Let's Get Real

As I scroll through social media (mostly Instagram, admittedly), I see so many beautiful posts with powerful messages about being phenomenal. I see perfectly photoshopped and edited pictures of nature, yoga poses, interior decor, and food…so much food! Of course, all of the things that I just mentioned are a peek into who and what I follow!

The point is, and it has been discussed before, that everything we see is not as it seems. When we watch television or a movie, we relinquish our relationship to reality to be entertained. When we scroll through social media, we have to remind ourselves that it too is not a representation of reality.

When we meditate or practice present moment awareness, we bring ourselves into each moment, exactly as it is. Our job is to practice being aware and witnessing. Our reality is shaped by our perception of the world. My teacher, Yogarupa Rod Stryker, has often taught that most of what we think is “real” is simply how we are experiencing whatever is unfolding. We are asleep to the infinite and awake to the finite. Indeed, we are totally awakened and enchanted by this material world of the finite. When we practice stillness, we wake up to the infinite and recognize that it is the finite that can be put to rest for a while.

This is not to say that we have to sell everything and move to a cave to dwell in the infinite. What it does say is that our connection to the part of us that is unwavering is as real and as available as a quick scroll through Instagram or Facebook.

Try this: next time you want to reach for your phone, close your eyes instead. Sit up tall. Take a deep breath in and out. Notice the breath, your body, this moment. Pay attention. We have the power to tap in to the infinite in THIS world at any time. We can find freedom and connection in the finite world without escaping; it’s with us right this moment, as real as your phone.

In your best health and with love,

Betsy