Passion Fruit

What interesting times we are now experiencing? Just under a month ago I finished a 26 day yoga teacher training at Yandara; here in Baja California, Mexico. My heart, so full of gratitude for taking time for myself, to focus, for the beautiful people I met there, the energy and support I felt. The team of mentors, soul guides, and staff adding up to a perfectly seasoned recipe for inner freedom and peace. What a treat. And now? The world is having to take a forced break away from its regular reality too, but the recipe ain’t so tasty, it’s heavy and hard to digest, how can we make it go down more easily?

We all have some work to do, and although it’s time to slow down, it kind of feels like we are running at high speed. Waking up tired, even if we slept for longer than usual. Thinking, Fuck! I’ve been at home all day. Why am I so tired, distraction and avoidance gets harder and harder as days go by. It’s easy to believe we need to fill our days with learning new things, doing and doing, we are so used to doing, but what are we side stepping? Ourselves?How do we balance this time we have been given? By adding a generous pinch of compassion, and awareness, that’s how.  We have lost our ability to be with ourselves peacefully, and because this time has been forced upon us, it’s uncomfortable, exhausting, we squirm out of our spotlight, steam rising, beads forming, ego mind in overdrive.

Can we use this time to get back to our core selves, get to know ourselves again. If we fill, and fill our minds, how do we find space, space to breath and be at peace internally. Maybe we can bring awareness to why we feel uncomfortable with stopping? Then we understand, ok! going balls deep in incessant projects actually is where I find peace, cool. Take awareness to our actions, that way we can observe, can we look into our lives and see if there is something that needs change, or a little care and attention. The act of awareness allows more peace and calm to flow into our hearts. We become less mindless and more mindful.

Every second day at Yandara we shared a truth circle. This is called Satya. It’s truth telling. Truth telling with others. There are rules; no judgement, no advice, just support, love and ears to listen. Can we do this with ourselves? It starts with a question. What’s going on with me today? Is there anything rankling? How do I feel? It can be as simple as how you feel physically, to what is sitting up top in egoville. To be able to share this with someone else, and to hear what’s up, out loud, helps you release, feel lighter and begin to take action with letting it go. In this time of disconnection from our friends, and to those close to us, it could be an opportunity to start this. It isn’t always hard stuff, there is often laughter and fun involved. It creates a connection to yourself and if  you decide to practice with someone else, to them also.

And now for something completely different. A Jesus Quote. The heathen has Holy references?! Yes, yes I do. Stay at home folks, you can keep the front door shut. Let me lay it on ya. Firstly unacknowledged truth saps energy. ‘If you bring forth what is inside of you, what you bring forth will save you. If you don’t bring forth what is inside you, what you bring forth will destroy you.’ Intense, right??!! Phew! It’s a heavy one folks. Keep those indoor workouts going, we need to be strong, turish get up the shit out of …our shit.

What I take away from the lessons, love and compassion I learned at our Satya circles in Yardara is this; my Passion Fruit analogy. When you pierce through your protective layer, hitting your mushy soft insides, a gasp, WOW! what is in there? and with awe and gratitude you can see, and you find that there are many seeds within you. Deep possibilities, things rooted inside of you, waiting for nourishment, the correct energy to feed them, bringing them towards the light so as they can grow, your true self can begin to flourish, expand, bloom, into the strong confident being you were always meant to become all along.

So my ripe and wonderful Passion Fruits, let us find compassion for ourselves, heal our little(big) hearts, be in our own experience, celebrate our mushiness. Give ourselves a hug, tell ourselves, hey! you’re doing great, you ain’t so bad pal. Find joy in the simple things again, joy in who you are. You are the one you have been waiting for. The world is inside of you, it is in all of us. Sometimes there are things on our plate that we know are good for us, and sheesh it’s a push to get them down, yet compliment them with some seasoned goodness, they go down a treat. When we realise that we do know the right ingredients to make this quarantine life we are currently living a little tastier, and easier to swallow, we are on the path to a stellar  life recipe. Clear out those dusty cupboards, and get cooking folks. Truths with a dash of compash!