LIFE IS THE DANCER, YOU ARE THE DANCE: GUEST BLOGGER MARA CAMPBELL
OCTOBER 14, 2009: As I taught a yoga class this morning, I so wanted to give the class a long, peaceful savasana. Then the banging and the yelling of the workers next door started... and then the music....and then...my breath started to get shallow and my body tight....and oh yes there it is: I am frustrated. Why couldn't they just quiet down a bit?! And then..release...a hint of laughter.....this was actually pretty funny. For as much as I want to control what happens, as much as I've prepared my class, as much as I have the perfect temperature in the room: what happens in a class is largely out my control whether I like it or not.
For me, I connect this idea of surrendering with Aparigraha, the Yama (or ethical restraints), that invites us to let go of false truths, fears and old beliefs. Letting go of control, doesn't mean we are apathetic, lazy, or don't have intentions in our lives. It simply means that we humbly know that we don't have control of the universe and we consciously decide to join the flow of life instead of trying to fight it. I vividly remember when someone told me, "Life is the dancer and we are the dance." This made no sense to me as I saw myself as the dancer, the doer, the controller. How come we aren't the dancer?! This bothered me for some time until it finally sunk in one yoga practice where I completely surrendered and simply allowed myself to be carried away. I left that class with more energy than I had in weeks and I finally got that I simply just needed to stop trying so hard. We do what we can, we work hard, we love hard but in the end, we surrender and witness the universe's lovely mysterious ways.
"Most of our energy goes into upholding our importance. If we were capable of losing some of that importance, two extraordinary things would happen to us. One, we would free our energy from trying to maintain the illusory idea of our grandeur; and two, we would provide ourselves with enough energy to catch a glimpse of the actual grandeur of the universe." -Carlos Casteneda