I can see clearly now

Quiet yogis,

In the throat chakra we snuggled into the warm embrace of silence.  Listening inwardly to what our hearts are telling us, without the noise of daily life.

Now in Ajna chakra, our third eye, we began to look from the inside.  To see all that our physical eyes are incapable of perceiving.   Our sixth sense.

 

Physically our eyes are quite limited.  The range of colors we see is narrow.  Our night vision is almost nonexistent.  Compared to a hawk, the distance we can see is miniscule.  And as we age, even seeing something up close becomes a challenge (is it me or is the writing on most labels becoming ridiculously small?).

But even more importantly than that, we look at the world through a distorted lens…..as if we are wearing dirty glasses.  Our mind places a layer of perception over everything we view….a layer built up by experiences, memories, likes/dislikes and judgment.  We sort, compare, evaluate and label in a mere instant.  Everything we see is shaped for us.  So is that really  seeing?

And when we are deep in the grips of stress we don’t see anything at all.  The eyes look at the surroundings as we move from activity to activity,  but nothing even registers.  Sort of like – where are those darns glasses???? – as you tear the house apart…..only to discover you are already wearing them.  Or you drive somewhere and have that panicked feeling upon arrival because you can’t even remember the drive. 

We both look at a picture of a woman.  One of us sees stunning beauty, the other sees someone too thin.  We both peer into the woods.  One sees the steadiness of the old oaks, yearning to sit against them…while the other sees the potential danger of the forest creatures, anxious to hurry back to the house.   Who is seeing correctly?

When we work with the energy of the third eye, we turn on our inner vision.   The ability to see what is real.  To see things exactly as they are. 

Those of you who practice with me know that I close my eyes often while I move.  I find that with the eyes closed I can more easily slide from the thinking mind to the feeling mind.  I don’t need to SEE you all to know how we are flowing, or sense your breath or feel the warmth of the energy that we generate as a group.   When we close the eyes, or allow them to soften, our vision becomes so much more expansive.  We begin to see with the whole body.  When you want to see another, close the eyes and draw them near.  See with your hands, see with the soles of the feet, see with your innermost core.

This inner vision also allows us to see ourselves more clearly too.  It is if we take a step back to observe ourselves – our thoughts, habits, different voices, and fears.  It reminds me of when we would watch videos we had taken and I would look at myself and feel like I was watching a stranger.  I don’t look or talk like that!!  It must be the camera. 

Close your eyes now and notice the room.  See yourself as if you are looking from above.  See what makes up this moment.

This is what meditation is all about.  Getting quiet, closing the eyes, taking a step back and watching.  What we do with what we see is our choice.  But if we choose to take out the windex and clean the glasses to see exactly what is here, we can begin to release those things that no longer serve us, getting closer and closer to the brilliant light within that we each are…..and then recognizing it in others.

I can see clearly now,

SARAH