Chances are, because you are reading this, you have practiced yoga, dabbled in meditation or are on a spiritual path, either formally or informally. Even if it was just chance that led you here, or even boredom, something inside you was triggered to click that button.
So now that little spark of curiosity has been lit, let's pause for a few minutes and relax into the moment. Maybe it's time to wake up and tune-in to what it's really all about, this idea of 'awakening'?
Take a deep breath in...and now let it go. Aaaaaaah, too easy!
The idea of awakening or moving towards enlightenment is a much talked-about topic right now. The business of finding inner peace appears to be a very marketable commodity, and everyone is an expert. Everywhere we look we are flooded with images and articles which all suggest we need to somehow do better, be better, dig deeper or at least be something other than what we are right now.
This striving towards creating a 'better' version of ourself or 'raising our vibration' definitely has it's allure, but it doesn't have to be expensive, confusing, overwhelming or hard to reach. And, we certainly don't need to spend a thousand hours sitting cross-legged on a cushion to become an expert meditator. Every moment provides the simple opportunity to awaken. Purely by tuning into what's happening right now, life itself becomes the meditation. Have I lost you? It's called 'being in the moment meditation'. Before you click away, I challenge you to stay just for a few moments longer. Take another deep breath in...and let it go.
How does that feel?
So, where to start? This being human is challenging! We try this and sign up for that, we subscribe here and pay there, we puchase self-help books and listen to countless podcasts, thinking somehow the next thing will work. We take the dog for a walk. We take the dog for a run. We play with our dog, teach her tricks, dress her up, busily distracting ourself in the hope the cloud of confusion and unhappiness will lift. We keep looking for complicated answers from the outside, to simple questions on the inside, hoping the harder we try, the more likely we will be to unlock the magic doorway to peace and happiness...once and for all! Sound familiar?
If I have touched upon something, please don't take it personally. I come in peace, and I'm speaking from my own experience here.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience after all.
But what does that really mean, to be human and spiritual at the same time?
For all of us that will be different, however the common thread we do all share is the potential to be consciously aware, to contemplate, ponder, ruminate and question all of our experiences as we walk around in this complex cluster of cells we call our body. Perhaps Descartes got it wrong when he declared, "I think therefore I am." (?)
What if the ability we have to step back from the thinking and doing, and simply be-ing the observer of all this thinking and doing, aka having awareness ('awarenessing'), is the key to happiness and finding out who we really are? Huh?
As we know, a moment of pure awareness can happen at any time, not just in meditation.
These moments of noticing ordinary, everyday, banal little details, are the real moments of enlightenment. The silent win!
Who says you need to be sitting in lotus with your eyes rolled towards your eyebrow centre to experience the momentary bliss of awakening? Your guru may appear as a fleck of dust on the window, a loose shoelace, or a shadow on a blank wall. Your ability to pause and notice that detail, without any judgement or comment, simply with child-like innocence and curiosity is your opportunity to wake up.
Our ordinary every day experiences as they happen in real time, moment by moment, are our most profound teachers. It doesn't have to be complicated. Every breath we take, and every time we notice it, we become awake. Awake to our reality right now. Why? Because in those simple, fleeting moments we stop thinking. Our problems seem to evaporate into a cloud of emptiness, of pure awareness of what is real. For a moment we slow down, let go of the big picture, our edges blur and we find peace. Then just like that, we remember where we were headed, and what we need to fix...and it's gone. Who am I again?
Perhaps it's a simple shift of perspective we need? What if it's not what's in the picture itself, but rather the frame around it that is the real focus?
Don't get me wrong, it's good to have goals to focus on, and things to aim for. A formal yoga or meditation practice for example, can be a very effective way of releasing tension and calming your busy mind. Just as training for a marathon, or completely renovating your kitchen are very satisfying goals to aim for and achieve. On the other hand, it's all very well (and quite liberating) to just go with the flow or take that leap, but if we didn't have anything to aim for, we might just wander around in circles, blindly jumping from one thing to the next, scrolling for that next fix.
Every moment counts. No moment is more important or potentially more enlightening than the next. Every time we are fully present, fully absorbed in what's happening right now, feeling sensation in our body and in our breath, and the awareness beneath the thoughts, is a moment to celebrate the win. It's that simple! It's time to put down the books and switch off your phone. Stare at the blank screen and notice your breath if you really want to learn something interesting.
Your spiritual path doesn't have to feel spiritual... just real. It may be bumpy and uncomfortable, but it is your unique path to walk. No one else can teach you how to do that.
It really is more about the journey and noticing each step along the way, and trusting you are already there that is the most enlightening part of living.
So next time you watch the sunset, taste a delicious spoonful of food, breathe in the scent of a flower, watch your cat's whiskers wiggle, or stub your toe, know that this is what it's all about. Pause for a moment and notice how it really feels to have those silent little victories of everyday living that bring us true awakening.
Ok, thanks for your patience. Now where was it you were headed a few minutes ago? Off you go! See you back here soon we hope.
Our new mantra..."I notice the small stuff, therefore I am."
If you would like to learn more about our current offerings of Yoga, Mindfulness, Meditation and Breathwork, as well as snippets from our simple life in a bus, then please connect by message or subscribe to our mailing list. We also run regular classes, training and workshops in the Noosa Hinterland.
Sending lots of love and peace from our quiet home in nature.
Namaste,
Danielle & Tony ( Frankie & Georgie) xx
"Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu."
May all beings everywhere be happy and free. May my thoughts, words and actions in some way contribute to that happiness and freedom for all.
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