Just Breathing...

Clarity of Vision

L. and I had a wonderful conversation last night about dreams and goals. He likens having a goal to snapping a chalk line; once the mark is made, he has a clear path, a map even, of where he is headed. I, on the other hand, seem to take smaller steps, looking for those signs that lay themselves before me like stepping stones on a path that may take unexpected turns before I am led to my destination. Interesting.

Active and passive.

Direct and meandering.

Male and female (not in gender, but in energy).

Both ways are useful, even within the same person, and I'm contemplating ways to combine the masculine energy of drive and focus with the feminine energy of openness and receptivity. Since our conversation, I feel a renewal of purpose, a clearer sense of my direction, and I have a more honed vision of my goals (more about that later, perhaps much later). Interesting that we practiced Garudasana in yoga class yesterday; eagle pose cultivates the energy of clear sight. See how everything in life works together toward a larger harmony of meaning?

Now, some housecleaning, some streamlining is in order. So, here's to an active weekend to begin making things happen!

Pay Attention

In this morning's yoga class, Shri said that the most practical advice she could give as a yoga teacher was this: "Pay attention, on the mat and in life." Great advice this is, for if we are paying attention we will notice that we are divinely guided. To what do we pay attention? To those meaningful coincidences I often write about; to those gut feelings and other physical sensations; to our own intuition, the knowledge that comes to us from beyond the realm of our thinking minds; to our dreams.

Once we're paying attention, the next task is to understand the messages that are coming to us. How is this done? Again, we can look to intuition and physical sensations. We can analyze our dreams, keep journals. We can begin to recognize patterns in our lives.

I talked to my dear friend in Santa Fe this morning about this, for she has been trying to listen to these messages that come to her. When she is being true to herself, so much lines up in place; her business receives the support it needs, she meets the people who can help her take whatever next steps she is meant to take, she finds temporary work with the propane company just when she needs to fill her tank! Lessons she needs to learn are presented to her again and again, sometimes in the form of relationships that mimic those of the past, sometimes in other challenges. With each lesson learned, the next is learned more quickly because she is paying attention, staying aware of how each seemingly separate part of life is, in fact, connected.

Such is the task for all of us. We are meant to pay attention, to tune in rather than out, because life is always telling us something we need to know in order to grow into our fullest potential. What has your life been trying to tell you lately?

Sitting with Truth

"There must be an ultimate truth and if you are searching for the truth, you are really searching for God." --Ali Abu Talib

This morning, I don't have a lengthy post to publish. The above says all I want to say, and I'm off to sit with this truth in meditation.

Peace and light to you.

Gathering In...

A major lesson of much metaphysical teaching, including the message of The Secret, is that we draw to us that which we visualize, imagine, think. Recognizing that what is within becomes manifested without, we might understand how this happens. Life begins to mirror, in many ways, the energy we cultivate inside of ourselves, which is why prayerful people are so often much more happy and serene than those who do not dwell with the spiritual.

Likewise, when we are sensitive to these subtle workings of energy and the connections between things that might seem disparate, we may intuit what has yet to happen. Take, for example, an experience I had recently. Although I had grown distant from K. and had not spoken to her in years, I knew that I would soon encounter and talk to her. Even though we live roughly two miles apart, I hadn't even seen her in years. Then, within the past month or so, I saw her several times while I was driving. I knew that soon we would be face to face, that life was preparing me to encounter her in person. This morning, I pulled into the parking lot at the grocery store and parked right next to a car that had also just arrived. Who was driving that car? Of course you guessed correctly; it was K.

Years ago, I would have imagined our next encounter would be awkward, that we might even feel some animosity. But all I felt was peacefulness, kindness, and interest in how she has been. I felt that old sense of camaraderie and connection that I felt when I first met her. I genuinely wished her well. We made no arrangements to reconnect or keep in touch, but I imagine that I will see her again, in passing.

Overall, the experience was one I had been awaiting. It was evidence to me of growth and healing, and it was a litmus test of my ongoing work to let the past remain there and to move brightly through the present. It was an example, too, of the "gathering in" that we do when we let our inner truths draw to us our outer reality.

Time Bending

When L. and I first met each other, we were amazed at all we could pack into a regular-sized weekend. Of course, the saying is "time flies when you're having fun," but we were having tons of fun and time was still stretching for us. We would cook a nice meal on a Friday evening, maybe watch a movie, get together on Saturday for a trip to the beach for a walk, go to the symphony, meet friends on Sunday for breakfast, spend the day doing whatever we chose. By Saturday evening, we often were amazed that we still had one full day of weekend left.

Now, I have to say, we still have fun, but time really is flying by. We had a lovely and full weekend, but I can't believe it's Monday again already. Where does the time go? And how do we get it to start bending again, so that our weekends of play become longer than our work weeks?