This was inspired by a yoga instructor, Jen, who yesterday discussed finding room for creativity and the need to unpack the mind of cluttering thoughts -- to find that silent space in between thinking and feeling, from which something new can emerge. This made me think...
Sometimes things get packed in, where there is little room to move, and where the perspective is limited. It is often necessary for this to occur. For example, when we go on a trip, we take clothes from our closet and our toiletries and pack them into a bag. We neatly place our belongings into the suitcase, all folded, with anticipation of how they may be used and of what situations may arise. We hope that we will have brought the perfect item for each situation -- perhaps changes in weather or the need for something special to wear for a certain social setting. It could even be as mundane as, "Don't forget to floss your teeth..." In any event, we put our things into this container and away we go.
While on our way our things are patiently waiting in the luggage. There is nothing now for those things to do. There is nowhere for them to go. There is no room to move, shift, and there is no light with which they could observe their surroundings. There is only the sense of cashmere against denim, leather shows poking at the dinner jacket, sneakers filled with socks. The things have no idea where they are headed. We could be simply heading off on a two day business trip, or maybe to visit with family, or maybe it is one of those fun trips to some far off and exotic place. But as far as my belongings go, they don't know where the flow of life is taking them. They are simply packed in waiting for their next instruction.
Another example is, when we go to a theater, everyone takes a seat, and waits for the show to begin. Now we are the packed in item. Not sure what comes next. The lights dim. We anticipate the performance. A hush falls over the otherwise chatting crowd. There is little room to move. And if we were to move around a great deal, we would be disturbing the people around us. Our role in this setting is simply to be one of the things packed in. And to then observe the show from within the theater. Unlike the suitcase, the theater provides light, and from the light we see a show. But we still don't know how it will impact us, what insights it will provide, and who we will be when we emerge. But we know that we will experience this on an emotional level. We will empathize with this character or that. We will relate to the scenery or set. We will place ourselves in the story. But we certainly will have no control over the trip we are about to take in the theater. We are not the actors, only the audience for the acts. So for this brief time, while in transit, we are not in control. We are neither here nor there. We are not the actors, but we are not our usual selves either. We have stopped thinking, stopped our actions, we are just taking in the show and awaiting our next set of instructions.
And then there is our head. What Jen spoke of yesterday and for which I am thankful - thankful for the spark she gave to me. I know that I cram all sorts of things into my head: some of it useful for this occasion or that like a sweater for a cold night, some of it necessary like my dental floss, and some of it packed out of habit good or bad. And then there is that emotional side where I experience the movement of my perspective on life. When something brushes up against ideas that are packed into my head, ideas of who I am and what life should be, this gives rise to some reaction in the form of emotion. Sometimes I find myself often so packed up with information that there is little room for something new, and thus my emotional reaction can produce a significant swing in my mood. One little piece of information can interrupt my train of thought in such a way that produces loss in the desire to do something good for myself, like finishing what I was doing, or going to a Yoga class, for a run, meditating, or spending time engaged with others. How is that so? How does a small piece of information do that to me?
This is where what Jen said has its impact. There is a space in between the thought and the emotion. A choice I can make to be silent. I can step outside the container. I can stop thinking (and stop taking in more information) and I can choose not swing to an emotional response. I don't need not emote - "move out." The information in my head can wait, like the packed clothing. And I can just observe the story, as I would from the audience in a theater. I need not move; and the new information need not move me. Its time is not now. It will have its moment.
9 years ago
