The TV of the Mind

What gets the highest rating in your TV mind? What gets the most views? Are there repeats from the past that are always dependable for full concentration and energy? Is it just shoes and breasts, depending on your gender?

I was laughing at myself the other day. I was caught off guard.

I was walking down the street to the supermarket. Its a busy road. I was happy, but my happiness attracted a certain attention that I became intensely aware of. I stopped feeling happy, and became aware and sensitive and then I laughed at myself, dropped my slightly risen rib cage, let the wind shake my hair and I let it go.

I thought to myself, ha, got you.

Then I was in the supermarket and straight in front of me was the tall figure of a well built man who gave me one of those looks and I felt this creeping female power rising. I haven't felt that for a few years. The urge to become a prize worth the male’s advances.

It caught me unaware and I quickly hid behind the laundry detergent until the Spanish words had turned themselves into a soothing blur.

I walked home with a little less spring in my step, laughing a little to myself, but my mind was sharp and watchful and I remembered 'be ever vigilant'.

Watching the TV of the mind - that part is ok. But when the images give rise to that sorrow, that sensation, that coveted desire... this is the moment of test. And to watch ourselves get caught up with the tangles of the mind, and then slowly un-knot ourselves.

With gratitude to OS

Our Insect Friends

For the past couple of months, seemingly out of nowhere, we’ve had unexpected insect guests in our apartment. We live in the middle of a little big city and the most we usually spy is a lost fly or a wayward mosquito.

However, we’ve been noticing, a random wasp, or moth, or beetle, or some little creepy crawly.

Albert and Jett jump up and cry ‘what will we do with it?’ reaching for a rolled up newspaper, but I, coming from the land down under, calmly (especially under pressure) rescue the little bug and let it out the window.

Today I was going through the box of vegetables and realised that this organic box of fresh vegetables we took from the country every Wednesday evening, was the obvious transport for these random insects. Obviously. It all made sense.

Last night, I caught a moth in my hands. It was quite big. I didn’t like the feeling of its wings battering against my hands. I tried to be as gentle as possible and took it to the window.

It had me thinking – moths, attracted to electric lights, or fire, the ‘wrong’ light – and singeing its wings. We, humans, getting caught up in ‘the wrong’ light. A different light. Forgetting for a moment that the light we were searching for is much bigger, much brighter and more encompassing. Like the moth and the moon. The moth will go out into the night and follow the brightness of the moon and meet other moths and gather together and follow its destiny. If it doesn’t get caught by a cheap electric light on a street corner instead.

Hmmm. All that glitters is not gold.

Yoga Asanas are Purification

Yoga is unity and harnessing energy. Yoga is about unity. The enemy of unity, is ‘me, me, me’ thinking.

Asanas (poses), pranayama (breathing) and dhyana (meditation) are ways to clean the body of ‘me, me, me’ so there is more of ‘thee, thee, thee’.

Who is ‘thee’?

The ‘thee’, in this circumstance, is the will of nature, of tao, of the way, of ‘what is’, mindfulness, of the universal consciousness – what ever you’d like to call it.

Every experience we have, every thought, ever action, every moment, we create. The act of creation causes a consequence, repercussions, even if we can’t see it right now. The mind takes in so much information at a moment’s glance, at a moment’s rise or fall in emotion, in an idea – we leave traces of the past where ever we go.

Yoga helps to clean us from the out side in – by releasing the hold the past has on our body tissue. There is a school of thought that suggests the body holds the memories of the past. Not the mind. Our body freezes when we hear certain noises. The ‘feeling’ we have is from our body. The mind is quiet, waiting, while the dinosaur walks past the cave.

Yoga is purification of the mind and body, so that we can move the self aside, and reside in the Self that is unity.

Cleansing Processes

Yoga Journal – purification

Blue Yoga

Right Now, You Are Where You're Suppose To Be

(or you wouldn’t be there)

How hard is it to accept, that this is where you are suppose to be? In this apartment, in this house, in this country, with these people, with this job or lack of job, and reading this right now. Everything at this moment, is exactly right.

Because it is.

Perhaps our mind tells us that we deserve a better life, a better husband, a better child, a better best friend, a better job, a kinder city. Perhaps you’ve always felt misplaced. The mind is powerful. The mind wants you to be a part from what is, so that it can be.

And it creates suffering, and pain, and frustration and disappointment.

Let’s look at our expectations of our life. Ten years ago, did you think you would be where you are now? Twenty years ago?

How could your mind possibly know what was going to happen and create all the circumstances so that you got exactly what you wanted? And surprise, surprise, if you did get it – are you any happier? What we wish for is often not what we really want, once we’ve got it.

Right here – at the moment in time, is exactly where you need to be. This is the key to simple happiness. Start with where you’re sitting. Notice the chair/sofa. Notice the noises around, the music, the birds, the cars. It is. Its life. Life can not be controlled by mere willing.

Scary to think of all the things we can’t control. But in facing the fear of the unknown – in facing this special fear, we have a chance at touching something so holy within the centre of each one of us. A sacred centre of stillness and peace. A place where sages sing of butterfly wings and eternal love.

Smile I might, but joke I do not.

Accept things, just as they are, right now. This face, the body. This chair, this apartment, this house, these people, these noises, the family, the friends, the work opportunities. Accept it – just for the moment.

Breath it in, and let the hardness that says ‘this is NOT me’ drop away. Be soft. Be real. Don’t be a projection of will and demands and ego. Be still. Be soft. Be in the moment so you can feel that tiny movement of air across your cheek and along your neck.

Smile. Be here. This is really more than good enough.

Can I Love You?

Can I love you?

Can I love you today?

Can I love you after the illusion has faded away?

Can I love you now, that the gilt has worn down?

Can I love you today?

After all of the disappointments, the lies, the frustrations, the angry words?

Can I love you, truly, with no string attached?

Can I love you, because you are you?

Can I love you without asking for something in return, like honesty, or forgiveness?

Can I love you, anyway?

Can I love you, knowing who you are?

Can I love you, knowing what you’ve said and done?

Can I love you, after making me suffer?

Can I love you at all?

Can I love you after all my tears are dry?

Can I love you when all that is left is a sigh?

Can I love you, more fully than before?

Can I love you after feeling my heart break?

Can I love you, even after that?

Perhaps, it is said, that only when the heart breaks open, can it fit in a little more. Perhaps that little more is the ‘real’ you I never acknowledged. The you I denied in my blindness for my ideal.

Let me release my wants. Let me let go of my expectations. Let me see the truth, and love it, and you, because it is. Let me be free from the tangles of my mind and free in the expression of Love.

Amen

Three Words On The Way to Unity

Belonging

When we come into our yoga class, we have an opportunity to practice unity. We start by gathering our mind together. Releasing the memories of the day. Letting go of the tomorrow. And we use the presence of our body to bring our awareness into focus.

This is the first level of unity for us during asana practice.

Practicing acceptance

When we resist what is, when we fight it, we are against it. It is different from us. It is something our mind does not want or comprehend and we reject it. This is not yoga.

During yoga practice, let’s say ‘its ok’. Let’s accept our limitations. Let’s understand that getting it ‘right’ or getting it ‘wrong’ is the same thing. It is. If it is – then its ok.

Once we start judging, we can’t see clearly. Once we get emotional, foggy is the word for our vision. One breath at a time. Because it is.

Belonging

Belonging is an extension of acceptance. In savasana (corpse pose) I like to use the words ‘you belong in your body’, or ‘you belong, right here, right now’. There is no other place you should be. Should is a term the mind made up. We want to get closer to the ‘what is’ – not further away. Thinking in terms of ‘should’ turns us away from the centre.

Grasp it. Embrace it. Because it is.

The Human Mind and The Universal Mind

The human mind can’t understand a fragment of it all. Don’t try. The human heart understands. But we have to give up trying to figure stuff out. We just get angry, sick, unhappy, frustrated, depressed and confused.

Breathe through the heart. The world works on an energetic level. Your heart understands it. But listening with your heart is painful. It hurts. It breaks. It tears. And it knows that the bigger it gets, the more it understands. Your heart belongs. It is. Its pulse is the pulse of life. The gentle breeze in the evening. The rhythm of the ocean.

Trust

God or Universal Consciousness – what ever you want to call it – trust it. Because it is. Your mind resists. But when was a human right?

Nature is. It’s a fact. It does its thing no matter what we do to try to stop it. We chop and change and burn and pollute and still flowers bloom. Still the storms come, and still the sun shines.

Because it is – trust it. We change our mind at a moment’s notice. We say we like this, and like that – and if we don’t get it, then change – and what ever – inconsistent and ever changing is the way of the mind. But It – is. Never changing. Always present. It’s the only thing worth putting our trust in.

Acceptance, Belonging, Trust.

Three steps to Unity.

Entertain Us

Jett and I were sitting in a café.

‘Oh look,’ I said, ‘a man out on his balcony.’ I pointed up at the man. The man was only in his singlet. His hair was greased back. I noticed that he was exceptionally skinny.

Jett said ‘He’s only in his singlet.’

Then I started to notice that the curtains were partially closed behind him and he was holding something in his hand. He looked back inside the dark apartment, called to someone and then he started to flick at something that I realised was a needle.

‘Oh.’

Now, I felt a rush of horror, but again, I thought, well, the addiction to drugs, is addiction to sensation. I was drinking a coffee. As we left the café, I saw cigarette butts crushed on the pavement. We walked past cola machines and cigarette machines and some women walked past with shopping bags, then we passed a group of teenagers decked out like pop stars - and we are all following sensation. Different levels. Different needs. But the same need. More excitement. More stimulation. More entertainment.

When I hear this same tune in my head, I hear Nirvana. Every time.

I feel stupid and contagious.

Kindness, no strings attached

I’m so tired of one hand giving while the other hand holds a list of clauses that go with it.

Somebody offered me something. Then, when things didn’t go as they wanted, they took it away.

I felt a sudden horror of dishonour. But, then I searched my own nature, and I’m sure I’ve done it too.

Given something, even a smile, and expected one in return.

How often do we really give? Honestly give. Give with out no thought of what someone is going to do with that gift. No thought of return. No thought of consequences. A true gift of love. How often do we give without a silent but heavy back pack full of ‘buts’?

So, instead of laying in bed and thinking negative thoughts, I will slowly turn myself into the person I wish other people were. I invite you to come with me. One day at a time – to give with true kindness, no strings attached.

(and honestly - I don't mind if you don't do it! You're off the hook for this one.)

The Eye of Ra

What's your experience with this symbol?

Fear of Consciousness

Fear of Consciousness

What are we so afraid of?

Afraid that what we say matters more than we think.

Afraid that we will have to be responsible for what we do to others.

Afraid that every breath counts.

Afraid to be One with the moment.

Afraid of what that means.

Afraid of the self and giving up its petty ways.

Afraid of the Self and putting discipline into the back pack.

Afraid of being conscious.

Afraid that the past was purely fear.

Afraid to face ourselves.

Afraid to turn to face the truth.

Afraid of caring – that much.

Afraid.

What are you afraid of?