We Fear Stillness as We Fear Truth. {poetry}
{source}
We fear stillness as we fear truth
Truth revealed in stillness.
To be vulnerable and exposed in the quiet.
To be seen and discovered in the solitude.
Unnerving, terrifying
And so, unwittingly we avoid.
With the busy
The doing
The distraction
Comes a temporary quell
And yet, it returns
Fear of inadequacy, fear of greatness.
Fear of not measuring up, fear of success
Fear of love, giving love
Being loved, not being loved
Loving too hard, loving too soft
We fear vulnerability, we fear loneliness
We fear loss, we fear gain.
We fear living and we fear dying.
We fear what we know, yet more so what we don’t.
We fear openly, but mostly privately, inwardly, often unconsciously.
And this fear informs all that we do,
Until it doesn’t
Until we begin to see glimpses of truth through
The veil of delusions, false stories, beliefs, thoughts and patterns
This is why we practice
To lift the curtain
To shine more light
We begin to heed the call
We slow down
Breathe with awareness
Move with the breath.
We wake up to the dance between seeking happiness and hiding from it.
This is why when we discover Yoga,
or more accurately, when Yoga discovers us,
we inexplicably feel a sense of homecoming.
Our practice provides a shelter from the storms,
a path towards happiness, and shines a light on the spaciousness and potential within each and every one of us.
Our practice allows for a safe space to feel the fear,
to witness the worry,
to release the weight.
And in time, even when a part of us resists,
because that’s what the fear tells us to do,
even when our thoughts tell us
we’re too tired or too busy,
not enough or too much,
even when there are countless other things to do,
we begin to listen to the voice within,
the voice, the call, the truth, which whispers,
“Practice.”
We continue to come to our mat.
To connect to our pure potential,
to trust in our innate wisdom and worth.
This ritual, this commitment, this way of being,
not only on our mat, but in the world, strengthens us.
Lessens our fear, builds our faith.
It grounds us and elevates us.
It calms and energizes us.
Preparing us to be more fully alive and awake in the world.
Our practice on the mat opens us up to the vastness,
the beauty,
the richness inside and all around us.
We come to know that we can feel
the fear and doubt,
the hurt and anger
while still holding space
for the truth of joy, peace, love,
the reality that is.
Beyond the ever changing emotions and circumstances,
we come to know Atma, the truth within.
We come to know that it all begins and ends with us.
Never truly beginning or ending at all.
We come to know that we can rest easy with the understanding
We are love.
We are peace.
We are one.
“Practice.”
Namaste.
***
Cat O’Connor is a lover of the written word, inspired thinking, speaking and sharing, Saturday nights, Sunday afternoons, and Yoga… oh yes, Yoga. Look for her in used books stores or out-of-the-way coffee shops, on solo or family adventures, and when in doubt, on her Yoga mat. For Cat, writing isn’t an option. It’s therapy. It’s sanity. It’s purpose. She truly and humbly hopes that what she shares here stirs something in your mind, heart and, wouldn’t it be magic if it stirred just a little something in your soul? You can find Cat on Instagram.
***
{Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest}
Comments
Latest posts by Rebelle Society (see all)
- Cemetery of Tears. - April 20, 2024
- My Identity Journey: What’s in a Name? - April 20, 2024
- Cyprus: A Magic Place That Feels Like Home. - April 20, 2024