What ever the outward response.. inwardly and to a few who might understand.. I'll say "embodiment".. the realization of "truth" is moving its way slowly and surely through all of the beliefs, stories, conditioning, ways of holding, resisting, self protection, in short through the entire "self" called JoAnne.
In the past 15 years of spiritual inquiry, intense study, satsang, looking deeply within, working with teachers, meditation, etc..
There have been many realizations of truth- reality seems to reveal itself, something opens up, something falls away, the idea of who and what i am disappears.
There is an awareness that "I"am not what "i" thought "I" was. (Often this feels like a huge relief, thank god, I knew somehow that I was not just a personality, a list of characteristics and beliefs, separate from my source, others, in my own little bubble.)
There is a feeling of spaciousness, limitlessness, emptiness and at the same time, calm, quiet, ease of being. This is the experience of getting out of the mind, out of the limited view of a separate identity, out of the story. This is resting in reality, our true nature, our formless nature, spirit, essence, what we've always been, home.
Sometime JoAnne is on board it seems, the mind is quiet or not bothersome, there is a sense of ease and flow, abundance and grace, everything feels like its moving along and there gratitude, appreciation, and enjoyment.
Often there is a battle at hand... there is a striving for happiness, comfort, ease.. and a deep resistance to stress, inconvenience, or anything that feels bad. It seems that the longer one has been working on resolving what is unresolved the closer it gets to the core issue, the most painful thing, that which we avoid at all costs.
Sitting in a 4 day satsang retreat last weekend with Sharon Landrith, we were asked, What was the most painful aspect of childhood, (get it down to 3 words)? There are a few common responses, I was insignificant, I don't matter, I'm not loved, not heard, not cared for, I was abandoned, etc..
The most painful story for me that still triggers reactivity is feeling insignificant, unimportant, not cared for, not valued and not loved etc... this is triggered often and my experience is that when i notice this story arise, feel where it shows up in the body and say yes to it, allow it, meet it, rather than resist it.. it begins to relax and release.. but strangely I often don't do this.. (despite years of training and working with others) instead i resist, resist, resist!!
I fight, I scream to myself NO NO NO, this is wrong, this can't be, i can't tolerate this, can't bear it! I feel as if my survival is based on changing the circumstances rather than to sit down, take a breath and notice what is happening in the body, in the sensations, and simply allow it.
2 examples..1-Most recently it was someone I love that usually showers me with love and attention who in the midst of dealing with their own deep personal fear and pain suddenly stopped showing up and responding to my calls and texts in a prompt way. I freaked out a bit, I was in a story, I don't matter, they don't care, there is something wrong with me, I am alone, I hate this.. 2- the property management company where I rent sent me a letter that they were going to repair our roof, i was not aware of a problem, but no biggie I thought, well it turned out to be very loud, men in my windows all day, pounding, walking on our roof, mess, equipment, scaffolding everywhere and it lasted a month. I was so triggered, I thought for sure they'd give us a rent reduction, but they refused to do anything, I felt so imposed on, not considered, insignificant. I really worked myself up over this, deep resistance to the situation and also to my own reactivity, i believed my story that this was wrong and i was right, they were doing it me, it was unfair on and on, created a lot of misery for myself.
Today I talked to a wise friend.. oh great metaphor she said, you are getting a new roof, you are under construction, you brought this situation in to remind yourself that repairs are underway, improvements, a whole crew is working on you. Suddenly everything shifted, i no longer wanted to be mean to the roofing crew, or the property manager, I was seeing the perfection in everything, the story that it was wrong fell away, I felt a peace come over me.
I created this, this is happening for me, not to me. Everything is happening for me, the entire universe is conspiring to bring about the awareness of the rightness of everything.
What are you resisting in your life? What do you most want to avoid? What is the story you are telling yourself that is causing so much pain?
Would love to hear from you..
Yes, yes, yes. Everything is yes. Even the suffering is a yes. 'There is no out, only through."
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