What is balance? How much is enough? How much is too much? Where is the balance?
Balance is constantly changing. We can't "lock in" balance. Because balance is a point on an ever changing continuum called life. Life and experience. As we move, grow, shift, morph, the weight on one side changes. In order to keep balance, we need to move again, grow again, shift again, morph again, finding a new point of balance until the next time. Which is already now.
Part of keeping in balance is learning to be fluid enough with the change factor, without giving up elements that keep us stable. And of course, to be fluid enough to recognize when that which was helping us stay in balance begins to actually throw us out of balance.
So we dance the balance dance. And don't be afraid to fall, because that's part of it too. Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen said "Standing is having learned how to fall in all directions." By falling we learn about opposing forces, counter forces, and how to ride the line between push and shove, light and heavy, good and bad, you and me.
Oh balance, ye fickle bitch! Watch me fall!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Respect
Just when we thought we were in control...
Sandy.
Moral of the story? Take nothing for granted. Everything we have is a gift.
Sandy.
Moral of the story? Take nothing for granted. Everything we have is a gift.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Victory
Nothing like a World Series to bring people together. I'm not a sports fan per say, but I really love watching mastery in action, and the giants played baseball at the master level.
In the spiritual world, and I do understand the church of baseball idea, when aspirants seek to be near the master in order to get in his/her energy field, to receive or be in the presence of darshon, that little sumpin sumpin. That "stuff" that comes from being in the presence of greatness. It inspires, motivates, feeds, nurtures us. It can empower us. It elevates us.
So whether you seek a guru or master, or just plain mastery, it seems like most people want to be near it. And tonight, we feel the city of San Francisco getting their "darshon" on. It's awesome! And hopefully we can channel that energy to elevate our ideas of each other after the party wears off. That's the thing about it- getting a blast of shakti is one thing. Keeping it going is where the real power is. That's one reason why we want souvenirs - to remind us of the awesomeness of mastery, and how we felt in its presence. So shine on!
And btw- I still want one of those orange hoodies!
In the spiritual world, and I do understand the church of baseball idea, when aspirants seek to be near the master in order to get in his/her energy field, to receive or be in the presence of darshon, that little sumpin sumpin. That "stuff" that comes from being in the presence of greatness. It inspires, motivates, feeds, nurtures us. It can empower us. It elevates us.
So whether you seek a guru or master, or just plain mastery, it seems like most people want to be near it. And tonight, we feel the city of San Francisco getting their "darshon" on. It's awesome! And hopefully we can channel that energy to elevate our ideas of each other after the party wears off. That's the thing about it- getting a blast of shakti is one thing. Keeping it going is where the real power is. That's one reason why we want souvenirs - to remind us of the awesomeness of mastery, and how we felt in its presence. So shine on!
And btw- I still want one of those orange hoodies!
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Are you ready?
Readiness thing-- stay brilliant! Remember who you are! Enjoy more, worry less.
Easier said than done? Well, uh, yeah!!! Worth doing? Well uh yeah!!!!
Easier said than done? Well, uh, yeah!!! Worth doing? Well uh yeah!!!!
Digestion
Life. Food. Food. Life. Can we digest it all?
If life is still fun, an adventure, a place where the day before your birthday is exciting and filled with wonder and limitless possibilities, when you can fall down, scrape your knee, feel ok about the groovy scar or the batman bandaid you'll get, then yes, your digestion is probably just fine. You still have the capability to have an experience, digest it, and move on. But when things get too fast, we get too full, life is so rich we can't even taste it (or even don't want to taste it), them yes, it's time for some digestive enzymes.
What do these look like? Meditation, r and r, time to relax, time to regroup. This means finding a real state of relaxation. Not that state of having a still body where the mind is constantly beating up said body about doing more, but a state where both body and mind take a break from all things matter. All things that "matter" (see earlier posts about matter mattering) then take a back seat to things that are non matter.
And tonight, I'm going to just let that hang, so if you have a comment, question, concern, let me know via email or carrier pigeon. And until then, feel how you feel. Is it working for you? Is it time for a change? And would we be able to recognize that change when opportunity strikes?
All elements of good digestion.
So it's a balance, having enough to keep it interesting without having so much it strikes us down.
Digestion. Assimilation. Agni.
If life is still fun, an adventure, a place where the day before your birthday is exciting and filled with wonder and limitless possibilities, when you can fall down, scrape your knee, feel ok about the groovy scar or the batman bandaid you'll get, then yes, your digestion is probably just fine. You still have the capability to have an experience, digest it, and move on. But when things get too fast, we get too full, life is so rich we can't even taste it (or even don't want to taste it), them yes, it's time for some digestive enzymes.
What do these look like? Meditation, r and r, time to relax, time to regroup. This means finding a real state of relaxation. Not that state of having a still body where the mind is constantly beating up said body about doing more, but a state where both body and mind take a break from all things matter. All things that "matter" (see earlier posts about matter mattering) then take a back seat to things that are non matter.
And tonight, I'm going to just let that hang, so if you have a comment, question, concern, let me know via email or carrier pigeon. And until then, feel how you feel. Is it working for you? Is it time for a change? And would we be able to recognize that change when opportunity strikes?
All elements of good digestion.
So it's a balance, having enough to keep it interesting without having so much it strikes us down.
Digestion. Assimilation. Agni.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Finding yourself
How can we not see who we are? Because at some point we put on glasses to see ourselves as something separate. We talk about finding our roots. Staying true to where we came from. This is much more than a city, a demographic, a socio-economic status. It is about the essence of who we really are. The primordial us. Find those roots. Stay true to those roots. Cuz when we do, the rest of the shit doesn't matter.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Surrender Dorothy!
From yesterday's blog, wrapping our heads around what our hearts already know. Our heads may never be able to wrap around that which our hearts know, due to the "thinking" function. Since that part of our brain, the thinker, is so highly developed, it thinks so strongly that it knows, what is or isn't physically possible. It collects evidence, looks for proof.
Perhaps the element if surrender comes in when we let go of having to "know" from the brain's point of view. When we can allow the brain's point of view, but also allow the heart's point of view.
It's not such a big leap really. For some reason, when we talk about head and heart, head vs. heart, listening to my heart, my heart says, etc..., we all know what we are talking about, even though we all know from biology class that out hearts are organs made of muscle pumping blood to the brain, the place where thinking happens. Yet we all Know of this other Knowing. In spite of biology.
Don't think about it too much. Because we can't talk ourselves out of knowing what we know. Surrender Dorothy! That bigger point of view is already in there! And it's not such a hard concept to grasp because even pre-teens know all about the brain in the heart. Even scientists know that the ideas of genius come from somewhere other than logic. The idea comes, then being the Gods that we are, we figure out how to prove what we know. Some (including me) may venture to say, that we actually create a new reality to back up a new idea. We create something from a seeming nothing. So who is creating the universe? You. God. The Whole. The Same.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Surrender Dorothy - early version with blogger commentary
The blog was in draft form yesterday - completed and posted today. For some reason, Blogger left yesterday's date on it, so I copied/pasted/republished it again. I won't delete this at the moment, but eventually will.
it's weird, maybe I will be able to "post" while in India with little to know internet. If I can write and the dates of the blogs will stay the same, I could post them all when I get to a place with internet access and the "continuum" will remain intact. Up until now, when I've written and couldn't post until the next day due to internet access, even the blogs I wrote days ago would change their date to the date of actual "publishing." Today was different. Have I in fact created a new reality? And who will read this amendment to the post?
this is what i started yesterday, finished today, and posted today, Thursday Oct 25 - it's the same content as the other Surrender Dorothy, in case you were wondering...
:-)
new commentary! - and i just updated this post with commentary and the date remained the same. Very interesting... and new and different. The rules have changed yet again. Like Proud Mary, we keep on rolling...
From yesterday's blog, wrapping our heads around what our hearts already know. Our heads may never be able to wrap around that which our hearts know, due to the "thinking" function. Since that part of our brain, the thinker, is so highly developed, it thinks so strongly that it knows, what is or isn't physically possible. It collects evidence, looks for proof.
Perhaps the element if surrender comes in when we let go of having to "know" from the brain's point of view. When we can allow the brain's point of view, but also allow the heart's point of view.
It's not such a big leap really. For some reason, when we talk about head and heart, head vs. heart, listening to my heart, my heart says, etc..., we all know what we are talking about, even though we all know from biology class that out hearts are organs made of muscle pumping blood to the brain, the place where thinking happens. Yet we all Know of this other Knowing. In spite of biology.
Don't think about it too much. Because we can't talk ourselves out of knowing what we know. Surrender Dorothy! That bigger point of view is already in there! And it's not such a hard concept to grasp because even pre-teens know all about the brain in the heart. Even scientists know that the ideas of genius come from somewhere other than logic. The idea comes, then being the Gods that we are, we figure out how to prove what we know. Some (including me) may venture to say, that we actually create a new reality to back up a new idea. We create something from a seeming nothing. So who is creating the universe? You. God. The Whole. The Same.
it's weird, maybe I will be able to "post" while in India with little to know internet. If I can write and the dates of the blogs will stay the same, I could post them all when I get to a place with internet access and the "continuum" will remain intact. Up until now, when I've written and couldn't post until the next day due to internet access, even the blogs I wrote days ago would change their date to the date of actual "publishing." Today was different. Have I in fact created a new reality? And who will read this amendment to the post?
this is what i started yesterday, finished today, and posted today, Thursday Oct 25 - it's the same content as the other Surrender Dorothy, in case you were wondering...
:-)
new commentary! - and i just updated this post with commentary and the date remained the same. Very interesting... and new and different. The rules have changed yet again. Like Proud Mary, we keep on rolling...
From yesterday's blog, wrapping our heads around what our hearts already know. Our heads may never be able to wrap around that which our hearts know, due to the "thinking" function. Since that part of our brain, the thinker, is so highly developed, it thinks so strongly that it knows, what is or isn't physically possible. It collects evidence, looks for proof.
Perhaps the element if surrender comes in when we let go of having to "know" from the brain's point of view. When we can allow the brain's point of view, but also allow the heart's point of view.
It's not such a big leap really. For some reason, when we talk about head and heart, head vs. heart, listening to my heart, my heart says, etc..., we all know what we are talking about, even though we all know from biology class that out hearts are organs made of muscle pumping blood to the brain, the place where thinking happens. Yet we all Know of this other Knowing. In spite of biology.
Don't think about it too much. Because we can't talk ourselves out of knowing what we know. Surrender Dorothy! That bigger point of view is already in there! And it's not such a hard concept to grasp because even pre-teens know all about the brain in the heart. Even scientists know that the ideas of genius come from somewhere other than logic. The idea comes, then being the Gods that we are, we figure out how to prove what we know. Some (including me) may venture to say, that we actually create a new reality to back up a new idea. We create something from a seeming nothing. So who is creating the universe? You. God. The Whole. The Same.
Union and pies
Yoga. Union. In yoga, we seek union. But we are already whole, so the process of yoga is really more about heightening awareness. Becoming aware of what's already there. And what's already there is Wholeness. Union. Yoga.
We are already in Union, so technically there is no Union, just knowing ourselves as Whole. In Wholeness there is no separation, we are already part of the whole.
So here I am, a cherry in a mixed fruit pie. I weigh my cherry-ness against the blueberry-ness of my neighbor. I judge the density of the crust, the amount of sugar in my atmosphere. And no matter how much I think I am not part if this pie, no matter how many times I think I can make a better pie, I'm still part of the pie. I am the pie. The pie is me, and as a cherry, I'm not going anywhere. The is nowhere to go. I cannot leap out of what i am.
It may be challenging to stay with the pie analogy, because eventually it will transform into something else- it wil rot or be eaten. But the point is to feel the Wholeness of the pie. The inherent Union.
We are pies. We are the pie. And this is not some "pie in the sky" dream or wish. It's right now, as soon as we can really wrap our heads around what our heart already knows.
We are already in Union, so technically there is no Union, just knowing ourselves as Whole. In Wholeness there is no separation, we are already part of the whole.
So here I am, a cherry in a mixed fruit pie. I weigh my cherry-ness against the blueberry-ness of my neighbor. I judge the density of the crust, the amount of sugar in my atmosphere. And no matter how much I think I am not part if this pie, no matter how many times I think I can make a better pie, I'm still part of the pie. I am the pie. The pie is me, and as a cherry, I'm not going anywhere. The is nowhere to go. I cannot leap out of what i am.
It may be challenging to stay with the pie analogy, because eventually it will transform into something else- it wil rot or be eaten. But the point is to feel the Wholeness of the pie. The inherent Union.
We are pies. We are the pie. And this is not some "pie in the sky" dream or wish. It's right now, as soon as we can really wrap our heads around what our heart already knows.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Energy investment
What would happen if for one day, we stopped ourselves every time we had a complaint or mean thing to say about something or someone and we replaced it with some phrase of gratitude like "I love my life" "it's perfect" "I'm lucky to be alive" "the world is beautiful and I'm so happy to be on it" or something like that.
just for one day.
even if those replacement statements feel like lies.
just 24 hours.
just an idea.
just sayin'...
just for one day.
even if those replacement statements feel like lies.
just 24 hours.
just an idea.
just sayin'...
one thing
If i could say one thing, it would be the thing that would change your life in your most wildest, amazing dreams. It would be the thing that would awaken you to your big S self. It would be the thing that only you know as true. The truest of trues. the you-est of yous.
So why listen to me? you know way more than I could ever say.
So why listen to me? you know way more than I could ever say.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
The shallow and the deep
Deep thoughts are great. They can inspire us to re-evaluate our lives, to become people who live with purpose, to help us love ourselves even a little bit more. Deep thoughts can be provocative, challenging our current belief constructs, guiding us into a bigger or at least clearer point of view. Deep thoughts are well, deep. I love me some deep thoughts.
But this isn't to say there isn't the possibility of drowning in the well of the deep. We can get so deep that life as we know it may cease to have meaning or relevance - existentialism perhaps? Or we can get so lofty with our depth that we forget that we still need to shop for groceries, forget that there are others living in the same house with equally valid opinions and world-views, and hey, those dishes aren't going to wash themselves!
So maybe a little shallow end to that deep pool? You know the one - where the kids play. There is something to be said for being shallow, for feeling, not thinking. For just living. Fully. I mean, what's wrong with the song lyrics "Celebrate celebrate, dance to the music?" Nothing deep there. In the moment of putting my hands together and singing at the top of my lungs with everyone else in the room, it feels pretty dang good. Pretty dang deep. For being o-so-shallow.
Sometimes i feel a bit of pressure to be deep in these blogs. self imposed of course. and sometimes i just feel shallow. so shallow, in fact, that I'm not even in the baby pool. I'm lounging by the side of the pool, (oh -pool boy!) not even thinking about getting in the water, or about getting in to anything at all. Just going deep being shallow.
I love me some shallow.
that's why i love me some life. it has both, and it always will.
But this isn't to say there isn't the possibility of drowning in the well of the deep. We can get so deep that life as we know it may cease to have meaning or relevance - existentialism perhaps? Or we can get so lofty with our depth that we forget that we still need to shop for groceries, forget that there are others living in the same house with equally valid opinions and world-views, and hey, those dishes aren't going to wash themselves!
So maybe a little shallow end to that deep pool? You know the one - where the kids play. There is something to be said for being shallow, for feeling, not thinking. For just living. Fully. I mean, what's wrong with the song lyrics "Celebrate celebrate, dance to the music?" Nothing deep there. In the moment of putting my hands together and singing at the top of my lungs with everyone else in the room, it feels pretty dang good. Pretty dang deep. For being o-so-shallow.
Sometimes i feel a bit of pressure to be deep in these blogs. self imposed of course. and sometimes i just feel shallow. so shallow, in fact, that I'm not even in the baby pool. I'm lounging by the side of the pool, (oh -pool boy!) not even thinking about getting in the water, or about getting in to anything at all. Just going deep being shallow.
I love me some shallow.
that's why i love me some life. it has both, and it always will.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
idols
We are surrounded by idols, whether they are American Idols or just things we decide are super important that they become the rules we live our lives by. In the 10 commandments, there was one about "thou shalt not put false gods before me." Well, in order to pull that one off, it would see like we would need to know who the "me" is that we should not put false gods in front of.
So who/what is your god? Whatever has the biggest control if your life.
Food.
Money.
Status.
Food.
We are so obsessed with what's good and bad, what certain foods do or don't do, what we can and can't eat. Get over it! It's god- you're god. If you are god you can eat anything!
I know that for most of us, this is too big of a leap, but maybe just start becoming aware of how much power we give over to what we are or aren't putting on our mouths, and pay more attention to what is or isn't coming out of our mouth.
Remember, whatever you give your truth to is your truth. What do you want to believe in? And how does what's going in and coming out of your mouth support that? Just sayin'...
Which btw, came out of this mouth.
So who/what is your god? Whatever has the biggest control if your life.
Food.
Money.
Status.
Food.
We are so obsessed with what's good and bad, what certain foods do or don't do, what we can and can't eat. Get over it! It's god- you're god. If you are god you can eat anything!
I know that for most of us, this is too big of a leap, but maybe just start becoming aware of how much power we give over to what we are or aren't putting on our mouths, and pay more attention to what is or isn't coming out of our mouth.
Remember, whatever you give your truth to is your truth. What do you want to believe in? And how does what's going in and coming out of your mouth support that? Just sayin'...
Which btw, came out of this mouth.
Friday, October 19, 2012
teaching
what makes a good teacher? Is it the very cool way we get up into a fancy arm balance? Is it the way we defy the aging process and fool people into thinking that we are 10 years younger than what it says on our birth certificate? or is it the ability to effectively inspire others to find their truth, their voice, their point of view?
I'd have to say all of the above. And one thing I know for sure, any student of mine, i hope to God and beyond that I have given you some provocative ideas to try, and that i've given you the freedom and support to test drive as many times as you want. It'a all about the test drive. What do we really believe? The more we are in contact with that, the better, more authentic teacher we can become. And the more we model being comfortable in our own skins, well that effect can be extremely far reaching.
so if the brass ring seems to hard to handle, maybe take a couple of steps back, and see how it's all going
oh shanti
I'd have to say all of the above. And one thing I know for sure, any student of mine, i hope to God and beyond that I have given you some provocative ideas to try, and that i've given you the freedom and support to test drive as many times as you want. It'a all about the test drive. What do we really believe? The more we are in contact with that, the better, more authentic teacher we can become. And the more we model being comfortable in our own skins, well that effect can be extremely far reaching.
so if the brass ring seems to hard to handle, maybe take a couple of steps back, and see how it's all going
oh shanti
Thursday, October 18, 2012
time to fly
there comes a time when every baby bird needs to fly. when is that time for you? Are you already flying and you still don't recognize it? Are you waiting for the OK from whoever you think has a better idea of you that you do? Are you clear that your time is now, but you just don't feel like living your big life? or is it something else?
Regardless, it is immaterial to me where you fall in that continuum. Ultimately, your life is in your hands, your mind, your Self. So why not pretend you are the smartest person on earth and let that determine your actions, your decisions etc....?
Just a thought.
cuz time does fly by. o-so-quickly. and it's a very cool thing when we are awake enough to experience it. Just sayin'...
and if it's "something else." then so be it, and enjoy/experience it.
it's all rock n roll when it comes down to it, right?
I love that.
hari om tat sat
Regardless, it is immaterial to me where you fall in that continuum. Ultimately, your life is in your hands, your mind, your Self. So why not pretend you are the smartest person on earth and let that determine your actions, your decisions etc....?
Just a thought.
cuz time does fly by. o-so-quickly. and it's a very cool thing when we are awake enough to experience it. Just sayin'...
and if it's "something else." then so be it, and enjoy/experience it.
it's all rock n roll when it comes down to it, right?
I love that.
hari om tat sat
space and judgment
If our space is full of non-judgment and non-attachment, then random thoughts that come from our unconscious mind or even random thoughts from another person that are floating around in thin air wont stick to our space
One method is to lose our charge, our positive/negative viewpoint habit. If we aren't pulled or plugged into a right way of doing something, vs a wrong way, then there is no wrong way, just different ways, different experiences, different lessons learned, perhaps different outcomes. Both ways will have outcomes. Our judgments come from what Patanjali refers to in YS 2:3, the 5 seeds of suffering, aka the Kleshas. When we make our decisions based on avoidance of what we don't like, and desire to get what we do like, we may judge one outcome as good or bad, and make that a Universal truth, instead of remembering that our good may be another person's bad.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Higher and higher
You're only as good as your highest thought.
If your teacher's highest thought isn't as high as yours, if they can't see you in the awesomeness that you are striving towards/evolving into, then how can they help you attain it?
If your teacher's highest thought isn't as high as yours, if they can't see you in the awesomeness that you are striving towards/evolving into, then how can they help you attain it?
Monday, October 15, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Don't judge the master
And what if we were to assume that everyone is the master, and that everything they said and did was coming from the divine, deliberately and consciously executed in order to help us grow?
Or we could keep believing the status quo, and see how that works out. Maybe test and compare...
Or we could keep believing the status quo, and see how that works out. Maybe test and compare...
Saturday, October 13, 2012
You get what you need
In church of the Rolling Stones, Reverend Mick hits it home.
You can't always get what you want, but if try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.
Last week, one of our 500 hour teacher trainees was leading a satsang on the Katha Upanishad. What was really interesting, is that in that text, we all found pieces of truth and interpretation that were relevant to each of us. Clearly, spiritual texts, (as well as life's situations, experiences, conversations, billboards, etc...,) can be interpreted and re-interpreted, and in fact they are. By "experts." But perhaps the real expert is you. We can read these texts over and over and re-interpret them to suit our needs, inspire our path, and to support our growth.
So recycle. Re-read. Re-invent. And get what you need.
You can't always get what you want, but if try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.
Last week, one of our 500 hour teacher trainees was leading a satsang on the Katha Upanishad. What was really interesting, is that in that text, we all found pieces of truth and interpretation that were relevant to each of us. Clearly, spiritual texts, (as well as life's situations, experiences, conversations, billboards, etc...,) can be interpreted and re-interpreted, and in fact they are. By "experts." But perhaps the real expert is you. We can read these texts over and over and re-interpret them to suit our needs, inspire our path, and to support our growth.
So recycle. Re-read. Re-invent. And get what you need.
Friday, October 12, 2012
More enlightenment
So we know that enlightenment is accessible to all. Yay! (At least it's a big Yay for me). Let's start looking at degrees of enlightenment. I've been thinking about this for quite some time, and even though I may not have the ultimate take on it, it's cooked enough for me to share my findings.
How much enlightenment is enough? We've talked about this in earlier blogs. So we get the glimpse, or even more of a glimpse in some cases, but a glimpse, an assimilated glimpse, a fully experienced glimpse is all we need to Know that we are more than a body. That we are not who our conscious minds think we are. That we are, in fact, One/Divine/Whole/Not-Broken. So once we have had that experience, why do we keep seeking? Why do we doubt our Knowledge? Why do we want more enlightenment? Is it because we want power? The power to manipulate the physcial plane to our advantage, to match our point of view? Or is it because we still need proof of what we know? Or is it because we are afraid that we will be called out to make some sort of physical demonstration of super-human powers and perform magic tricks? All good questions. And things to think about. And then there's the big question, if we Know, if we are Enlightened, then what are we doing hanging out on Earth anyway? If the physical plane is no longer fun, then what's the point? And if that's the case, and our motivation for getting enlightened is just so we can transcend, ascend, get the hell out of this physical plane, then perhaps we have some deep discomfort that makes us want to run, which then would make me question my enlightened state of being.
So here we are, Enlightened. It's a game after all. So why don't we just leave? And why don't we look different? Why do we still bleed? Get sick? Have financial difficulty? Because we can. Because it's part of life on the planet. In Tantra, one view is that we are all characters in the Lila, the great play. Willy the Shake was right when he said "all the world is a stage." And we are the players. Because of us playing, the Diving gets to experience our experiences from a physical point of view. So essentially, we are providing a service to the Divine. To our Selves.
So we stay. We may get sick, but just because we are physically uncomfortable, doesn't mean that we are suffering. And if, according to the Sutras of Patanjali, and other spiritual texts, if the point of enlightenment is to end suffering, well then, bingo! We are enlightened.
How much enlightenment is enough? We've talked about this in earlier blogs. So we get the glimpse, or even more of a glimpse in some cases, but a glimpse, an assimilated glimpse, a fully experienced glimpse is all we need to Know that we are more than a body. That we are not who our conscious minds think we are. That we are, in fact, One/Divine/Whole/Not-Broken. So once we have had that experience, why do we keep seeking? Why do we doubt our Knowledge? Why do we want more enlightenment? Is it because we want power? The power to manipulate the physcial plane to our advantage, to match our point of view? Or is it because we still need proof of what we know? Or is it because we are afraid that we will be called out to make some sort of physical demonstration of super-human powers and perform magic tricks? All good questions. And things to think about. And then there's the big question, if we Know, if we are Enlightened, then what are we doing hanging out on Earth anyway? If the physical plane is no longer fun, then what's the point? And if that's the case, and our motivation for getting enlightened is just so we can transcend, ascend, get the hell out of this physical plane, then perhaps we have some deep discomfort that makes us want to run, which then would make me question my enlightened state of being.
So here we are, Enlightened. It's a game after all. So why don't we just leave? And why don't we look different? Why do we still bleed? Get sick? Have financial difficulty? Because we can. Because it's part of life on the planet. In Tantra, one view is that we are all characters in the Lila, the great play. Willy the Shake was right when he said "all the world is a stage." And we are the players. Because of us playing, the Diving gets to experience our experiences from a physical point of view. So essentially, we are providing a service to the Divine. To our Selves.
So we stay. We may get sick, but just because we are physically uncomfortable, doesn't mean that we are suffering. And if, according to the Sutras of Patanjali, and other spiritual texts, if the point of enlightenment is to end suffering, well then, bingo! We are enlightened.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Collecting evidence
We are trained and encouraged to collect evidence. We collect evidence to learn things like"if I put my hand on a hit stove it really hurts and those dang third degree burns keep me from being able to have tons of fun playing with my friends." Other examples might be, "if I do this action mom and dad will love me, if I do that action, mom and dad will abandon me, and ultimately I will die." So yes, some of our hang ups are literally rooted in beliefs as powerful as life or death.
Back to the evidence. We use this skill to collect evidence about how crappy our job is, what a jerk my boyfriend is, why my mother never understood me etc...
All this evidence makes those truths stronger. Why not collect evidence for a belief or life you want? Get enough evidence, and you can prove to yourself, that you are worthy, loved, appreciated, valued, or even The Divinity manifest in physical form, literally unable to die. Thus proving to yourself that nothing, nada, is a life or death situation.
Back to the evidence. We use this skill to collect evidence about how crappy our job is, what a jerk my boyfriend is, why my mother never understood me etc...
All this evidence makes those truths stronger. Why not collect evidence for a belief or life you want? Get enough evidence, and you can prove to yourself, that you are worthy, loved, appreciated, valued, or even The Divinity manifest in physical form, literally unable to die. Thus proving to yourself that nothing, nada, is a life or death situation.
Enlightening
We are all enlightened to some degree or we wouldn't be able to look in a mirror and recognize ourselves. The first time we learned who that face was staring back at us, that was a moment of enlightenment. The first time we tied our shoes, or discovered that if we dropped our Cheerios on the floor, mom or dad would put them back on the table for us to drop on the floor again. The first time we rode a bike. And these moments of enlightenment are all learned behaviors. How did we learn them? Cognition? Grace? Imitation? Desire?
How we learned them matters in this moment, because they were somehow "learned." Which means enlightenment can be learned. How we learn it - well, that's another matter. We need to look at our learning styles. If we need things to make sense, then Jnana yoga, or the yoga of intellect or mind, that would be a path to consider. If we have faith in a higher power and see the world as Divine, or at least feel a palpable presence of the Divine, then Bhakti yoga, or the path of devotion may be the game. And so on. What's really interesting is that it can be learned, which means it's not just available to the ones who were born into enlightened families, or it's not limited to the ones who were just "born that way." It's open to all who are willing to learn.
How we learned them matters in this moment, because they were somehow "learned." Which means enlightenment can be learned. How we learn it - well, that's another matter. We need to look at our learning styles. If we need things to make sense, then Jnana yoga, or the yoga of intellect or mind, that would be a path to consider. If we have faith in a higher power and see the world as Divine, or at least feel a palpable presence of the Divine, then Bhakti yoga, or the path of devotion may be the game. And so on. What's really interesting is that it can be learned, which means it's not just available to the ones who were born into enlightened families, or it's not limited to the ones who were just "born that way." It's open to all who are willing to learn.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Resistance
Resistance. We hate it. We love it.
Resistance. Friction. Heat. Fire. Smoke. Ash.
Resistance. Without it we'd be a bag of flesh and bones on the ground. No wait. We'd be "one with the earth" because we wouldn't have the resistance of skin and other tissues to hold us into a shape. No wait. We wouldn't be "one with the earth" because there would be no earth because there would be no cell walls and therefore no cells. And we would all be one big whatever it would be which is pretty dang hard to imagine because the nature of the physical world is resistance. And resistance is fun. It's the tension in a good play that makes us want to stay in our seats to see how it ends. It's foreplay. It's the dance of push and pull, give and receive, coming and going. Because of resistance we can push ourselves from where we are to where we want to be.
So why do we place so much emphasis on letting go of resistance? Because resistance is also a lot of work. And all this work can wear us down - like brakes on a car, tread on tires, (all I can think of is car metaphors right now, so i'm going with it). The ride was fun until the car breaks down. Resistance implies that something is in our way, keeping us from something we'd prefer. It can be painful. Like trying to open a mayonnaise jar. And the resistance we carry inside that keeps us keeping up with social morays and pretenses and other people's ideas of who we should be and what we should be doing can be very hard, frustrating, and also painful. And thank God for that pain, that frustration, that resistance because those very obstacles are going to give us the amount of fire power we need to move past them. The bigger the obstacle, the bigger the chance of growth. Or pain. And that is the rub.
Resistance.
From the "yoga" point of view - resistance can also be Tapas - a heat or fire that helps shape our spiritual character. It's the thing that helps us evolve. We push against something to get somewhere else, starting with birth. Medical intervention aside, what "makes" a baby come out of the womb? Who decides it's time? And in order to move on to the next round of experience, both mother and baby push. I've never done it, but I'm guessing that childbirth is a form of Tapas. Mothers out there, feel free to weigh in on this one!
So our physical life is dependent on the presence of resistance. And it's the resistance itself that leads us to the place that we start resisting resistance. And as we start resisting resistance, we start letting go of our attachments to and in our physical life. And we move back towards wanting to Know the Oneness. The non-physical. The place of no resistance.
We start letting go of resistance, things will glide more easily, we become the water, not the rocks, and you know who "wins" that battle over time - Grand Canyon anyone? And as we release our attachment to the "pain and suffering" associated with resistance, we learn to pick our battles, choosing the ones that will help us evolve in the most efficient manner. The "gliding" is being able to flow in the face of resistance. We are become aware that we are both rocks and water, and then the water gliding over our rocks carves out and creates that Grand Canyon as we become another wonder of the world. Standing on the edge, in awe of the work and dance between flow and resistance, we see ourselves as that miracle, and at one point, we say "thank you" to that which pushed our buttons and generally made our life a living hell. The payoff? It made our life a living heaven.
Resistance. Friction. Heat. Fire. Smoke. Ash.
Resistance. Without it we'd be a bag of flesh and bones on the ground. No wait. We'd be "one with the earth" because we wouldn't have the resistance of skin and other tissues to hold us into a shape. No wait. We wouldn't be "one with the earth" because there would be no earth because there would be no cell walls and therefore no cells. And we would all be one big whatever it would be which is pretty dang hard to imagine because the nature of the physical world is resistance. And resistance is fun. It's the tension in a good play that makes us want to stay in our seats to see how it ends. It's foreplay. It's the dance of push and pull, give and receive, coming and going. Because of resistance we can push ourselves from where we are to where we want to be.
So why do we place so much emphasis on letting go of resistance? Because resistance is also a lot of work. And all this work can wear us down - like brakes on a car, tread on tires, (all I can think of is car metaphors right now, so i'm going with it). The ride was fun until the car breaks down. Resistance implies that something is in our way, keeping us from something we'd prefer. It can be painful. Like trying to open a mayonnaise jar. And the resistance we carry inside that keeps us keeping up with social morays and pretenses and other people's ideas of who we should be and what we should be doing can be very hard, frustrating, and also painful. And thank God for that pain, that frustration, that resistance because those very obstacles are going to give us the amount of fire power we need to move past them. The bigger the obstacle, the bigger the chance of growth. Or pain. And that is the rub.
Resistance.
From the "yoga" point of view - resistance can also be Tapas - a heat or fire that helps shape our spiritual character. It's the thing that helps us evolve. We push against something to get somewhere else, starting with birth. Medical intervention aside, what "makes" a baby come out of the womb? Who decides it's time? And in order to move on to the next round of experience, both mother and baby push. I've never done it, but I'm guessing that childbirth is a form of Tapas. Mothers out there, feel free to weigh in on this one!
So our physical life is dependent on the presence of resistance. And it's the resistance itself that leads us to the place that we start resisting resistance. And as we start resisting resistance, we start letting go of our attachments to and in our physical life. And we move back towards wanting to Know the Oneness. The non-physical. The place of no resistance.
We start letting go of resistance, things will glide more easily, we become the water, not the rocks, and you know who "wins" that battle over time - Grand Canyon anyone? And as we release our attachment to the "pain and suffering" associated with resistance, we learn to pick our battles, choosing the ones that will help us evolve in the most efficient manner. The "gliding" is being able to flow in the face of resistance. We are become aware that we are both rocks and water, and then the water gliding over our rocks carves out and creates that Grand Canyon as we become another wonder of the world. Standing on the edge, in awe of the work and dance between flow and resistance, we see ourselves as that miracle, and at one point, we say "thank you" to that which pushed our buttons and generally made our life a living hell. The payoff? It made our life a living heaven.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
True that
Whatever you give your truth to, that is your truth. If you say "X will happen if Y occurs," then it will. Period. So if you think you'll get fat from eating candy, then you will. If you think that food or behavior is bad for you, then it is. If you believe that if something is good for you, then it is. Period.
"But wait!" you say. "I tried that thing about candy. I told myself that it was good for me and wouldn't make me fat and I gained weight!" Well, apparently you didn't believe that it was true, or you wouldn't have gained weight. And congratulations btw, because testing it is one good way to find out what your Truth really is, and when we know what we really believe, what is really driving us, running the show of you, then we at least know what we are dealing with when embarking on changing our belief system.
Giving lip service or repeating affirmations does not mean your intention has become your truth. But it can become your truth if you are willing to keep believing, feeling the truth in your "i wish that was true for me" truth, because a belief is just a thought you keep thinking. And a belief becomes your truth.
Sometimes it's easier to "chunk it down" as they say. Take smaller leaps of truth. So instead of taking all of the big consciousness of candy, and all the social and scientific constructs around it (which you will most likely need to override in order to adopt your new truth as true), pick something that you can actually believe. Instead of "candy won't make me fat," maybe sormthing like "If I eat things I really enjoy with love and gratitude, I won't gain weight because they fill me with love and gratitude and love and gratitude are light. So eating them makes me light!"
Let's get a bit more "lofty," because why stop now? We are rollin'! If you believe you are Divine, then you are (because from where I sit, that is empirically true) and you keep collecting evidence in your life to support that belief, then eventually you will have more evidence on the side of "I am Divine" than the side of "I can't possibly reach enlightenment." I mean, it may be a long-shot, but if you don't believe it can or will ever happen, then guess what? Correct! It won't.
So whatever you give your truth to, is your truth. Think about the placebo effect. That is a scientifically proven phenomena that supports that statement. And if that's not enough evidence for you, the you are absolutely correct - it's not true.
"But wait!" you say. "I tried that thing about candy. I told myself that it was good for me and wouldn't make me fat and I gained weight!" Well, apparently you didn't believe that it was true, or you wouldn't have gained weight. And congratulations btw, because testing it is one good way to find out what your Truth really is, and when we know what we really believe, what is really driving us, running the show of you, then we at least know what we are dealing with when embarking on changing our belief system.
Giving lip service or repeating affirmations does not mean your intention has become your truth. But it can become your truth if you are willing to keep believing, feeling the truth in your "i wish that was true for me" truth, because a belief is just a thought you keep thinking. And a belief becomes your truth.
Sometimes it's easier to "chunk it down" as they say. Take smaller leaps of truth. So instead of taking all of the big consciousness of candy, and all the social and scientific constructs around it (which you will most likely need to override in order to adopt your new truth as true), pick something that you can actually believe. Instead of "candy won't make me fat," maybe sormthing like "If I eat things I really enjoy with love and gratitude, I won't gain weight because they fill me with love and gratitude and love and gratitude are light. So eating them makes me light!"
Let's get a bit more "lofty," because why stop now? We are rollin'! If you believe you are Divine, then you are (because from where I sit, that is empirically true) and you keep collecting evidence in your life to support that belief, then eventually you will have more evidence on the side of "I am Divine" than the side of "I can't possibly reach enlightenment." I mean, it may be a long-shot, but if you don't believe it can or will ever happen, then guess what? Correct! It won't.
So whatever you give your truth to, is your truth. Think about the placebo effect. That is a scientifically proven phenomena that supports that statement. And if that's not enough evidence for you, the you are absolutely correct - it's not true.
Monday, October 8, 2012
A room with a view
You can only see from where you are. So if you are in the basement, with no windows, you can't see the sky. You may not even know a sky exists.
Our big S self has the uber-penthouse view. It can see from all angles. It can see farther than the eye can see. It can see inside and out. It doesn't depend on windows. It can see our little s self. It can See.
Which view sounds better?
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Pain and The Nasty Wench
Talk about attachments. Let's look at our attachment to pain. Some of us are married to our stories about how life our road is or has been, how much our bodies hurt, our chronic aches and pains, how unloved and unworthy we are, how we had to walk 25 miles barefoot in the snow to go to school everyday, etc... Some of us are even have an attachment to the avoidance of pain. "i don't want to hurt anyone" "I don't want to be hurt." Well wake up and smell the roses cuz there will be pain. I don't care if you are Gandhi, Socrates, Jesus. Oh yeah, they knew some pain. And there are others, I just don't know all the names.
One of the big differences is they had a different relationship to that pain. They did not spend their lives avoiding pain. And they preached peace, love, kindness, empowerment. And not everyone who heard those words heard them with loving ears. Some heard threats through those kind words, and the pain those kind words caused them created so much fear that they were poisoned, jailed, crucified. And there are others. I just don't know them all by heart.
Often when we are talking about the yamas and niyamas, we get all soft and gooey about being nice to everyone and what I keep hearing is that we are trying to not cause others harm or pain because if we do, it will cause us pain on the other end. Karma. The nasty wench. I'm not saying that we shouldn't pay attention to the yamas, niyamas, 10 commandments, or whatever other rules or guidelines or suggestions that have come from above regarding what constitutes being a "good person." What I'm saying is, what is underlying our motivation for following the rules? Is it quid pro quo, which lead to tit for tat? If so, it's based on fear. Fear that our karma will come back and bite us in the ass, or fear that we won't be loved, or fear that we won't get enough people in our classes, etc... The question is, is fear our biggest motivator? If so, I believe we have missed the point of those teachings.
I believe that spiritual teachings should result in a release of fear, and and increase in the joy that comes from living without that fear. Our decisions, when not fear based, can then come from our higher Self, because frankly, the higher Self has nothing to be afraid of.
So why are we afraid of letting go of those constructs that keep us afraid? Are we afraid to feel our fear? Our we afraid to show our fear? Own our fear?
And being fearless has nothing to do with bravado. It has to do with making decisions and acting from a place where you Know that you are doing exactly what you need to be doing. No matter what the consequences. You are just that clear.
Back to the pain. Yes, that was me avoiding even talking about it. It was way easier to talk about being fearless from my soapbox in the sky. I'm mighty clean up there - all that soap. And yes, i did have my mouth washed out with soap once. It was Irish Spring. And painful. The nasty wench.
One of the big differences is they had a different relationship to that pain. They did not spend their lives avoiding pain. And they preached peace, love, kindness, empowerment. And not everyone who heard those words heard them with loving ears. Some heard threats through those kind words, and the pain those kind words caused them created so much fear that they were poisoned, jailed, crucified. And there are others. I just don't know them all by heart.
Often when we are talking about the yamas and niyamas, we get all soft and gooey about being nice to everyone and what I keep hearing is that we are trying to not cause others harm or pain because if we do, it will cause us pain on the other end. Karma. The nasty wench. I'm not saying that we shouldn't pay attention to the yamas, niyamas, 10 commandments, or whatever other rules or guidelines or suggestions that have come from above regarding what constitutes being a "good person." What I'm saying is, what is underlying our motivation for following the rules? Is it quid pro quo, which lead to tit for tat? If so, it's based on fear. Fear that our karma will come back and bite us in the ass, or fear that we won't be loved, or fear that we won't get enough people in our classes, etc... The question is, is fear our biggest motivator? If so, I believe we have missed the point of those teachings.
I believe that spiritual teachings should result in a release of fear, and and increase in the joy that comes from living without that fear. Our decisions, when not fear based, can then come from our higher Self, because frankly, the higher Self has nothing to be afraid of.
So why are we afraid of letting go of those constructs that keep us afraid? Are we afraid to feel our fear? Our we afraid to show our fear? Own our fear?
And being fearless has nothing to do with bravado. It has to do with making decisions and acting from a place where you Know that you are doing exactly what you need to be doing. No matter what the consequences. You are just that clear.
Back to the pain. Yes, that was me avoiding even talking about it. It was way easier to talk about being fearless from my soapbox in the sky. I'm mighty clean up there - all that soap. And yes, i did have my mouth washed out with soap once. It was Irish Spring. And painful. The nasty wench.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Know it alls
Being called a “know it all.” We take it as a reprimand.
It’s usually intended as a reprimand – something to put us back in our place,
to level the playing field, to join the ranks of the ones who apparently don’t
“know it all.” How did this nasty rumor get started – the thought that we in
fact, don’t know it all?
Because we do. I don’t care who you are are what your deal
is, we have all Knowledge inside of us right here, right now. We may have
forgotten it, but it is still there. For example – if you forget someone’s
name, it’s not like you didn’t
know it at one time, you just forgot. Then you are reminded, and you
remember and we say stuff like,
“That’s right! I knew that!” because you did in fact at one time know that.
We are born with inherent knowledge. We created ourselves
from nothing. (I mean we could get technical here and talk about thought forms
and stuff, but let’s leave that for another day) In the womb, we created
ourselves. We grew ourselves. And really, come to think of it, what’s
different? We are still growing ourselves. For the first few weeks in utero, we
made our own food. We were not dependent on our mother for our nourishment. We
nourished ourselves. (so moms to be – drink up in those first few weeks! Lol)
We grew ourselves. We were the intelligence behind our
physical development, and with
that physical development, we had to actually develop. Who taught us how to do
that? Personally, I don’t remember someone or something handing me a manual in
the womb saying “divide here, divide there.” It was from dividing that we
became whole. The whole package. If we did it once, we can do it again.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Creating space
"Gimme my space dude!" "I need some space!" "Hey man, you're in my space!"
Most of us love space. We can always use more space. A bigger desk. A bigger garage. A bigger closet. We talk about creating more space. But can we create space?
Whether we can create more space or not, we can definitely clear the space that we do have, thus "re-purposing" that space for something else. Or we can leave it "intentionally blank."
What happens when we feel more space? We feel lighter. There is more space, and therefore, easier flow in our bodies, minds, lives. We have room for all those shoes in the closet. Our computers run faster, more efficiently. So how do we clear this space in order to "create space?'
We can start by making room for a bigger point of view...
and thus begin-neth the training...
Most of us love space. We can always use more space. A bigger desk. A bigger garage. A bigger closet. We talk about creating more space. But can we create space?
Whether we can create more space or not, we can definitely clear the space that we do have, thus "re-purposing" that space for something else. Or we can leave it "intentionally blank."
What happens when we feel more space? We feel lighter. There is more space, and therefore, easier flow in our bodies, minds, lives. We have room for all those shoes in the closet. Our computers run faster, more efficiently. So how do we clear this space in order to "create space?'
We can start by making room for a bigger point of view...
and thus begin-neth the training...
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Transmission preface
The space holds the information. Tomorrow we embark on Day 1 of the 500 Hr Sri Yoga Teacher Training module: The Art of Transmission. (100 hrs)
What makes for good transmission? Clarity. A strong signal with little to no interference. What makes us able to be good transmitters? To stay out of the way.
In order to stay out of the way, it helps if we are judgement free. That way we are not filtering the information and limitless possibilities through our own small point of view. That way we can provide a space for others to hear what they need to hear, not what we want to say to them, and in the process of providing others with that space, we create space in our own experience/bodies/minds to experience more that what we were before the exchange.
I learn so much through the transmissions of teaching. I am so grateful to have students. They are also teachers. Together, our differences make us more. Together, our Whole is bigger.
it's also highly possible that for the next 10 days, the blogs could be juicy. But that is based on the past. We shall both find out in the moment.
And thanks for joining me on this ride.
peace friend
What makes for good transmission? Clarity. A strong signal with little to no interference. What makes us able to be good transmitters? To stay out of the way.
In order to stay out of the way, it helps if we are judgement free. That way we are not filtering the information and limitless possibilities through our own small point of view. That way we can provide a space for others to hear what they need to hear, not what we want to say to them, and in the process of providing others with that space, we create space in our own experience/bodies/minds to experience more that what we were before the exchange.
I learn so much through the transmissions of teaching. I am so grateful to have students. They are also teachers. Together, our differences make us more. Together, our Whole is bigger.
it's also highly possible that for the next 10 days, the blogs could be juicy. But that is based on the past. We shall both find out in the moment.
And thanks for joining me on this ride.
peace friend
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
organs
So the rage in yoga instruction today is all about the muscles. The bones come in second, and god knows what comes in next - maybe fascia? I don't know. Nervous system maybe. So I've been teaching classes based on specific internal organs this week, and not just thinking about them, actually trying to MOVE from them, to initiate movement from an internal organ.
Organs bring with them the feeling of home. Why? because they are home. They have nowhere to go, because wherever you go, there they are. They are home. And have you ever watched an organ (except for the heart muscle) do it's "work?" Can you tell by looking at it whether or not its working? Probably not. (If you can, you're probably in a bit of trouble... ) That, my friends, is an example of effortlessness on a platter. Also, they are suspended in the space of you, so there is an inherent quality of lightness. Do you see where I'm going with all this? Yes - effortlessness.
So let's back up. "If i do my asana practice and i'm not FEELING anything (meaning my muscles stretching) then I'm not DOING anything! I'm not getting any benefits!" Hold the phone. We are still doing triangle pose or a twist or a handstand even, but we are letting the movement come from a different place. Yes, the muscles still will be working, and they continue to work, otherwise you'd be a collapsed bag of bones and goo, the difference is, where is your mind? The mind will be listening to the organs instead of what they usually listen to.
Let's just say that you've listened to your favorite song a thousands of times. Do you always listen to the same thing, like the lead singer? When we do triangle pose, our muscles have been the "lead singer" of triangle pose, (decided by us, not the body/mind continuum), and the organs have gone along for the ride, whether they are backup singers, roadies, groupies, or even the elusive, yet important, shaker egg. And they go with you every time you do triangle pose. When we put our attention in our organs, we listen to the shaker egg. We make the shaker egg the most important thing. How is the shaker egg used in this song? How does it affect the other instruments? How does is change the mood of the piece? etc... The song (triangle pose) is the same. In other words, (all caps warning--) YOUR MUSCLES ARE STILL WORKING WHETHER YOU ARE FOCUSING ON THEM OR NOT!!! Wow! You are still getting a "workout" without feeling "worked out!" You feel effortless. And "warmed up." And you float into handstand instead of fighting or stressing into it. Therefore you float into your life off the mat instead of stress or fight your way though it. And you feel safe. Because you are home. Because you take yourself with you. wherever you go, there you are.
This is just the esoteric idea behind the mind of the organs. I haven't even gone into the fact that yoga masters have mastered their organ function, which is one reason why we call them, duh, masters. So as yoga practitioners, wouldn't we want to master the organ function? My guess, is that to master the organ function, we need to focus on the organs then. Hmmm.
Or that stress in the organs shows up as stress in the body, if not now, then most likely when you are a bit older. And you know who you are and what I'm talking about, and this is why is doesn't matter how many trips to the massage therapist or chiropractor you take, if the root of the stress is not addressed, the stress aint going any where!
Your organs. And there they are. And there they be.
Organs bring with them the feeling of home. Why? because they are home. They have nowhere to go, because wherever you go, there they are. They are home. And have you ever watched an organ (except for the heart muscle) do it's "work?" Can you tell by looking at it whether or not its working? Probably not. (If you can, you're probably in a bit of trouble... ) That, my friends, is an example of effortlessness on a platter. Also, they are suspended in the space of you, so there is an inherent quality of lightness. Do you see where I'm going with all this? Yes - effortlessness.
So let's back up. "If i do my asana practice and i'm not FEELING anything (meaning my muscles stretching) then I'm not DOING anything! I'm not getting any benefits!" Hold the phone. We are still doing triangle pose or a twist or a handstand even, but we are letting the movement come from a different place. Yes, the muscles still will be working, and they continue to work, otherwise you'd be a collapsed bag of bones and goo, the difference is, where is your mind? The mind will be listening to the organs instead of what they usually listen to.
Let's just say that you've listened to your favorite song a thousands of times. Do you always listen to the same thing, like the lead singer? When we do triangle pose, our muscles have been the "lead singer" of triangle pose, (decided by us, not the body/mind continuum), and the organs have gone along for the ride, whether they are backup singers, roadies, groupies, or even the elusive, yet important, shaker egg. And they go with you every time you do triangle pose. When we put our attention in our organs, we listen to the shaker egg. We make the shaker egg the most important thing. How is the shaker egg used in this song? How does it affect the other instruments? How does is change the mood of the piece? etc... The song (triangle pose) is the same. In other words, (all caps warning--) YOUR MUSCLES ARE STILL WORKING WHETHER YOU ARE FOCUSING ON THEM OR NOT!!! Wow! You are still getting a "workout" without feeling "worked out!" You feel effortless. And "warmed up." And you float into handstand instead of fighting or stressing into it. Therefore you float into your life off the mat instead of stress or fight your way though it. And you feel safe. Because you are home. Because you take yourself with you. wherever you go, there you are.
This is just the esoteric idea behind the mind of the organs. I haven't even gone into the fact that yoga masters have mastered their organ function, which is one reason why we call them, duh, masters. So as yoga practitioners, wouldn't we want to master the organ function? My guess, is that to master the organ function, we need to focus on the organs then. Hmmm.
Or that stress in the organs shows up as stress in the body, if not now, then most likely when you are a bit older. And you know who you are and what I'm talking about, and this is why is doesn't matter how many trips to the massage therapist or chiropractor you take, if the root of the stress is not addressed, the stress aint going any where!
Your organs. And there they are. And there they be.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Fertilzer
Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen said, "Our bowel is our gift to the planet."
It's fertilizer, and not in a metaphoric way, like say our heart or our mind. I mean what has the heart really done for Mother Earth? Or our brains? Just made up a bunch of inventions. So yes, our shit is a gift. Like bringing food to a potluck. And when Mother Earth is happy, how can we not benefit from that?
Our gift is shit and we use it as a swear word.
what does that say about ourselves? I'm pondering this...
It's fertilizer, and not in a metaphoric way, like say our heart or our mind. I mean what has the heart really done for Mother Earth? Or our brains? Just made up a bunch of inventions. So yes, our shit is a gift. Like bringing food to a potluck. And when Mother Earth is happy, how can we not benefit from that?
Our gift is shit and we use it as a swear word.
what does that say about ourselves? I'm pondering this...
Monday, October 1, 2012
Where are you?
The first step to change is to know where you are. And the first step to knowing where you are, is to at least have the desire to know. Sometimes we think we know where we are, based on habits and patterns, but as we can see by how effective that reminder note is, you know, the one that's been on the door or the mirror for so long that it just blends in with the furniture, that we may have started to blend in with our own furniture. Just when we thought we were fluid and easy, we go to a massage person and find knots that we've lived with for so long, we forgot we had them. Like cleaning out the garage or the basement. We first need the desire to do it, then the desire to deal with what we find.
So once we have embraced that we may not actually know where we are, and we start to find out, then we can start to make choices about where we want to go, and what the most effective and attainable next step might be. It would be hard to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a feature film if I've never even been in a film. I'm not saying that the Universe couldn't pull this off, but from my small, physical point of view and physical limitations, doubtful.
Regardless, one of the most powerful agents of change is to know and embrace fully where we are. That can be challenging when we don't like where we are. It may be uncomfortable, painful, even embarrassing, but so what? It is the step that is going to make all the next steps that much more effective and efficient, ultimately leading us from the pain of point A to the less pain of point B eventually to the freedom of point whatever letter or number it might be on the map of your life.
So once we have embraced that we may not actually know where we are, and we start to find out, then we can start to make choices about where we want to go, and what the most effective and attainable next step might be. It would be hard to win an Oscar for Best Actress in a feature film if I've never even been in a film. I'm not saying that the Universe couldn't pull this off, but from my small, physical point of view and physical limitations, doubtful.
Regardless, one of the most powerful agents of change is to know and embrace fully where we are. That can be challenging when we don't like where we are. It may be uncomfortable, painful, even embarrassing, but so what? It is the step that is going to make all the next steps that much more effective and efficient, ultimately leading us from the pain of point A to the less pain of point B eventually to the freedom of point whatever letter or number it might be on the map of your life.
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