....lightening the load

Dear Yogis,

When something crosses your path three times the Universe has a message for you. This week the art of packing, of all things, crossed mine. So I am looking deeper.

It began because I am in the midst of planning a trip to Greece in October.  My parents are coming along so I told my mom ‘I am going to pack light’. Yeah right. Who am I fooling? When I have ever ‘packed light?’

I always start out with the right intention…..a few pairs of pants, couple pairs of shoes, some short sleeve and long sleeve tops.  But what if it gets cold?  The sweater goes in.  Oh I should take two so I am not wearing the same sweater every day.  And those hiking sandals aren’t dressy enough if we go out, so in go some dressy sandals.  But what if I am not in the mood for those particular tops…..as a couple more are placed in…..just in case.  But what if……and what if…….Until I can barely zip the suitcase and have to hold my breath to lift it even a few inches off the ground.  Weighed down by my stuff.

A few days later a blog post from Jonathan Foust, an insight meditation teacher, hit my inbox.  It was a description of everything he took with him on a 21 day touring trip (less than I tend to take on my weekend trips to the beach) and included a link to an article he is quoted in on packing mindfully.  The third crossing occurred Friday when I looked to see what was new on Elephant Journal.  The first article I clicked provided a list of ways to lighten up in the summer and the first one was ‘travel light’. 

So what is it that causes me to need so much stuff??  Why is what I start out with in the suitcase never enough?  It reminds me of that old George Carlin skit on ‘stuff’ which I always found hysterical.  Most likely because I saw myself in it. 

In the mindfulness post there were 5 tips:

·         Think about what you will actually need (notice it doesn’t say ‘might need’)

·         Keep it simple

·         Focus on what you can control

·         Find your balance

·         Make mundane tasks an exercise in mindfulness

Wait!! These feel a lot like life tips – not packing tips.  I guess that is because they are.  Our outer stuff is simply a representation of our inner stuff.  Whether it’s my need to bring everything with me, or your need for one more pair of shoes, or someone else’s need to have every bookshelf filled, it all is our yearning to fill some void. And it weighs us down. Stuff is heavy. 

From the travel light post :

To live in the present, practice packing light. The burden of where we were, the worry over where we will be—all of this past/future stuff is extra baggage. We don’t need it, and it’s keeping us from enjoying fully and moving freely in this moment. Lose the baggage.   ~ Lorna Bennett Samatas

I have an aunt who would arrive at our house for the weekend when I was young with only a small bag. Yet somehow she managed to look cool and put together the entire time.  I still remember being in awe of her packing skill and how by being unburdened with stuff, she appeared  to me as light and free.  I wanted that. I wanted to be able to pack only a backpack and know I could be gone a week. I still want that.

I have a beach vacation coming up which will give me yet another opportunity to practice leaving the stuff behind.  Letting a little be enough.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

 “Leave one shelf open for possibility.” ~ Darcie Purcell

Letting go of some baggage,
SARAH