betwixt before and after…10-26-22
Recent travel immersed me in the duality of moving with continual change: joy and exasperation, craziness and wonder. Planes, trains, automobiles (remember that hysterical film with Steve Martin and John Candy?) only began this journey. Every time I turned around another moment of transition was at hand. And really…how is that any different from a same-old, same-old day?
All those daily under the radar transition moments: we wake from sleep, we stand from our chair, we open the door and go outside. It’s sunny, then overcast. The wind is blowing, then it stops. The mid-level transitions: we’re in one city then another. Relationships and jobs begin and then they end. We move from one home to another. It’s a new day, the next week, the following month…the year turns over. And then the Big Passages: a pandemic emerges, wars flare up and die down, elections alter the course of history, regimes come and go. The climate changes. Babies are born. People die.
You know the Buddhist axiom: all things rise and fall. But every transition, from the micro to the mega, has one thing in common. The in-between phase. The mystery betwixt before and after. Building skill at recognizing that moment is the work of a lifetime. Because in that precise moment we have opportunity. Sometimes an active choice can be made. We can go right or we can go left. We can turn toward or turn away. We can speak or be still. And sometimes we can make a choice to be passive. Simply surrender to the way the wind blows, the direction the water flows. Yield to the shifting ground, submit to the prevailing momentum. We can surrender to being with things just as they are and patiently wait for time to pass.
Faster than ever, small and big changes happen all around us. We can cultivate our responsiveness muscle during that pause between moments. How? Feel inside: breath, sensation, instinct, emotion, intuition. Look out and tune into the big picture, the broad perspective and, at the same time, attend to the devil that lives in the details. Awareness and attention, our allies in transition, paving the way to action or surrender.
Class practice invites honing that skill. On Sunday we paused in the ready made transition between songs and I had a total aha moment. I’ve spent twenty years growing my DJ-ing ability, part of which involves making the transitions as seamless as possible. What’s that about? What kind of preparation for life is that? I was all about abrupt on Sunday. Challenging the habitual is definitely a means to boost awareness and attention.
Cultivation of awareness and attention is a thread weaving through all Body Joy offerings. This web page is a vision of change in progress; scroll down to see all three listings:
Tend Your Aging Body: New people have shown up every Saturday for this 90 minutes of pleasure. They slide right into this slow gentle practice. Since I have tons of prop options available and a great ability to articulate the practice and lots of knowledge on how to modify so its just right for you and clear visuals and divine music…well, it’s a good thing and this Saturday Oct 29 is the last chance to indulge until January. Treat yourself.
Wilbur Hot Springs: Do you know this oasis 90 minutes from Sac? I’ll be on the enclosed deck November 19-20 offering 3 Roll, Release, Align sessions (all props included). These classes are included with your day pass or overnight stay. Come soak, come hike, come let go. I love this Northern California gem. Please join me! You need to reserve your day pass or overnight stay soon with Wilbur Hot Springs. They sell out on weekends.
Roll, Release, Align: Actively in transition: name is a draft, description is a draft. But a free class on a Friday in December is in the works. Stay tuned! Clara is definitely rented. Us three (from left to right: Kim Wagaman, myself, Jeanne Munoz) are totally excited, committed and ready to rotate Fridays 10:00 beginning in January.
Each way-experienced teacher puts her spin on loose, long and strong. When I’m not teaching I’ll be on my mat out there with you. It’s a bring-your-own-props class. I’ll be retailing what you need out of my trunk in the parking lot before each class in January.
And, of course, all things 5Rhythms:
Wednesday Waves tonight Oct 26 6:30pm.
Sweat Your Prayers Sunday Oct 30 10:00am with guest teacher Rachel Jordana from Santa Cruz holding it down for a Halloween celebration. Come dressed up!! Alter Egos are welcome.
Moon Lodge Dec 5-9 at Esalen with Lucia Horan. I’ll be assisting at my favorite place on Planet Earth. Wanna come with?
Closing with this quote from Leon C. Megginson:
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive,
nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to change.”
Let’s build that responsiveness together…❤️Bella