ALIGN

How is it that you would like to align yourself with your outside world?

Recently (in a super fun yoga class), I was reminded about the story of Krishna and Kaliya.

Krishna is...well, the man.  He lives in this village where Kaliya the serpent has come to visit.  He's a venomous serpent, and is poisoning the local water supply by visiting.  The villagers have asked him to leave, but he continues to pour his venom into the waters.  The grass is browning, wildlife is dying...and soon this village will be severely affected.  Krishna is seen one day walking down to the water to have a chat with Kaliya.  Krishna dives into the water.  There's some thrashing about, and then nothing.  (some versions of this story even contain bloodshed)  The villagers are peering into the water and cannot seem to find either Krishna OR Kaliya.  Worry sets in, but eventually Kaliya emerges tall from the waters.  The villagers cheer as they see Krishna dancing on top of Kaliya's head.  Krishna continues to dance and tap his feet, and a calm comes over Kaliya.  "I'm sorry, Krishna...I am very sorry to have caused the villagers pain, but as you can see I'm a serpent by nature.  Serpents are venomous by nature.  I know nothing else, but I do not want to harm you and these people."  Krishna speaks..." I understand your nature, and by nature, do not ask you to stop.  Will you move there, to the neighboring waters where you can live freely?  Then, these people can live freely."  Kaliya thinks about it, and agrees to move on.  Soon the vegetation has resumed it's natural healthy green color, and the village people are able to utilize the water again!

Really...what Krishna asked Kaliya to do is to align his nature.

Krishna & Kaliya  (link to another version of the story)

I find this story profound...and have recently found the concept of alignment profound.  Aligning is something we need to do, day after day.  Several times a day, even! 

The trick is, to first define how we'd like to align ourselves in our lives.  Thinking first of how to align with family, and then friends, then professionally, romantically, then so on.  Defining who you are and what you'd like to represent in various aspects of your life....then bringing it life by creating ACTION!

It's a really fun process...therefore, I'm simply sharing and opening it up to you.

Align.  Again, and again, and again.

~M

CONNECT

Connection is one of the single most important tools we use to tap into our awareness.

....it's also one of the single most important tools we avoid.

When we're in the thick of it...so deep into our neurosis....we lose a piece of ourselves.  We are completely disconnected with our awareness, and therefore, ourselves.

Connection leads us to truth...which is one of the reasons most avoid re-connecting.  Fooling ourselves is SO much better than whatever we're going to have to deal with if we actually tapped into the truth, right?!  Um...no.

Connecting to ourselves is pretty much like charging our cell phones/various bits of technology.  We have to do it EVERYDAY!  Sometimes multiple times a day.  Connection, just like these pieces of technology, practically hand us our information on a silver platter.  That is, if we look for it.  If we press it's buttons and dig a little bit deeper.  Connection IS the foundation for truth.

So what connects you?  It could be interaction with friends, it could be physical (Yoga, MMA, Karate, etc), it could be alone time to contemplate, it could be a trip or location in nature where you recharge and connect to life at it's source.  Whatever it is...identify it, and use the shit out of it!  

You WANT to be connected to yourself.  You want to remind yourself DAILY who are and what you want.  You want to remember at least once a day what makes you tick!  And you want to pass it forward.  Connecting inwardly only leads to connection outwardly.  The people around you respond when you're plugged into yourself and walking about EYES WIDE OPEN!

Don't be afraid of connecting.  The good, not so good, or indifferent are all beautiful parts of you.  Wear them ALL with pride, and get to know them inside out!

SPACE

I was away between holidays on a much needed vacation....

As per usual I had all of my texts in hand, to-do lists, ideas on updating my website, marketing, blogging, etc.  You get the drift.  I was almost looking forward to my getaway as a week where I can ACCOMPLISH all of the things I haven't been able to during the insane month of December.

Soooo....guess how much of it I got to?

Zip!  Zilch!  Nada!!

Seriously...I maybe spent 10 minutes on "work".

Which I realized is what a vacation should be!  I didn't even feel bad about my "lack of progress"....I actually felt a little bit better and refreshed for it.

...So, then naturally I started thinking about all the crazy New Years Resolutions that had probably already gone bad.  Not for lack of trying, mind you....but for the lack of...well...space.

It's great to have goals, really.  I'm building a career on it....so....yea, I totally believe in goals.  What I don't believe in is the pressure to get the damn things there already!  The thing is...anything that's cultivated so super quickly I find crashes and burns just as quickly.  And then there's dissapointment.  Just look on Facebook....it's there daily.  Like morgue you can scroll through, with all the resolutions that had SO much possibility!

The beauty of this entire blob of words is....THEY STILL CAN BE!  And will be, if you just let them! 

When you're seriously tackling anything, not just a New Years Resolution, space is your truest friend.  When you give things space....and time...they have a way of coming to you in their truest form.  The way your goal, endeavor, (website...ahem!), should truly be FOR YOU.  It doesn't become something that's forced.  It becomes something that's focused, with clear direction, and the steps you're going to continue to take to GET TO THAT PLACE!  Once you give it space...you're able to visualize it, breathe it, taste it even!  It becomes what you REALLY want.  

It's novel, I know.  Stepping back to give something breathing room is some of the hardest awareness to cultivate.  Especially where I am (NYC), where instant gratification is sort of in the manual.   But remind yourself this....just a few moments to clear the air will give you something wilder than you could have hoped for.  The beauty and lessons that stick with you, are what resides in that space.

Chew on it....utilize it...and then smile to yourself as you make your way!

Oh, and Happy 2012!  Wishes for many inbreaths, shifts, and realizations towards your truest self!

Love, love, and more love!