Happy New Year 2024
We had a Seinfeld NYE. Things did not turn out as expected and the sense of humor was not lost on us. We booked the room almost a year out so that we could view the fireworks display off of the Space Needle in Seattle. We could view the event from the rooftop of the hotel or else from the room if the weather was inclement. Simply staying awake until midnight was a victory! We were captured by the anticipation of the dazzling display to come. The clock struck,
the fireworks began to burst forth from all sides and from the top of the Needle. The smoke built up, the temperature inversion and deadly still air held the smoke in place, In no less than two minutes into the 19 minute show, visibility had dropped to nearly zero. No Space Needle, no fireworks to be seen. Wah wah wah.
Many philosophies give a gentle warning against having expectations about what is to come. My favorite humorous definition of expectation is ‘premeditated resentment’. Instead of anticipating an outcome, we are encouraged to take things as they come and simply observe our response. In so doing, we build awareness of our reactions, judgments and attachments. Of course, as part of a community, we take the appropriate actions to assist in creating a future that we desire but what is the response if things don’t turn out according to our expectations?
Every year gives us plenty of opportunities to react or respond, to grow or stagnate, to observe and change or default to status quo. I’ve often contemplated why simply sitting and observing the moment is such a powerful agent of inner change. Anthony DeMello, east Indian, some would say mystic rebel, Catholic priest says, “What you are aware of, you can control. What you are not aware of, controls you. Awareness, he says, releases reality to change you and that by simply being aware, all that is false and neurotic within you will drop away.”1
I believe this is one intent of all forms of meditation. By simply sitting without expectation but with intent to Know Thyself beyond the programming of society, culture, family, religion, the subconsciously controlling mind rises to awareness. Now we have the power to change the program.
By simply sitting in our own energy field, without agenda or analysis, simply opening the focus to the energy and space around us, will calm the analytical mind and begin to change the quality of how we think and how we feel. This, in turn will trigger the brain to release its neurochemical magic that will move the body/mind chemistry toward wholeness and health.
The way out is by going in, as we go inward, we expand and as we expand, we include more and more of what used to seem separate from us. Or we could say that we begin to experience a sense of Oneness. It sounds so simple; it has to be simple so that it is accessible to everyone. If it isn’t accessible to everyone, it isn’t love, it isn’t oneness.
We’ll be returning to Zoom Yoga in mid-February. You can see more details on the zoom class link here.