Awareness – Page 36

Have you ever had a song pop into your head and you can’t get it out? Otherwise know as an earworm, the song plays internally and could be “catchy” or “annoying”. It is repeated until you find a way to break the cycle of repetition.

What if the “earworm” is not a song but a soundtrack of thoughts that run through your head that keep you in the past, or feeling like you lack something, or they are full of fear? How do you break the cycle of repetition? The realization and awareness that there IS a soundtrack is a great start!

I recently saw a status posted on Facebook that really resonated with me and presented a wonderful answer. With permission from my friend I wanted to share it and I think you’ll see why. He presents a wonderful way of getting back to yourself and connecting with the present by doing something as simple as watering a tree…

“I do at Times have a Soundtrack running through my Head.
The Conversation goes like this:
I am Missing Something.(When was the Last Time I was in Paris)
I am Missing Someone.(Usually My Mother)
I need Something More.(Another Book or Gadget I will buy and leave on the Shelf for a Year before I look at it if at All)
I am not Enough(Someone else seems More Up to whatever is going On)
I do not have Enough(Always at the End of the Month Bill Time)
Tonight I was Grateful to Water the Tree’s, be in Nature and put my Attention there.
Like I said a few minutes ago…need to do that More….”~Ellis Martin

While yours (or mine) might not be exactly like the one above I’m sure you can relate to the ‘soundtrack’ about missing something or someone and/or not being or having enough. Those things run through my head every day and I’m guessing if two of us have a similar soundtrack (with different answers of course) then many more of you out there have you own soundtrack as well.

The beauty of the post is the realization that there are moments we need to connect with nature and feel the peace of that connection. Our connections and grounding in present time don’t have to be complicated and full of effort. Grounding in present time can be as simple as watering a tree. Yes, I think Ellis is right when he says ‘need to do that more’. Perhaps all of us need to quiet the soundtracks, feel the earth beneath our feet and listen to the sounds of silence more often.

The peace of watering the trees, being in nature and having your attention in the present allows you to connect with yourself in a whole new way. It allows for a moment of calm and turns off the ‘soundtracks’ in your head as you enjoy that moment. The soundtrack of life can be loud and deafening. The ‘quiet’ communing with nature could be exactly what you need to connect and commune with yourself. Maybe it’s time to listen to the sounds of silence.~Shine Your Light Debbie

SpiritLightInsight.com
Daily Muse Home Page

Photo: © Sebast1an | Dreamstime.com

There’s nothing I love more than going to see a dance performance. Watching dancers on stage as they glide across the floor, leaping and landing with seemingly effortless grace is quite simply magical for me and I get swept up in it almost every time. The vibration of the music, smooth movement and the pictures that are created through movement is truly a spiritual experience.

The other night I went to see LehrerDance and was awestruck by the lifts and silent landings of the dancers. The moves were intricate and very difficult yet what I saw and felt at a core level was fluid, graceful, effortless motion. I watched a dancer lifted into the air and she seemed to hang there motionless then came down and landed in silent, slow motion. It literally took my breath away!

These dancers, and I would be remiss if I didn’t credit Jon Lehrer for his fabulous choreography, mastered the art of non-effort. It’s not that there is no effort in what they are doing. Indeed it’s just the opposite. There are hours of grueling physical and mental work to put together a performance like this. The awareness and effort needed to do what they are doing goes beyond what most of us can imagine but part of the magic of the dance is making it look effortless and fun. I’m certainly not a dance critic but I do know what I like to see on the stage. I will add I’m partial to, and have been blessed to see some really good dance performances and this was definitely up there with the best of them.

The beauty of awareness, the ability to create a picture the audience sees and connects with as well as the execution of the movement means resistance does not come into play. Can you imagine if a dancer stopped in the middle of a performance and said it was too hard or it wasn’t worth the effort? Those of us who don’t dance and are working on the mastering the art of non-effort on a spirit connecting with body level can learn a lot from watching a good dance performance. Although the audience can get swept up in the pictures and movement the dancers cannot. They must be acutely aware of their bodies with all muscles engaged and at the same time pull from their inner being and bring it forth. It’s what makes us connect with the dancer and hopefully that part of ourselves that is touched by what we see on stage.

Non-effort doesn’t mean there’s no effort. It means you are neutral to and don’t resist the effort. The art of non-effort is means you connect with the energy of your inner being allowing it to come forward and shine so others are touched and see your creation. Non-effort is about doing difficult, and sometimes the seemingly impossible, seamlessly and without resistance. If there’s no resistance, you do what you have to do by creating spiritually first then taking the steps necessary to do what you need to do to carry out the task.

A choreographer creates a vision and passionately conveys that vision to the dancer. The dancer must see and feel that picture then passionately connect with their inner being to bring the picture to life. It’s about bringing a vision to life and allowing us to see the vulnerable part that is less about the movement and more about the passion. Think about those times when you had a vision of what you wanted to create. You were probably passionate and excited about your vision. Then when you started to create your vision were you in effort or in joy? Was the “work” full of resistance to doing each task or did the time fly by because you knew that each step completed got you closer to your goal?

Yes, we can all learn many lessons from watching a good dance performance. We can learn that it is possible for a vision in the mind to come to life. We can learn that gravity is an illusion and without resistance a body can hang seemingly motionless in the air and then land silently and gracefully. We can learn that effort is a matter of perception and giving up because it’s too hard is not an option when it comes to fulfilling your dreams.~Shine Your Light Debbie

If you’re interested in learning more about LehrerDance CLICK HERE.

SpiritLightInsight.com
Daily Muse Home Page