The basis of Shal(om) yoga is Shabbat- The Jewish Sabbath.
Shabbat is the total surrender into the flow of What Is. Become the change.
Shemama
Alchemistry.
Gratitude is love entering the body in whatever form and, if not clung to, exiting the body- as gratitude. Pain comes through the body and if not clung to, held onto, identified with, it passes through the body and comes out as forgiveness.
Success held becomes fear. Allowed, it becomes humility.
Humility is love.
God Naked.
Pregnant With Conciousness.
Lemme just say that considering what has been glimpsed by many, lived within by a few, a consciousness that is as different from mundane consciousness as a hair's width from an avenue block. As different as reading a map is from arriving there. Considering that to be what this planet is pregnant with, it being usually an unwitting mother, no idea of what her womb contains- just like Mary, though she probably had some hunch- just like, well, the unfortunately uneducated teen who doesn’t know she’s pregnant at all, or even what that might mean. That’s the planet for now-
String Things.
A Candle and a Feather.
-Tonight, there is the practice of the Candle. The Feather. We open our inner-most cupboards and take i n - v e n t o r y -
Beneath consciousness we hold on before acting, speaking, expressing our Beings- analyzing how it might be taken in, what might people think, what has happened in the past? Has someone said something bad or against what you may do, before? Have you messed up doing it the past? Yikes. All of these factors- most of them having very little to do with this very moment and what is wanted in this particular situation, room, company, nowness. We hold on, not trusting the contents of our own inner-cupboards, pantries, rooms. Our own inventory in the dark places. Who knows what might be in there? How am I to let in guests? How am I to feed of the contents of this being freely, lovingly, with abandon, without self-consciousness, reticence, apology- false humility?
And so we take inventory. Without fear (or including it) we boldly face what is in the corner cupboards. We see it and the space it is taking up. We i l l u m i n a t e it with the flame that the soul is. (“The human soul is G-d’s candle").
And how do we treat it? With the feather. The gentlest touches. No Brillo here, no bleach. Illumination and a softness beyond kindness. A g e n t l e n e s s that bends to anything. A melting. A give. A complete letting go. The extent to which we can surrender this being and let through all the action, love, words, silence that wants through us to express the presence of Truth, of Shechinah, G-d… is beyond fathomability.
It is what we are called upon here to do. See everything so we can release, let go, and let the work of the Feather, through.
"I release and I let go, let the spirit run my life. And my heart is open open wide,
'cause I’m only here for G-d.
No more struggles, no more strife, through my faith I see the light, and I’m free with the spirit,
'cause I’m only here for Love."
Passover Haggadah, 2015: http://bit.ly/1hzyXpe
The Floppy Tzaddik
There was once a great great embodiment of the Tzaddik We All Are*, known for towns and towns around, far and wide. He was one known to be very wise and free; one whose presence within which others access their own Wise Freedom. He was considered a great teacher.
He had a very particular walk, completely surrendered to G-d, his walk was more of a flop, head back much of the time. He looked as if he was being walked, and his heart was always leading. One day he was being walked down a path, open wide and dancing his dance, when he spotted someone just in front of him and to the right walking in an almost identical way.
The Bind that Frees.
The 'i' offers itself up in a defined wave of specificity and uniqueness, to then reimmerse into a wordless sea in which all that was said is silently known. Where all simply is. The silent knowing of which all of language and life is in service; creation’s sole purpose being its revelation- to both reveal and revel in it.
If you would now, wherever the wave of your existence might be expressing its distinction at this moment, consider slightly turning upwards the corners of your lips, allowing the eyes to soften, the heart to sssssh, and the mind to melt for this moment so you might resemble the sea and find yourself reflected.
Here, there is nothing for you to believe.
Nothing here to ponder.
Take it in with your heart. Let it softly consider itself then let it go along with everything else you can think of. If just for this moment.
For truth, truly cannot be thought. Only directly experienced.
It is beckoning now that we waves surrender our distinction of mind and thought and immerse ourselves back into our own waters.
Bring Them Cookies.
If we would be miraculously given a transcript of our sub-conscious thoughts, we would be shocked by the amount of shadow-boxing happening, trying to figure out what other people think of us, and then defending our position against what we think they think of us - shadow boxing. We can take off the gloves. We needn’t know. We can’t know. And engagement of the mind in this activity is brutal.
It gets in the way of being who you’d have them think you are, anyway!
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All we can do is begin to become aware of our sub-conscious thoughts.
Notice them, like children wrestling.
When an adult enters the room, they stop.
So be of witness. A compassionate and loving parent.
Ssssssssssh, you say. Get up, I’ve made cookies.