Spring Cleaning for The Soul

BESIDE RESTFUL WATERS

“Each day we find the courage to create ourselves anew.”

From: Answers in the Heart

With our techno communications these days, I am bombarded with clever sayings that I usually dismiss with the thought that "Oh, that’s nice." This one from Answers in the Heart stuck with me and has held my attention for the past couple of weeks. Why? I believe that it has to do with the word “courage.”

I am slowly redefining courage. I have generally applied the descriptor to acts of valor, feats of heroism, and meeting challenges above and beyond the call of duty. I am beginning to appreciate the amount of courage it takes to practice the eight rungs of our Ashtanga Yoga lifestyle. The first two rungs of Yamas and Niyamas are no longer nice things to think about. I have to be courageous enough to make them life principles. I have to be courageous enough to make space in my Spirit so I have substance. I have to create space in my Spirit for them to thrive. OUCH!!! I am very fond of some of the old crap that needs to be cleaned out. There is comfort in having that old stuff. While I know it is not good for me, I just don’t want to do the work necessary to clean out.

For me, comfort is the opposite of courage. I am comfortable with the old crap so why shouldn’t I just leave it in some remote part of my being and ignore it? I do this often. Then I complain to my mentor that my meditation is often filled with old, crazy thoughts that try to take over my bliss. Hmmm! There is a message here – Duh!

So, today I will choose courage and make a path for something old to chuck in the garbage, and look to fill that space with the necessities of Spirit, like svadyaya. Something new will become evident in my life. I will pause, listen, and enjoy the restful waters of creativity.