As I walked up the path from the beach where I had just finished telling Ramsey, my snorkeling tour guide, how I have been using the heart expanding experience I had with him one year ago as one of my daily visualizations to heal limbic brain trauma, my eyes swelled up with tears of recognition and gratitude. I have come so very far since I was last in the Sea of Cortez and I could feel it in my bones. I honored this moment by allowing the tears to stream as my loving companion, Nelson, held space for me to recognize just how much transformation has taken place. I have been released from the anxious vice grip of hypersensitivities to everything from foods to chemicals. It was also in this moment that I realized just what my students could be feeling when they come to me with tears in their eyes and express the gratitude they feel because the practice of yoga has helped them heal and grow into more peaceful territory within themselves.
All of this swelled up into a gorgeous moment that felt so incredibly free. I once again embraced the value of shifting a person's darshana, their view, in healing the deep grooves called samskaras in the human experience that bind us to our fears, non-working behaviors, and ultimately our past karma. In this moment of direct insight, I honored how important it is for us humans to get out there and tickle the bellies of sea urchins... or, whatever brings us back to remembering our connection to the Divine. For the new yoga student it's the very first time upside down in a handstand and then the intoxicating journey toward eventually holding handstand on one's own.
The trick to all of this lies in consciously finding the feeling state of the outlandish awe and wonder in the sensation of the sea urchin clinging to your palm, or the excitement of seeing the world upside down in a handstand for the first time. Shifting one's view to find the infinite wellspring of peace and tranquility within isn't just about creating peak experiences in life; it's about shifting one's darshana to use our peak moments as training grounds for heightened states of awareness that hold the power to heal especially when we find ourselves focusing on our fears, anxieties, cant's, and inadequacies.
For those wanting to get out of the rut of whatever is holding you back from total joy, health, vitality and peace, try the profound practice of shifting your view, your darshana to see the ordinary world in technicolor. Embrace the power of your imagination through visualizations and call forth the magic that is your life! Practice living in that space for extended periods of time and watch your life and your level of consciousness shift.
If you want more information or motivation, check out The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge or look into programs on Neuroplasticity such as Annie Hopper's Dynamic Neural Retraining System. Of course, there is also the practice of yoga. But, can you see more than just a downward dog and open to the miracle of embodiment as a gateway to that which lies beyond your limited definitions?