April 16th, 2019

Do you remember either reading or watching the movie of the story of Helen Keller. Remember that moment when she understood the sign for  “water”?  Can you recall what happened to your own body and energy when she made that life changing discovery?
​There is a beautiful expansion of prana when we understand something vital. When something that was deeply known, but not touched, is uncovered and then it is understood in a way that we can access it, it is an “enlightening” experience. We literally feel light in body and we emanate light from our eyes and our skin. We glow! As a teacher, I have had the privilege many times to experience that beautiful energy shift when people recognize a truth.  That truth can be something as simple as recognizing an old injury and making the connection between mind and muscle, or more complex like recognizing a past experience is driving an undesirable behavior.
What that expansion of energy gives us, other than light, is another way to see things and a new path to interact with the world around us. This enlightened vision will change the energy and environment around you. This is not  a little thing. If we had maybe a hundred or a thousand “truth” ambassadors go out right now to the streets, seeing things through this prism of truth light and the energy, similar to Helen Keller’s water moment, this would affect at least one person, if not many.  Things will shift around us, it is inevitable.
What are ways you can encounter these enlightened moments if you are not being followed around by an Annie Sullivan-like teacher constantly trying to get you to “see” ? Here is a simple list:
Pay attention to the environment around you, it is pointing out something to you.
Listen to people you respect and trust. Really listen to them, without defending yourself or immediately shutting them down.
These people are reflecting you back to you, the way they see you.  Don’t discount that, it is a powerful tool in finding truth because we can only see a limited picture of ourselves. Sometimes we are behaving in a phenomenally amazing way (which we may not see or acknowledge) and sometimes we are behaving badly (which we may not see or acknowledge). Seeing these behaviors gives us insight and leads us towards “ah ha” moments.  I think most of us will more likely have an “ah ha” moment when we are behaving badly actually, so keep your eyes open!
Stop when you encounter beauty and see how your body reacts.  This is your benchmark; you will feel this same or very similar sensation when you have found truth.
Engage in new activities that challenge your belief systems.  This may not always point you to truth, but it rattles things up enough for you to be able to sort through the old stagnant things you gravitate towards that hide truth.
Keep doing yoga!  Whether it is exploration in your body or mind, the practice is set up to reveal truth in some form and lead you towards “ah ha” moments. That is the whole point of yoga.
Stay excited and curious. Don’t get defeated. It is not an easy task to see what you have not already seen, but if you want to participate in the wonderment of discovery badly enough, you will find it.
And maybe it wont hurt to watch the Miracle Worker again too!

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