I see the extraordinary in the most simplest of actions, such as a smile to a stranger or the simple act of saying hello. I know that life isn’t made up of always big moments but to myself, I think the smallest actions and decisions are always overlooked. However, I think that no matter the action, big or small, is extremely precious. I try to practice that in my own life by being that one person that takes the time to do or appreciate the small victories or moments in life. I practice when I see my cat in the morning and I give him a hug. He may not appreciate it, true, but the intention is there. When I see people in the morning or throughout the day, I say hi and talk to them for a few minutes. I sometimes wish that there were more hours in the day sometimes because I love to watch everyone and I try to give some of my own positive energy to the other people I meet throughout the day.
It may sometimes not be what they wanted or think they need but I never let it bother myself, because at the end of the day when I’m about to sleep I know I gave people something, regardless if they can see it or not. I think at the end of the day I know I can sleep at night with zero regrets about my decisions, and I know that the next day is exactly that, it’s new and is always full of possibilities of things that can be done.
Fearless was one of the first movies I watched with Jet Li, and that moment when the farmers stopped to feel the wind and that tiny respite stuck with me since I watched that movie.
I was always into martial arts and one of the biggest things people learn about is breathing. Breathing allows you to gain energy and take in all of those collective thoughts and be able to harness it into their forms. Each breath you take is an energy transfer between your body and another person. Another analogy that I remember from was from reading a Star Wars book. The passage was about Obi-Wan and when he realized that Anakin was the one killing the younglings. In the movie it doesn’t seem like he’s doing much, but in the book Obi-Wan does this small ritual where he breathes. As he inhales he collects everything, his thoughts and emotions and when he exhales he lets it all go. How this ties in with the Breath of Life in my eyes is that life is fleeting. In the grand scheme of the world we are a tiny tiny speck in this gigantic cosmos that is life. We as humans are in such a rush to get to places that most of us have never stopped and looked up and just breathe. It’s funny how once you actually try this your mind becomes clear and everything looks just a tad different. And then it’s back to normal again but in that moment to yourself it just seems vividly clear. When I experience the Breath of Life, it’s usually my first actual breathing exercise when I wake up. A few moments of quiet in the early morning and it’s done. But I find myself doing this whenever something traumatic, or when I explore a new place and I just want to let my body feel something that it’s alive.
I have a hard time experiencing immanence and its ways. Call it my overactive mind but I usually have a hard time being sometimes present in the now. I have such a hard time in my normal day to day life because I think about the future almost whenever I’m stressed out. The only times I have ever experienced that state of calm is usually when I’m doing an activity which should be extremely stimulating but to me everything becomes calm. It’s almost like having too much caffeine in your system and then the last bit of caffeine puts you to a state of calm and almost deep relaxation. My mind drifts just far enough to where I can be present and almost omniscient of everything that goes on around me. A word that I came across recently that describes it for me is like the eye in the sky. I love that my presence is felt and I am present in this reality but at the same time I’m not.
3 Quotes from the Course Readings
- Why hath not my soul these apprehensions, these presages, these changes, these antidates, these jealousies, these suspicions of a sin, as well as my body of a sickness
Kuriyama, Shigehisa. The Expressiveness of the Body and the Divergence of Greek and Chinese Medicine (Zone Books). Reprint, Zone Books, 2002.
- Why do we have to listen to our hearts?” the boy asked.“Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you will find your treasure
Coelho, Paulo. The Alchemist, 25th Anniversary: A Fable About Following Your Dream. 25th ed., HarperOne, 2014
- To shine the light of your own natural curiosity into the world of another traveler can reveal wonders. To remember the mysteries you forgot at home
- Cousineau, Phil, and Houston Smith. The Art of Pilgramage: The Seekerr’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred (For Readers of A Pilgrimage to Eternity).Revised, Conari Press, 2012
