So it was with a 7 foot Hollywood-style perimeter fence that I approached last night's philosophy lesson and it wasn't long before the first alarm bell went off. When someone (the teacher in this case) who looks 12 introduces themselves as a Shaman and Reiki master...unless you are the next Dalai Lama or Dr. Mikao Usui (the founder of Reiki) - I'm likely going to take a bite of my apple, sit back on my haunches and enjoy the show. Which is what I did.
But conscious that one of the principles of Yoga is to not judge but observe, I decided to at least try and take that approach. And as I listened and we all talked about Karma and Dharma and the Yamas and Niyamas and the role of ego - I realised that these were all fancy words for finding inner peace and being happy today because yesterday is gone and tomorrow isn't here yet. Easier said than done. Or is it?
Have you ever found yourself asking - Who am I? What is my true purpose? That's Dharma and it isn't always about the destination. Hell - in a way you don't want to arrive because then the journey is over and it's time to start the tiresome process from scratch in another lifetime. Simpler than that is Karma - did you know you can reincarnate in the same lifetime? No smoke and mirrors - it merely refers to life changing decisions. E.g. I am not the same girl I was 5 years ago in fact funnily enough I'm beginning to relate more to my teenage self ( I think it's called a mid life crisis). Joking apart - total fulfilment comes from being in the moment. Don't take my word for it. Think about the last time you had a freaking good time - say like at a concert - that's mine. I was at a Pearl Jam concert and for that hour or so - that's all I was doing and it felt great.
What is more if you can let go of the emotions attached to outcome - you’re basically sorted. Luckily this is so incredibly difficult most of us will need a few more miserable years on earth to get this and thank god because I'm not ready to die. This one confused the class - we were like: But how can you not get pissed off with public transport if the outcome means you miss an important meeting? Answer: (the hippies and jazz heads will love this) Nothing starts until you get there. And while it won't get you promoted, it is sort of true. Not a great example but it kind of gets the point across and made me feel a lot better about having arrived half an hour late to the lesson.
Better still was this question: What would we (the students) all do if we were told that we would not be graduating from this course in January - that we would all fail? A collective gasp of panic spread among the new Yogis. That's unthinkable! We all want to get on with our lives! So....by that rationale what you are doing now, this course of study means nothing at this moment?
Well when you put it like that...
What about this one: What is the difference between destiny and fate? Yep that one caused a few silent headaches. Ok - I'll tell you - destiny is what you choose and it's a fearless choice e.g. I'm walking out of my job today because it sucks donkey balls and I'm unhappy as shit while fate is sitting at your desk in a job that sucks donkey balls unhappy as shit until one fine day your boss calls you into his office and fires your arse.
Both wonderful outcomes arrived at in slightly different ways. Fate however means that not having made that conscious choice some doors that might otherwise have been open for you, had you taken that decision proactively might now be closed. But don't worry because if you then decide to get all Destiny's Child about it - all you have to do is knock and they will open if they are meant to.
And you know what? This observing thing really worked because by the end of it all I decided that if the teacher wants to call herself a Shaman and Reiki master - more power to her.
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