Through the Looking Glass
“How is everyone?”
Nods, hellos.
“Okay, Leave your mat where it is and come stand in front of the mirror. Get close. Look into your own eyes and simply observe.”
<time passes in silence>
“What do you notice?”
<silence>
A student walks in to find all nine of us with our noses to the mirror.
“Hi!” I say cheerfully, “we’re working on a project. Set your mat down and come join us!”
Giggles from the gazers. A curious way to begin a yoga class, but considering out is actually in, It makes perfect sense to me.
“What do you notice?” I again probe.
“It’s too intimate,” Stacy, a regular, shared.
“Raw.” came another voice.
“I feel like there’s another person there.” came a third.
Aaaah.
Yesss.
All agreed that it was deeply uncomfortable to stare in such a way — into their own eyes so intently. I invited them to see themselves without scrutiny, without shame, without a need to change, and in total acceptance for what they saw. No matter how raw… No matter what! Because they were looking at the most important person in their life. The person accompanying them from birth until death, holder of all their secret fears, unspoken hopes, and maker of all their dreams. That no matter how selfless our world encourages us to be, no matter our relationships, self-study is the core of our work.
Pondering on this notion later, I looked up to see the cinnamon dive headfirst into the trash can at the sugar station. The Starbucks employee and I laughed heartily as she said, “Of course, that’s exactly where I meant you to go!” We agreed that there was naught to do but laugh in the “service” industry.
“Ordering food can bring out the worst in people,” she sighed.
“Yeah, it’s a dumping ground for everything everyone wanted to say or do to their boss/wife/husband etc. but didn’t,” I replied. “Unexpressed energy doesn’t just disappear. It expresses itself in another unexpected arena.”
And this is exactly why it’s so important to stay the course of introspection. To continually look in that mirrored reflection, no matter how raw, nor how intimate. To let that reflection become a separate self that we can see objectively. Who are we, really?
… and how do we want to be in this magical, amazing world spinning around a tiny star spinning around a great central sun spinning around a galaxy spinning through the cosmos? If you spin in harmony with your self, you never spin alone.
