Grounding and The Wanting Creature

Watchman Bill has been doing a fine job at pointing out my suffering.

I wish I had slept better. I wish it wasn’t Thursday already.

Just noticing this resistance to how things are helps experience the fullness of what’s happening in the moment… including experiencing the resistance.

This inquiry made its way into the plans for class last night.

We played in the hamstrings toward Utthita Hasta Padangustasana. This should bring up some good fodder for our inner wishing/wanting creatures.

Since this is a balance pose as well as a hip/hamstring opener, it speaks to the heart of Muladhara, the 1st chakra, which relates to home, family, job, safety, our ability to ground: our basic needs. It also has to do with trust. And on the other side of that coin, greed.

Last night we played with Aparigraha in the asana and breath. What is it like to trust that you are supported, that there is enough? To not grab for the next breath or experience?

Greedlessness.

This can only happen when we are grounded and connected in the 1st chakra.

Hiro talked a ton about grounding in the Healing Internet Hangover course. This extra focus has had wonderful side effects such as being able to open up and let go more easily. Even in asana, when we feel secure and connected from the base (whatever is touching the floor), the rest of the body can relax into the shape with more inner Ahhh.

Here’s the version Hiro has been talking us through (with a little riffing) offered with the hope that it benefits you as well.

• Sit in a chair with your feet on the floor
• Wiggle and widen your tush in the chair, like you’re ruffling your feathers
• Roll your feet around on the floor, feeling all parts of the soles
• Come into stillness and relish in a couple of long breaths
• Imagine a cord from your 1st chakra (between the ovaries for women, at the prostate for men) down through the ground and into the center of the earth
• That cord is a part of you and wraps itself securely around the center of the earth
• Give it a tug a both ends — if either end is loose, strengthen it
• Run your attention up and down the cord and make sure it doesn’t have holes or tears
• Let the cord expand to the width of your hips
• After a few moments, imagine a cord from the arch of each foot down through the ground and into the center of the earth
• Same as with your 1st chakra cord, check each end and make sure the cord is smooth and durable
• Let the cords expand to the circumference of each foot
• Take a few moments with your experience of connectedness and grounding
• See if you can feel, from that rooting, a rebound of lightness up the center of the body lifting you through your crown
• Imagine a cord rising from the base of the skull behind each ear up into the center of the cosmos
• Check these cords as you did your other three
• Let any unnecessary, unwanted or excess energy (thoughts, burdens, tension) drain through the cords

Do you feel more connected? Calm? Energized? Awake?

It can be really powerful to imagine these cords disconnecting and then notice how you feel. What’s it like to reconnect them?

***

Closing here the same way we closed class… with The Wanting Creature by Kabir.

I said to the wanting-creature inside me:
What is this river you want to cross?
There are no travelers on the river-road, and no road.
Do you see anyone moving about on that bank, or nesting?

There is no river at all, and no boat, and no boatman.
There is no tow rope either, and no one to pull it.
There is no ground, no sky, no time, no bank, no ford!

And there is no body, and no mind!
Do you believe there is some place that will make the soul less thirsty?
In that great absence you will find nothing.

Be strong then, and enter into your own body;
there you have a solid place for your feet.
Think about it carefully!
Don’t go off somewhere else!

Kabir says this: just throw away all thoughts of
imaginary things,
and stand firm in that which you are.

The “I wish” Watchman

I have hired a Watchman to keep an eye out for I wishes.

His name is Bill.

He’s got a big job ahead of him. I wishes are everywhere.

I wish it was sunny. I wish she had more interest in art. I wish I hadn’t eaten all that cake. I wish there was no oil spill.

I wishes are about as useful as banging your head against a brick wall and wishing the wall was soft and not so brick-y.

They also shield us with a kind of immunity against responsibility. I can wish the wall was soft and not take it upon myself to stop banging my head against it. I can wish there was no oil spill and avoid my part in contributing to the overall economy of fuel, or deny my ability to help recover from the spill by offering my time or money.

In his book A Gradual Awakening, Steven Levine states, “Wanting things to be otherwise is the very essence of suffering.”

I wish phrases are Watchman Bill’s tip off that head banging is occurring. Suffering is occurring.

In Yoga, this involves the practices of both Aparigraha (non-grasping) and Samtosha (contentment). When we let go of the way we want things to be versus the way things really are (Aparigraha) it becomes possible to touch the “suchness” of the moment as it is with complete openness (Samtosha).

Don’t get me wrong, I think wishes have their place. I still wish upon the first star. I make a wish every year at my birthday. And I pray and use intention daily. But these are ways of releasing hopes and dreams into the world, not head banging brick-y wishes that fight and contest reality.

Now, I don’t want any violence (Bill’s trained in martial arts, so I think he’ll use the momentum of the opponent or whatever it is they do). As he apprehends I wishes, he’ll just kindly escort them out. He can always call the Cowboy for backup if necessary.

Bill does contract work and is available if you’d like to hire him to watch out for your I wishes. Though, I think I have enough wishing to keep him very busy.