"Waiting, because it will always be with us, can be made a work
of art....Instant gratification has become our constitutional right
and delay an aberration. We equate waiting with wasting....The more
life asks us to wait, the more we anxiously hurry. The tempo of
haste in which we live has less to do with being on time or the
efficiency of a busy life— it has more to do with our being unable
to wait....Waiting is unpractical time, good for nothing but
mysteriously necessary to all that is becoming. As in pregnancy,
nothing of value comes into being without a period of quiet
incubation: not a healthy baby, not a loving relationship, not a
reconciliation, a new understanding, a work of art, never a
transformation."
— Gertrude Mueller Nelson To Dance With God
I've been waiting for
this time to write for two weeks—waiting for a few quiet hours to
appear so that I could sit at my computer and write down the
thoughts that have been simmering in my mind. Time has shifted.
Nights are suddenly long. The moon waxes toward fullness and the
world feels pregnant with the mysteries of endings. I feel at ease
with the changes in the world—the growing darkness and the muted
colors of late autumn.
I find it fascinating that, at a time when the physical environment
is visibly letting go and drawing inward, our cultural environment
revs up for the biggest consumer season of the year. What's up with
that?
The passage from To Dance With God captures the essence of
November and the time of Advent (the four weeks before Christmas in
the Christian Tradition).
What is your attitude toward waiting?
Begin by noticing how you feel when you wait. Notice what arises.
Notice where your mind goes. Do you become bored? Irritated? What do
you do to avoid waiting?
NOVEMBER 2006 PRACTICE:
Waiting Meditation
Sit comfortably.
Place one hand on your heart center (upper chest) and one hand on
your belly.
Inhale deeply and pause at the height of the inhalation.
Exhale fully and pause at the height of the exhalation.
Notice what arises during the pause.
Notice if you are "holding" your breath, turning the "pause" into an
activity.
As you work with this practice you will discover that each pause has
wisdom.
Can you relax into the practice and allow the pause develop and
emerge in your body?
This practice can be enormously beneficial—especially during hectic
times when you feel pulled in many direction, when your mind's
"absolutely must be done right now" voice is chattering non-stop.
Think of an ocean during a storm, how the waves crash violently.
What do the fish do? They dive deeper. Underneath the agitation, all
is well. We are safe. Connect with that safety in this busy season.
"Inhale, and God approaches you.
Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you.
Exhale, and you approach God.
Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God."
— Krishnamacharya
As you
begin to explore the energy of waiting in your body, invite a sense
of spaciousness to grow within. Let each moment, each breath be an
opportunity to replace anxiety and fear with love.
"Patience pays. Wait. Let the hand of God work for you.....Dwell
in God...dwell in God...dwell in God and befriend your soul. Dwell
in God and befriend your soul. All the faculties and facilities of
the creation which are in your best interest shall be at your feet.
You need million things, million things will reach you if you are
stable, established, firm, patient."
— Yogi
Bhajan
Blessings
to you,
Lisa
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