Our cocoon only has so much space. The more we carry in, the less space we have to just be who we are. Somehow just being feels so much more important right now. It feels so free and open, so comforting.

How can we simplify our lives in order to create this space; in order to honor this time for ourselves? What do we need to shed to be able to begin our inward journey?

Letting go of things that no longer fulfill us is a beginning. Activities that we once enjoyed, that although are still beautiful, may be too much weight; too much responsibility. Sometimes this can be difficult to do because we can see the beauty and benefit in all things that we do and there may not be a perfectly clear yes or no. The answer may fall somewhere in between. Yet, asking the question can help and at some point truth arises.

Letting go of relationships that are not feeding us is another process. Friends that say they’ll be there, yet continue to fall short and continue to disappoint us, may need to be released. Is this friendship worth the struggle?

And most important is releasing our old patterns, emotions and thoughts that are no longer supporting us to be our most radiant selves. This process may be the most challenging, yet is highly rewarding. Bringing a quiet mind and open heart into our cocoon is truly beyond any description. The space it creates can open up possibilities of life that we couldn’t perceive before. From here, when the cocoon has once again opened, we are refreshed and ready to see where life wants to lead us.

Simplify.
Breathe
this moment in.
Be
stillness itself
and see
what is revealed.

Deep breath in

Life goes by so fast. What does it all mean?

Exhale

I need to slow down. Things get done.

Breathe in
Nothing happening.
Breathe out

I love closing my eyes. It brings me in.

Breathe… deeply

The earth is changing so drastically. How can we keep up?

Exhale
Notice the space.
Inhale

The sun, too. So many solar flares.

Breathe
Notice the space.

Noticing, noticing the space.
Such peace.

Can I really trust this? Will things be okay?

Breathe in
Notice the space.
Breathe out
Noticing.
Breathe In

Space

Breathe out

Noticing the space between.

Notice
the
space

Such peace.

Space

Between

Space

Between

Space

Yet while practices are very empowering and can initiate positive change within, we must be very aware of the possibility of using them to create a sense of detachment to our lives and the events that are occurring. Denying the horror doesn’t make it go away. In fact, it often supports its continuation due to it running unexamined. On a more extreme level, spiritual practice can strengthen our sense of righteousness and arrogance as we begin to identify as a spiritual person, a yogi or any label that we believe to be who we are. Although most practices are designed to help dissolve our false sense of self, this isn’t always the result unless this goal is held vigilantly. Instead, we often begin to feel superior, more enlightened than others and less willing to investigate our role in creating a dysfunctional reality.

Many of us begin our day with an hour or two on the cushion or mat, yet what is happening the rest of the day? Are we continuing to stay in the space we felt during our practice; a place of compassion and expansion, loving all beings as ourselves, or are we spending the day in judgement of ourselves and in competition with others? Do our internal thoughts line up with the realizations we had during our meditation or are they the same ones that have been coming up for years? The more challenging discipline is noticing what are we doing the other 22 hours of the day. This is our real meditation; our real mantra. Chanting “Om Namaha Shivaya” for several minutes is blissful, but repeating “I am not worthy”, “Life is so unfair to me”  or “He broke my heart” for the rest of the day defeats the purpose.

Spending time investigating this is very powerful. It can be surprising to realize that we often push aside the fact that we aren’t as loving to ourselves and others as we could be because we believe that we are “spiritual”. Living this way, compared to people that do not do spiritual practice, can be even more dangerous because we have set up a belief system that is very difficult to break down. We may begin to believe that we do not need to face certain issues or be held accountable for our behavior within our intimate relationships because we are beyond all of that.

Meditation is a 24/7 discipline. The two hour practice is the easy part. Diving into the core of the anger, fear and sadness that arise during the day takes tremendous courage and often leads to our personal lives enduring drastic change or completely falling apart. As we are willing to stand in the face of our deep pain; the pain we experienced and the pain we created, we can do the real work. Until then, we may enjoy the new found strength and tone in our bodies, the bliss of noticing our breath and chanting sacred names and attending celebratory festivals, yet we are not necessarily awakening to who we are. We may be simply adding another layer to the layers of identity that we already believe ourselves to be.

Until we are stripped of the mat, the labels, and the blissful escapes; until we can be fully present with all that is here, we will never be able to meet the real challenges that we face today. Yet, if we are willing to face what is arising during the daily experiences outside of our “practice”, we have an opportunity to live from this conscious awareness in each moment. Then our lives become a meditation, no matter what we are doing. This is where real change is possible; change that goes beyond who we believe ourselves to be and where we can truly make a difference in the world.

I am the arms
that welcome the new,
and the silent heart
which holds each child within.

I am the smile
seen on the faces among you
and the breath
which flows through the trees.

I am the voice
that is spoken in the wind,
and the tears that are shed with the rain.

I am the laughter
that is felt among the clouds,
and the dreams expressed through rainbows.

I am the dance
observed through the tides,
and the force that moves the waves.

I am the flower
which finds you on the mountain,
and the angel who listens
to your prayers
to the stars,
to your Self.

~ Satya

It is true that when the mind is quiet we can more easily feel our beingness. Yet, in the larger sense, if we are not limited to or defined by our body, our emotions or our thoughts, why do we believe we need to get rid of any of it? Just because we realize that we are something more that transcends our physical nature, does that mean we must deny the appearances? This is true for thoughts as well. The thoughts that appear in us are not us and do not define us. They are simply thoughts passing through our consciousness. The choice we have is to pick them up and believe them or not.

One advantage of not believing the thoughts that appear is that, after a while, they stop showing up. They don’t stick anymore and they don’t stir us up. Slowly something happens as a side effect of this…. we get quieter – naturally.

When our mind has slowed down, something else appears in that space. It is space itself and it expands until it consumes who we think we are and who we feel we are. Consciousness has room to be within us. We become an empty vessel which can be filled by presence.

From here, inspiring thoughts are able to reveal themselves. They arise from the stillness to offer an insight which could never have made it through all of the noise. These thoughts are from a different dimension that can be accessed more and more as we open to them. They aren’t limited to our small and repetitive way of thinking; they are beyond human, or beyond any label we place on them.

Most people have experienced that when we try hard to remember something, it just doesn’t come. Yet as soon as we give up trying, it is remembered. It is in the letting go, in the surrender, in which beauty happens. It is in the spaciousness of the quiet mind in which inspiration comes. It takes patience and trust, yet when the creative idea arises, it floods in like a tidal wave and gratitude is the only emotion that can meet it. And if we allow, it will take us to undreamt of discoveries.