water
flowing,
falling,
freezing,
m e l t i n g,
taking on the shape
of what's needed
to heal
Today I was listening to the sound of water falling in the shower. It was hypnotizing, melodic, soothing. When I am in flow with life, it's easy to be kind to others and myself.
But when things feel hard, I freeze. It takes more conscious effort to be kind. It's easier to become reactive, adding more wind and fire to an already volatile situation. And these elements don't help thaw my self-righteous, hurt identity.
Leslie Booker's talk on Embodied Wisdom reminds me how all thoughts and emotions have elemental manifestations in the body. When the force of these elements are strong, unskillful actions can burn and blame others or myself to obtain quick results and relieve discomfort.
In contrast, skillful action is motivated by patience, curiosity, openness, and a desire to foster connection. But I cannot feel supported by the ground beneath me or flow with my surroundings without learning how to tame the fire and wind energies within.
I must take refuge in someone or something larger than myself (meditation, nature, journaling, talking to a trusted teacher or friend). When the wildfire is contained in the heart's afterglow, my frozen self begins to melt. Tears fall, and wise action is no longer a foreign concept, but embodied by an earth child who has grown into the avatar of Kaveri, a woman flowing to meet her source, to know her True Nature. There is a sincere wish for all beings to be free.
May our elemental natures take on the shape of what's needed to heal. May we embody skillful action in ways that are most meaningful to us.
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