Roundabout route to William Penn House to lead the Tuesday night yoga practice. Come join us some time.
Watch out? Watch? Join in? The possibilities are many.
Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.
In classical yoga systems, we are taught that all the world is an illusion (maya) and the only thing that is “real” is Atman (spirit, the One). I do not subscribe to that belief, but I do believe in the principle that is espoused in the Bhagavad Gita of actionless action — working because it is my nature to work, but accepting that I ultimately am not in charge of the results. I thus can be fully engaged in my work, but be freer of anxiety, disappointment, and frustration or overcharged attachment to pleasure and success. From a tantric perspective, I believe it is all real and full and something to be experienced as part of the marvelous complexity of being.
This principle carries over into my relationship to my dreams. I have always had extremely vivid and present dreams most nights. Sometimes, like last night, my dreams are full of convoluted challenges and difficulties that could be filled with anxiety. I used to chew on dreams like that through the day. Now I wake up and think: what an amazingly inventive mind I have. Isn’t the subconscious fascinating? I pay attention to what lessons might be in the dream and let them release the dreams from holding on to my day. As I get more skilled with meditation and yoga, I often can find this place of simultaneous engagement/non-engagement even while I am still dreaming. This makes it so the dreams have no more hold on my ability to sleep or act than would watching a movie that raises challenging issues.
This morning I was deep into my regular meditation when I felt the cat (whom I had not known was next to me) swat my shoulder. He has been wanting much attention for the past couple of days, but he has never actually pawed me the way some dogs do to get a petting. I went back into my meditative space and then a couple of minutes later noticed my shoulder was itching. Sully had tried to get a mosquito that was biting me. Good kitty.
