Everyone in your life, without exception, is there to show you the path to your freedom. The more vexing the situation or the person, the more clearly your path is being illuminated for you. Will you see it?
There are going to be real moments when vexation compromises any semblance of composure. In order to cut through the confusion and see the next step clearly, I offer you a very simple, specific exercise that has recently proven inordinately helpful.
In one sentence: follow your breathing to your heart and dwell there - for a few moments, or minutes if possible.
Here goes: right now, take a breath in, place your attention in your heart [generally center upper body]; exhale, soften your skin. Several times, inhabit that space with presence for just a few breaths - or minutes - if it feels resonant for you. Notice how everything eases: your mind, your body, your face.
We can do this on the mat while practicing yoga, which shows us what's possible in any daily interaction. Doubt and distraction always surface when I'm practicing - staying in my heart invariably just brings the doubt and distraction down and keeps me in my body.
Interaction-wise, I've recently staved off bouts of searing fear and anxiety using this practice; each time I manage to get one moment of time in my heart - even amidst the most haunting, bracing clarity in a conversation or circumstance - instead of saying or thinking that which would only drain me, I've noticed a profound softening.
"Such a choice should be made anew in each stressful event. It is about developing awareness of intricate, neural maneuvers. There is no grand conversion to the intelligence of the heart, no theatrical, emotional fit that announces that you're now 'realized' and you may relax..." When I re-read this recently it came to me that we are actually accumulating experiences in an ongoing journey to nurture real presence. Whatever the situation brings, we must learn to value, honor and respect ourselves and our own process by continuously striving for presence in this part of our body. This accumulation generates magnetism within us, drawing toward us whatever will best serve our growth.
We are not learning something new; we are approaching and engaging an inherently human function, that of our heart, which harmonizes all the systems of our body. When we become aware of the over-emphasis we place on our intellectual activity, it's obvious that we need to make more room for the balancing, harmonizing effect of our heart in our body with a practice such as this.
As you traverse time and experience, collect moments of residing in your heart and create true presence in your body. If I'm vigilant enough, this sense of presence helps me catch my brain's intricate, insidiously overpowering trails away from my heart. When I catch it, I am able to liberate myself from all momentary distractions (my history, doubt, fear) and return to the nourishing harmony of my heart again.
Caveat: your brain is not a problem. There is simply a process of discernment and choice that most of us have not fully engaged yet. We can only accomplish it by choosing the extent to which we engage ourselves mentally by living in our hearts more of the time.
Essentially, in this simple, single moment of following the breathing to your heart, you are submitting your cerebral consciousness to your harmonious, nurturing heart's consciousness. This silent choice is ongoing, and we must be incredibly consistent in choosing it. This inner harmony is our given state; to live there more of the time is to feed and uphold the most abundant ecology of your being.
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i look forward to staying in touch ~ i have a deck of cards called OBLIQUE STRATEGIES by Brian Eno (super useful when the heart stops in fear and the creativity stops flowing) and one of the cards, per your blog title, reads simply
"GARDENING, NOT ARCHITECTURE"
!!!
much gratitude and respect
e
So nice to have this dialog with you each week. Especially since I'm unable to attend classes with you (I miss hearing your thought-provoking and inspiring ideas but at least I have this, which is a wonderful alternative and way to stay plugged in!). Since leaving NYC, I've spent almost every morning greeting the sun on the beach. The sun is helping me learn to s-l-o-w down my thought patterns by connecting with it's overflowing love, consistency, and presence. It is teaching me to be in the moment. I run to the beach to meet her before her rays expand out from the horizon. It only takes seconds until she completely reveals herself. This moment is the most precious image. And it only last seconds. But it's taught me that staying focused on that glorious radiant ball of light for only seconds will change my entire day. Now, as you said, focusing on your heart for just a moment or seconds is transformative -- so true, so true. I'm thankful to have this time to be with the greatest teacher of all time teaching me to find that inner light, the Sun. And, I'm so thankful to have your blog as a reminder, guide, and inspiration. Miss you!
x
The way you present profound truths with such immense grace, ease and simplicity is remarkable, and a true light in any seeker's life. I have been fortunate to attend your class in NYC and I can say that this quality of yours is manifested in the way you interact with your students. This was a beautiful, highly relevant article. These past few months I have experienced a newfound awareness of the heart's capacity to nurture, heal, and guide, and the challenge has been that I am constantly faced with situations that make me feel threatened, thus causing me to vacate that "heart-space". Your article serves as an eloquent reminder that every encounter, every moment is an opportunity to further access the energy of the heart. I look forward to your articles each month as a source of wisdom and motivation.
Namaste
Yay! My brain is not a problem!!
Inner harmony is our given state. I couldn't agree more. We've just been trained to ignore it. Achieveing is rewarded, so we strive for achievement. All i want to achieve anymore is being peaceful and helpful and making my music. I'm making it as I feel it should be made, not for external reward and that makes me happy. Thanks to you and a few other bloggers here at HuffPo, I've learned a lot this year. I like to re-read some of the articles several times and return to them again and again so I can internalize the message, otherwise it's an intellectual exercise and I'll forget the details. This is one of those posts. You and Ed and Deb and Dr. Cara and Kiri and Kari have changed my life. Thank you.
With love,
little brother
Yoga can't really be effective unless, after all our learning and reading, it eventually devolves into simplicity. That's why many advanced practitioners return to the early Yoga texts after spending years studying the more complex and "advanced" later Yoga practices.
Thanks for the good and thoughts.
Bob Weisenberg
http://YogaDemystified.com
Bob