Enjoy All of Life!

Brandi Gollihar
Aug 27, 2017 · 5 min read

It seems as if the days when I purposely intend on stepping away from writing, I have some profound breakthrough which encourages me to write.

Today I attended the early Kripalu Yoga session and it was more inspiring than I had experienced in the past. I brought a friend for the first time and she enjoyed it as well. Where the other styles of yoga sometimes focus a little too much on the body, I’ve found that Kripalu is great for the brain.

Following yoga, we walked a couple miles around the cute little neighborhoods in Camp Hill, then parted ways. I came home and slept for about 5 more hours.

While I hated to waste a beautiful day (and my hot date) by sleeping, my body must’ve needed the rest. If there’s anything I’m trying to do right now it is listen to my body and my mind.

Tonight I accomplished almost an hour of yoga on the patio by myself. I had a full view of the moon, which inspired me to go deeper into not only the poses, but into my soul. It was truly a magical experience, mosquitoes and all!

The reason why I’m actually writing is because of the two “real” books (not e-books) I’m reading right now. After feeling electrified by my yoga/meditation session, I wanted to get through a chapter in each of them. I had stalled, because I typically turn to my e-books first. Damned technology!

The first was one I’ve shared a little of before. It’s “Infinite Life” by Robert Thurman. He threw out a scenario which made me think deeply and I wanted to share: Normally when you’re riding the subway, you do everything in your power to keep from making eye contact with others. You may stare at the floor, read the ads, even bring a book with you. You want to remain as disconnected as possible from these “other” people. Suddenly, when you enter a tunnel the train is stopped. You’re told that you will be locked in this tunnel for a year as an experiment. All of your needs are going to be met, bathrooms are available, food and water will be provided, as well as medical care. Even your families will be notified that you’re fine, but you will be in this experiment for a year.

How do you look at these “other” people now? Do you see them as strangers you want to avoid? You’re going to be with them for an entire year, so you better start making some friends!

This is quite an example of how we go through life. We close ourselves off to all other humans, and most of the rest of nature as well. What we’re forgetting to realize is that we’re infinitely interconnected to all of these things. Why are we dividing ourselves? The most poignant quote from my reading is as follows:

“We cannot liberate just ourselves from suffering, because it is impossible to achieve fully perfect bliss if anyone is excluded from it. Infinite interconnection logically mandates infinite responsibility.” -Robert Thurman

The second book I’m reading came from a friend who knew it would be a perfect fit for my current mental state. It’s “The Untethered Soul” by Michael A. Singer. Chapter 5 in entitled “Infinite Energy” and is possibly the single most inspiring piece of writing I’ve voraciously consumed in my life. It just makes perfect sense. Please read it because my summary will never do it justice.

Singer’s point is that we all have internal infinite energy. It’s always there if we choose to use it. He provided the example of getting dumped by someone whom you loved dearly. You lie around in a sloth-like state. Your apartment becomes trashed and you sleep all the time. Then after a few months he/she calls and say they made a grave mistake. They want to come over to talk.

Suddenly you find bounds of energy! You jump up, clean your apartment, and feel like you’re on top of the world. Was this energy related to them somehow? No. It was because you had closed yourself off from your internal energy, specifically in your heart.

This is where I finally made a firm connection in my brain about energy and chakras. If I’m shutting off this internal energy from certain energy centers of my body, then I will become horribly unbalanced and not feeling my best.

He goes on to have us imagine what it would be like to always be open with an abundance of loving energy, despite the situations we’re facing. What if someone you love says something which you find appalling? Most of us would immediately close off from them, even if it was just a little. Instead of closing, couldn’t you consider sending more love? The following quote pretty much sums it up for me:

“You can either close because you don’t like what happened, or you can keep feeling love and enthusiasm by not closing. As long as you are defining what you like and what you don’t like, you will open and close. You are actually defining your limits. You are allowing your mind to create triggers that open and close you. Let go of that. Dare to be different. Enjoy all of life.” -Michael A. Singer

I obviously highlighted that last sentence, because it is a message with great meaning and will be adopted as yet another mantra.

I’m learning so much during this journey. While my bills may be piling up and the guilt of leaving my co-workers with an increased work load still linger, I’m figuring out things that I wish I would’ve taken the time to discover years ago.

I’m truly grateful and full of love towards all beings right now, especially those who have taken me in as a friend and provided me with so much support.

I hope all of you are enjoying a wonderful weekend. I suppose you’re all watching two guys beat the daylights out of one another right now, but to each their own.

I’ll stay on my patio enjoying the crickets and tree frogs (and even the mosquitoes) while exuding internal bliss. What a truly wonderful state of mind! Now someone remind me next week when I’m complaining about something trivial!

May love and light be with you all.

Namaste

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