MUSINGS
A Yogic Cup of TEA
Warm reflections on
Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions
Warm reflections on
Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions
There’s an old Daoist story about an old frail man who fell into a raging waterfall. The current was violent, crashing down with force. Onlookers were sure he wouldn’t survive.
But moments later, he emerged downstream, unharmed, brushed himself off and carried on his way. Astonished, they asked 'How did you survive that?' He smiled and said, 'I didn’t fight it. When the water pushed me down, I went down. When it lifted me up, I rose with it. I let the river show me the way instead of wasting my energy struggling against it.' This is Wu Wei - the Daoist wisdom of moving with life instead of against it. But Wu Wei isn’t passive. It’s not about surrendering to hardship and doing nothing. The old man didn’t just give up - he worked with the water, moving in a way that let him survive. In life, it’s the same. We don’t ignore challenges.. we just stop fighting them in ways that drain us. We respond with clarity instead of panic. We make choices that align with the flow rather than force things that aren’t working. Less struggle, more skill. The river knows the way.. but we still have to swim. This weekend I was treated to a beautiful therapeutic foot bath, nurturing cup of tea, and sharing of warm, compassionate wisdom and mindful presence from my beautiful friend and co-founder of the wonderful non-profit Nurture People, Jana. It left me feeling nourished on all levels.
It reminded me of how difficult it can be to receive sometimes, but what a gift our receiving can be to others too. As Marshall Rosenberg, creator of non-violent communication says - when we give from the heart, from a place of compassion, we do so out of a joy that springs forth whenever we willingly enrich another person’s life. This kind of giving benefits both the giver and the receiver. The receiver enjoys the gift without worrying about the consequences that accompany gifts given out of fear, guilt, shame, or desire for gain. The giver benefits from the enhanced joy and self-esteem that results when we see our efforts contributing to someone’s well-being. This quality of compassion, which he refers to as “giving from the heart,” is expressed in the following lyrics by Ruth Bebermeyer: GIVING FROM THE HEART I never feel more given to than when you take from me — when you understand the joy I feel giving to you. And you know my giving isn’t done to put you in my debt, but because I want to live the love I feel for you. To receive with grace may be the greatest giving. There’s no way I can separate the two. When you give to me, I give you my receiving. When you take from me, I feel so given to. Jana runs a weekly service from Nature Baby in Newmarket Auckland, every Friday. Her non-profit Nurture People also offers a beautiful nurturing, supportive and educational service and parent classes to new parents and caregivers. Find out more here. It helps to think of these 8 limbs as the tree of yoga:
There is so much wisdom wrapped up in this two minutes. The speaker neatly merges the concepts of ahimsa (non-violence) and tapas (determination) as practiced on the yoga mat and in daily life. The aim is to seek the middle path that neither calls us to withdraw into ourselves nor fight with ourselves or the world around us.
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“I offer you peace. I offer you love. I offer you friendship.
I see your beauty. I hear your need. I feel your feelings. My wisdom flows from the Highest Source. I salute that Source in you. Let us work together for unity and love.” – Mahatma Gandhi – |