Cause I'm as free as a bird now and this bird you'll never change… Lord help me, I can't change (said Heyoka style).
The Corona Virus is upon us, leaving everyone everywhere stunned and shuttered. It’s like a slow moving natural disaster, shaking us all to our cores, ripping down and through our institutions and pulling people apart. Daily life suddenly feels flooded with unpredictability like we’re in a weird new world-wide war. To quote my sister’s, physician, “We’re on the front lines, we’re not sure where the enemy even is, and they’re not providing us any bullets for our guns.” A strange kind of spell has ominously bound us, clearing out our schools, sporting events, restaurants and towns and scrambling our lives.
At the same time, our community appears to be meeting the situation with a staggering amount of collaboration and compassion, coming together and caring for one another like improvisational players, with an impulse that felt largely inaccessible during ordinary times. Everything that’s happening now will expose certain people, enlighten others, and reflects the rising tide of spiritual awareness that’s sweeping the entire planet. My personal opinion is that some of the powers that be are losing their stranglehold on the people, and while outwardly expressing concern, have taken the opportunity to wield what’s left of their influence by shutting us down and scaring us near to death. Wait — isn’t the government in charge and don’t we need them for our well-being? Actually no. You’re in charge of your own well-being. And now is the time to take full possession of your health and life to assure your own personal security and future as well as the collective’s.
As to social distancing, I attended a wonderful sweatlodge Ceremony way out in the country side Sunday, with a circle of folks and now new friends living the traditional indigenous, Ceremonial way of life. Everyone appeared bright eyed, happy, and plenty of jokes and laughter were bandied about. We got low and prayed hard, raising up our now even more critical earthly concerns, enjoyed some great grinds, and four hours later I boogied home across the sun-lit rural landscape relaxed, renewed and at ease. I’m well aware that close togetherness may be problematic at this abnormal time. I’m also acutely alerted to the responsibility and even ethical duty to others who are most vulnerable, especially our elders. But the practices we have in place here are always positive, guiding and protective, providing an awareness that is not reliant on the external world, while offering internal resources galore, even and especially in the face of death, dust and seeming disarray. Our ancient rituals are certainly not going to fail us now. This is the unshakeable mojo our frenzied world so, so desperately needs at this time.
In the clear light of purified positivity, there’s good news. Maybe staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands, and not touching your face isn’t nearly enough to satisfy your anxious mind. At the same time, these disordered circumstances demand that everyone of us get over ourselves and instead put into play resilient, successful responses rooted in our interconnectedness for communal safety. We’ve responded by offering a link to a free audio guided meditation in the Vipassanā tradition, a throwback from my Teacher Shinzen Young’s See/Hear/Feel technique to Body/Image/Talk, an engaging approach focusing on body sensations, the visual elements of thought on one’s mind screen, and the verbal component of self-talk, with the fourth technique powerfully combining the three previous. Vipassanā is often translated as “insight” from the Pali language, but technically Vi means “with distinction”, while Passanā means “to see”, granting one the ability to perceive in a more intuitive manner.
By just merely attempting this special seeing within, the teasing apart of your moment-by-moment experience, you’ll lessen stress and enhance your appreciation for life. Just go to The HH Facebook page, Like It, try it, and you’ll soon Love it. Until then, rather than seeing a canceled concert or suspended sports season as a huge disappointment, consider this the empowered, collaborative undertaking of our new world (dis)order. In ordinary times we suffer alone. But a disaster affects everyone, removes the commonplace and liberates us into the present. Worries about the past and future are naïve in light of the reality of this weitgo (crazy) moment. When suffering, peril and vulnerability become a public phenomenon, all of us who share in the experience are brought together in a very powerful psychological sense.
Personally, when not practicing formally, I’m enjoying the hum and warmth of my home’s wood stove, writing, organizing, planning and taking long walks in the woods. The Blue Herons’ have returned, as you can see above, soaring over the house and surrounding fields. There’s also squadrons of Sand Hill Cranes circling overhead, with their otherworldly voices like trilling trumpets, keeping their own community safe and alert. Per the usual, all is well in nature. If there’s a soundtrack to all of this, it’s REMs It’s the End of The World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine). As to our near future plans at The Higher Haven, with group gatherings not exactly uh… trending right now, we’re still Feelin’ Pretty Psyched (sung to the tune), simply inviting students over individually or in small groups to convey other meditative techniques like Shin’s Nurture Positive. I double dare you to, at the very least, hit that link, scroll down to the video of the laughing baby and try your best not have pleasant body emotions and (#6) show it, i.e. physically smile. And I am confident that given everyone’s concerned communiqués, all prompted by the now urgent need for a new, internal skill set, that we will be running our April class and happily be back in Ceremony the first week in May. Until then Peace & Love. Toksha