I’ve been in love with inquiry for long time. Whenever someone asks me a real question, a question from the depths of their being, it’s just like receiving a priceless gift.
I received such a gift when I was speaking on the phone last week with a dear friend. He asked me if I was familiar with the work of Byron Katie. I said I was, and that I have engaged in what she calls ‘The Work,’ her particular form of inquiry.
“Well, “ he said, ‘I enjoy listening to her very much, but there’s one thing she keeps saying that I just can’t go along with. It does make sense when I listen to her interacting with people. But afterwards I really wonder about it.”
“About what?” I asked him.
“It’s when she says that reality is always benevolent,” he said.
“Oh yes, “ I said. “I’ve heard her say, “In the face of everything that appears to be real, only kindness remains.”
“I understand,” replied my friend, “ that to say things are bad is just the mind making up a story about what is. But it also seems like a story to say that life is kind. Let’s face it, life can be very cruel sometimes.”
I realized in that moment what a big question that is : Is Reality kind?
Is the Universe benevolent? Some people might think it ridiculous to try and answer such a question, or that we should leave such questions to the philosophers. The truth is, we are all philosophers, and many of us have experienced the answers to these deep questions emerging out of our whole experience of life. Sometimes we’re not conscious of what we assume or believe about life, but our answers to such questions affect every aspect of how we live and experience the world.
I watched this week, as this question from my friend came alive in me, crawled deep into my heart, and would not let me alone.
I remember when I first came back from India. I was in a state of deep trauma-feeling bewildered, betrayed and shattered. I discovered the Diamond Heart Teachings of A.H. Almaas at that time, and heard him speak with great eloquence about the benevolence of life, the inherent goodness of the vast intelligence that moves in us and through us. This was a wild thing for me to contemplate at that time. I was not on friendly terms with the Universe!
The moment all of that turned around was one evening at my daughter’s house in Nelson. I was sitting at the kitchen table, feeling crushed by life and quite sorry for myself. She came into the kitchen, and put a ‘People’ magazine down on the table. “There’s something in here I’d like you to read,” she said, so I did.
It was a story about a woman called Robin Tovey. Robin is a woman in her late 30’s, who lives in an apartment in Toronto, and has quite a good job, working for a firm downtown. She also has a life partner. All of this seemed very unremarkable to me until I found out one thing about Robin Tovey: she was born without arms and legs.
As I read the story, the details of her life unfolded. There were pictures of her when she was a child. One of them really got to me: Robin and her family at the beach. The other children are running and playing in the waves; and there is Robin, just sitting on the sand. No arms, no legs, wind blowing in her hair, and an ecstatic look on her face. A picture of radiant joy.
The article described what Robin has to do when she eats. She puts the fork in her mouth, using these sticks she has, picks up the food with the fork, and then somehow flips it into her mouth. I tried it right then and there, and ended up with tears running down my face, undone by the enormity of the challenges she deals with every day of her life.
When her parents were asked, “What did you do, that Robin turned out like this?” they replied, “We never cut her any slack. We treated her as an equal member of our family. We never saw her as a victim.”
That was when I really began to entertain the possibility that perhaps, when we let go of our conditioned responses, we’ll find out that life is deeply, profoundly kind- kind beyond all of our conventional notions of good and bad.
Something has become clear to me since then: in every single moment, life offers each one of us the possibility of awakening to who we really are, to our true nature. No matter what happens, no matter how bad or how good it seems to be, that invitation is always there. No matter what we do, no matter what we think, that invitation and that possibility never go away. What could be kinder than that?
with love
Shayla
Resources:
Byron Katie: http://www.thework.com
A.H.Almas: http://www.ahalmaas.com
Barefoot Journeys Fall Schedule
Details regarding fees, schedules etc. are all on my website: http://www.barefootjourneys.net
Private coaching & Human Design and Numerology Readings
Available by phone or in person
The Heart of Communication weekend retreat
Om Yoga Studio, Nelson
Aug. 31-Sept 2
Soma Yoga/writing day
Shanti Yoga Studio and 702 Observatory St. Nelson
Sept 8
Four week ‘Gift of Presence’ course
702 Observatory St. Nelson
Tues. Sept 17-Oct 8
Four week ‘Alchemy of Writing’ course
Thurs. Sept. 20-Oct 11
Yoga/writing weekend retreat
Shanti Yoga Studio and 702 Observatory St. Nelson
Sat. Sept. 29/30
‘Women in the Wisdom Years’ 4 day, 5 night retreat
September 11-16.07
Mountain Waters Retreat Centre, Nelson B.C.
‘Women in the Wisdom Years’ offers you the chance to awaken to your authentic being at a time when life is inviting you to turn in a new direction. In this workshop, we come together in order to open unconditionally to everything that we are. We sit in silence, we dance, we breathe with our whole body. We write, we dialogue and we sing. We walk in the forest. We listen to the mountains and the trees. We learn how to rest deeply, to do nothing at all. We ask the questions that emerge from our depths at this time of life: Who am I? What do I stand for? What is life? What is love? What’s the most important thing for me? What do I really want?
The answers to these questions are not found in the mind. They live in our core, in the aliveness of our unconditioned presence. In this retreat we create a container in which the power of our intention carries us into this unknown place, this radiance, this openness of being. A life of deep gratitude, integrity and courage awaits us.
This workshop happens at Mountain Waters Retreat Centre on Svabhodha Rd., a 15 minute ride up a mountain road from downtown Nelson. It’s a truly beautiful place: http://www.mountainwaters.ca
One week Soma Yoga Retreat
Yelapa, Mexico
Dec. 1-8. 2007
The Place
Hotel Lagunita in Yelapa is 30 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta by water taxi. There are no cars here, just elegant and simple bungalows on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Surrounding you is lush jungle, waterfalls, and all the sounds of nature.
For more information about the hotel go to
http://www.hotel-lagunita.com
The Soma Yoga Program
Here is a precious opportunity to practice yoga in an environment that is deeply nourishing to body, mind and spirit. Without the tyranny of clocks, computers and cars, we begin to drop into the slow and natural rhythms of nature, moving as the clouds move, breathing in harmony with wind and waves.
This retreat will focus on entering a deep state of presence while practicing yoga, learning to listen deeply to what Echhart Tolle calls ‘the inner body,’ the stream of life force in the body and breath. Experiencing your inner body awakens your own capacity to regenerate and revitalize your entire being. Cultivating an awareness that is curious, loving and accepting allows you to practice yoga with your heart wide open.
We will explore some of the myths around the ageing process, and use an embodiment journal to examine and renew our whole relationship with our body/mind.
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