As we expand our awareness, nothing is out of reach.
We can move past patterns that limit us and release doubts; our dreams are possible, probable, and accessible.
An object remains known or unknown according to the conditioning or expectation of the consciousness. – B.K.S. Iyengar
This sutra speaks to the fact that we create our own reality consciously and subconsciously. We see what we want to see and are currently capable of seeing. When we realize and act upon this idea anything is possible. I once heard on a roof at sunset, that if people can convince themselves that G-d wants them to kill others in his/her/its/our name, then people can convince themselves of anything.
More recently, science has confirmed that what we do with our bodies can change the chemical makeup of our body producing hormones that make us feel better or worse. We can change our sense of reality by smiling and releasing dopamine, endorphins and serotonin that make us feel good. Amy Cuddy started a movement of studies confirming that posture can affect hormone levels, self-perception, and possibly success rates.
If our bodies have this much power over our hormones and view of reality, imagine what our minds can do! Our thoughts also produce hormones that effect our behavior and mood.
This month’s blog corresponds with the longest total lunar eclipse of the century.
The moon represents our intuitive and emotional nature and for 103 minutes it will be in the shadow of the sun, our physical and reasoning side. The moon will look red because all of the sunlight that reaches the moon will filter through earth’s atmosphere. The blue light will be scattered and only the red and orange wavelengths will hit the moon and reflect back into our reality. People lucky enough to observe this eclipse get to see a red moon.
I think of this lunar eclipse as a metaphor and a reminder to let our souls shine and not allow reasoning, rules, and social conditioning to eclipse it. It’s a reminder to release what is in the way of seeing our heart’s purpose and the beauty and unity of all.
Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
To live beyond our own shadow we must let go of our expectations and reasoning and surrender to our intuition.
This can be a daunting notion but, like always, we make tiny attempts to observe when the shadow of our conditioning seems to change the light we project, making us see ourselves as red when we are all colors. We are always light.
Three ways to expand and move past our limits:
Watch for the patterns that we all have and that we can all move past.
Watch for phrases and thoughts such as, “That’s just how it is,” “That’s just the way I am,” or thoughts of resistance that come up to our ideal situations.
See if we can change the storyline. If we think we aren’t succeeding because of lack of time, it may help to create a mantra or bhavana (2.33) such as “I have abundant time” and notice all the free time we have and how we use it. If we think we are too serious, we can create a new behavior that nudges us towards silly. (2.16)
Watch for moments when we know what someone is going to say or do or how something is going to turn out.
We can take a breath and remember to watch the situation or process unfold with a sense of wonder, amusement, and mystery. The more we practice watching life unravel, the better we will become at releasing the expectations that color our reality.
Watch for expecting others to act the same way, make the same priority choices, and support us the same way that we support them. Sometimes we need others to be proud and congratulate or thank us for things that we feel proud of. This is judging how others should live and feel about life.
Take some time to ponder whose voice we are hearing in our head when we are judging. Are they from a parent, friend, boss, society, our heart? Do we need others to validate our feelings because we don’t trust ourselves? We can meditate, practice, create and play so that we know ourselves. We can honor that our own feelings are enough. If we find it funny, it is enough. If we feel good about what we’ve done, it is enough. We practice allowing others to experience and express life from their being, not from our lens. We practice allowing ourselves to experience and express life from our being and not through the lenses of others.
We look at these patterns and remember the mantra from sutra 2.47, “Try, relax, succeed.” Challenges and struggle can serve to activate us and light a proverbial fire under our ass to get us going in the direction our heart wants to go.
This sutra reminds us to let go of the rational mind shadowing our intuition and knowledge. We can’t take ourselves too seriously!
We don’t see the world as it is, we see the world as we are.
Under this Blood Moon Eclipse energy, the karma of our soul is going to be stirred, and if we pay attention, we may get a glimmer or a reminder as to why our soul chose this journey in the first place. – Tanaaz
It is a time to sense our purpose and tap into our possibilities.
