Longing and the feeling of lacking
There will always be something we lack, something else we want that we don't have. The practice is to be able to see what we do have. I observe myself often longing for something i don't have; when I get absorbed by that mindset I notice I exist in a state of depletion. If I can stop to notice a beautiful leaf, the way the sun hits my deck early in the morning or in the evening, the way I feel when I water my plants, the way the water moves when something is dropped in it...basically when I can be in the details of the present moment I seem to forget what I longed for a few minutes earlier, my mind is no longer fixated on what isn't but rather absorbed in the beauty of what is right now, so the longing simply looses it's importance. It is in the being able to tap into the connection with the present that we can exist in peace and harmony with what is.
We can all find your presence in something be it an exchange, an action, a relationship, an object...in the exchange of you with that given exchange there is fulfillment. Practice is about learning to be present as much as possible so that we don't cling onto the longing for something other then what is. Suffering comes from the disconnection of ourselves to what surrounds us. As humans we need to feel connected, engaged to what surrounds us but only we can create the opportunity to exist or be fully present in that connection.
The opportunity to change the mindset of depletion into that of nourishment and abundance is always there. It requieres discipline and willingness to sit with the discomfort and choose to shift the attention to something that is nourishing to your soul. If you are reading this newsletter it probably means that no matter how difficult of a time you are having you have the opportunity to see the divine, in something somewhere close to you. Search for it, open yourself to the possibility of seeing it and let it open you from within.
We can all rest assured that we will continue to at times long for a different situation then the current one, but our duty as practitioners - as people committed to live in awareness with mindfulness - is to be where we are fully engaged, to be disciplined in our practice so that we can be free of ailments and direct our energy not towards selfish desires and longings but towards doing good work in the world, whatever that may be for each of you.
Let practice nourish you, let it support you. Acknowledge your longings and direct your attention to seeing the divine in the moment. That which you long for is a sense of connection, of purpose that is not connected to a person, place or thing, but to your ability to be here now.
Upcoming Retreats I hope you can join me for:
Upstate Fall Retreat
@ashtanga yoga Newburgh, October 11-4
daily mysore practice with Bibi Lorenzetti, Ayurveda workshops with Maria Rubinate & gourmet vegan meals prepared by private chef Carlota Portella.
Puerto Rico Winter Retreat
Tres Sirenas Inn, Rincón - January 25-30
Daily Mysore practice, afternoon workshops, vegan gourmet meal, ocean front breakfasts, surf and more!
