances with grace and harmony with others. I found that through choosing this sequence again and again, that when we know how to respond, some of the most painful frustrating things in life can create new experiences of life, love, connection, and possibility.

This framework follows a simple sequence: Chaos, Coherence, Resonance, and Harmony. When we follow this sequence, it supports the emergence of the natural co-creative, self-organizing capacity of all living systems.

Going Deeper

Chaos > Coherence > Resonance > Harmony

I invite you to contemplate what these words mean to you. What are your initial impressions? What do they bring up in you? How are they different? How are they connected?

Feel welcome to write these thoughts down, maybe mind mapping them, sketching them out, finding an embodied movement that feels connected with each word, or writing a brief poem about each of them. Tap into your creativity!

Then, proceed to explore the sequence below, it may support you to consider an example of chaos in daily life.

Step 1: Acknowledge Chaos

Before we can take meaningful action in a chaotic situation, we must name it honestly. Rather than rushing into fatalistic and unproductive terms like "catastrophe," "disaster," "horrible day," "apocalypse," or "failure," let's just call it chaos, and commit to understanding it better.

Step 2: Coherence

Coherence requires stillness and deep listening. When we can take a moment, a few breaths, 15 minutes, or a whole day to get quiet and listen to the individuals, elements, and environment that we have been reacting to, we can begin to understand the patterns that are flowing underneath the chaos.

Step 3: Resonance

Resonance is the felt experience of shared awareness and mutual witnessing. It emerges from the spaciousness of coherence, and feels like an excited buzzing inside the body, when we experience pattern recognition, and see how we can begin to participate with everything around us to be a part of a new creation.

Step 4: Harmony

Harmony is the beauty that emerges when each individual is offering their unique gifts with their whole heart, in conscious collaboration with the whole. Harmony is dynamic, it is relational, it is in perpetual motion, and it is where everything that is created comes to ripeness.

Step 5: Cycle Regeneration

Harmony, over time, will again give rise to chaos. This is inevitable, and always a gift that brings us toward a new regenerative experience. Fortunately, we now know how to respond to chaos as soon as we notice it- we drop into the stillness of coherence, and prepare ourselves to feel a new resonance with the world around us.

Reflection Prompts

These questions are to support your reflection and integration of this material. The sub-questions are there to support your deepening contemplation, and if they overwhelm you, feel welcome to selectively ignore them!

• What have been some obvious, significant, or memorable moments of chaos in my life?

  • What was the context?

  • What other life forms were involved?

  • How did I respond to the chaos?

  • What happened because of my chosen response at that moment?

  • If those experiences happened now, would I have responded any differently?

• How do you come into coherence?

  • How do you center?

  • What supports the stabilization of your mind?

  • What supports the regulation of your nervous system?

  • How do you ground in moments of external chaos?

  • How do you ground in moments of internal chaos?

  • How do you center?

• What areas of your life do you want to cultivate more resonance?

  • This might be family life, your relationship with nature, magnetizing the kind of work that lights you up, or lovers and friends that truly understand you.

• What are the activities that you’ve done in the past that have made you feel harmony with others?

  • Playing music, sports, walking in nature, getting cozy in a cuddle pile, taking public transit, vibrant conversations, dancing!

Resources for Further Exploration

Framework infographic: View on Canva

Essay: Essay on Syntropy

Book Recommendation: Seven Life Lessons from Chaos

P.S. This winter, I will once again be hosting The Art of Regenerative Living, an intimate winter council for no more than 12 people who are looking for a space of depth, connection, and embodiment. It’s designed for collective wisdom (which the world needs now more than ever) and I’ve recently adjusted the structure to be just as enriching but less time-intensive because I know we all have very full lives. If you’re interested but have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.