Fear

Fear is the cheapest room in the house.
I would like to see you living
In better conditions.

                                          ~Hafiz

Fear can slip into your thoughts, and though unwelcome, bring great anxiety and deep distress. As a child fear was more often my companion than not and it wasn't until I reached adulthood that I discovered I was not my fear. It was a remarkable moment of immense freedom and joy to realize that I was not my fear or my thoughts or even my body.

Now that is not to say fear is never with me. The other day as I walked in an undeveloped area of southwest Florida, fear arose at the sound of rustling in the heavy underbrush. Our landlord had warned us there were wild boars, coyotes, and even bobcats! I was grateful to see a beautiful heron rise up from the bushes and the fear flew off with it.

Fear can be helpful, even necessary, but it doesn't need to be the room in which you confine yourself. In Yoga, we practice the lovely art of observing all, sensations, emotions, and thoughts. Letting go of each as it arises and dissolves away. It is a practice and, of course, some stay longer than others. But the art of detachment brings a peace that is beyond understanding. Grace becomes my welcome companion...

Thoughts are like actors

Thoughts of themselves have no substance; let them arise and pass away unheeded. Thoughts will not take form of themselves, unless they are grasped by the attention; if they are ignored, there will be no appearing and no disappearing.
                                                                            – Ashvaghosha

I remember when I first heard the Shakespeare quote about being actors on the stage of life. I was in high school English class and it really struck me in a way that not many things had previously. As a small child I did have several experiences of feeling so open and spacious, so filled with light and curious about what life is and what my place in it might be.

Often as we grow up, we lose that natural curiosity and fall into our roles on the stage of life without questioning why. We become quite expert at playing our part and the emotions we experience become so real as we attach to them.

In meditation, we detach from our thoughts and emotions and become the audience. To continue the analogy of life being a play, our thoughts and emotions are the actors. Like actors and actresses everywhere, they love a responsive audience. But if no one shows up to watch the play, they give up and close the show. If we can allow the emotions and thoughts to be there without responding to them, they will soon dissolve and the mind will grow stronger and more one-pointed.  The more we practice meditation, the easier it is to see emotions and thoughts for what they really are and to know who we are.