The Bliss of being Vikrukti

As I have been working with clients and students on various levels of healing as well as on my own healing/transformation new parallels have arisen to the world around us, etc. First of all, my primary method of working with people is through their embodied form. What I mean by that is the body and all that encompasses. As my former physician (who had a holistic background)once told me, regarding body/mind/spirit: "It is all one." Anusara founder, John Friend has taught us that we can align spiritually and emotionally by aligning the body and that our attitude (mental/emotional construct)is the primary vehicle through which to address our asana practice (asana translated literally means seat and refers to the dynamic shapes and positions most people in the west associate with the term yoga).

Having just heard about the grave concern being presented in the movie Gasland, about the threat to our water table from new natural gas drilling techniques and having Jon Stewart humorously draw the connection to the huge problem of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, I am seriously alarmed about the consequences of both of these actions. At the same, time I feel there is much to be gained by the world, in particular the U.S., having to face the effects of these sources of "energy" production.

I mentioned to one of my friends/clients how I knew while driving home the evening before Bush got into office for the 2nd time, that he had gotten in and that a clear voice of intuition rang out that this would seem very bad, but that it would set the stage for a major swing of the pendulum. My friend said that she had the very same experience that night. We feel certain this is how Obama got into office.

Circumstances are bleak indeed and should not be ignored by any means. However, I also feel strongly that those of us who can hold the strong conviction that this is setting the stage for unprecedented evolution in the way we see and do things as a species, need to act as a bridge to a new paradigm. We need to vibrate with the balanced action of concern for our present circumstances and belief in the potential for evolution beyond anything we have even yet conceived of while also holding lightly to our own hopes and dreams for change in its specifics.

Life will find a way. This heart of mine will find a way. Grace has chosen us and we will offer our broken, and beautifully twisted selves up as guiding lights for the field of human consciousness. May every asana create a spark that kindles the embers of humanity's reaching for civilization that truly enhances life and its fulfillment.

My guy found a quote that was spoken by JFK the month and year I would have been conceived (ie 9 months and a day before I was born): "I look forward to an America that will not be afraid of grace and beauty, which will protect the beauty of our natural environment... an America which commands respect throughout the world not only for its strength, but for its civilization as well." We need to envision that happening now via the obvious revelation of what really does not work for anyone!

As Narada, the sage transformed the child of a demon with his civilizing influence via music and poetry and other forms of beauty which require civilization to emerge and be sustained, so too will those of us who uphold these values and believe in their worth transform the children of corporate merchants bent on holding profit above the importance of nurturing life. We also must transform ourselves and hold ownership of our own contributions to what is happening under our watch. We are the adults of our time and need, as such to take responsibility for our share of things. I am encouraged because everyone I talk to agrees with this sentiment of shared responsibility.

JFK, like MLK, jr. was martyred. His legacy will live on all the stronger because of this. Wounded healers arise and heal and, as Ram Dass once said, "Don't wait until you are all the way healed to offer your healing gifts to others, or you will never offer them..."

Water is often equated with emotion in many systems of philosophy. Let us take a look at what habitual patterns we can/need to heal (ways of thinking and feeling about life and our role in it). Let us turn habitual looping into an act of seeking the grace of aligning to the currents of our own best interests. Profit and power over a healthy and beautiful environment creates a bleak image indeed. May we brighten this image by seeking every possible avenue to bring change that enhances and supports the unfolding of grace and beauty in every possible corner and through the cracks left by abuse and neglect.

So many are expending energy about holding BP and others responsible for their past actions. I think this may end up creating new Rakta Bijas scattered about in the form of new angry young people. OK, let them hold them responsible, but let us roll out our tongues and consume the whole of the greedy appetite, take it in as our own and transform it into an appetite for the richness of who we can each be in the good company that we can and do keep. (Sorry if anyone doesn't understand the Kali reference above. I just didn't think I should rant on any further by way of explanation).

The quote from JFK can be found on a plaque at JFK park in Harvard Square, in the people's republic of Cambridge Massachusetts.